Is Proof Biblical?

“But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples were saying to him, ‘We have seen the Lord!’ But he said to them, ‘Unless I see in His hands the imprint of the nails, and put my finger into the place of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.’” New American Standard Bible: John 20:24–25.

“Many Thomases have said, or could say, the same thing of themselves. The doubters have eventually become the soundest and even the warmest believers. Doubt in itself is a cold thing, and, as in the case of Thomas, it often utters harsh and heartless sayings. Nor need this surprise us; for when the mind is in doubt the soul is in darkness, and during the chilly night the heart becomes frozen. But when the daylight of faith comes, the frost melts, and hearts which once seemed hard and stony show themselves capable of generous enthusiasm and devotion.” The Training of the Twelve, A. B. Bruce, pp. 510-511.

This statement by Thomas was probably the most advanced confession of faith ever made by any of the twelve during the time they were with Jesus (Bruce, pp. 510). Isn’t it strange how the greatest doubter becomes the truest believer? This statement was not one of surprise but of great faith at the moment he became a true believer, and not just an appreciator. His belief became one of belief in the doctrine Jesus taught, not just a good teacher and considerable friend whose teachings died when He did. He connected the doctrine which Jesus taught about the resurrection he witnessed some eight days after Jesus resurrection. His faith which started as “low” on the scale, demanded evidence, and eventually became one which was solidified by demanding proof.

Have you ever questioned your faith? I don’t mean that you question your salvation, although that happens to many people as well in their lifetime. Have you ever demanded somehow that God proof His love to you? I don’t think this means each of us should not take the time to consider things, but it is much more to believe without seeing. Bruce says this; “To believe without seeing is to be capable of being satisfied with something less than absolute demonstration, or to have such an inward illumination as renders us to a certain extent independent of external evidence. Such a faculty of faith is most needful; for if faith were possible only to those who see, belief in Christianity could not extend beyond the apostolic age. But to believe without consideration is a different matter altogether. It is simply not to care whether the thing believed be true or false. There is no merit in doing that” (Bruce, pp. 512).

If the need for absolute truth were necessary for everyone to believe, the world would no longer have a God. They would have a servant who is at their beckon command to prove Himself each time another lack of faith arises. Then we make the God of heaven our lucky rabbits foot; and He can’t be compared in any way to this. The need for each of us in the pursuit of our relationship with God is the essence of faith. We converse with a God who is supreme and sovereign. He is not bound by the human demands for proof of His existence, but encourages each human to pursue his/ her time in speaking to Him. Plus, if this were true, the gospel would have failed in the first century after those who had seen Jesus died.

Today, the Holy Spirit does this for us. The more we pursue God, the more He speaks to us through His Spirit. His Spirit leads us into truths which help us to know Him deeper each day. I encourage you to not demand proof from God like Thomas did, but experience Him in a way that you can say that you personally have touched God in your life by the reality of your relationship with Him. May God lead and bless you as you do…