Have you ever doubted any of the beliefs of the Christian faith? Is there a God? Who really was Jesus Christ? Did he really rise from death?
How about the doubts concerning your own existence and experience? Even Christians sometime struggle with the big questions of human reality and purpose. What does life mean? What will endure? Is history progressing toward a goal or merely staggering along? What of the present instant, the ongoing now of my unfolding – or unraveling – life?[1]
Sometimes it can be troubling, having placed our faith in the work of Jesus Christ, to find nagging moments of doubt at the purposes and promises of our faith. We as fallen human beings, relegated to a physical world will naturally stumble at the truths of the unseen spiritual world. Because this doubt is natural we should not let it weigh to heavily upon our conscience. Instead doubt should be a point at which we push to learn more of God, His son Jesus and the teachings of scripture. “If ours is an examined faith, we should be unafraid to doubt. If doubt is eventually justified, we were believing what clearly was not worth believing. But if doubt is answered, our faith has grown stronger. It knows God more certainly and it can enjoy God more deeply.”[2]
The disciple Thomas fellowshipped with Jesus for three years and still questioned his Lord’s teaching (John 14:5) and resisted the testimony of Jesus’ resurrection (John 20:24). In both cases Jesus bears and answers Thomas’ doubts. Thomas’ testimony is an encouragement to us today that our Lord, Jesus Christ knows how to bear our doubts and questions and moments of little faith. He will not turn us away or deny us because of these struggles. Richard Sibbes once wrote, “Lord, I believe, with a weak faith, yet with faith; love thee with a faint love, yet with love; endeavor in a feeble manner, yet endeavor. A little fire is fire, though it smokes. Since thou hast taken me into thy covenant to be thine from being an enemy, wilt thou cast me off for these infirmities, which, as they displease thee, so are they the grief of my own heart?”[3]
The answer is no, Christ will never leave us because of doubts, but will show himself strong and carry us through our moments of feeble faith. He will calm the stormy seas of doubt, and our faith will be strengthened when when we arrive on the other side.
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[1] Groothuis, Douglas R. Christian Apologetics: A Comprehensive Case for Biblical Faith. Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2011.
[2] Os Guinness, In Two Minds: the Dilemma of Doubt and How to Resolve It. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1976
[3] Richard Sibbes, The Bruised Reed (Puritan Paperbacks) (Banner of Truth, 1998),
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