EPISODE 26 – DECLARATION OF FAITH – PART 6 - “Faith and Signs” скачать в хорошем качестве

EPISODE 26 – DECLARATION OF FAITH – PART 6 - “Faith and Signs”

“I won’t believe unless I see.” We hear this statement very often. But is this really how Christian faith works? Does God have to prove Himself to us through signs and miracles? Or could it be that demanding signs… is actually a lack of faith? In the Gospel we read the words of Jesus: “Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe” (John 4:48). This statement exposes a problem that concerns not only people from two thousand years ago, but also us today. Faith is very often confused with what is visible, tangible, and emotional. We frequently refer to the figure of “doubting Thomas,” yet we forget that all the disciples lacked true faith—until the Holy Spirit was sent on the day of Pentecost. From the very beginning, Christianity has been founded on trust: that Jesus died and rose again for the sins of humanity. This trust is often treated as “blind,” because people attempt to ground it in physical reality. Likewise, we frequently add physical elements to faith: rituals, works, religious practices, or intellectual declarations. Scripture, however, reveals something entirely different. God says in the Epistle to the Hebrews: “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). True faith is the work of God, not of man. It is spiritual, invisible, and comes from the Word of God (Hebrews 11:3). Its goal is a “heavenly country,” not an improvement in the quality of life in this world (Hebrews 11:16). The Bible speaks both of God’s signs (John 20:30; Acts 2:22; Hebrews 2:4) and of satanic signs (Matthew 24:24; Second Thessalonians 2:9; Revelation 13:13–14). At the same time, Jesus clearly warns against demanding signs: “This is an evil generation: they seek a sign; and there shall no sign be given it, but the sign of Jonas the prophet” (Luke 11:29–30). The sign of Jonah does not concern spectacular miracles, but the work of the Holy Spirit. The repentance of Nineveh was not the result of human persuasion, but of God’s decision and predestination. Likewise, Jesus—likened to Jonah (Matthew 12:40)—points to the fullness of spiritual salvation: from spiritual death, through sacrifice, to resurrection. The signs of the covenant—the rainbow (Genesis 9:12–13), the blood of the Passover (Exodus 12:13), the Sabbath (Exodus 31:13), the manna (John 6:30–33)—all lead to one conclusion: salvation is by grace, not by works. The signs that accompany believers (Mark 16:17–18) also carry spiritual meaning. Casting out demons, healing the sick, speaking in the language of the Spirit or immunity to poison signify victory over false doctrine and the activity of evil spirits. According to the testimony of Holy Scripture, those who remain outside of salvation—those who do not partake in God’s election—tend toward an outward form of religiosity and demand visible, material signs. As the Apostle Paul states: “For the Jews require a sign” (First Corinthians 1:22). Those, however, who have been embraced by saving grace and belong to God’s elect receive spiritual signs, accessible not through the senses, but through faith. Christ emphasizes the supremacy of this posture when He says: “Blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed” (John 20:29). This contrast reveals a fundamental difference between a carnal interpretation and a spiritual interpretation of Holy Scripture. As Paul teaches: “For we walk by faith, not by sight” (Second Corinthians 5:7). In this sense, the Bible shows that authentic knowledge of God does not come through material signs, but through spiritual revelation given to those who have been called and sanctified by faith. “And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover” (Mark 16:17-18). True faith does not require physical proof, does not rest on emotions or rituals, is the work of the Holy Spirit, and leads to the assurance of salvation. The one whom God has saved by grace—once saved—remains in His hand and cannot lose what comes from grace.