DOUBT VERSUS UNBELIEF

“See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God.”  (Hebrews 3:12 NIV)

The Greek words for doubt carry the idea of uncertainty. They have the connotation of being unsettled, of lacking a firm conviction. Doubt is not the opposite of faith but the opportunity of faith -- the growing pains of an eager, seeking spirit. The true enemy of faith is unbelief, but doubt is a necessary leg of the journey of faith. It stands at the edge of past understandings and stretches painfully for new frontiers. To doubt, then, is to be human…

Most of us need to reinstate that word doubt as a friend, not an enemy. But there’s another word we need to examine: unbelief. We might say that doubt asks questions; unbelief refuses to hear answers. The former is hard miles on a good journey; the latter is the dead end, a refusal to travel any farther…

Christian writer Mark Littleton found a simple formula [for dealing with doubt]. It goes this way: “Turn your doubts to questions. Turn your questions to prayers. Turn your prayers to God.” 

-- David Jeremiah in “Keep the Faith: How to Stand Strong in a World Turned Upside Down” 

#6222

 

FAITH BEYOND SIGHT

“Jesus told Thomas, ‘Because you have seen Me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.’” (John 20:29 NIV)

Thomas, one of Jesus’ disciples, often called “Doubting Thomas,” had missed the moment when the risen Jesus first appeared to the others. His doubt wasn’t born of defiance but of a deep longing to see and experience for himself the truth of the resurrection. In John 20:24-29, Jesus graciously meets Thomas where he is, inviting him to touch the wounds in His hands and side. Thomas responds with a powerful declaration, “My Lord and my God!”

This story is a reminder that doubt doesn’t disqualify us from faith -- it’s often a step along the journey. Jesus didn’t rebuke Thomas; instead, He gently guided him toward belief. But Jesus also blessed those who believe without seeing, inviting us into a faith that trusts His promises even when evidence isn’t visible.

When we face moments of uncertainty or struggle to perceive God’s presence, this passage assures us that faith doesn’t require perfect understanding. Trusting in His faithfulness and love, even in the unseen, brings a special blessing.  As Lamentations 3:22-23 reminds us: "Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness." 

-- SOUND BITES Ministry, compiled from a variety of sources 

#6104

ONE HONEST LOOK

“He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?”  (Romans 8:32 NKJV)

Nothing like one honest look, one honest thought of Christ upon His cross. That tells us how much He has been through, how much He endured, how much He conquered, how much God loved us, who spared not His only begotten Son, but freely gave Him for us. Dare we doubt such a God? Dare we murmur against such a God? 

-- Charles Kingsley (1819-1875)

#5906

DOUBTING IN THE DARKNESS

“For we walk by faith, not by sight.”  (2 Corinthians 5:7 ESV)

Last spring I had a memorable day. My daughter graduated from college, I turned fifty years old, and I spoke at her commencement -- all on the same day. But the most memorable line of the day involved none of that. A man named David Winter had been president of her school for over a quarter of a century. Toward the end of his term, as he was looking forward to retirement, he suffered a disease that over a period of three weeks robbed him of his sight. As we processed up to the graduation platform, he had to hold the arm of another to guide him. And in his words of greeting to the students and parents, he said, "Never doubt in the darkness what God has shown you in the light." 

-- John Ortberg in “Faith & Doubt”

#5889

THE ARGUMENT FOR PRAYER

“One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When He finished, one of His disciples said to Him, ‘Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.’  Jesus said to them, ‘When you pray, say: Father, hallowed be Your name, Your kingdom come…’”  (Luke 11:1-2 NIV)

Jesus never argued the validity of prayer any more than He argued for the existence of God. God was not something to be proved by argument; God was simply there, the beginning and the end of experience. Just so, prayer was not something to be proved by argument; prayer was there, the native breath of the soul. Prayer was mankind’s instinctive tendency, wrought into the very constitution of our nature. Its well-springs lay deep down beneath the region of argument; they lay in hearts which God has made for fellowship with Himself, which therefore (as Augustine at a later day expressed it) would always be restless until they found rest in Him. Hence Jesus never argued the matter.

But certainly there was a sense in which His own prayer life was the one unanswerable argument. Did any disciple -- Thomas, for example -- have doubts about prayer, genuine, honest doubts? Nothing was more likely to vanquish his doubts than the sight of Jesus upon His knees, for knowing Jesus and realizing what an utterly sure and reliable insight Jesus had into all the deepest things of life, such a disciple would feel it better to trust Jesus’ certainty rather than his own uncertainty. He would think it wise to attach more importance to Christ’s conviction than to his own doubts. In all matters of faith this is an enormously valuable principle, and certainly it carries weight here. Doubts are dispelled and dissolved before the shining prayer life of the Christ. The praying Christ is the supreme argument for prayer. 

-- James S. Stewart in “The Life and Teaching of Jesus Christ”

#5645

NEAR-SIDE CHRISTIANS

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”  (1 John 1:2-4 NIV)

Oliver Wendell Holmes, former chief justice of the Supreme Court, once made a perceptive distinction between two kinds of simplicity: simplicity on the near side of complexity and simplicity on the far side of complexity.  He said, “I would not give a fig for simplicity on the near side of complexity.”

Many Christians settle for simplicity on the near side of complexity.  Their faith is only mind deep.  They know what they believe, but they don’t know why they believe what they believe.  Their faith is fragile because it has never been tested intellectually or experientially.  Near-side Christians have never been in the catacombs of doubt or suffering, so when they encounter questions they cannot answer or experiences they cannot explain, it causes a crisis of faith.  For far-side Christians, those who have done their time in the catacombs of doubt or suffering, unanswerable questions and unexplainable experiences actually result in heightened appreciation for the mystery and majesty of a God who does not fit within the logical constraints of the left brain.  Near-side Christians, on the other hand, lose their faith before they’ve really found it. 

-- Mark Batterson in “PRIMAL: A Quest for the Lost Soul of Christianity”

#5518

THOMAS HAD HIS DOUBTS

“One of the disciples, Thomas, ‘The Twin,’ was not there at the time with the others. When they kept telling him, ‘We have seen the Lord,’ he replied, ‘I won’t believe it unless I see the nail wounds in His hands -- and put my fingers into them -- and place my hand into His side.’ Eight days later the disciples were together again, and this time Thomas was with them. The doors were locked; but suddenly, as before, Jesus was standing among them and greeting them. Then He said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger into My hands. Put your hand into My side. Don’t be faithless any longer. Believe!’ ‘My Lord and my God!’ Thomas said. Then Jesus told him, ‘You believe because you have seen Me. But blessed are those who haven’t seen Me and believe anyway.’”  (John 20:24-29 TLB)

Thomas had his doubts. Didn’t matter to him that ten sets of eyes had seen the resurrected Jesus. Or that the women who had watched Him being placed in a tomb watched Him walk into the room. Let them shout and clap; Thomas was going to sit and wait…

Thomas was never the same. If the legends are true, he carried the story of God’s love for doubters and deserters all the way to India, where he, like his friends and Savior, died because of love.

--  Max Lucado in “Come Thirsty”

#4828

STOP DOUBTING AND BELIEVE

“Then Jesus said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here; see My hands. Reach out your hand and put it into My side. Stop doubting and believe.’"  (John 20:27 NIV)

As they were looking on, so we too gaze on His wounds as He hangs. We see His blood as He dies. We see the price offered by the Redeemer, touch the scars of His resurrection. He bows His head, as if to kiss you. His heart is made bare open, as it were, in love to you. His arms are extended that He may embrace you. His whole body is displayed for your redemption. Ponder how great these things are. Let all this be rightly weighed in your mind: as He was once fixed to the cross in every part of His body for you, so He may now be fixed in every part of your soul.

-- Augustine of Hippo (354-430 AD)


#4820

THE LANGUAGE OF THE HEART

How do you pray when you suffer or when people you love suffer? How do you pray when people you do not like (even hate?) get ahead? How do you pray when the world doesn’t make sense? How do you pray when you have some doubts or are angry at God?

I found my answer in the book of Psalms. The Psalms give us a complete picture of prayer. They take on the whole of life. They give us words for all occasions, from the height of joy to the depths of despair. The Psalms let us feel what we feel. The Psalms meet us where we are, even when our feelings are less than godly, and give us words to say to God. They are the language of the heart.

“Then I realized that my heart was bitter, and I was all torn up inside. I was so foolish and ignorant -- I must have seemed like a senseless animal to You. Yet I still belong to You; You hold my right hand. You guide me with Your counsel, leading me to a glorious destiny.”  (Psalm 73:21-24 NLT) 

--  Thomas C. Parker in an article entitled “Language of the Heart” in “Discipleship Journal” Issue 99


#4471

LANGUAGE OF THE HEART

“Out of the depths I cry to You, LORD; Lord, hear my voice. Let Your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy. If You, LORD, kept a record of sins, Lord, who could stand? But with You there is forgiveness, so that we can, with reverence, serve You. I wait for the LORD, my whole being waits, and in His word I put my hope.”  (Psalm 130:1-5 NIV)

How do you pray when you suffer or when people you love suffer? How do you pray when people you do not like (even hate?) get ahead? How do you pray when the world doesn’t make sense? How do you pray when you have some doubts or are angry with God?

I found my answer in the Book of Psalms. The Psalms give us a complete picture of prayer. They take on the whole of life. They give us words for all occasions, from the height of joy to the depths of despair. The Psalms let us feel what we feel. The Psalms meet us where we are and give us words to say to God. They are a language of the heart. 

-- Thomas C. Parker in an article entitled “Language of the Heart” published in “Discipleship Journal” No. 99, May/June 1997


#4451

FOCUSED ON JESUS

"But when Peter noticed the strong wind,^* he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, 'Lord, save me!' ³¹Jesus immediately reached out His hand and caught him, saying to him, 'You of little faith, why did you doubt?'"  (Matthew 14:30-31)

God calls us to be so focused on Jesus that, even if we are in the midst of a crisis, even if there are very real dangers around, we will remain calm, knowing that our focus on God always keeps us from sinking.

-- Copyright Eric Folkerth 1999. All Rights Reserved. (Used with Permission)

#3798

DOUBT CAN DO GOOD IN US

Jesus said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see My hands. Reach out your hand and put it in My side. Do not doubt but believe.” Thomas answered Him, “My Lord and my God!”  (John 20:27-28 NRSV)

Sometimes doubt can do good in us. It can motivate us to study and learn. It can purify false beliefs that have crept into our faith. It can humble our arrogance. It can give us patience and compassion with other doubters. It can remind us of how much truth matters. Martin Luther, who was the champion of the importance of faith but wrestled with doubt himself, insisted that pride -- not doubt -- is the opposite of faith.

-- John Ortberg in Faith & Doubt


#3423

FAITH AND DOUBT

Sometimes doubt can do good in us. It can motivate us to study and learn. It can purify false beliefs that have crept into our faith. It can humble our arrogance. It can give us patience and compassion with other doubters. It can remind us of how much truth matters. Martin Luther, who was the champion of the importance of faith but wrestled with doubt himself, insisted that pride -- not doubt -- is the opposite of faith.

-- John Ortberg in Faith & Doubt


#3220

TRUE WORSHIP

Unfortunately God and grief are not words that are used very close together in some forms of spirituality. I remember being in a church service where the worship leader asked the congregation to forget about all the "stuff of the week" and enter into worship of God. It seemed as if he thought that we could just come to God and grief would just fly away. I wanted to remind him that the Christian faith believes in a God who comes to humanity in their "stuff of the week" condition, not their dressed up Sunday best condition.

True worship does not come by denying our pain and asserting that God is worthy of worship. True worship comes only as we are real and authentic with God about our struggles, doubts, and pain and then make a choice to worship. We can enter into real worship when we acknowledge life is what it is and in spite of that reality we choose to glorify God. 

-- Janelle Shantz Hertzler in an article titled “God and Grief Meet in True Worship,” www.JOURNEYTHROUGHGRIEF.com


#3144

DOUBTING DISCIPLES

Biblical scholar Frederick Dale Bruner says, "The Christian faith is bi-polar. Disciples live their life between worship and doubt, trusting and questioning, hoping and worrying."

Then Jesus gives the disciples what is called the Great Commission, sends them out to be His agents in the world. Jesus looks at these worshiping doubters and says: "You go! You doubters, go. You risk your lives for Me. You change your world for Me. And you will find as you go that it is your own doubts that are healed. You doubters are included, too."

Disciples are not people who never doubt. They doubt and worship. They doubt and serve. They doubt and help each other with their doubts. They doubt and practice faithfulness. They doubt and wait for their doubt one day to be turned to knowing.

-- John Ortberg in Faith & Doubt


#3108

BEYOND MERE EVIDENCE

Our beliefs are not just estimates of probabilities. They are also the instruments that guide our actions.

Let's say you manage the Los Angeles Dodgers. It's World Series time—you against the Oakland Athletics. It's the ninth inning, and you're one run behind with one man on base and two outs. The world's greatest relief pitcher is on the mound. You have two pinch hitters; both of them bat .250. One of them says, "I will probably make an out. There's a three out of four chance I will lose the battle. But at least I will not allow my emotions to cloud my thinking. I will acknowledge the probability of my failure calmly and clearly." The other guy says, "I believe I will get a hit. I have a deep conviction this is my day."

Who do you send to the plate? Would it be more rational to send up the logic chopper who thinks he will fail? Wouldn't it make more sense to call on Kirk Gibson with his five o'clock shadow and his gimpy knee and his swaggering conviction that he is destined for immortality? You would send the pinch hitter who has all the confidence he could muster. There are reasons for faith that go beyond mere evidence. (If you're not a baseball fan, note that Kirk Gibson was a badly injured power-hitting Los Angeles outfielder who in 1988 produced the greatest World Series moments of all time and forever convinced Dodger fans that God not only exists but is in fact a Dodger.)

-- John Ortberg in Faith & Doubt


#3097

TENACIOUS OBEDIENCE

Sometimes faith is walking in darkness and simply refusing to quit. Sometimes faith is just hanging on. The character of the faith that allows us to be transformed by suffering and darkness is not doubt-free certainty; rather, it is tenacious obedience.
-- John Ortberg in The Life You've Always Wanted


#3019

PURSUING TRUTH

Philosopher Dallas Willard makes a provocative proposal: "Followers of Jesus are required to pursue truth wherever it leads them." This is perhaps a strange way to say it, but even more than we need to be committed to Jesus, we need to be committed to truth. For it is impossible to trust Jesus if way down deep inside, you don't think He was right. Sometimes believers are afraid that pursuing truth wherever it leads might make us uncomfortable. But as C. S. Lewis wrote, "Comfort is the one thing you cannot get by looking for it. If you look for truth, you may find comfort in the end: If you look for comfort, you will not get either comfort or truth -- only soft soap and wishful thinking to begin with, and in the end, despair."

Jesus Himself had quite a lot to say about truth. He said: "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free" (John 8:31b-32). "I am the way and the truth and the life: (14:6). "When He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all truth" (16:13).

Another way of saying this is, if you have to choose between Jesus and truth, choose truth. But according to Jesus, if you search for truth, you will find Him. There is no other way to trust Jesus than to think and question and wrestle and struggle until you come to see that He really is true. One purpose of doubt is to motivate us to do that.

-- John Ortberg in Faith & Doubt

#2975

FAITH AND DOUBT

Some people choose doubt. But doubt is not always the best strategy…
Theologian Lesslie Newbigin writes that we live in an age that favors doubt over faith. We often speak of "blind faith" and "honest doubt." Both faith and doubt can be honest or blind, but we rarely speak of "honest faith" or "blind doubt." Both faith and doubt are needed, yet it is faith that is more fundamental. Even if I doubt something, I must believe there are criteria by which it can be judged. I must believe something before I can doubt anything. Doubt is to belief what darkness is to light, what sickness is to health. It is an absence. Sickness may be the absence of health, but health is more than the absence of sickness. So it is with doubt and faith. Doubt is a good servant but a poor master.

"Doubt is useful for a while…. If Christ spent an anguished night in prayer, if He burst out from the cross, 'My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?' then surely we are permitted doubt. But we must move on. To choose doubt as a philosophy of life is akin to choosing immobility as a means of transportation."

-- John Ortberg in Faith & Doubt


#2749

THE DOUBTER'S PRAYER

"I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!" (Mark 9:24)

I believe and I doubt. I hope and I fear. I pray and I waver. I ask and I worry. I believe; help my unbelief.

I get that prayer. That's the Doubter's Prayer… I believe; help my unbelief.

Now this is not exactly a ringing endorsement of Jesus, and you wonder, "How is He going to respond?"

Jesus says, "I'm shocked and appalled you actually have doubts. Too bad for you…. I have no time for this kind of insulting request!" (Reversions 9:25; I just kind of made that one up).

Aren't you glad Jesus doesn't really say that? Aren't you glad He doesn't walk away? Instead, He speaks to the man's son. The boy is healed and will live. He will grow up. He will make friends. He will learn the Torah. He will work alongside his dad. He will get married someday, maybe. He will grow to be an old, old man, and he will remember the day when he was a boy and a young rabbi did what nobody else could do. He will remember the day he stood alone with Jesus on a mountain.

-- John Ortberg in Faith & Doubt


#2695