Confessing Doubt

Is there room for doubt in the heart of a follower of Christ?  The short answer is "yes."  Doubt is not the opposite of faith.  Disbelief is the opposite of faith.  Disbelief and Doubt are not the same thing.

The following are my Bible study notes based on my pastor's sermon.

(VIDEO COMING SOON)

There is an honest doubt and a dishonest doubt.  In scripture, Thomas was a doubter.  Doubt can work for us or against us.  It's where we take our doubt that matters.  We need to confess our doubt to the Lord.

Our scripture passage is John 20:19-29.

So when it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and when the doors were shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.” And when He had said this, He showed them both His hands and His side. The disciples then rejoiced when they saw the Lord. So Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you; as the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” And when He had said this, He breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, their sins have been forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they have been retained.”
 
But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples were saying to him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see in His hands the imprint of the nails, and put my finger into the place of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.”

After eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors having been shut, and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be with you.” Then He said to Thomas, “Reach here with your finger, and see My hands; and reach here your hand and put it into My side; and do not be unbelieving, but believing.” Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed.” - John 20:19-29

Why do we need to confess our doubt to the Lord?

1.  Doubt grows in isolation.

In fact, doubt flourishes in isolation.  Finding ways to stay connected to other strong believers is important.

And when He had said this, He showed them both His hands and His side. The disciples then rejoiced when they saw the Lord. - John 20:20

They rejoiced together.  We need to keep discipling on another.

2.  Doubt can result in stubbornness.  

Stubbornness is a form of pride. 

So the other disciples were saying to him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see in His hands the imprint of the nails, and put my finger into the place of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.” - John 20:25

Stubbornness causes us to become demanding.  We want answers and we want them now, but we don't live by explanations.  We live by promises.   The more God's promises are hidden in our hearts, the less room there is for doubt to grow.

3.  Doubt should drive us to Jesus.

Take your questions to the Lord and make them your prayers.  Hold onto the promises of God.

When you don't know what to do, do what you do know to do.  In our search for answers, our search will lead us to Jesus.   The answer to everything is in Jesus.

He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. - Colossians 1:17

 

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Believe Jesus.

Jesus loves you.  He will come to you.

Then He said to Thomas, “Reach here with your finger, and see My hands; and reach here your hand and put it into My side; and do not be unbelieving, but believing." - John 20:27

Stop doubting and believe.

4.  Doubt can bring us to new heights.

Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!" - John 20:28

Thomas said, "My Lord and my God!"  His faith was personal.  In uncertain times, we forge our own faith rather than someone else's faith.  What Tomas thought was over was the beginning of something new and beautiful.  Is God opening you eyes to something new and beautiful through an indestructible faith?

Jesus said to him, “Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed.” - John 20:29 

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Read all posts in my pastor's series on "Confession" here.