Lurking Doubt

Many struggle with doubt for various reasons. Often it is because of some traumatic epidsode experienced early in life. Sometimes, we impose upon God the subconcious image that we have our parents who did their best, but undoubtedly failed us at times. Those who have just started their Christian journey as newly baptized individuals often battle with doubt when they mess up and falter failing to live up to their expectations for themselves.

Satan loves to take advantage of doubt inorder to shake our faith, So what should we do with doubt, how to deak with this lurking spectre that we may not even be fully concious of?

How Should We Deal With Doubt

John 7:17 NKJV

17 If anyone wills to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on My own authority.

Proverbs 2:3–9 NKJV

3 Yes, if you cry out for discernment, And lift up your voice for understanding, 4 If you seek her as silver, And search for her as for hidden treasures; 5 Then you will understand the fear of the Lord, And find the knowledge of God. 6 For the Lord gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding; 7 He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk uprightly; 8 He guards the paths of justice, And preserves the way of His saints. 9 Then you will understand righteousness and justice, Equity and every good path.

Steps to Christ Chapter 12—What to Do with Doubt

God never asks us to believe, without giving sufficient evidence upon which to base our faith. His existence, His character, the truthfulness of His word, are all established by testimony that appeals to our reason; and this testimony is abundant. Yet God has never removed the possibility of doubt. Our faith must rest upon evidence, not demonstration. Those who wish to doubt will have opportunity; while those who really desire to know the truth will find plenty of evidence on which to rest their faith.

C.S. Lewis wrote:

Nelson’s Complete Book of Stories, Illustrations & Quotes C. S. Lewis on Doubt

Now Faith … is the art of holding on to things your reason has once accepted, in spite of your changing moods. For moods will change, whatever view your reason takes. I know that by experience. Now that I am a Christian I do have moods in which the whole thing looks very improbable: but when I was an atheist I had moods in which Christianity looked terribly probable. This rebellion of your moods against your real self is going to come anyway. That is why Faith is such a necessary virtue: unless you teach your moods “where they get off,” you can never be either a sound Christian or even a sound atheist, but just a creature dithering to and fro, with its beliefs really dependent on the weather and the state of its digestion.

So, what are we being told to do by Ellen White and C.S. Lewis? Doubt your doubt, don’t entertain feeling, rely on evidence, and God gives us plenty of evidence to rest our faith upon.

How Should We Deal With Bible Difficulties?

Understand that the Word of God is just that, the word of the eternal God. Paul declares:

Romans 11:33 NKJV

33 Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!

We will never understand all that we read in the Bible, there things in the Bible that we will perhaps wrestle with all of our lives, that does not mean that we should doubt the authenticity of God’s word. In fact, the depth of the Scripture and its unscrutable nature is evidence of the “unmistakable credentials of divine.” authority

Hebrews 3:12 NKJV

12 Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God;

Deuteronomy 29:29 NKJV

29 “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.

Steps to Christ Chapter 12—What to Do with Doubt

If it were possible for created beings to attain to a full understanding of God and His works, then, having reached this point, there would be for them no further discovery of truth, no growth in knowledge, no further development of mind or heart. God would no longer be supreme; and man, having reached the limit of knowledge and attainment, would cease to advance. Let us thank God that it is not so. God is infinite; in Him are “all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” Colossians 2:3.

How Should We Approach the Bible Study

2 Peter 1:20 ESV

20 knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation.

This is why group Bible study is so beneficial, it helps to keep us from going off the deep end.

Sometimes people lock themselves away and come up with strange new doctrines… because of pride. Notice what Peter says:

2 Peter 3:16 NKJV

16 as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures.

1 Corinthians 2:11–12 NKJV

11 For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.

John 16:13–14 NKJV

13 However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. 14 He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you.

Steps to Christ Chapter 12—What to Do with Doubt

There is much reading of the Bible that is without profit and in many cases a positive injury. When the word of God is opened without reverence and without prayer; when the thoughts and affections are not fixed upon God, or in harmony with His will, the mind is clouded with doubts; and in the very study of the Bible, skepticism strengthens. The enemy takes control of the thoughts, and he suggests interpretations that are not correct. Whenever men are not in word and deed seeking to be in harmony with God, then, however learned they may be, they are liable to err in their understanding of Scripture, and it is not safe to trust to their explanations. Those who look to the Scriptures to find discrepancies, have not spiritual insight. With distorted vision they will see many causes for doubt and unbelief in things that are really plain and simple.

Facing the Probable Cause of Doubt

Steps to Christ Chapter 12—What to Do with Doubt

Disguise it as they may, the real cause of doubt and skepticism, in most cases, is the love of sin. The teachings and restrictions of God’s word are not welcome to the proud, sin-loving heart, and those who are unwilling to obey its requirements are ready to doubt its authority. In order to arrive at truth, we must have a sincere desire to know the truth and a willingness of heart to obey it.

John 7:17 NKJV

17 If anyone wills to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on My own authority.

Steps to Christ Chapter 12—What to Do with Doubt

Instead of questioning and caviling concerning that which you do not understand, give heed to the light that already shines upon you, and you will receive greater light.

John 12:35 NKJV

35 Then Jesus said to them, “A little while longer the light is with you. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you; he who walks in darkness does not know where he is going.

2 Peter 3:18 NKJV

18 but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.

Psalm 34:8 NKJV

8 Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!

300 Sermon Illustrations from Charles Spurgeon Doubt Not Needed to Prove We Are Christians (Luke 12:29)

I suppose there are few men who have not, at some time or other, suffered pain, but it is not necessary for us always to have a toothache in order to prove that we really are men. And, in like manner, there are few Christians who have never had any doubts, yet it is not necessary to be always doubting in order to prove that we are Christians. But, as we are glad enough to get rid of pain, so are we to be glad to get rid of doubt by fully trusting our Lord who is so worthy of our trust.