Skeptics: Who, What & Why?
Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out for fear.
But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.”
And Peter answered Him and said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.”
So He said, “Come.” And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!”
And immediately Jesus stretched out His Hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”
Matthew 25-31 (NKJV)
Who & What?
The best among us can doubt– like Peter. When he was bravely walking on the water, a wave of worry hit his logical life.
Did he think, “Is this really happening? Can it be true? These waves are enormous!” Skepticism made God’s future leader sink.
Recall the excited group of women who first witnessed the resurrected Christ. They ran to tell His depressed disciples this glorious news:
'It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them, who told these things to the apostles. And their words seemed to them like idle tales, and they did not believe them' (Luke 24:10-11).
Skepticism bound them (temporarily).
Consider how a skeptic is defined:
'A person who maintains a doubting attitude, as toward values, plans, statements or the character of others' (Random House Dictionary).
'A person who doubts the truth of religion, especially Christianity' (World English Dictionary).
Next, consider some common synonyms:
Agnostic, atheist, cynic, dissenter, disbeliever, doubter, dream-hater, materialist, pessimist, rationalist, scoffer, scorner, unbeliever (Thesaurus, Bible & everyday use).
Why?
Because of where skepticism can lead:
It's one thing to begin as a skeptic– but it's risky to remain a skeptic, because where joy and futures are concerned, skepticism becomes…
A dead weight dragging down bright destinies.
Also because of the bottom line why:
'Without faith it is impossible to please God' (Hebrews 11:6).
Skeptics: Who, What & Why? (Part 1)
NOTE: God is my Ghostwriter. If what I write is good, it’s from God. You may see notes to 'Actors, Models & Talent for Christ.' If you think you're not in show business, think again. Shakespeare said, 'All the world's a stage and all its men and women merely players. Mostly true. But you're not merely players. You are messengers and ambassadors for the King of kings. This series is a rewrite of a prior 2014 series.