30th Mar 26 | 13:54
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Luke 24 9-12 MEETING THE RISEN LORD 08 15Mar2022 Luke 24 11 From unbelief to belief
📖 Luke 24:9-12
08 – 15Mar2022 – From unbelief to belief - Luke 24:09-12 - MEETING THE RISEN LORD - Bible reading: Luke 24:36-43
“Thank You, Lord, that You are patient with us, in spite of our unbelief. We hold out against You, giving excuses and reasons. Have mercy on us, Lord Jesus. We pray that a miracle will take place in our hearts that will move us from unbelief to belief. In Jesus' precious name we pray. Amen.”
We will now turn our attention on the disciples.
Luke 24:11 And their words seemed to them like idle tales, and they did not believe them.
This was the response of the disciples to the words of the women and Mary, who had been transformed after she had met with the risen Lord.
The Lord’s concern for us is the state of our hearts. The Lord is giving us an important warning. Let there not be an evil heart of unbelief. Unbelief makes us depart from God and makes us turn to idols.
Hebrews 3:12-13 Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; (13) but exhort one another daily, while it is called "TODAY," lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.
The church is exhorted to encourage one another, for the danger is that unbelief can creep into our hearts
Things may not have gone the way we expected. We prayed much but there was no answer to our prayers, though we prayed according to His will. We can become cynical and sceptical. These are symptoms of unbelief. Fellowship in the body of Christ is to ensure that none amongst us should become hardened in our hearts and fall into the state of unbelief.
Belief in God is foundational and constant, even if circumstances may not be favourable. Often, we are not able to comprehend the ways of God, with our limited understanding, but we must believe in Him.
If we entertain unbelief in our hearts, this will result in the hardening of our hearts. More of unbelief, more of hardening of the heart. More there is hardening of the heart, it will lead to further unbelief. This becomes a vicious downward spiral.
Unbelief makes us turn away from God and turn to other resources and avenues. These become idols. Idols are anything that we place our trust upon, rather than in God. Possessions, power, position and passions can become our idols and make us turn away from God. The exhortation to the church is to turn from idols and turn to the living God.
Why was God angry with the Israelites? Why did so many of them perish in the wilderness? It was because of unbelief.
Hebrews 3:17-19 Now with whom was He angry forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose corpses fell in the wilderness? (18) And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who did not obey? (19) So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.
They did not obey. They did not obey because they did not believe. Therefore, obedience comes from belief and obedience to God is the verification of our love for Him. We cannot love God by words but by obedience and obedience is possible only on the basis of our belief in Him. This is why belief in God is foundational.
These were written as a warning for us, who live at the end of the age. Apostle Paul is explaining to the Corinthians what happened to the Israelites on their journey. Many of them perished in the wilderness. Paul is warning the church about unbelief.
I Corinthians 10:11 Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.
The Lord was concerned for His brethren that they should not remain in their unbelief but move to belief.
Luke 24:36-43 Now as they said these things, Jesus Himself stood in the midst of them, and said to them, "Peace to you." (37) But they were terrified and frightened, and supposed they had seen a spirit. (38) And He said to them, " Why are you troubled? And why do doubts arise in your hearts? (39) Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have." (40) When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His feet. (41) But while they still did not believe for joy, and marveled, He said to them, "Have you any food here?" (42) So they gave Him a piece of a broiled fish and some honeycomb. (43) And He took it and ate in their presence.
Consider, friends, the concern that the Lord has for each of us, His brethren. He has not put us aside because of our unbelief, but He patiently reaches out to us and encourages us to believe.
The lives of the disciples changed dramatically and we all know what happened later. Nevertheless, at this time, the disciples were in a state of unbelief and the Lord was reaching out to them to move them from unbelief to belief.
The Lord does not want us to remain in our sarcasm, cynicism and scepticism but He longs for us to be like a little child, fully believing in Him.
Thought to ponder
Have you allowed hardness of heart to creep in, for which you are giving your defence? Will, you stop and seek the Lord to give you a tender heart of belief?