Doubt

 

Doubt

1. For believers, doubt can be defined as uncertainty in God or our relationship with God.

   1. We might have questions about facts, philosophy, our assurance, our suffering or what we may feel are unanswered prayers.

   2. Doubt is not the opposite of faith and is not sinful. Properly dealt with, Doubt can lead to a deeper understanding, stronger faith, stronger resolve and a closer “Walk with God”.

   3. Unaddressed doubt can lead to fear, anger or avoidance.

2. Many who are very much in love with God Doubt. It was shown by Elijah, Job, David, Jeremiah, John the Baptist, Peter, Thomas and the other apostles.

3. Three general categories of doubt: factual, emotional and volitional

4. Factual Doubt

   1. Conflict is entertaining, educational, enlightening and explosive

   2. Doubting facts is questioning events, differing in interpretation and application

      1. Free will vs Sovereignty

      2. Age of Earth/evolution

      3. Signs and Gifts

      4. Eternal Security

      5. Baptism form and need

   3. How to deal with doubt about facts: revisit core truths

      1. Deity of Christ as Son of God

      2. Death and Resurrection

      3. Salvation through Grace

   4. Key verses of Romans 10:9-13 “⁹If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰One believes with the heart, resulting in righteousness, and one confesses with the mouth, resulting in salvation. ¹¹Now the Scripture says, Everyone who believes on Him will not be put to shame, ¹²for there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, since the same Lord of all is rich to all who call on Him. ¹³For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

   5. Areas of dispute are man-generated depending on man’s translation skills and interpretation

   6. Reminder: God wants us to come to know him through faith, belief, acceptance and trust not by scientific inquiry or anecdotal stories.

5. Emotional Doubt – the most common

   1. Most painful kind of doubt

   2. Wonder if they are saved while demonstrating their love of God in all aspects of life

   3. Endeavor to replace uncertainty with the truth in Him

   4. We must get a handle, address our emotions:

      1. Psalms 37:78, 39:2

      2. Psalms 42:5-6,11

      3. Psalms 55:4-8, 16-17. 22

      4. Psalms 56:3-4

      5. Psalms 94:19

   5. Application verses Philippians 4:6-9 “⁶Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. ⁷And the peace of God, which surpasses every thought, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
      ⁸Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable — if there is any moral excellence and if there is any praise — dwell on these things. ⁹Do what you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you.”

      1. Vv:6-7 (promise)

      2. Vv:8 (change)

      3. Vv:9 (model)

   6. Concentrate on God’s truth rather than shaky beliefs.

6. Volitional Doubt

   1. Encompasses a wide range of uncertainties and manifestations

   2. Volitional doubt appears in many forms

      1. Appear to lose interest or care about their faith

      2. Live like nonbelievers

      3. Sporadic attendance

      4. Unhealthy interest in occult or spiritualism

      5. Satisfied with or need to maintain a status quo

   3. Some may be “lukewarm” like in the Laodicea letter (Revelations 3:14-22)

   4. Scriptural references of concern – in order of presentation

      1. Conviction of sin - Hebrews 3:12-13 “¹²Watch out, brothers, so that there won’t be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart that departs from the living God. ¹³But encourage each other daily, while it is still called today, so that none of you is hardened by sin’s deception.”

      2. Seek heaven - Hebrews 11:16 “¹⁶But they now desire a better place — a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.”

      3. Apply truth - Matthew 6:33 “³³But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you.”

   5. Put your heart where your treasure is – Matthew 6:19-21 “¹⁹Don’t collect for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. ²⁰But collect for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves don’t break in and steal. ²¹For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” And Mark 9:41 “⁴¹And whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because of My name, since you belong to the Messiah — I assure you: He will never lose his reward.”

   6. Some may need to “charge their spiritual batteries” – James 5:19-20 “¹⁹My brothers, if any among you strays from the truth, and someone turns him back, ²⁰let him know that whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his life from death and cover a multitude of sins.”

   7. Encouragement – Jude 20-23 “²⁰But you, dear friends, as you build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit, ²¹keep yourselves in the love of God, expecting the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ for eternal life. ²²Have mercy on those who doubt; ²³save others by snatching them from the fire; have mercy on others but with fear, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh.”

   8. Sometimes, intervention is necessary

      1. Fellow Christians must be:

         1. Alert

         2. Sensitive

         3. Helping

      2. Focus on the Lord and His Kingdom

      3. Remember: We are all made in His image, every life is precious and our brothers and sisters in Christ need to be part

      4. Question: do we reflect our love of our Lord in our everyday lives including social media?

I know there are many sources that talk about doubt in a variety of way and this little exercise in understanding only scratches the subject. Keeping that in mind, please leave a comment on my blog... if nothing else, a criticism.