Have you ever had an argument with a scientist about spiritual matters? Jesus did. In Mark 12:24 a group of “worldly” people came to test Jesus about the resurrection of the dead. You see, these people (Sadducees as they were called) didn’t believe in anything spiritual. They typified the thinkers of our day: the scientists, the logicians, the people who don’t believe in anything they can’t see. They asked Jesus a specific question about the resurrection of the dead, thinking they would trap him, trick him into admitting there was no resurrection. Instead, Jesus answered them by pinpointing their exact problem. He said:
Your mistake is that you don’t know the Scriptures, and you don’t know the power of God (Mark 12:24 NLT).
He then went on to answer their specific question and to prove to them through the Scriptures that there is indeed life after death.
How useless would a sailor be if he knew everything about sailing a ship but had no belief in the power of wind and wave? He would no doubt simply stroll about the ship doing nothing. Why hoist a sail or steer the helm when both wind and waves are powerless to move the ship along?
Yet how many Christians know everything about the Bible but don’t believe in the power of God? They can quote you chapter and verse, yet they struggle continually with problems as they live out a life of defeat. They always seem to be under some new tragedy. I’m not talking about persecution from the world or the struggles God sends our way to teach us. I’m talking about problems people bring on themselves or things they continually deal with because they truly, deep in their hearts, don’t believe God can help them.
What good does it do to know how to sail a ship if you won’t actually sail the ship? And what good does it do to know the Bible if you don’t actually believe it and apply it to your life?
How different the world would be if even the people who call themselves Christians would spend time in the Scriptures every day and actually believe what they are reading! It would change the world. Why? Because then the world would see a people who not only talk the talk, but also walk the walk.
Do yourself a favor today. Make a deal with God to study His Word daily and ask Him to increase your faith. But watch out! I guarantee your life will be transformed, and you’ll experience things other people only dream about!
MaryLu Tyndall