{"id":1107,"date":"2023-05-06T17:43:28","date_gmt":"2023-05-07T00:43:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/1thingmatters.com\/?p=1107"},"modified":"2023-05-06T17:43:28","modified_gmt":"2023-05-07T00:43:28","slug":"dealing-with-doubt","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/1thingmatters.com\/?p=1107","title":{"rendered":"Dealing with Doubt"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

(John 20:19-31)<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doubt is a universal struggle. We all deal with it at different times in life under different circumstances. When it comes to dealing with doubt, what have you found to be most helpful to address it? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Does it help when others provide this insightful advice: \u201cYou just have to believe.\u201d? How about this: \u201cStop doubting.\u201d? Or this one, which combines them both: \u201cStop doubting and believe.\u201d? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You might recognize that last one from John 20. Those are the words of Jesus himself. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Under the circumstances, I imagine they were pretty powerful. Thomas hadn\u2019t been with the other disciples that first Easter Sunday when Jesus appeared to them to offer proof of his resurrection from the dead. This time, however, Thomas was present as Jesus appeared to them, providing concrete evidence to back up his words, \u201cStop doubting and believe.\u201d It’s much easier to stop doubting and believe when the evidence is staring you in the face and speaking the very words to you!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But do those words carry the same weight if it\u2019s not Jesus speaking them to you in person? They don\u2019t, which is why telling someone who is struggling with doubt to just \u201cstop doubting\u201d might be about the least effective advice there is. And right up there with it is \u201cjust believe more.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

That kind of advice is not only ineffective but also a bit of an insult. It goes without saying that the person struggling with doubt knows full well that the desired outcome would be to doubt less and believe more. Yet the whole reason they\u2019re struggling is because they can\u2019t!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unless we expect Jesus to show up on our doorstep and help us address our doubts in the way that he did Thomas, how do we manage them? How do we overcome them? How do we eliminate them? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s start with an essential first step: realizing that you won\u2019t ever eliminate them. That just won\u2019t happen. We often beat ourselves up because we think we can<\/em> completely eliminate our doubts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But no human being, no matter how strong a believer she is, no matter how self-confident he is, will ever get to the point of completely eliminating doubts from life. Once we realize that is not the goal, because it is not achievable, then we can actually make some progress. And the best verse in this whole section to help us address doubt is found at the very end in verse thirty-one. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before we get to that though, let\u2019s recap the details of this account, singling out the highlights. Think of how busy Easter Sunday morning is as you consider everything that goes on at church that morning. But no matter how much effort is put into the worship and music and brunch and egg hunt and clean up, it\u2019s nothing compared to how busy Jesus was on that first Easter Sunday. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He had one Resurrection gig after another scheduled throughout the day, appearing here, there, and everywhere, finally presenting himself to the distressed disciples who were fearfully hunkered down behind locked doors. As they were still trying to piece together the various stories and appearances and the implications of it all, Jesus himself appeared in their presence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But Jesus was there to provide more than just his presence; he provided them with peace. And with that peace he sent them out, equipping them with the gift of the Holy Spirit to pass along that peace to others through what we call the Use of the Keys, that calling every Christian has in Jesus\u2019 name to forgive the sins of the repentant or to withhold forgiveness from the impenitent. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAgain Jesus said, \u2018Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.\u2019 And with that he breathed on them and said, \u2018Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone\u2019s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven\u2019\u201d (v.21-23)<\/em><\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There was a lot going on there! Jesus\u2019 presence. The promise of Jesus\u2019 peace. The tall order of being sent by Jesus. Receiving the Holy Spirit. Forgiving sins. It wasn\u2019t just a lot to do\u2026 it was a lot to doubt. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doubting has come naturally to mankind ever since Satan first introduced it in the Garden with his \u201cDid God really <\/em>say?\u201d So when Jesus showed up and then basically laid out his marching orders for believers to carry out until he returns on the last day, there was more than enough to doubt. Especially for a group that had deserted and denied Jesus in his moment of greatest need!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAre we really at peace, after our shameful behavior?\u201d Are you seriously sending this group<\/em>?\u201d \u201cDo we really have the Holy Spirit – where is the proof?\u201d \u201cYou\u2019re counting on us <\/em>to be able to forgive others\u2019 sins when we\u2019re guilty of more sins ourselves than we could ever count?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There was so much room for doubt! And to make matters worse for Thomas, he wasn\u2019t even there! In hindsight, we shouldn\u2019t be so shocked that he ever doubted; it would have been more shocking if he had believed all of it without any doubt whatsoever! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But Jesus is patient. And not just with those we might reasonably expect him to be patient (those we might think of as having earned it because they are pretty strong, spiritually speaking). No, Jesus is patient with everyone who doubts. Even the Thomases.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Notice that Jesus didn\u2019t come to take Thomas to task (just as he didn\u2019t scold Mary at the tomb on Easter). He didn’t show up a week later to embarrass Thomas, but to encourage him; to strengthen him. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Too often we view Jesus as the drill sergeant who is most interested in shaping us up. Behave! Obey! Get it right! Don\u2019t mess up again! That wasn\u2019t Jesus\u2019 message to Thomas, though. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThen Jesus told him, \u2018Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed\u2019\u201d (v.29). <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

With these words, Jesus was not only reassuring Thomas, but also sharing a powerful truth that all of the disciples would need to hear and bear in mind as they began to carry out the mission he was sending them on. They were dealing with spiritual matters, with matters of faith, with things unseen which are the Holy Spirit\u2019s work. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jesus was telling them the Word he was sending them with was powerful enough to create faith and belief even in those who would never lay physical eyes on the resurrected Jesus. So Jesus wasn\u2019t just showing patience with Thomas, but really all of the disciples. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

That same Jesus is every bit as patient with you. Your doubt doesn\u2019t disqualify you from Christ\u2019s Kingdom. In fact, since there is nothing that can qualify <\/em>you for Christ\u2019s Kingdom, then it stands to reason that nothing can disqualify <\/em>you. Jesus doesn\u2019t welcome us into his kingdom based on some scale of how weighty our faith is or rule us out of his kingdom based on the degree of doubt we drum up. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He welcomes us into his kingdom despite our doubts. He welcomes us to dispel our doubts as he strengthens our faith. He welcomes us by his<\/span> grace, through his<\/span> Spirit, on account of his<\/span> work. His. His. His. And that is why his kingdom is yours. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

With full confidence in his grace, so clearly displayed on Good Friday\u2019s cross and evidenced again via the vacant tomb on Easter Sunday, our place in Christ\u2019s Kingdom is secured. Through our faith in his saving work, it is ours. And as those who belong, we long to believe with a faith that grows even firmer, a faith that is so strongly rooted in the soil of Christ\u2019s saving work that it leaves less room for weeds of doubt to pop up. For those craving that kind of conviction and confidence of faith, let\u2019s finally dig into verse 31.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name\u201d (v.31).<\/em><\/strong> In addition to the resurrection account covered in the verses from John 20, John’s Gospel had previously spent 19 chapters recording many of the words and works of Jesus that aren\u2019t covered in the other Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke (referred to as the synoptic <\/em>Gospels, as they cover many of the same accounts). Now, as he concludes his Gospel, he explains his intent behind all of it: so that you may believe and have life. Believe and live. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we are serious about wanting to manage our doubts and overcome them as they arise, then here it is again. Exactly what Jesus directed Thomas to do: stop doubting and believe. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is different this time around? Remember, we don\u2019t have Jesus himself speaking the words to us right in front of us as Thomas did. But we have something that Jesus guarantees is every bit as powerful: His Word, the Bible – powerful because his Word is nothing more than his words recorded for us. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

See how John wrote it? \u201cThese are written that you may believe\u2026 and that by believing you may have life in his name\u201d (v.31)<\/em><\/strong>. Written. Believe. Written. Believe. See any connection there? It\u2019s all right in the Bible. Literally. There isn\u2019t some secret passage to uncover that will serve as a silver bullet. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If that\u2019s been your approach to Scripture, then you\u2019ve been misled or doing it wrong. The Bible isn’t a textbook for finding the answer to pass the test. It is life. It is faith-fortifying. It is doubt-destroying. It is belief-building. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But not merely by being written. It has to be read. By God\u2019s grace, you\u2019re familiar enough with it for faith in Jesus to have been formed. But God doesn\u2019t shift gears and point us to some other method for growing our faith that is different from how he brought us to faith. It\u2019s the same thing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The written Word. When read. When studied. When pondered. When personalized. When lived and breathed. When loved. When we become more and more wrapped up in this written Word, the Holy Spirit sees to it that faith flourishes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And where faith is flourishing, Satan isn\u2019t as inclined to sow his seeds of doubt, for he knows they are less likely to take root. Instead, he will reinforce the doubts of those already clouded in unbelief and focus his attention on believers who are too busy for the Word and preoccupied with the world. And who can blame him?!? His rate of success is much higher where faith is fizzling, and faith is fizzling where the written Word is not read. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So will this Easter turn out the same as previous ones? Same service, give or take? Same nice brunch? Same nice meal with the family? Same baskets and eggs and candy? Same doubts?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Or will it be different? Will you read the Word that has been written so that, like Thomas, you may stop doubting and believe? <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

(John 20:19-31) Doubt is a universal struggle. We all deal with it at different times in life under different circumstances. When it comes to dealing with doubt, what have you found to be most helpful to address it? Does it help when others provide this insightful advice: \u201cYou just have to believe.\u201d? How about this:… Continue reading Dealing with Doubt<\/span> →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[65],"tags":[122,119,5,109,120,36,108],"class_list":["post-1107","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sermons","tag-doubt","tag-easter","tag-jesus","tag-preaching","tag-resurrection","tag-sermon","tag-teaching"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p842FN-hR","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/1thingmatters.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1107","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/1thingmatters.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/1thingmatters.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/1thingmatters.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/1thingmatters.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1107"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/1thingmatters.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1107\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1111,"href":"https:\/\/1thingmatters.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1107\/revisions\/1111"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/1thingmatters.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1107"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/1thingmatters.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1107"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/1thingmatters.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1107"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}