Alan Fong
3 min read
Alan Fong
3 min read
Alan Fong
3 min read
Overcoming Doubts
Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing. And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. ~John 20:27-28
Doubting is when we lack a complete assurance about something. It is a manifestation of unbelief. Doubting impedes our faith and disables us from putting our entire weight into a cause, movement, or matter. Thomas is sometimes nicknamed “Doubting Thomas” because he had a hard time accepting the report that Jesus had risen from the dead. This morning, let’s see how the Lord lovingly helped Thomas. Let’s see the conversion of a doubter.
There is the calling of Thomas.
Thomas was one of the twelve men whom Jesus had prayed over and selected as one of His apostles. Thomas was most likely a man of Galilee and found an attraction to Jesus as He began His ministry. Thomas showed signs of faith, fidelity, and fervency. Jesus saw something in Thomas that had potential. I am glad this morning that the Lord sees potential in me in spite of my weaknesses and limitations.
There is the commitment of Thomas.
In John 11, Jesus tells the disciples that He wanted to go to Bethany to attend to Martha, Mary, and Lazarus. Lazarus had died of an illness. However, going back to that area was risky. The Jews had threatened to kill him. The disciples knew this. Thomas showed true commitment to Christ when he said, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.” There was courage within Thomas that the threat of harm from the Jews could not affect. He was willing to travel with Jesus and put his life on the line. He was committed.
There is the caution of Thomas.
After Jesus died on the cross, the disciples were shattered in heart. Their hopes were broken. When Jesus rose from the dead, He purposely went to the place where these men assembled behind closed doors to show them the proof that He was not dead. All were there except for Thomas. Thomas was so disheartened by the death of Christ, he went elsewhere. When he is told that the Lord was raised, he expressed his caution and doubt about the veracity of the Lord’s resurrection. In essence, he said he would not believe this unless he saw the Lord stand before him with the actual nail prints in his hands and the wound to his side. He was cautious to accept the word of his colleagues. When doubt sets in, we are unable to do anything mighty for the Lord. He was not being obstinate, but he had to see to believe. Thomas was filled with more doubt than hope.
There is the conversion of Thomas.
Jesus comes again to the men eight days later. This time, Thomas was there. Jesus invited Thomas to place his fingers into the pierced hands and his hand into the pierced side. Thomas cried out, “My Lord and my God.” Seeing, hearing, and speaking with Jesus at that moment changed him. His doubt was rebuked. His doubt was removed. He was converted! The power of the resurrected Christ changed his faith and future. Whatever reservations he had about Jesus were gone! Jesus had all of him!
There is the contribution of Thomas.
Tradition tells us that Thomas went to India to do missionary work. It is said that he preached the gospel and won people to Christ in Kerala, India. Thomas was the first to bring the gospel to this needy country and to impact lives. His contribution was to exercise faith in going further and taking more risks than his fellow apostles. He made his mark as a preacher of the gospel.
There is the cloning of Thomas.
He is called "Didymus," which means "twin" or "double." It is likely that he had a twin brother or sister. We are not sure who that person was. A twin is a clone or look-alike. However, maybe the Lord can clone a doubter this morning and make him a man of significance because of faith. Let’s clone the faith and vision of a Thomas in our life this morning.
Let the life of Thomas encourage you to let go of your doubts and have faith in God’s power.
Have a faith-filled God Morning!
Bible Reading Schedule: Song of Isaiah 23-27
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