The Skeptic

Jun 03, 2007 By: Pastor Joseph LoSardo Series: The Gospel of John 20 Scripture: John 20:24-29
The world has an idiom concerning faith and sight – seeing is believing. This is most certainly untrue of saving faith. Hebrews 11:1 states quite the opposite of the world’s view – that faith is the evidence of that which is unseen. The Scripture calls those who must see in order to believe, scoffers, today we call them skeptics. Have you ever considered the link between skepticism and pride? It was Thomas’ pride that rejected the testimony of the truthful people around him. He thought himself smarter than the rest. Skeptics will always judge truth by what they believe can or cannot be. Habakkuk 2:4 summarizes this truth by contrasting pride and faith, ‘Behold the proud, his soul is not upright in him; but the just shall live by his faith. Skepticism and scorn oppose faith. Faith has God as its object of love, while skepticism loves self. Calvin wrote, “The same thing happens to all who are devoted to themselves, that they leave no room for the word of God.” In fact the ultimate purpose of skepticism is to reject Christ’s authority. When Thomas’ eyes are opened and he is humbled, he confesses the authority of Jesus Christ as His Lord and God.