The Struggle of Doubt

John 20:24–29 ESV

24 Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.” 26 Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” 28 Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

John 20:24-

Intro to The Struggle is Real series

We will explore five common areas we all struggle.

We will walk together to see what Scripture says about our struggles and we will find that The Struggle Is Real — But So Is God!

(ESV)

24 Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.”

26 Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” 28 Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!”

29 Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

*Pray*

Honest doubt is better than a fake faith.

Introduction

Doubt in seminary:

I don’t remember the date exactly but I remember the feeling clearly. II believe it was during my third year at seminary that the thought took hold, “What if Christianity is NOT true?”

What if we are all duped?

I’m not the smartest guy in the world, and I’m leaning on other smart guys and gals to teach me why Christianity is true.

But I also knew plenty of other smart men and women who firmly believed some very dumb things.

In addition, some of the men and women I had been studying who were opposed to the Christian faith were much smarter than I.

I’m not sure what caused the question to be there, but I also knew I couldn’t shake it.

I had more head knowledge about Christianity and the Bible than I had ever had in my life before. I was currently studying to be a pastor, yet here I was struggling with doubt.

The feeling was sickening - I had quit a solid job with incredible benefits.

We sold our house and found a new home for our dog.

I moved my wife and two daughters almost an hour’s drive from the rest of our family to devote my life to proclaiming a truth of which I now felt unsure.

My guess is I am not the only one who has struggled with doubt. (I don’t expect many ‘Amens’ at the beginning of the messages these next five weeks)

For some:

your struggle with doubt is keeping you from truly believing the gospel, trusting in Jesus, and becoming a Christian.

For many those doubts are rooted in intellectual questions you feel must be satisfied to erase doubt and allow you to accept Jesus.

Strange Bible ideas, seeming Bible contradictions, hard to accept truth claims, unbelievable stories.

For others:

you've walked with Jesus for a long time. Perhaps you grew up in a Christian home. You’ve never had these thoughts before but now it’s there — the questions, the doubt.

You’ve always believed it, but do you BELIEVE IT?

Today, we’ll take a look at a guy whose known for his doubts. In fact, it earned him a nickname, Doubting Thomas.

The key to overcoming doubt is to see your doubts honestly, and seek Jesus humbly.

Honest doubt is better than a fake faith.

See your doubts honestly.

I want to give you three things you can do to see your doubts honestly.

1) Admit the reality of your doubt.

Notice who it is that doubted:

24 Now Thomas, one of the twelve,

Thomas was always known as a bit of a pessimist.

“I like pessimists. They’re always the ones who bring life jackets for the boat.” ― Lisa Kleypas, Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor

(ESV)

13 Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that he meant taking rest in sleep. 14 Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus has died, 15 and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.” 16 So Thomas, called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”

(ESV)

3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. 4 And you know the way to where I am going.” 5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?”

More than a pessimist,

Thomas was one of the Twelve - he was a church leader

He still wrestled with doubt - he was honest about it.

It’s important to be honest about our doubts.

Doubt is found even among those with great faith:

John the Baptist

(ESV)

2 Now when John heard in prison about the deeds of the Christ, he sent word by his disciples 3 and said to him, “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?”

Peter

It’s ok to walk through seasons of doubt. It’s not ok to live there.

Doubt can be useful to increase the strength of your faith.

A faith without some doubts is like a human body without any antibodies in it. People who blithely go through life too busy or indifferent to ask hard questions about why they believe as they do will find themselves defenseless against either the experience of tragedy or the probing questions of a smart skeptic. . . . It is no longer sufficient to hold beliefs just because you inherited them.

- Tim Keller, The Reason for God

You’ll never get an answer to a question never asked.

2) Articulate the source of your doubt.

Doubt is NOT the same as unbelief.

Where is this doubt coming from?

legitimate questions about God or the Bible.

Doubts can come when we are isolated.

Thomas was not with the other disciples when Jesus appeared before.

John the Baptist was isolated in prison when he began to doubt and ask questions

Isolation can allow Satan to whisper the questions into our ears that cause us to doubt.

This is why the community of believers is important - not so that we drown out legitimate questions about the faith, but that we act as a resource to help answer them.

Doubts can come when life doesn’t turn out the way we expected.

Why does God allow bad things to happen to good people?

This is usually not a question that is asked in such a way that if we could simply parse out a logical explanation for the questions of theodicy based on an understanding of the necessity of potential evil for existence of love and free will that all doubt would cease.

Death, diagnosis, job loss

3) Examine the motive of your heart. 

Doubt has several sources.

- Doubt is not the same as unbelief

“Doubt asks sincere questions; Unbelief won’t hear the answers”

— Dr. David Jeremiah

2 Types of Doubt:

Doubt used to resist belief

Alduous Huxley, who coined the term “agnostic,” wrote Brave New World, said,

Alduous Huxley, who coined the term “agnostic,” wrote Brave New World, said, “I had motives for not wanting the world to have a meaning; and consequently assumed that it had none, and was able without any difficulty to find satisfying reasons for this assumption...The philosopher who finds no meaning in the world is not concerned exclusively with a problem in pure metaphysics; he is also concerned to prove that there is no valid reason why he personally should not do as he wants to do. For myself, as, no doubt, for most of my contemporaries, the philosophy of meaningless was essentially an instrument of liberation...from a certain system of morality.”—Alduous Huxley, Ends and Means 1937)

“I had motives for not wanting the world to

[29] Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen

me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

“I had motives for not wanting the world to have a meaning; and consequently assumed that it had none, and was able without any difficulty to find satisfying reasons for this assumption...The philosopher who finds no meaning in the world is not concerned exclusively with a problem in pure metaphysics; he is also concerned to prove that there is no valid reason why he personally should not do as he wants to do. For myself, as, no doubt, for most of my contemporaries, the philosophy of meaningless was essentially an instrument of liberation...from a certain system of morality.”—Alduous Huxley, Ends and Means (1937)

“I had motives for not wanting the world to

have a meaning; and consequently assumed that it had none, and

have a meaning; and consequently assumed that it had none, and was able without any difficulty to find satisfying reasons for this assumption...The philosopher who finds no meaning in the world is not concerned exclusively with a problem in pure metaphysics; he is also concerned to prove that there is no valid reason why he personally should not do as he wants to do. For myself, as, no doubt, for most of my contemporaries, the philosophy of meaningless was essentially an instrument of liberation...from a certain system of morality.”—Alduous Huxley, Ends and Means (1937)

was able without any difficulty to find satisfying reasons for this

was able without any difficulty to find satisfying reasons for this assumption...The philosopher who finds no meaning in the world is not concerned exclusively with a problem in pure metaphysics; he is also concerned to prove that there is no valid reason why he personally should not do as he wants to do. For myself, as, no doubt, for most of my contemporaries, the philosophy of meaningless was essentially an instrument of liberation...from a certain system of morality.”—Alduous Huxley, Ends and Means (1937)

assumption...The philosopher who finds no meaning in the world

assumption...The philosopher who finds no meaning in the world is not concerned exclusively with a problem in pure metaphysics; he is also concerned to prove that there is no valid reason why he personally should not do as he wants to do. For myself, as, no doubt, for most of my contemporaries, the philosophy of meaningless was essentially an instrument of liberation...from a certain system of morality.”—Alduous Huxley, Ends and Means (1937)

is not concerned exclusively with a problem in pure metaphysics;

is not concerned exclusively with a problem in pure metaphysics; he is also concerned to prove that there is no valid reason why he personally should not do as he wants to do. For myself, as, no doubt, for most of my contemporaries, the philosophy of meaningless was essentially an instrument of liberation...from a certain system of morality.”—Alduous Huxley, Ends and Means (1937)

he is also concerned to prove that there is no valid reason why he personally should not do as he wants to do. For myself, as, no doubt, for most of my contemporaries, the philosophy of meaningless was essentially an instrument of liberation...from a certain system of morality.”—Alduous Huxley, Ends and Means (1937)

he is also concerned to prove that there is no valid reason why he

personally should not do as he wants to do. For myself, as, no

personally should not do as he wants to do. For myself, as, no doubt, for most of my contemporaries, the philosophy of meaningless was essentially an instrument of liberation...from a certain system of morality.”—Alduous Huxley, Ends and Means (1937)

doubt, for most of my contemporaries, the philosophy of

doubt, for most of my contemporaries, the philosophy of

meaningless was essentially an instrument of liberation...from a

meaningless was essentially an instrument of liberation...from a certain system of morality.”—Alduous Huxley, Ends and Means (1937)

certain system of morality.”—Alduous Huxley, Ends and Means (1937)

certain system of morality.”—Alduous Huxley, Ends and Means

(1937)

(1937)

4

4

Doubt that when examined honestly increases belief

Faith seeking understanding - Aquinus

The key to overcoming doubt is to see your doubts honestly, and seek Jesus humbly.

Seek Jesus humbly.

1) Seek Jesus as he seeks you.

(26) Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.”

Nothing stops the risen Christ in seeking those who need him.

Jesus shows up to give to Thomas exactly what Thomas needs to believe

(ESV)

13 You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you, declares the Lord, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, declares the Lord, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile.

ILLUST - me playing Hide and Seek with my kids.

(Humbly)

Jesus shows up to give to Thomas exactly what Thomas needs to believe

Allow the presence of Jesus to erase the questions of doubt.

(ESV)

27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.”

Even though Jesus offered for Thomas to touch his wounds, as fas as we can tell, Thomas never did.

Simply being in the presence of the Risen Christ was enough to erase all doubt.

ILLUST - If I asked the color of my wife’s shoes, someone may be able to give me the answer and satisfy my question, but far greater would be for my wife to arrive - the question not only need not be answered - it is actually rendered irrelevant.

This is what sets Christianity apart from all other religions. Christianity is not about simply adhering to truth claims. It is not about simply following ideals and principles. Christianity is about a Person.

This is what

If this is true than the presence of the Person erases the need for all questions to be answered in order for faith to grow.

Pray, watch, and see.

>Pray and ask Jesus to reveal himself to you.

2) Submit to the revelation of Jesus as the answer to faith.

(ESV)

28 Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!”

is the best evidence for faith.

This is the clearest declaration of the deity of Christ in the New Testament.

Jesus didn’t shun the title - he accepted it.

Thomas didn’t get all his questions answered:

Why did Jesus have to die on the cross?

What was going to happen to all the disciples now?

Instead, Thomas suspended his doubts in the face of the risen Christ.

I’m not saying you need to suspend intelligence - There is overwhelming evidence for the resurrection of Jesus.

I am saying you have all the information you need to submit to Jesus as Lord.

While you may not be given all the answers for the Christian faith, you have been given all that you need for faith in Christ.

29 Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

(ESV)

30 Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

Why did Thomas get this vision and we don’t?

Because Jesus was appointing Thomas to be an apostle, and the requirement for the Apostles was that they had personally seen Jesus.

We would believe through their testimony.

Conclusion

I wish I could tell you the magic answer that erased all my doubt in seminary, but that didn’t happen.

It wasn’t the absence of questions that I needed — I’ll always have questions — it was the presence of Christ.

Tradition and other reliable sources tell us that Thomas became the great evangelizer of India. Many sources claim he was in India from AD 52 through AD 72 and founded many churches there. It is commonly accepted that, when a group of non-believers asked him to deny his faith in Christ, the one-time great doubter claimed, "I will never, ever renounce Christ." Because of refusal, they drove a stake through his body, and he died the death of a martyr. The doubter turned faithful and committed believer.

See your doubts honestly.

Admit the reality of your doubt.

Examine the motive of your heart. 

Seek Jesus humbly.

Seek Jesus as he seeks you.

Allow the presence of Jesus to erase the questions of doubt.

Submit to the revelation of Jesus as the answer to faith.

The key to overcoming doubt is seeing your doubts honestly, and seeking Jesus humbly.