Dealing with Doubt

TEXT: James 1:5-8 FBI

TOPIC: Dealing with Doubt 5/18/97

Today’s sermon is a message born out of necessity. The issue of doubt has risen within the ranks of our membership like a hot-air balloon on a summer day. Since our revival I have been bombarded by many who are seriously struggling with the issue of doubt. So I’ve decided to try to answer many of the questions and doubts that are surfacing.

Do Christians doubt? Of course we do. In fact, it is not unusual for a Christian to doubt his salvation.

Yet doubt can be debilitating. Hesitation and uncertainty are characteristic of the doubter. Read with me today what James has to say concerning those who are chronic doubters. (Read James 1:5-8)

James pictures those who doubt as waves which are tossed about by the wind and the sea. A wave has no foundation, no moorings. It is not grounded or fastened in anything that is stable. As a result it is left helpless and completely dependent on the direction of the wind and the current of the seas. It no sooner forms its shape before it dissolves into nothingness, taking on the shape and likeness of the sea around it.

Sounds like a description of some of you today doesn’t it?

“A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways.” Verse 8.

Why do we doubt our salvation? Why do some doubt the truthfulness of the Bible? Some may even doubt the reality of God.

Billy Graham once said, “Probably everyone has had doubts and uncertainties at times in his religious experience. When Moses went up on Mt. Sinai to receive the tablets of the Law from the hand of God, and had been a long time out of the sight of the people who stood anxiously awaiting his return, they became doubtful of his return. “And they erected a golden calf to worship.” Their actions of apostasy were the result of doubting and uncertainty.”

I’m going to attempt to deal with the issue of doubt today. I’m going to try to answer the question as to why, as Christian, we may doubt.

First let’s look at the CAUSES OF DOUBT IN A CHRISTIAN’S LIFE

1. SATAN CAUSES THE CHRISTIAN TO DOUBT

Satan can and will cause a Christian to doubt many things about their faith and their relationship to God. Although Satan is not the only cause of our doubts, he does delight in causing Christians to remain confused, uncertain and unstable.

Satan is called the “Accuser of the brethren,” (Rev. 12:10) and he takes great satisfaction in causing God’s children great grief and despair.

Satan is also called by Jesus, “a liar and the father of all lies.” (John 8:44)

He is a deceiver and the enemy of all of God’s children.

Satan caused Eve to doubt by asking, “Yea, hath God said,” (Genesis 3:1)

One of Satan’s favorite tools is doubt. He snickers in exhilarating pleasure when he can cause even one Christian to doubt the truthfulness of the Bible as the Word of God.

Why would Satan want you to doubt God’s word? He knows that if he can cause you to doubt God and His word then you have lost your moorings, your foundation. If you doubt the truthfulness of the word of God then you have no basis or foundation for security.

He knows he can then render you ineffective for God. Your witness, your zeal for service will be awash like the wave that has washed out on the sea. Your motivation for Godly living is gone. Your desire for service in the church is non-existent.

Would Satan cause you to doubt your salvation? He would like nothing better.

2. SIN CAUSES THE CHRISTIAN TO DOUBT

Sin is the great disrupter of our faith. Please learn I John 1:5-10. (Read the text)

Read first two verses of chapter 2. Look also at I John 3:9.

Sin disconnects our fellowship with God and God’s people. When unconfessed sin builds up in our lives we sometimes question the possibility that we were ever saved.

ILLUSTRATION: Unconfessed sin in a Christian’s life is like people who never bath, brush their teeth or comb their hair. I’m a clean person and one thing that really bothers me is to be around someone who doesn’t understand why God created soap and water…

Confessing our sins to God and our faults to one another, (James 5:16) is like taking a spiritual bath. (Read the illustration about F.E. Marsh, “Restitution”)

Sin in the believer’s life will leave you feeling dirty and distant from God. It will separate you from the joy and peace of his abiding presence. Sin in the Christian’s life will certainly cause you to doubt your security and salvation.

3. SUFFERING CAUSES THE CHRISTIAN TO DOUBT

Suffering, sickness, disappointments and difficulties can cause a child of God to doubt. Divorce, a death in the family, a wayward son or daughter, unanswered prayer, can all create doubt in the heart of a Christian.

(The primary reason why this is true is because we fail, at least temporarily to trust God and His word regarding our salvation, and we trust in something we should never trust, our feelings).

Do you remember the time that John the Baptist doubted Jesus? He did. The man chosen of God and sent to prepare the way for the coming of Christ, doubted. The man who actually was boyhood friends with Jesus and a close relative, doubted. The man who stood in the face of religious hypocrites of his day, calling them snakes and vipers, doubted his own relationship to Jesus.

Matthew 11:2-3

2 Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples,

3 And said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another? (KJV)

Did you notice where John was at when he began to question whether Jesus really was the Messiah? In prison.

Yet Jesus said of John, “Matthew 11:11

11 Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. (KJV)

II. GENUINE DOUBT FOR THE LOST LEADS TO SALVATION

There is a time when genuine doubt is healthy. In the life of the lost person, doubt can lead to salvation. The Bible says we can know that we are saved. (I John 5:11-15).

If we must err, let’s err on the side of salvation.

The fact is that for some of you there’s no doubt at all. You know you have never been saved. You haven’t trusted Christ. You haven’t received Him. I do believe that when God saves you He changes you! (II Corinthians 5:17)

Invitation:

Speak first to those who are lost and they know it.

Speak to those who are doubt their salvation because they really are lost.

Ask any who would like to come to Christ to raise their hand, then stand, then come and stand forward so I can pray with them.

Have counselors record decisions.

Speak to those Christians who have doubted because of:

SATAN, SIN, SUFFERING.

Tonight I will bring the second part of this message, “Dealing with Doubt.” Tonight I am going to tell you how you can put doubt out of your life once and for all. I hope you’ll be back to hear it.

III. THE CURE FOR DOUBT

1. Trust Unquestionably the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord.

John 14:6

6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. (KJV)

Romans 8:38-39

38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers,

39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (NIV)

John 5:24

24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. (KJV)

1 John 5:10-15

10 He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son.

11 And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.

12 He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.

13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.

14 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:

15 And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him. (KJV)

2. Trust Unquestionably Your Relationship with Your Heavenly Father

John 1:12

12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: (KJV)

1 John 3:2

2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. (KJV)

John 10:29

29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. (KJV)

3. Trust Unquestionably the Word of God

Psalm 119:89-90

89 Your word, O LORD, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens.

90 Your faithfulness continues through all generations; you established the earth, and it endures. (NIV)

2 Peter 1:19

19 We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: (KJV)

2 Timothy 3:16

16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: (KJV)

Many years ago I discovered an evangelistic track entitled “The Four Spiritual Laws.” In this track was an illustration dealing with assurance of salvation. This simple illustration pictured a short train made up only of the engine, one box car in the middle and the caboose.

On the engine was the word FACT. On the box car was written the word, FAITH and on the caboose was the word FEELING. This train was an ole coal burning engine so out of the engine’s smokestack came the words “DO NOT DEPEND ON FEELINGS.”

Most people I have ever known who have doubted their salvation have done exactly that. They are trusting in feelings rather than the fact or truth found in God’s word and their simple faith in that truth. Feeling saved is wonderful but it is the least way of trusting the fact of whether or not you are really saved.

ILLUSTRATION: Some time ago a young, intelligent and sincere young man came to me who I believe had been mislead earlier in life in making a decision that was not a true salvation experience, (Roger Owenby).

When Roger was 9 maybe 10 years of age he went to the altar at the prompting of a friend following a revival service one night. The preacher prayed the sinner’s prayer with Roger and then made the horrible mistake of asking, “Do you feel anything?” At which Roger replied, “No.” So the preacher said, “Then let’s pray again.” After praying he once again asked, “Do you feel anything now?” Again this young boy honestly responded, “no.” Then a third time the preacher prayed and asked the same question, “Do you feel anything.” Feeling ashamed to tell the truth this young man lied and gave the expected answer, “Yes.” That’s how Roger Owenby became a lost church member until just recently.

What am I saying? I’m saying that so often the well-meaning church makes a mistake very early by misleading a new believer that somehow our “feeling” are a safe barometer of judging our salvation. They are not. Feelings are too subjective. They are not to be trusted.

But God’s word is sure. The Fact or truth taught in God’s word and your faith in that word is all that is needed to once and forever rid you of any doubt about your salvation.

John 3:16; Romans 10:9-10,13 Do you remember the saying, “God said it, I believe it and that settles it.” Often we have said in reference to God’s word, “God said….that settles it.” It doesn’t matter if you believe it or not. But when it comes to salvation and assurance it really must be, “God said it. I believe it, and that settles it!