In business, people often refer to the "bottom line"--the last line on a financial statement that shows whether or not the company made money and how much. A financial statement could be many pages long, but by going to the "bottom line" you immediately know where you stand. You get the big financial picture in one place. Well, the gospels have a "bottom line"--one verse you can go to and get the big picture. That verse in John 20:31 "But these things are written that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God and that believing you might have life through His name." That is the bottom line of Scripture. It is the bottom line of the story of Christ's resurrection which is found here in chapter 20. It is the bottom line of Christ appearing to His disciples after the resurrection. It is the bottom line for all of the miracle that Jesus did (which John says were far more than what he recorded--v30). The bottom line is that you and I might believe in Christ and have eternal life through Him. Jesus said to "doubting" Thomas, who only believed the resurrection after He saw Christ for himself, "Blessed are they that have not seen and yet have believed" (v29). You and I weren't there to witness Christ's miracles for ourselves, but that is why God gave us His word so that we could believe even though we can't see. The ultimate bottom line for each of us is a question of faith. Will we respond to Christ and His word with faith? Will we believe and place our faith in Him? If we were to look at the "bottom line" of your life, what would we see? Would it be "faith." Or would it be "self-reliance"? What's your bottom line?
Frank Banfill is an author, international speaker, and president of MaxPoint Ministries, whose purpose is to help individuals, churches and ministries reach their full potential. Please forward this blog to your family & friends. Not a subscriber? Sign up now at www.FranksBibleBlog.com. If you would like to share a comment about today's blog, you may do so at www.maxpoint.org/message_board.
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