Doubt – 17th August 2008 pm
Have you ever had any doubts? – during exams, during a sports event, during…. During your Christian life?
One tribe of native Americans had a unique practice for training young braves. On the night of a boy’s thirteenth birthday, he was placed in a dense forest to spend the entire night alone. Until then he had never been away from the security of his family and tribe. But on this night he was blindfolded and taken miles away. When he took off the blindfold, he was in the middle of thick woods. By himself, all night long.
Every time a twig snapped, he probably visualized a wild animal ready to pounce. Every time an animal howled, he imagined a wolf leaping out of the darkness. Every time the wind blew, he wondered what more sinister sound it masked. No doubt it was a terrifying night for many. After what seemed like an eternity, the first rays of sunlight entered the interior of the forest. Looking around, the boy saw flowers, trees, and the outline of the path.
Then, to his utter astonishment, he beheld the figure of a man standing just a few feet away, armed with a bow and arrow. It was the boy’s father. He had been there all night long.
How many times do we doubt God? How many times do we doubt His Word? Even through all of our doubt, God still stands right next to us, watching out for us.
I. Occations of Doubt – Lamentations 5:20
Doubt may be defined as an uncertainty of belief or lack of confidence in something. Applied to the Christian life, doubt refers to the unbelief in God and His Word.
It is possible that in a moment of infirmity a Christian may doubt the existence of God in spite of the fact that it is not reasonable for a person to disbelieve the obvious truth. Psalm 14:1 The fool hath said in his heart , There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.
A Christian is more likely to doubt his salvation after sinning or after a spiritual defeat. A misunderstanding of such verses as 1 John 3:9 contributes to this doubt Whoever is born of God doth not commit sin. It is crucial to note that this verse speaks of a lifestyle of sin, not instances of sin.
A Christian may also doubt God’s sovereignty or His goodness. In such circumstances as sickness, suffering, injustice, opposition, economic problems, family problems, national calamity, or apparently unanswered prayers, we may be tempted to doubt the goodness of God.
The person of faith believes God even when circumstances appear to the contrary.
All doubt can be traced ultimately to unbelief in the Word of God, which affirms beyond question the existence and character of God. To recognise doubt as the sin of unbelief and then confess it to God as sin is therefore the first step toward conquering it.
II. Sources of Doubt – Habakkuk 1:2
Habakkuk had a burden. Many of us know what it is to be burdened for an erring child, a lost loved one, or a bereaved friend; such sorrow does way you down. It was the sins of the people of Judah that were a lead weight on Habakkuk’s heart.
The mystery of the silence of God in the face of human suffering, despair, injustice, and woe added to this godly man’s burden Hab 1:2a The silence of God has given many an ungodly sinner an excuse to blaspheme and many a weary believer the temptation to give up his faith.
Habakkuk learned that when the saint asks “How long?” God simply says, “Trust Me!”
a. Satan
One of the most potent sources of doubt is introduced in the early chapters of Genesis. It is Satan himself who causes Eve to doubt God by questioning His Word, Genesis 3:1 Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?
Satan even tries to get the long suffering Job to curse God Job 1:11 But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face.
Satan is seeking to devour Christians 1 Peter 5:8. Satan wants to devour our commitment to God and our testimony before others. One way he does this is by introducing doubt into the mind.
The devil has a plan for your life: Doubt - To make you question God’s word and His goodness; Discouragement - To make you look at your problems rather than at God; Diversion - To make the wrong things seems attractive so that you will want them more than the right things; Defeat - To make you feel like a failure so that you don’t even try; Delay - To make you put off doing something so that it never gets done.
b. World System
The world system is another source of doubt. Since it has its own set of values and objectives that are opposed to God, it also has its own worldly wisdom 1 Corinthians 2:6 Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought.
This wisdom stands in direct opposition to the wisdom of God taught by the Holy Spirit 1 Corinthians 2:13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
It is clearly revealed, for example, in the opposition of the evolutionary theory to the truth of the creation of man 1 Timothy 6:20 O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called:
c. Spiritual Immaturity
Probably the greatest source of doubt Christians face is simply their own spiritual immaturity. James traces doubting in prayer to double mindedness and instability James 1:8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.
Paul explains that when Christians doubt sound doctrine, it is because they are children in the faith and thus are easily deceived Ephesians 4:14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;.
Conquering this kind of doubt demands a growing obedient relationship with God.
During the depression there was a sheep ranch owned by a man named Yates. Mr. Yates wasn’t able to make enough on his ranching operation to pay the capital and interest on the mortgage, so he was in danger of losing his ranch. With little money for clothes or food, his family (like many others) had to live on government subsidy.
Day after day, as he grazed his sheep over those rolling West Texas hills, he was no doubt greatly troubled about how he would pay his bills. Then a seismographic crew from an oil company came into the area and told him there might be oil on his land. They asked permission to drill a wildcat well, and he signed a lease contract.
At 1,115 feet they struck a huge oil reserve. The first well came in at 80,000 barrels a day. Many subsequent wells were more than twice as large. In fact, 30 years after the discovery, a government test of one of the wells showed it still had the potential flow of 125,000 barrels of oil a day. And Mr. Yates owned it all.
The day he purchased the land he had received the oil and mineral rights. Yet, he’d been living on handouts, a multimillionaire living in poverty, and the problem? He didn’t know the oil was there even though he owned it.
Many Christians live in spiritual poverty. They are entitled to the gifts of the Holy Spirit and His energising power, but they are not aware of their birthright.
III. Cures of Doubt – 1 Kings 18:21
The cure for doubt depends to some extent on the thing doubted. However, the real problem is not in the object doubted but in the subject who doubts. Therefore, the following steps should be taken by a doubting Christian:
a. Confess the doubt to God as sin
Doubt is basically unbelief in God and His Word and is therefore sin Romans 14:23 And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.
Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. God has promised to hear our confession of even the darkest unbelief.
b. Study the evidence for the Christian faith
Christians have nothing to fear by looking into the facts from any source of knowledge. The greatest evidence for the validity of Christianity, the resurrection of Christ, is attested by many proofs.
Among these are the empty tomb, post resurrection appearances, and transformed disciples. Since the resurrection is true, it verifies everything the Bible says.
c. Make certain of your salvation
Paul exhorts Christians to examine themselves to make sure they are Christians 2 Corinthians 13:5 Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?
Salvation from sin is simple trust in Jesus Christ. Until you are assured of your salvation you will be troubled by enormous doubts.
d. Faithfully study the Word of God
Romans 10:17 Through study and application of the Bible, our faith is strengthened and matured. Most especially, we must master the doctrines or basic teachings of the Bible if we are to be stable, mature Christians.
1 Timothy 4:13 Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. [16] Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.
2 Timothy 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
Titus 2:1 But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine:, [10] Not purloining, but shewing all good fidelity; that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things.
G. Campbell Morgan had already enjoyed some success as a preacher by the time he was 19 years old. But then he was attacked by doubts about the Bible. The writings of various scientists and agnostics disturbed him (e.g., Charles Darwin, John Tyndall, Thomas Huxley, and Herbert Spencer). As he read their books and listened to debates, Morgan became more and more perplexed.
What did he do? He cancelled all preaching engagements, put all the books in a cupboard and locked the door, and went to the bookstore and bought a new Bible. He said to himself, "I am no longer sure that this is what my father claims it to be--the Word of God. But of this I am sure. If it be the Word of God, and if I come to it with an unprejudiced and open mind, it will bring assurance to my soul of itself."
The result? "That Bible found me!" said Morgan. The new assurance in 1883 gave him the motivation for his preaching and teaching ministry. He devoted himself to the study and preaching of God’s Word.
e. Pray
The surest way to face doubts when they come is to have and extensive past history of answered prayer. The more a Christian prays with faith, the more that Christian sees God answer prayer; the more a person sees God answer prayer, the stronger that persons faith becomes while the doubt becomes less.
