Devotionals

Stop Spreading Doubt to Other Believers

by Michael Edwards 
09/22/26
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Jesus often confronted unbelief. He asked, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” (Matthew 14:31 NASB). Doubt is not discernment. It is distrust of what God has clearly spoken.

That is the oldest trick of the enemy. In the garden Satan first made Eve question a clear word: “Indeed, has God said…?” (Genesis 3:1 NASB). He still does it with verses as plain as this: “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:16 NASB). When the promise is clear, his only weapon is to whisper that God is deceiving you, there must be more to it. 

Some believers have become tools in that same work. They look at another Christian’s life, point to a lack of visible fruit, and say, “You may not be saved.” That is not protecting the church. That is spreading doubt. Jesus warned, “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone hung around his neck, and to be drowned in the depth of the sea” (Matthew 18:6 NASB). Paul said, “It is good not to eat meat or to drink wine, or to do anything by which your brother stumbles” (Romans 14:21 NASB). Making a weak or new believer question the gospel is causing them to stumble.Paul dealt with many struggling believers in his letters, but he never called them sinnere or said they we unsaved. He called the Saints.

Salvation is by faith in Jesus, not by a fruit inspection. “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9 NASB). Some will enter heaven with little reward, yet still be saved. “If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire” (1 Corinthians 3:15 NASB). Belief in Christ is the key. Works may be rewarded or lost. The soul that trusts Jesus is not lost with them.

Doubt produces fear, worry, and division—the works of the enemy and the flesh, not the Spirit. “For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline” (2 Timothy 1:7 NASB). Do not sow that spirit into other believers, especially new ones.

Jesus said we need only mustard-seed faith, because the power is in God’s Word. “If you have faith the size of a mustard seed… nothing will be impossible to you” (Matthew 17:20 NASB). “Unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:3 NASB). A child believes the Father. That is enough, because God cannot lie (Titus 1:2 NASB).

Stop pointing people back to their performance. Point them to Christ. Speak the promise. Protect the little ones. Have childlike faith in a faithful God—and do not steal that faith from someone else. Stop working for the enemy by causing doubt and division. Encourage and build up any person who clearly states that their faith and trust is in Jesus as their Savior.

Many more New Covenant Bible Studies HERE. Jesus poured out His blood for the New Covenant of grace and truth, replacing the Old Covenant law of Moses. Believers are exclusively under the New Covenant, the last will and testament of Jesus that began after the cross.

And in the same way He took the cup after they had eaten, saying, "This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood." Luke 22:20

Keywords: stop spreading doubt, fruit inspectors, 1 Corinthians 3:15, saved as through fire, John 3:16, do not cause others to stumble, salvation by faith not works, mustard seed faith, New Covenant assurance