When Faith Becomes Fact

Isaiah 64:1 Oh, that you would rend the heavens! That you would come down!

The Bible declares without faith it is impossible to please God. (See Heb 11:6)

Our entire relationship with God is based upon faith. First we place our faith in Him to believe, and then we live by faith in Him to receive. There is no part of our relationship with the Lord which He accepts apart from our faith in His faithfulness.

And truly that is what we are expressing – our faith in His faithfulness - our faith that His promises will always be true as they have always been true.

And yet…and yet…Oh that only our eyes could see something…anything…tangible! Oh that He would rend (open) the heavens and come down! Then we would know!

Signs have never been a satisfactory basis for relationship with God because signs never satisfy. How often had Christ proven Himself to be Christ? How many signs and wonders had He performed? AND - had not the Word of God declared His Holy One would not see corruption? (Decomposition - See Psalm 16:10)

Why then were the disciples so slow to believe? Isn’t it an embarrassment to Christianity that the very ones who would go on to spread the gospel were themselves so slow to believe Christ was really risen from the dead?

On the contrary, this becomes an important fact of faith-building for us. If the disciples were so slow to believe – what then MADE them believe? And, if this story were contrived – why would the story make the disciples appear to be so foolish and so small in their faith? What then could possibly have made the disciples so staunch in their faith they would die rather than deny the risen Savior?

It all comes down to the moment faith became fact…when the risen Savior was seen by the women first, and then the men who followed Him, and then by over 500 at once. (See 1 Cor 15:6) These same disciples who had been so weak in their faith as to not comprehend the Word of God being played out before their very eyes were now stunned by what they saw!

The church would be founded on the ROCK that was Christ. On this occasion that Rock could be seen, felt, heard, and experienced. There would be no doubt left in the minds of those who would found the church of Jesus Christ. In fact, the heavens have been rent – and in fact, God has come down!

- Pastor Bill