Last week we began our study on doubt. We learned that doubt is a part of our human psyche, a part of our daily life, it’s human nature to doubt. Healthy skepticism and questioning is what keeps us from being easily misled, deceived, manipulated and led astray. Natural doubt many of times assists us to make rational judgments as to a matter or circumstance.
What we also learned was that doubt is also supernatural or ecclesiastical, which is Biblical in nature. Now, don’t get hung up on the word supernatural. The word supernatural is simply defined, as that which pertains to unearthly, that which is of another plane of existence. So, when we say supernatural, we’re saying that it has to do with something more than our natural being.
So, we see that doubt is natural to all human beings for use to avoid being deceived, misled, manipulated and led astray so easily. From a humanistic view, doubt is essential to life, in terms of us not simply accepting what we hear or see, that we be not deceived so easily by the devil, his minions, deceitful man and anyone who wants to tell or show us things that are not truth, real or even believable. Because if we didn’t live with healthy skepticism, we all would simply be following everything people, this world and the devil tells us.
And, then there is Biblical doubt, which has to do with doubting supernatural things.
Last week we saw how the Priest Zechariah doubted God’s ability to overcome natural obstacles, while his cousin Mary, though she doubted from a humanistic point of view, believed that with God all things are possible, and submitted herself to that belief, as opposed to her being swayed by her own natural vantage point of earthly limitations.
Doubt was present in both cousin Zach and cousin Mary, but Zach fell off the fence on the side of what he saw as human and natural limitations, while Mary jumped off on the side of limitless abilities of God who can do what He says, no matter what the circumstances or natural order of things appear to be.
Zacharias was limiting God by the normal course of human nature. He and Elizabeth were too old to have children, and that’s it! Case closed! But Mary, believed the Angel Gabriel speaking on behalf of God, “Nothing will be impossible with God” and held no doubt of the supernatural acts of God (Luke 1:37).
Now, by definition, a miracle is something that is divorced from its natural order. For example, the natural order of the earth is to completely rotate in a 24-hour cycle, with each side of the earth facing the sun for 12 hours a day; 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of night time. That’s it’s natural orders. However, one-day God caused the earth to stop rotating so that it would remain daylight all day so that Israel would keep the advantage over their enemies. Josh. 10:12-14
Then spake Joshua to the Lord in the day when the Lord delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon; and thou, Moon, in the valley of Ajalon. 13 And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. Is not this written in the book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day. 14 And there was no day like that before it or after it, that the Lord hearkened unto the voice of a man: for the Lord fought for Israel.
This is the reason we have leap year; every fourth year we have one less day. God divorced the natural order of things – “that’s a miracle”. Now, you either believe this testimony of God’s supernatural intervention or you don’t. God doesn’t quiver with anyone. From a humanistic point of view, you doubt it, because 1) it’s against human nature. That it’s not possible. 2) It makes no sense to you. So, your skeptical about this testimony. Thinking, I’m not sure I believe it.
There it is! Humanistic vs. Supernatural.
It’s normal to have humanistic doubt, to question whether such an event happened. However, from a supernatural perspective, you either believe with God all things are possible and believe this event happened or you believe from a humanistic point of view, that these things are not possible in nature.
From an ecclesiastical or supernatural perspective, we either believe He is who He says He is, can do what He says He can do, and has done what He told us He has done, which goes beyond my human reasoning or understanding.
But, when I limit God to what is within my view of understanding, I am pulled, torn between two opinions, two minds, of two believes – humanistic vs. supernatural.
God calls this being “double-minded”, and such a man shall receive nothing of the Lord it tells us in James 1:7, and 1:8 says the double-minded are unstable in all their ways. Why unstable? Why in all their ways?
Well, the answer to this is quite simple. Because its in our human nature to be skeptical, have humanistic doubts, that will remain with us throughout our life, but once a thing has been determined in me, I know longer waiver, doubt or am skeptical about it.
For example: say I want a certain job. So, I submit my resume to the company. Now, I’m left hoping and wonder if their going to call me for an interview. In myself I believe I’m qualified enough to warrant getting an interview, but I waver or question whether they will call me for an interview. Then they call me for an interview. I go to the interview and do well. They tell me, we will call you. I believe I did well in the interview, but I leave wondering, questioning whether or not they will hire me. Two days later, they call me and tell me I have the job to come in Monday for my first day of work. I now, no longer question, waiver or doubt whether or not I was qualified enough, whether I interviewed well enough or whether they would hire me. It’s settled in me. All of these things are now true to me. Once, I have the job I no longer doubt or waiver about getting the job.
So, what was the basis for my doubt, waver, questioning? It was the unknown, or unknowing, the uncertainty, the unsuspected. This is to be expected for anyone. Now, what if, I know someone who I know is a reliable source, has the authority, the person who makes the decisions on hiring, and they told me to submit my resume, show up on Tuesday and the job is mine? Then the only questions I have in myself becomes, do I believe him or her? Do I trust him or her? Do I rely upon him or her? Do I have confidence in him or her? Are you getting it now?
James 1:5-8 tells us that when we ask God for wisdom, we are to ask in faith (p?st?? pistis; confident assurance, reliance, conviction, trust and certainty); without doubting (diakrino; wavering, between two opinions, two believes). After all, we are to have settled in ourselves, that God is trustworthy, reliable, dependable, faithful. We are not to doubt God’s ability to respond to our request. Otherwise, what would be the point of asking in the first place?
God says that if we doubt, we will not receive anything from Him, because we are unstable or ??at?stat?? akatastatos; meaning unsettled, inconstant, fickle, changeable. We are wavering, vacillating between our two opinions, our two minds, our two believes whether I should expect an answer from God. It’s not so much, that I don’t believe in God, but I question God’s reliability, dependability, trustworthiness and faithfulness to answer me. And, this is due to my circumstance of life – putting on God how other people have been untrustworthy, undependable, less than faithful; so, I put that on God. Or, because of my circumstances and narrow mindedness of my humanistic vantage point, I limit God’s ability or willingness to do what it is I come to Him for. So, I vacillate between my circumstances and God’s ability or willingness to do. So, we doubt, torn between our opinions, our own believe and our faith in God.
Let’s look at Num. 14:11
And the Lord said unto Moses, How long will this people provoke me? and how long will it be ere they believe me, for all the signs which I have shewed among them?
Notice how God says they provoke Him because they error to believe Him, even though He has given them many signs and wonders that should have caused them to believe what He promised them, no matter whatever circumstances they faced.
Now, the provocation God is referring to was when the men came back after spying the land of Canaan which God promised them. The spies testified that the land God had promised them surely flowed with milk and honey, but the only problem was the inhabitants in the land.
Num. 13:28 “the people who live there are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large. We even saw descendants of Anak there.” Vs. 30 Then Caleb silenced the people before Moses and said, “We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it.”31 But the men who had gone up with him said, “We can’t attack those people; they are stronger than we are.” 32 And they spread among the Israelites a bad report about the land they had explored. They said, “The land we explored devours those living in it. All the people we saw there are of great size. 33 We saw the Nephilim there (the descendants of Anak come from the Nephilim). We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them.”
Num. 14: 6 Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had explored the land, tore their clothes 7 and said to the entire Israelite assembly, “The land we passed through and explored is exceedingly good. 8 If the Lord is pleased with us, he will lead us into that land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and will give it to us. 9 Only do not rebel against the Lord. And do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will devour them. Their protection is gone, but the Lord is with us. Do not be afraid of them.”
14:10-11 But the whole assembly talked about stoning them. Then the glory of the Lord appeared at the tent of meeting to all the Israelites. 11 The Lord said to Moses, “How long will these people treat me with contempt? How long will they refuse to believe in me, in spite of all the signs I have performed among them?
The Israelites murmuring and fear was simply choosing to believe the circumstances of what they saw, rather than believing what God had promised. The question was not, did they believe in God, they obviously did, having themselves witness the miracles of God over and over again. This is what is meant by “in spite of all the signs I have performed among them”. The people could not deny the things they had witnessed; yet, they doubted God, in what He had promised them. They did not believe Him over their natural state, their natural fears, afraid of their enemies, their circumstances.
They choose to believe their eyes, their natural fear and skepticism over what God had promised. Had they not remembered, that God delivered them from a whole nation, a powerful army of Egyptians, without their raising a finger? Of course they remembered. But, instead, they allowed their own natural inclinations to overcome them, and they feared the giants and doubted God.
They knew what the Lord was capable of, and knew the Lord could easily vanquish the giants. But, instead of believing what God promised, they wavered on what they knew and saw, their circumstances. “We fear because of our weakness. We are not a trained army. We don’t know no how to fight against chariots. We are but former slaves of Egypt. We cannot hope to drive out Amalekites and Canaanites. They allowed the circumstances to cause within them feelings and emotions that lead to their doubting God.
Now, here’s the ecclesiastical or supernatural from the Lord’s perspective. What did their weakness have to do with His promise? Nothing! How could their weakness affect His power to give them the land? It didn’t! Did He need their help to conquer Amalekites? No!
What God saw was a people that distrusted, lacked confidence in His promise, His sovereignty and majesty; something, they had witnessed time and time again. Because of their own uncertainties, shortcomings, inadequacies and fears in what they saw and perceived, they doubted God.
God said, No. These people are but provoking me, what their talking about is nothing more than idle excuses. You should have no fear of giants if you believe Me." The sons of Anak could be 100 times bigger than you, but I Am the Almighty God, who you know could vanquish them with a thought. Their cities could literally be built up to the skies, yet I, I the Almighty could smite them out of the skies. Did you not remember, it was I who divided the Red Sea and defeated the Egyptians on your behalf without you raising a finger?
Now, it seems almost incredible that with all they had witnessed why would they question God’s promise to them? Yet, when we think about it, it is only too natural for human skepticism to creep in when faced with circumstances to our lives. You may think to yourselves; yea, but they first hand witnessed the miracles of God, why would they not choose to believe God?
Miracles are signs and wonders which startle us, and startling us might be the beginning of a new life in belief in God, but the startling passes away. However, our fears, doubts, skepticisms, questions, our human nature remains in us; just as much as our hope, gratitude, trust and reliance in us is also present.
Now, realize this, other things startle us besides miracles; the events of life also confront us, and more often than do the miracles. And, these events, circumstances in life will always produce emotions in us, such as fear, concern, anxiety, trepidation, worry, and a like. Now, we will also have within us, hope, expectation, trust, reliance, confidence, but therein lies the choice between the two, especially when faced with circumstances.
Let’s look at what we just came to, by looking at who Jesus called the greatest man born of a woman, John the Baptist, who himself faced doubt because of the circumstances of life.
John the Baptist had been cast into prison for criticizing Herod about marrying his brother’s wife. He had been there sometime between six months and two years and became so discouraged that he asked two of his disciples to go to Jesus and ask Him if He really was the Christ. It’s easy to read that and not think much about it, but the truth is, it was nothing but doubt on the part of John the Baptist.
His entire life was committed to preparing the way for the Christ. He spent thirty years preparing for his ministry of making way the path for the Messiah. John is the one who saw Jesus and said, “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). The anointing on John’s life was exceptionally powerful. Thousands of people from many nations came to the middle of nowhere to hear this man preach, “Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” And, many were baptized to repentance. God had revealed to John a visible sign from heaven that Jesus was the Christ. John saw the Spirit of God descend upon Jesus in the shape of a dove and heard the Father say, “this is my Son, in whom I Am well pleased”, while baptizing Jesus in the Jordan River. At that time, John was absolutely certain that Jesus was the Christ. He had zero doubt. John said “I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God” in John 1:34.
However, after being imprisoned for a period of time, John began to waver, doubt, whether Jesus was the Messiah – “Matt. 11:2-3 When John, who was in prison, heard about the deeds of the Messiah, he sent his disciples 3 to ask him, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?”
Now, you can call it what you want, but that’s wavering, that’s questioning, that’s doubt on the part of John the Baptist. But why did John begin to waver, doubt, after having proclaimed Jesus the Messiah? Circumstances of life can and does cause in anyone natural questions, skepticism, anxieties, concerns and doubts.
John is setting in prison, wondering, why in the world is Jesus, who is performing all these miracles I hear about not coming and breaking me out of prison? I have to question this, is He really the one? Human nature y’all! The greatest man born of a woman doubted in the face of his circumstances.
But, here is what we must get from this testimony…How did Jesus respond to John’s doubt? Did He call it unbelief? Did He say, “ye of little faith?” Did He call John a hypocrite?
Jesus didn’t respond the way most of us would have to John’s change of position of knowing He’s the Messiah to question whether He’s the Messiah. Not at all. In the face of humanistic questioning, Jesus does what God does, He affirms John with the Word of God, the Promises of God.
Matt. 11:4-6
Jesus replied, “Go back and report to John what you hear and see: 5 The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor. 6 Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me.”
He told John’s disciples to go back and confirm to John the miracles they had witnessed and that John would be blessed if he would just believe. That’s it. Jesus didn’t try and make John feel better by letting him know He understood his pain, and would be there to brake him out of jail. No. This what many of us fail to see, Jesus simply told them to go back and tell John what they have heard and seen, of how God’s Word is being fulfilled
Isa. 33:5-6
“Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert”
Now compare that to Matthew 11:4-6: “Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see: The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.”
What Jesus did was refer John the Baptist back to God’s Word. To reminded John of the scriptures to deal with his doubts. That’s always Jesus’ method of dealing with our doubts. What Jesus simply told them to do was tell John Believe God’s Word, which is being fulfilled.
Jesus’ sending the Word back to John, would stir up John’s spirit to overcome his human skepticism, questionings and doubt, because John believed God’s promises, and that John’s belief in God’s Word would help John overcome his five senses of dominating his thinking.
But, many of us, we have God’s Word, even look at it from time to time; but yet, when we’re struggling with doubt, we don’t want God’s Word, we want something tangible, something emotional that we can feel to make us feel better. I don’t want to hear a word from the Bible. I want something tangible to make me feel better. I want God to do something now!
But overcoming doubt isn’t about feelings; it’s about trust, confidence, reliance in what God has told us in His Word. Faith only comes from the Word of God (Rom. 10:17).
Now, back Num. chapters 13-14, the Israelites, with the exception of Jacob and Caleb, allowed their five senses to dominate their thinking with fear, concern, anxiety, trepidation, worry, and a like; over hope, expectation, trust, reliance and confidence, of what God promised! – The choice was theirs – humanistic vs. supernatural. Both were present, but one won out – “doubt” became unbelief!
It was not as if Jacob and Caleb did not see the fortified cities and the giants, it’s just they choose to jump off on the side of what God promised, what God said He would do rather than give in to their five senses, their human skepticism. Listen to Caleb:
Num 14:8-9 If the Lord is pleased with us, he will lead us into that land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and will give it to us. 9 Only do not rebel against the Lord. And do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will devour them. Their protection is gone, but the Lord is with us. Do not be afraid of them.”
You must come to a place to where God’s Word is more real to you than anything you can see, taste, hear, smell, or feel. When you’re in doubt, refer back to the Word of God just the way Jesus told John the Baptist to do. Faith comes by hearing and hearing comes from the Word of God.
So, why does the Word tell us, that a person who wavers, doubts, is one who is unstable, inconstant or fickle in all their ways?
Because as we just saw, sudden emotions — fear, anxiety, skepticism, uncertainty, will always be a part of that person’s life, and will always pop-up when faced with certain circumstances. But, what is also in the believer; keep in mind, James is talking to believers, not unbelievers, is hope, trust, reliance and belief in what God has spoken. There are the two sides right there! The two minds, the two opinions, the two beliefs.
When one does not put their emotions in check by our standing on God’s Word, they will always waver in between to opinions, two minds, two beliefs, theirs and God’s.
This becomes an all to common occurrence for them wavering between their feelings, emotions and what God said. They are unstable in all their ways.
In the matter of faith and doubt, the crucial thing is not our feelings and not even our faith. The crucial thing is the object of our faith, which is the Lord God Almighty, who cannot lie. That is where I am to be settled.
Now, let’s get a better understanding of what Jesus meant when He said, “and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass”. Now, what you see is Jesus distinguishing between humanistic skepticism and ecclesiastical skepticism by the use of the word “heart” or kardia, which means; character or inner self of your will and intention.
Jesus is saying, if you will in yourself, stand by your belief that with God all things are possible, over what you may perceive something to be, and you do not waver at God’s sovereignty and majesty, the things you stand on and in confidence in what God has promised, it shall come to pass. Now, the key to it is, placing our belief in God, and not ourselves, without wavering on what God has spoken, regardless of what it may seem or look like.
A good example of this can be seen in the testimony of the Centurion soldier. There are only two times recorded in the Bible when Jesus marveled at anything. Once He marveled at the people’s great unbelief (Mark 6:6), and in Matthew 8:10 He marveled at a Centurion soldier’s great faith. A faith that made Jesus marvel is worth examining. What was different about it? The number one difference was what the centurion said, “But speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed. For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it.” (Matt. 8:8-9).
The centurion had a faith that was in God’s Word alone. He didn’t have to have Jesus come to his house and wave His hand over the sick servant. If Jesus would just give him a word, that was all he needed.
The Centurion Soldier had a willful intent, a determination that what God speaks goes, beyond what he may think or feel. He had no doubt that Jesus simply speaking the Words of healing, his servant would be healed. The Centurion was not torn between what he saw, felt or thought versus his supernatural belief in God.
Now, contrast this to Jesus own disciples.
Thomas, who was one of Jesus’ twelve disciples. The first time the risen Jesus appeared to His disciples, Thomas wasn’t present. The other ten disciples told Thomas that Jesus was resurrected, but Thomas didn’t believe what they told him, “But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.” (John 20:25)
So, the next time Jesus appeared to them, He walked up to Thomas and told him to put his finger into the hole of the nail prints and thrust his hand into his side where He had been pierced. Jesus told Thomas, not be faithless but believing. Thomas fell on his knees and confessed Jesus as his Lord and his God. And, what Jesus said next is what we are to take in our hearts without wavering, “Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.” (John 20:29)
Jesus placed a greater blessing on those who believe without seeing than those who believe because they have seen. In other words, there is a greater anointing on believing the trustworthy Word of God than believing signs and wonders. Don’t get me wrong. I believe in signs and wonders. The Lord uses miraculous signs and wonders like a sounding bell to draw people unto Himself. But the ultimate, surer faith without doubting is believing His word. There is a greater blessing on believing God’s Word than there is on believing because of supernatural circumstance or event. Those who are looking for circumstances to confirm their faith will fail when the strong battles of doubt come their way. We have to get our faith so rooted in God’s Word alone that we can withstand a hurricane.
Now, here’s the tricky matter about this. Many of us take Jesus’ Words in Mark 11:23 and have turned it into denying God’s sovereignty by making our supposed faith sovereign, especially those who believe prosperity preaching. Some of us, believe because we think we have faith, we can command God around by our so called faith, as if God is under obligation to obey us like the genie in the lamp, as we bark orders at Him telling Him about our supposed it faith. Which is not faith in God at all, but a mere belief that if I believe hard enough it should come about to be. God is sovereign, not the prayers of puny man. The Centurion’s belief was in God, not that he believed. The Centurion said, “if you would only speak the word”.
So now, we have come to understand there is humanistic doubt, which is natural, normal to us all. And, then there is ecclesiastical or supernatural doubt, which is questioning the things of God from that of ourselves.
So, doubt in scripture is seen as a negative attitude or action because it is directed toward God by man. Did you get that?
Let me put it this way. When we allow our five senses to cause us to waiver, we are calling into question God’s sovereignty and majesty because of our lack of confidence, considering the things God has said as questionable or unlikely because of what we lack. This is what Zachariah’s problem was. His lack made him doubt God could and would do. There’s a difference of humanistic questioning and natural skepticism, and doubting what God can and will do. John questioned because of his circumstances, but believed God’s Word. Mary doubted because of her circumstances, but believed God’s Word. Zach doubted because of his circumstances, and therefore, doubted God.
I hope this gave you a better understanding of doubt. But, if you have any questions, please feel free to email me at bhad@fitw.org or www.fellowshipintheword.org
Be blessed!
