14 Afterward He appeared to the Eleven [apostles themselves] as they reclined at table; and He reproved and reproached them for their unbelief (their lack of faith) and their hardness of heart, because they had refused to believe those who had seen Him and looked at Him attentively after He had risen [[a]from death].
In a court of law, the words, “Do you swear to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth?” are asked of the person on the stand. It implies that the person being questioned will only tell the truth concerning what is being asked. We have seen many times in movies like My Cousin Vinny where the people being questioned think they are telling the truth, but later they are exposed when their version of the truth is shown to be somewhat clouded. The whole truth is often subjective, depending upon who is telling it. In the movie My Cousin Vinny, all the witnesses told their version of the truth, but Vinny breaks down their version of what they saw with the whole truth.
Satan is a crafty and worthy opponent, often using everything he can to trick the believer into straying from an active, victorious walk with Christ. If he cannot keep you from accepting Christ, he will try to render your walk useless and powerless for Christ. I like to call these the frozen chosen. Those who believe in Christ but have been caught up in Satan’s web of lies so much so that their walk with Christ is clouded in unbelief.
Let’s take a look at one of Satan’s plans that most people don’t recognize: the Christ follower who has been rendered ineffective by unbelief. Our verse comes from Mark 16. In it, Jesus rebukes His disciples for their stubborn unbelief because they refuse to believe eyewitness accounts of Jesus ‘ resurrection. Let’s take a look at the same scripture references in the other gospels.
Matthew 28:17, “And when they saw Him, they fell down and worshiped Him, but some doubted.”
Luke 24:38, “And He said to them, Why are you disturbed and troubled, and why do such doubts and questionings arise in your hearts?”
John 20:25, “So the other disciples kept telling him, We have seen the Lord. But he said to them, Unless I see in His hands the marks made by the nails and put my finger into the nail prints and put my hand into His side, I will never believe it.”
Jesus later says to Thomas in John 20:29, “Jesus said to him, Because you have seen Me, Thomas, do you now believe, trust, have faith? Blessed and happy and to be envied are those who have never seen Me and yet have believed and adhered to and trusted and relied on Me.” I can say that I have never seen Christ, yet I believe. Not pumping myself up at all, because everyone seems to be lumped into this category in today’s world.
So, does Christ just leave all that on the table and hope His beloved disciples will spread the word? Let’s look at Luke 24:49. It says, “And now I will send the Holy Spirit, just as my Father promised. But stay here in the city until the Holy Spirit comes and fills you with power from heaven.” In Acts 1:8, Jesus again tells them that they have to wait until the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and then you will have the power to be My witnesses in all the earth.
Let’s break this down now. The disciples spent three years with Jesus and saw Him after He was resurrected from death, and they still doubted and struggled with unbelief. Jesus said to wait where you are until the Holy Spirit comes upon you and you will be given power from heaven to be witnesses to the world. We call this the baptism of the Holy Spirit. The book of Acts is the early church being birthed by twelve men who were baptized in the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, and it was only then that they became powerful witnesses for Christ.
Most churches in today’s world either do not believe in this second baptism or do not actively teach it from the pulpit or make it a necessary part of church doctrine. Rod Stewart would say, “Wake up, Maggie.” Satan’s trick has just been exposed. If he cannot take Jesus away from you, he can render you ineffective by convincing you not to believe in the baptism of the Holy Spirit. The frozen chosen of faith. The disciples were told to stay and wait for it. Jesus promised the Holy Spirit would give them heavenly power and boldness to spread the word. Most of the church is stuck in the upper room, ineffective and timid for Jesus because of unbelief. How do you take the punch out of the church, you might ask? Well, you take away its power and boldness.
Today, dig into this topic and study it for yourself. Weathering the storms of life is much easier after being baptized in the Holy Spirit, just look at the disciples. Jesus said that you will know the truth and the truth will set you free. The truth of the Holy Spirit and the baptism of the Holy Spirit are part of God’s truth that will set you free. Don’t leave home without it. Satan will spin a web of falsehoods to render you ineffective. Read the law book Jesus gave us and in it you will find the truth, and you will be free from stepping into this lie.
Prayer: Father, help us to learn about, read about, pray about, and believe in the baptism of the Holy Spirit, because it was the tool You gave us to be Your witnesses. I pray that everyone reading this will be baptized in the Holy Spirit and be a vessel of honor in God’s kingdom with the power You promised. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Let It Go 
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