Article: Seeing is Believing?

[Sojourner55]

You can view the page at http://bibleforums.org/content.php/1...g-is-Believing

[Eyelog]

You nailed it Soj. Excellent article.

Makes me think of that portion of the true remnant of Israel who are yet to have ears to hear and eyes to see, even as "22 ... Jews ask for signs and Greeks search for wisdom" and "23 ... we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness, ...." 1 Corinthians 1.

Some of them are waiting for a tap on the shoulder, but the last I read the tapping isn't on the shoulder, but at the door.

Revelation 3:20
Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.

That knocking comes through hearing the Word, and it requires an opening of the door.

The problem is, if we were fortunate enough to have ears to hear, we sometimes don't have eyes to see the door, and He who stands at it. This is why we must respond with seeking.

7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Matthew 7.

These verses are both out of context, but they bespeak the spiritual principles of how God works with us by faith, as you point out, "from first to last."

And who would deny it:

Hebrews 11:6
And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.

[thomasmind]

Amazing in every way!

To me belief comes before proof as well and I totally agree that just because you see something does not mean you believe it. The funny thing is that people do not even understand what belief is. As I have been working in the energy science field for years I have learned one thing watching my collogues and the management team. If I want to find the answer to something I have to have some kind of belief. If I do not believe I already know and my hand goes up blocking anything more.

In a sense though the two can have nothing to do with eachother. I can see and not believe, and I can see proof and still not believe.

Awesome Article!

Thomas

[nimrod]

I basically read that as "People don't always believe everything they see, so they should believe things they don't see". But how does that make sense? Not believing everything you see is perfectly sensible. Never been to a magic show?

Believing in something and only then perceiving it is rather unsatisfactory too. Close your eyes and think of a pink rabbit. Chances are you'll see a pink rabbit. Does that mean that it's real, and that your 'faith' showed you a route to something that was real?

I don't mean it agressively, but the 'leap of faith' isn't something I can do. The most I can manage is 'pretending'.

So what can be my path to God?

[Slug1]

Oh wow... this is the first time seeing this article and I said this phrase a couple weeks ago and then posted it as part of my signature!!

Guess I should take it out now...