The Periodic Table / Atoms
8 "The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” John 3:8
12 No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. 1 John 4:12
Do you know what this chart is that I am holding? This is called the periodic table. It is a listing of all the different elements that we know about, their atomic weight, atomic charge, and groupings of common elements according to their properties. I was studying this as a college student majoring in Chemistry when the thought hit me - Has anyone even seen an atom? How do we know this is true? Even worse, why am I basing my future on something no one has ever seen. This is craziness! Then it hit me - as a Christian, I am basing my life on something no one has ever seen. The above passage in 1 John says no one has ever seen God.
Well, just like we infer the existence of atoms by signs pointing to them, John says that no one can see the wind but we see the effects of the wind. Thus it is with Spiritual things; we can't see God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, Heaven, yet we believe in them because of the things pointing to them. What points to them? How about creation? The beauty around us testifies to God. When I see a red cardinal I am always moved by the beauty and non evolutionary benefit of something being bright red. When I look at a baby, a miniature adult which breathes under water for nine months through its belly button and at birth changes its whole respiratory and circulatory and digestive and excretory systems. It has 2 eraser sized kidneys that filter waste products that a machine the size of a refrigerator would have to do otherwise. How about the nagging thought in our minds that we suppress saying there has to be more than this- there must be an after life. How about the fact that we make statements such as "you ought to" or "you shouldn't" or "that would be wrong". If there is no God there are no oughts, shouldn'ts and mustn'ts. And how about the change in people's lives that believe in God and live for Him. John says that no one has ever seen God, but if we love people they can see the effects of God in our lives.
John also records an account with Thomas in John 20
A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”
28 Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!”
29 Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
Did you know that you are included in the Bible? Look at that last verse - "blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” That is talking about you and me. Do you believe or do you say seeing is believing? Well then you better not believe in love, momentum, wind, atoms, gravity, evolution, etc. Be consistent! Stop hardening your heart to the evidence of God and receive Him. Then you will realize that believing is seeing.
"Whoever has accepted it has certified that God is truthful" John 3:33
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