The Kingdom is At Hand – Quit Doubting!
Jesus calls us to repent, because the kingdom is here now, and then look what he says: “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”” (Mark 1:14–15 ESV)
Repent, and believe the good news! What’s the good news? That Jesus is enough. That in Jesus, the kingdom of God has come, and if you believe that He is who He says he is, you will find the new life he offers.
Jesus’ claims are not believed by everybody. Admittedly, they are BIG claims. When Princess Elizabeth came to South Africa in 1947, maybe some people doubted that she was really royalty. Maybe some looked at her and said “she’s not really a royal. She’s an imposter! She’s a good person, sure, we can learn from her… but she’s deluded if she thinks she’s a royal!!
Sadly, many people think that way of Jesus. He’s a good man… but not the Son of God. We can learn from him… but he’s not who he claims to be.
Embrace Faith's Evidence
I want to tell you that the kingdom of God is here… quit doubting!! Quit doubting the claims of Jesus! Quit doubting the power of Jesus! Quit doubting the divine nature of Jesus!
Everything about Jesus proved that He was indeed the Messiah, the Son of God:
- Before he was born, there were prophecies that are clearly fulfilled in him.
- His birth itself proved it – he was born of a virgin!
- His life proved it – he healed and performed extraordinary miracles, and taught with a
truly supernatural understanding of the world.
- His death proved it – when he breathed his last, the natural world almost fell apart
– darkness fell and earthquakes shook the land - and one of the men who killed him
looked at all this and said this man was surely the Son of God.
- His resurrection proved it – who else has burst forth from the grave and been
witnessed by so many?
- His ascension proved it, and the coming of His Spirit proved it.
Quit doubting, and believe the good news: That Jesus is the Son of God, and that by placing your faith in Him you can have new life in this spiritual kingdom he set up.
Now, I’m not suggesting a sort of blind faith here. If you have questions, ask them. I think it would be very shallow of me to say it’s easy, just believe! Many people have their doubts: sometimes there are intellectual doubts, sometimes there is pain that causes people to be unsure about the church and their claims.
I get these things and I want to say to you, if that’s you: go talk to a minister, a pastor, a Christian friend.
Step Toward Belief
BUT there is also something to be said for taking a step in faith. Much of the time, God reveals himself further only when we take a step further along the road to faith.
In fact there was a man who came to Jesus once and said “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”” (Mark 9:24 NIV11) If you can come to Jesus with that attitude saying help me overcome my unbelief, He will do exactly that. Like he has for countless others.
The kingdom is here. Take a step in faith.
Quit doubting and find the peace that Jesus offers you if you believe that He is who He claimed to be.
