Welcome to another Thursday UNFILTERED blog post, the only blog that believes God loves a cheerful liver (almost as much as a cheerful giver).
“Be merciful to those who doubt.”
~ Jude 1:22, NIV
Have you ever doubted the Lord?
Have you ever doubted the Scriptures? God’s promises, perhaps?
Well, you’re not alone.
It seems to me that there is a difference between doubt and unbelief.
According to the New Testament, unbelief is sin (see John 3:18; 8:24; Hebrews 3:19; 2 Thessalonians 2:12; Revelation 21:8).
Doubting, however, seems to be something all believers struggle with from time to time.
Consider these texts:
“We are often troubled, but not crushed; sometimes in doubt, but never in despair …” [1]
~ 2 Corinthians 4:8, GNT
“When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted.”[2]
~ Matthew 28:17, NIV
Recall that even John the Baptist — the man who Jesus called the greatest prophet ever to breathe oxygen — faced a period of perplexing doubt near the end of his life (Luke 7:18-28).
Courage is not the absence of fear. Courage is the decision to act despite one’s fear.
Faith is similar.
Faith isn’t the absence of doubt. Among many other things, faith is the decision to believe despite one’s doubts.
Recently, I heard a man give an exhortation to Christians to “doubt your doubts.”
That statement resonated with me.
As I pointed out in Hang On, Let Go, you don’t have to accept every thought that pops in your head. And you don’t have to believe everything you think.
In fact, it’s a serious mistake if you do.
Consequently, you and I have the power to doubt our doubts.
And that’s the exhortation I give you today.
Walk in faith. Act as if God’s Word is true. And doubt your doubts.
Believing in spite of doubts,
fv
Related: When Christian Leaders Deny the Faith
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[1] Other translations use “perplexed” or “frustrated” instead of “doubt.”
[2] This texts refers to the eleven disciples who saw the resurrected Christ (Matthew 28:16). We know they all believed despite their doubts because they all continued to follow Him and sacrifice their lives for their testimony.
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A Word to Struggling Leaders
I read Pagan Christianity many years ago. Just dug up your book again. Now that I am living in the US I need all the help I can get with “church!”
Pagan C. is a VERY old book and not a stand alone volume. It was written for a very specific (and narrow) audience, and was the first of four other volumes on ecclesiology, all written between 2008 and 2009 – over 10 books ago. Hence, why so many have misunderstood and misapplied it.
I encourage you to get the newer volumes, much better and more significant for the time in which we’re living. See https://www.frankviola.org/books
Welcome to the States!
This post is a timely reminder for me and has helped me with a situation which lasted 15 years of being in the wilderness, thank you brother for you love and support you share through your work in Christ’s body.
The Good News Translation (GNT) of 2 Corinthians 4:8 quoted above is similar to the Geneva Bible (GNV): “We are afflicted on every side yet are we not in distress: we are in doubt, but yet we despair not.”
Gracias hermano. Thanks
WOW! This is so timely to me at this moment. Wonderful wisdom and refreshed my soul! Thank you brother. You will be remembered this week in my time with the Lord Jesus!
Thanks Frank. I especially appreciated the statement about “doubting your doubts.” Paul told us in Rom. 10 that “Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.” I believe this does not mean just reading scripture, but allowing God to directly speak to us. Whether by scripture or through one another or other means. This produces more faith.
Doubting is part of the process of working out your salvation and nothing to ever be ashamed of. Until I left “normal” church and explored those doubts, I found freedom and a deeper revelation of Christ….I owe much of that to your writing, so thank you very much!
I also just read “when Christian leaders deny their faith” and it resonated with me as well…
Every time I think about “finding a church” or going back to where we left because “we should have a church home”, that dread of not enjoying comes back and I just can’t go….I never want to be in environment that squashes the freedom I have found to pray, worship, fellowship and just love my Lord and let him love on me in a way I never knew possible. Thank you!
Thanks for sharing. Just to clarify for all who are reading, since what you’re saying about “freedom” and “not having a church home” can be taken to mean that I support the idea that a believer should not be part of a believing community, which is the exact opposite of what I believe and have taught for four decades.
I’m not a “postchurch” advocate. Postchurch people say that “freedom” means to not be be part of a believing community, but to live as lone Christian.
All of my work stresses, underscores, highlights, underlines, and screams that God’s people were made for community. The ekklesia is our native habitat. Even if it’s a kingdom cell of two or three believers, that’s still fellowship.
To be a lone Christian without a spiritual community is an abnormality in the New Testament.
That said, the community that the NT envisions is very different than what most Christians call “church” today, which is a few hours a week passively watching/hearing a “service.”
For those who are new, I delve into these subjects in details in FROM ETERNITY TO HERE, REIMAGINING CHURCH, and INSURGENCE.
I am quite certain that there is not a single biblical character that at one time or another did not struggle with doubt. Simply put, doubt is part of our humanity, flesh. But, I have found that it’s often while moving through those times and “choosing” to believe that my greatest growth in Christ has in fact taken place.
I really like that. “doubt your doubts”
Wow…how timely is this message for me. Thanks again for your work in Christ. This is so encouraging.