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How to Deal with Doubt: Difference between revisions
→How did Jesus deal with doubt?
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{{Reason and the Message}} | |||
= How did Jesus deal with doubt?= | |||
There was a person in the Bible that thought that Jesus was the messiah but later on he began to have some doubt. | |||
How did Jesus deal with this man's doubt? | |||
Here is the story about John the Baptist from Luke 7:18- 23: | |||
:''John’s disciples told him about all these things. Calling two of them, 19 he sent them to the Lord to ask, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?” When the men came to Jesus, they said, “John the Baptist sent us to you to ask, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?’ ” At that very time Jesus cured many who had diseases, sicknesses and evil spirits, and gave sight to many who were blind. So he replied to the messengers, “Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor. Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me.” <ref>The New International Version (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2011), Lk 7:18–23.</ref> | |||
Jesus did not say, "How could you doubt me, John?" He did not condemn John for doubting. What he did was point to the evidence and to tell John's followers to go back to him and tell John the Baptist what they saw. | |||
'''Jesus did not condemn doubt. He simply pointed to the evidence.''' | |||
=William Branham and Doubt= | |||
William Branham admitted that we had a right to doubt him. This is the correct approach. If Paul commended the Bereans in Acts 17:11 for not simply accepting his word but going to the Bible to prove it, why wouldn't we take the same approach to William Branham? | |||
:''...'''you have a right to doubt me''', but not God.<ref>MY.ANGEL.SHALL.GO.BEFORE.THEE_ TALLAHASSEE.FL MONDAY_ 53-0216</ref> | |||
:'''''Have you got any right to doubt me? Not a bit.''' Because I come here the first of this service and I told you of what God had said. Now, you, as a man, you had a right to disbelieve me. But when God turns around and speaks that I've told the truth, then you shouldn't disbelieve me anymore. Because if you disbelieve me now, you disbelieve Him.<ref>PRAYER.LINE 53-0500</ref> | |||
:''You've heard me never, as far as speaking, I'd say, "God made me His prophet." I've heard people say, on tape they picked it up when the inspiration was on, but that was Him speaking, not me. See? Better for Him to tell you that, than for me to tell you that. See? More you can believe Him; '''you got a right to doubt me.'''<ref> COME.LET.US.REASON.TOGETHER CHICAGO.IL 55-1004</ref> | |||
:'''''And you have a right to doubt me''' if you wish to.<ref>THE.JUNCTION.TIME STURGIS.MI 56-0122</ref> | |||
:'''''They could doubt me; it would be all right'''... <ref>JESUS.CHRIST.THE.SAME.YESTERDAY.TODAY.AND.FOREVER_ SIOUX.FALLS.SD 56-0225</ref> | |||
:'''''Now, you can doubt me, I'm a man. You got a right to.''' But you mustn't doubt God.<ref>THE.WORKING.OF.THE.HOLY.SPIRIT_ PRINCE.ALBERT.SK 56-0816</ref> | |||
William Branham also believed it was healthy to ask questions. In fact, that was what contributed to a strong church: | |||
:''Now, if anyone's got any questions that they want to hand in, why, just push them right on up, let some child bring them or whatever you want to. Or maybe, if we get through… I—I got about six here on one page, and then here, then we got two over there. Now, we're—we want to find out. The reason we do this is to find out what's on the people's mind, what they're thinking about. See? And '''that's what makes a good strong church.''' You've got to have the—the times, just like you got to comb the cockleburs out like, you know, and everything, get all the—the things out of the way so that you can move steadily. So now '''that's the reason we have question night once in a while''', is to find out. <ref>William Branham, 53-0729 - Questions And Answers On Genesis, para. 1</ref> | |||
'''William Branham at times confused doubt with unbelief, but they are actually two different things. | |||
''' | |||
:''The first time that the devil met Jesus Christ, he doubted Him. '''Doubt always is of the devil.''' That's where the first sin come. There is no other sin but doubt. Unbelief is the original and only sin.<ref>ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE TO HIM THAT BELIEVETH SHREVEPORT.LA 56-0722</ref> | |||
:'''''You have no right to doubt me.'''<ref>I.PERCEIVE.THAT.THOU.ART.A.PROPHET CONNERSVILLE.IN 53-0614E</ref> | |||
=The inevitability of doubt= | =The inevitability of doubt= | ||
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:''Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed, and said in his heart, “Will a child be born to a man one hundred years old? And will Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?”<ref>New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995), Ge 17:17.</ref> | :''Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed, and said in his heart, “Will a child be born to a man one hundred years old? And will Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?”<ref>New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995), Ge 17:17.</ref> | ||
So how do you think you’re going to do? | So how do you think you’re going to do what Abraham could not do? | ||
Probably, you’re never going to get past it. '''That means there will always be to some level of doubt in anyone’s life.''' There has to be. Doubt, in a sense, is a problem that never goes away. It is an inevitable thing, but look at this incredible balance the Bible has here and everywhere. What an incredibly nuanced, balanced view of doubt. | Probably, you’re never going to get past it. '''That means there will always be to some level of doubt in anyone’s life.''' There has to be. Doubt, in a sense, is a problem that never goes away. It is an inevitable thing, but look at this incredible balance the Bible has here and everywhere. What an incredibly nuanced, balanced view of doubt. | ||
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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> | 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> | ||
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