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How to Deal with Doubt: Difference between revisions
→Doubt, Faith, and Reason
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=Doubt, Faith, and Reason= | =Doubt, Faith, and Reason= | ||
Paul says, “We live by faith, not by sight.” Paul never says, “We walk by faith, not by reason.” Paul never says, “We walk by faith, not by thinking,” because faith and reason, faith and thinking are not opposed to each other. Faith and sight are opposed to each other, because faith is being controlled by the truth. | Paul says, ''“We live by faith, not by sight.”'' Paul never says, ''“We walk by faith, not by reason.”'' Paul never says, ''“We walk by faith, not by thinking,”'' because faith and reason, faith and thinking are not opposed to each other. Faith and sight are opposed to each other, because faith is being controlled by the truth. | ||
When Jesus talks about faith, he always says, “''Faith is not the opposite of thinking. Doubt is the absence of thinking.''” For example, he’s talking about possessions in Matthew 6. He says, “Don’t worry about what you will eat, or what you will drink, or your body, what you will put on.” He says, “Don’t worry about those things. Consider the lilies of the field; God takes care of them. Consider the birds of the air; God takes care of them. Won’t he take care of you, O ye of little faith? The pagans run after these things, material possessions, but not you, O ye of little faith.” | When Jesus talks about faith, he always says, “''Faith is not the opposite of thinking. Doubt is the absence of thinking.''” For example, he’s talking about possessions in Matthew 6. He says, ''“Don’t worry about what you will eat, or what you will drink, or your body, what you will put on.”'' He says, ''“Don’t worry about those things. Consider the lilies of the field; God takes care of them. Consider the birds of the air; God takes care of them. Won’t he take care of you, O ye of little faith? The pagans run after these things, material possessions, but not you, O ye of little faith.”'' | ||
Do you see what he’s saying? '''If you want to have faith, you have to consider. That means to think.''' “Consider the lilies of the field. Consider the birds of the air.” Argue with yourself. Think.''' The cults have a different view of faith. The cults say, “Believe. Don’t think. Have faith. Don’t think. Don’t ask questions. Don’t sit down and wonder about these things.” That’s the exact opposite of what Jesus says faith is.''' He says, “If you want to have faith, you have to think. Doubt is the absence of thinking.” | Do you see what he’s saying? '''If you want to have faith, you have to consider. That means to think.''' “Consider the lilies of the field. Consider the birds of the air.” Argue with yourself. Think.''' The cults have a different view of faith. The cults say, “Believe. Don’t think. Have faith. Don’t think. Don’t ask questions. Don’t sit down and wonder about these things.” That’s the exact opposite of what Jesus says faith is.''' He says, “If you want to have faith, you have to think. Doubt is the absence of thinking.” | ||
In Luke 8, Jesus is asleep in the storm, and the disciples are seeing the storm, and they’re seeing the waves. They’re saying, | In Luke 8, Jesus is asleep in the storm, and the disciples are seeing the storm, and they’re seeing the waves. They’re saying, “''Oh my word, we’re going to perish!”'' Jesus Christ wakes up, and he looks at them and says, ''“Where is your faith?”'' He doesn’t say, ''“You need more faith.”'' He says, ''“Where is your faith? Get it out. It ought to be here. Look, you saw me raise people from the dead. You saw me promise to you I was going to take you this place and this place and this place. You saw these things. You knew what I can do. You knew who I was, and yet when I was just out of sight, you were looking at the waves. You were looking at the waves, and so you were scared.”'' | ||
He doesn’t say you need more faith. He doesn’t act like faith is this mysterious thing that has to be whipped up, some people have and some don’t. He says, “You know what you should have been doing. Where is your faith? Get it out. It ought to be here.” Jesus specifically applies this to possessions. | He doesn’t say you need more faith. He doesn’t act like faith is this mysterious thing that has to be whipped up, some people have and some don’t. He says, ''“You know what you should have been doing. Where is your faith? Get it out. It ought to be here.”'' Jesus specifically applies this to possessions. | ||
He says, “If you worry about possessions, if you’re consumed about money and about what you eat and what you drink, you show you don’t really know, you’re not being controlled by what the Bible says about God the Father. God the Father owns everything. God the Father will take care of you. He clothes the grass of the field. He takes care of the birds of the air.” | He says, ''“If you worry about possessions, if you’re consumed about money and about what you eat and what you drink, you show you don’t really know, you’re not being controlled by what the Bible says about God the Father. God the Father owns everything. God the Father will take care of you. He clothes the grass of the field. He takes care of the birds of the air.”'' | ||
What | What Jesus is saying in Matthew is simply that an enslavement to visible things calls into question our faith in invisible things. Enslavement to visible things radically calls into question our real faith in invisible things. If you know there’s a God who’s taking care of you, who owns everything, that changes you totally in your attitude toward other things.<ref>Timothy J. Keller, The Timothy Keller Sermon Archive (New York City: Redeemer Presbyterian Church, 2013).</ref> | ||
=Doubt your doubts= | =Doubt your doubts= | ||