Now Thomas, one of the Twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came.So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord." But he said to them, "Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe."
Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you." Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe." Thomas answered him, "My Lord and my God!" Jesus said to him, "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."
Thomas would only be satisfied when he was confronted with indisputable evidence. But when he was face-to-face with Jesus, he could only cry out: "My Lord, and my God!" Notice that the text doesn't necessarily say that Thomas actually touched Jesus; only that Jesus invited him to do so.
I am a skeptic. I see lots of problems with Seventh-day Adventist theology. I see lots of problems with Christian theology in general. I see the inconsistencies in the Bible. But when I come face-to-face with Jesus, I can do nothing but exclaim "my Lord and my God!"
Faith cannot be explained. It cannot be measured. There is nothing to touch or see about it. Am I dedicating my life to a sky-fairy no more real than a flying spaghetti monster? No. This God cannot be fully measured or described in a way that is completely understandable by us. But in the life of Jesus we have the best possible approximation of God for human understanding. And that is sufficient for me.
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