Indisputable Evidence
Greetings my brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ. WOW!! Here at Holiness Tabernacle we had an awesome Passion Week. From Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and culminating Resurrection Sunday Morning, it was tremendous. I had the opportunity to share with the saints a Word and I wanted to share it with you as well.
Have you ever noticed that the world, critics, agnostics and atheists do not challenge the believer on the validity of the resurrection of Jesus Christ? They simply don’t discuss it. They won’t discuss the empty tomb; they won’t discuss the eye witnesses (Mary Magdalene, the disciples, the more than 500 followers, the Roman soldiers, etc.); they won’t talk about the fact that there are no physical remains of Jesus anywhere to be found. This is because the truth that Jesus rose from the dead is indisputable. If not, they would challenge it and our faith would be called into question. My question for us is, if we know without a doubt that Jesus conquered death and the grave, can we produce indisputable evidence that we are followers of Jesus?
Evidence is defined as “…that which tends to prove or disprove something; ground for belief; proof.” To this end I ask, can we prove that we are Christians by the way in which we live? Or, let me frame the question in this manner: if we were put on trial for being a saint or follower of Jesus Christ, would there be enough evidence to convict us? The Bible declares in several places that (1) every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; (2) faith without works is dead; (3) we are to let our light so shine before men; (4) if we love Jesus, we will keep His commandments; (5) we will have passed from death to life because we love the brethren. There are more, but the Word of God is clear. If we claim that we are born again, there must be evidence!
Remember when the disciples told Thomas that Jesus had risen from the grave? Thomas did not believe and stated that he would not unless he could put his hands in Jesus’ wounds. What happened? Jesus appeared and gave Thomas indisputable evidence that He had indeed risen. When the persecutor Saul obtained sanction from the Sanhedrin to track down and arrest the Christians, Jesus knocked Saul to the earth on his way to Damascus because Christ knew Saul needed indisputable evidence. You may be confessing Jesus Christ, but in today’s environment, we must have indisputable evidence that we have been with the Lord.
So where is this evidence? You’ll find it in Galatians 5:22-23, or the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy peace, patience, gentleness, meekness, temperance and kindness. Dancing, rejoicing and tongue-speaking, while inspiring and attractive, are not fruits or evidence that the Holy Spirit is residing in your heart.
Let’s say we obey Jesus and do as He told the apostles. Before He ascended, Christ instructed them to return to Jerusalem and stay there until they were endued with power – the Holy Ghost. Only He can produce the indisputable evidence in you that will convince the world that Jesus has risen in you!
I bless you in the name of the Lord.
Pastor Eddie B Pruitte, Jr.