Is Seeing Believing?

"Seeing is believing," some say.  This statement can be safely tucked away with many other sayings which are not always true.  Thomas believed when he saw Jesus physically standing before Him, but some have believed who never laid eyes on Christ once.  The people who personally saw Jesus perform many miracles and even saw Lazarus whom Christ raised from the dead did not believe, as it is written in John 12:37-40:  "But although He had done so many signs before them, they did not believe in Him, ³⁸ that the word of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spoke: "Lord, who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?"³⁹ Therefore they could not believe, because Isaiah said again: ⁴⁰ "He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, lest they should see with their eyes, lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, so that I should heal them."

The Jews in Christ's day could not cite "lack of concrete evidence" for their unbelief, and neither can people today.  Quoting from the Bible Knowledge Commentary it says, "Then John again quoted from Isaiah 6:10 to explain that the nation as a whole was unable to believe. Because they constantly rejected God’s revelation, He had punished them with judicial blindness and deadened...hearts. People in Jesus’ day, like those in Isaiah’s day, refused to believe. They “would not believe;" therefore they could not believe."  No man can charge God with blame for his own unbelief, for God has clearly revealed Himself through creation, the order of the heavenly bodies, the complexity of the human body, the existence of a conscience in people, and through the Law, prophets, and Jesus Christ.  He fulfilled prophesies, did many signs and miracles which cannot be historically disputed, died on a Roman cross, and rose from the dead.  He was seen by over 500 people at one time (1 Cor. 15:6), many of whom faced death for their profession of faith in Christ as the Resurrection and the Life.

Jesus said, "Except you see signs and wonders, you will not believe" (John 4:48).  John 12:37 says even some who see divine signs will refuse to believe.  The most sound logic and undeniable proofs can be explained away and rejected by those unwilling to believe.  It is not that man cannot believe:  it is better said he will not.  God will not trample on man's will, having freely provided every man the choice to follow his own will or surrender himself to God's will.  There is a way which seems right to a man, but the end of it is death.  The soul that sins shall surely die, but those who repent and trust in Christ as LORD will receive life eternal.  Believe the Word of God or don't.  But I beg all men to cease labouring under the foolish notion God must do some arbitrary act before you will believe in Him.  Your existence and consciousness alone should awaken within you the realisation there must be a consciousness who has gone before to create this world and all within for His purposes.

God has spoken.  God has revealed Himself, and those willing to believe will perceive the truth.  Do you want to see?  Look into the life and person of Jesus Christ yourself.  Jesus said in Luke 4:18-19, "The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; ¹⁹ to proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD."  After Jesus read these words from the scroll of Isaiah that day, some believed and some didn't.  Some were enraged and tried to kill Him, but others followed Him.  Are you willing to believe or would you kill God if you could?