Doubting Denying Departing

Doubting – Denying and Departing . . .  

In John 20 we read the account of when Jesus first appeared to the disciples after His resurrection -- we begin reading of this in verse 19

John 20: 19 Then the same day at evening (the day of His resurrection) being the first day of the week (Sunday), when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.

 20 And when he had so said, he shewed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord.

 24 But Thomas, one of the twelve (disciples) called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came.

 25 (so later) The other disciples therefore said unto him (unto Thomas) We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.

Thomas heard an account of the “gospel message” regarding the resurrection of Jesus Christ . . . but Thomas doubted what he had heard.

26 And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them (this time) then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you.

27 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.

28 And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.

29 Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, “because” thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.

Doubting Thomas is a man that we often mention as someone who “because of doubt” - failed to meet God’s expectations for his life . . . 

Heb 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

Jesus told Thomas – you believe that I have risen from the grave “only” because you have seen – but blessed are those who believe even though

they have not seen . . . What Jesus is talking about here – is the blessing of salvation upon those who were not eye-witnesses of what these men saw.

When we consider the salvation of our souls – the first thing that we must consider is the sin of DOUBT.

If we don’t believe – then it really doesn’t matter how good we are – or how evil we are . . . because UNBELIEF means that our righteousness or our unrighteousness does not matter at all.

We often hear about something referred to as “the unpardonable sin” . . . now we could speculate about what this sin is – some say that it is murder

some believe it to be suicide because once we are dead – we cannot ask God for His forgiveness . . . we could go down a list and name off many such

sins – but I want us to consider what sin is so bad – that God cannot offer His forgiveness . . .

2Pe 3:9 The Lord . . . is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that “any should perish” but that all should come to repentance.

Actually the sin to which we refer  – is not any of the sins of the flesh because God is willing to forgive us of ANYTHING that we do . . . but 

the sin of which we speak - is a sin of the heart.  “And that sin” for which there is no hope of forgiveness – is the sin of unbelief or simply – NOT BELIEVING.

When we hear “the gospel” – if we doubt “the truth” as it applies to our soul (or to our life) then the next logical step for us - will be to deny what we do not “believe is true” And the final step occurs

when we depart (or turn our back) upon those things that we have begun to deny as being something that applies to others but not to us.

What about you and I – is our life characterized  more by doubt than it is by faith . . . Jesus told Thomas “be not faithless, but believing . . .”

In Luke 16 we read about the rich man and a beggar named Lazarus. Lazarus was a believer but the rich man did not believe.

 22 And it came to pass, that the beggar (named Lazarus) died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;

 23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.

 24 And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.

 25 But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.

 26 And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.

The sin for which there is no hope of forgiveness is the sin of DYING in UNBELIEF . . . dying with a heart that is empty of faith because it has been filled instead with doubt.

This rich man did not go to hell because he was a bad person or because he did bad things . . . he went to hell because he did not believe . . . the

light of truth was available to this rich man – but he loved his present life too much to give that life to Jesus by accepting Him as His personal savior.

John 3: 16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but (instead God sent his Son into the world so) that the world through him might be saved.

 18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already (the reason for this condemnation is) because he hath not believed IN THE NAME of the only begotten Son of God.

 19 And THIS is the condemnation, that light (or truth) is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

Who-so-ever BELIEVETH in Him should not perish literally means that any person who believes in

the death the burial and the resurrection of Jesus Christ is protected from the second death that the rich man experienced.

Verse 17 explains THE PURPOSE of the cross as something that did not bring condemnation – but as a thing that brought the hope of eternal life.

Verse 18 is detailed explanation of HOW the cross brings life instead of death . . . the person who BELIEVES in (trusts) a resurrected Jesus 

escapes spiritual death in hell - while the person who doubts like Thomas did (as a result of their doubt – which is a lack of faith) they will not 

escape this death of the soul – and like the rich man – after they die – they will open their eyes in hell.

Verse 19 tells us precisely what “motivates” a person to doubt – to deny and then to depart.

THIS is the condemnation – after hearing the truth about their soul - this is WHY a person remains lost instead of “getting saved”.

19 And THIS is the condemnation, that light (or truth) is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

The “light” that is mentioned refers specifically to John 3:16 . . . the light of God’s Truth is that Jesus died for our sins on the cross of Calvary . . . and

if we believe in His sacrifice “as the sinless son of God” – if we believe that he literally died in our place to satisfy God regarding the payment for our sins - and that when God saw His Blood which was shed because of His love for the sinner - and if we

believe that after three days God resurrected Him from the dead then we shall not perish in hell – because we have gained (received) eternal life through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.

BUT to refuse this “gift of life” and to remain under the condemnation of God – is to love OUR SINS so much that we refuse to look at this light 

that we have been talking about – and because we will not look to the cross – we cannot escape eternal death.