Christian Living

TURNING YOUR DOUBTS INTO FAITH

by Charles (Chuck) Robey
12/07/15
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" But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind ".(James 1:6)

Does "doubt" cause you any trouble in your Christian experience ?  One of the most well known doubt experiences in scripture is the scenario of the Apostle Thomas doubting  Jesus' resurrection (John 20:24-29).  In fact, this particular incident is believed to have spanned  the popular phrase,  "doubting Thomas".

(A doubting Thomas is a skeptic who refuses to believe without direct personal experience—a reference to the Apostle Thomas, who refused to believe that the resurrected Jesus had appeared to the ten other apostles, until he could see and feel the wounds received by Jesus on the cross).

Where did doubt originate ? Probably way back when Satan was cast out of heaven. He thought himself to be equal to God and doubted God's power (Ezekiel 28:13-19) (Isaiah 14:12-15).

Then, we have Satan's first evil act with mankind, by persuading Adam and Evil, to doubt the command of their creator God (Genesis 3:1-7).

 Do you recall the occasion when Herod threw John the Baptist in jail because John dared to rebuke him for his gross sexual sin? No doubt confused and frustrated by his incarceration, John sent messengers to Jesus with a very pertinent question: “Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?” (Matthew 11:2-3).

And on and on, history repeats its self down through the ages  So, it looks like Satan himself  appears to be the father of "doubt".   

Nonetheless, I’m also impressed that the Bible includes so many examples of doubt.  Evidently God has more tolerance of doubt than most churches. There are a number of books of the Bible that deal with the issue of doubt in various ways — Job, Ecclesiastes, Lamentations, and Habakkuk. Many of the psalms touch on the theme of doubt and feeling abandoned by God. 

If Satan can suggest that we take our eyes off God by doubting  God's free grace (Ephesians 2:8-9),  doubting  God's word (2 Timothy 3:16), doubting  fellow believers sincerity (Romans 14:1), doubting the joy of your salvation (1 Peter 1:6-9), and questioning the  hardships in our lives (2 Timothy 4:5). Then,  half of Satan's battle has been won. However,

I once heard  the old deacon say, "If you ever find a perfect church, please don't join it. For you will mess it up".

Hence, what's the solution, for us Christians ? Simply put. We have all things in Christ ( Philippians 4:13) . When we are sick, Jesus is a physician (Exodus 15:26). When we are thirsty, Jesus is the living water (John 4:14). When our sins get us down,  Jesus is our righteousness (1 John 1:9). When we need help,  Jesus is mighty to save (Romans 10:9-10). When we are in the  in darkness, Jesus is light of the world (John 8:12). When we are wear, Jesus is strong (Matthew 11:28-30). When we reach  poverty, Jesus is the provider (Genesis 22:14). And  most importantly when we fear death, Jesus is the way, the truth,  and the life, and has prepared a place for us (John 14:1-6).

Yes. we all are simply human beings saved by grace (Ephesians 2:8-). And needless to admit, we all struggle with doubt, from time to time. Doubt is not sinful but it can be dangerous. It can certainly hinder our spiritual growth. It’s what we do with our doubt that matters.

There are times in our lives when our faith is strong, and we believe without a doubt. But then we also have times where doubt creeps in, and we cry out to the Lord to “help our unbelief.” The good news is that God answers prayer, and He wants us to have faith. In fact, He commands us to “not doubt, but believe,” because He knows how much more abundant our lives will be when we are full of faith (Mark 9:24).

The Bible gives many such examples of doubts increasing faith.  Noah building the  ark,  Abraham leaving  his home land and agreeing to offer  his son as a sacrifice,  Moses  marching through the Red Sea on dry ground,  King  David facing  Goliath,   Joshua  marching  around Jericho,  and Daniel being thrown in  the lion’s den. Don't you think these great heroes of faith had some doubts along the way. Sure they did. They didn’t know in advance how everything was going to come out. But they took a deep breath of faith.  Do the same thing and your faith will continually overcome your doubts as you grow stronger in the Lord.

 Author's Post Note (excerpts from "Got Questions.org)

Lest we think that we can lay all of the blame on Satan, the Bible clearly holds us accountable for our own doubts. When Zechariah was visited by the angel of the Lord and told that he would have a son (Luke 1:11-17), he doubted the word given to him. He logically assumed that he and his wife were too old to have children, and in response to his doubt, the angel said he would be mute until the day God’s promise was fulfilled (Luke 1:18-20). Zechariah doubted God’s ability to overcome natural obstacles – many people today share the same doubt. Any time we allow human reason to overshadow faith in God, sinful doubt is the result. No matter how logical our reasons may seem, God has made foolish the wisdom of the world (1 Corinthians 1:20), and His seemingly foolish plans are far wiser than man’s. Faith is trusting God even when His plan goes against human reason or experience.

The remedy for doubt is faith, and faith comes by hearing the Word of God (Romans 10:17). God gave us the Bible as a testimony of His works in the past, so we will have a reason to trust Him in the present (Psalm 77:11). In order for us to have faith in God, we must study to know what He has said. Once we have an understanding of what God has done in the past, what He has promised us for the present, and what we can expect from Him in the future, we are able to act in faith instead of doubt.