John 20:29 Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.

Seeing is believing. Is it? Is that true? Thomas saw Jesus do all His miracles and heard all He said but it was not until he saw the risen Christ that he believed. That speaks volumes about us in this church age. We read about all that happened and we see by sight which is a picture of who Jesus was before the cross. That belief is as Thomas before the risen Christ.

What does it take to believe in the risen Christ? What is different between the before and after Christ?

Before the cross Jesus was an obedient servant. After the cross He is Lord and King, all things are under His command.

Before the cross Jesus was a teacher, healer, prophet and light to the world. After the cross we are all those things only because we are in Christ.

Before the cross Jesus spoke the truth and led the way. After the cross the Holy Spirit took over that role.

Before the cross Jesus had an earthen vessel. After the cross Jesus is glorified, the example of what we will become in our resurrected form.

Before the cross Jesus promised us of things to come. After the cross Jesus has been delivering on those promises.

Before the cross Jesus was worthy of honor. After the cross He is worthy of worship.

I said all that to ask this one question. Which Jesus do you seek? Do you honor the man or worship the Lord?

I would not bring this up if it were not that I have seen men try and emulate the Jesus before the cross. All human effort is incapable of duplicating that man. Men fail in trying to live up to that standard. We were never meant to live that way. We were meant to surrender to His Lordship. In surrender we become a vessel worthy of service, fit for use. Selfless not selfish.

2 Corinthians 13:5 Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?

If you find it difficult to trust others, perhaps the issue stems from not trusting yourself. We had a life before Christ and for many of us that life was full of failures. We broke trust, we acted selfishly, and we acted in ways that were contrary to our new nature. We know what we were and we do not get over it simply by saying “I am changed.” First change must happen.

We have to prove to ourselves that we are changed in walking by faith. Much of what we do in walking by faith leaves a new recent history. As we look back in examination of action, motivation, and results; do not look too far into the past. It is our recent past that proves us, not our distant past.

Yes we stumble, we are not yet perfect. Failing in walking by faith is a learning opportunity.  We should not speak to our inner man with negative speech. Those words are lies and do not encourage the new creation you are in Christ. This old man was weak, stupid, beggarly, selfish, arrogant, and willful. Such self-talk does not befit the victorious warrior we are today. Confidence comes from Christ who abides in us.

Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

The worst kind of condemnation is self-condemnation because you fail to trust yourself in Christ.