Comments from Pastor Billy about chapter fifteen of his summer book recommendation - a great read for high school graduates and their parents!
Sometimes It Feels Like My Faith Is Slipping Away--How Do I Handle Doubts about What I believe? (Chapter 15)
We have finally made it to the final chapter of the book. It has been a great journey that has hopefully encouraged you and had you dig deeper into what answers we have as Christians for many of the skeptics and doubters in our world. While I do believe that there are answers to the questions all skeptics have, I also know that for many skeptics this will not be enough. The Bible makes it clear that not everyone will come to know the truth, which is a sobering thought, and that some will continue in their sin and hard hearts. However, the Bible also says that we are to go out and make disciples of all nations, which means that those who have ears to hear will come to Christ.
This final chapter talks about doubt. Many people who have backslid or fallen away from their faith, often cite unanswerable questions and doubts as the reason for leaving Christianity. I would answer that having doubts is not always a bad thing. Having questions about what you believe and what the Bible teaches about that topic or area of life is a very healthy attitude to have. How often in the Psalms did David and others cry out to God for answers?
Kruger includes many examples of hero’s of the faith who had doubts. One of my favorite preachers, Charles Spurgeon, was quoted at length about his doubts.
“On a sudden, the thought crossed my mind--which I abhorred but could not conquer--that there was no God, no Christ, no Heaven, no hell, that my prayers were but a farce, and that I might as well have whistled to the winds or spoken to the howling waves.”
Spurgeon struggled with his faith and like many Christians had questions about what he held so tightly. We often think as Christians that we are not “good” if we have doubts, or that Jesus is going to cast us away for not being 100% all out for him all the time. However, we must be reminded that Jesus knows us intimately, he knows everything about us, and he knows what it is like to struggle as the God man. Hebrews 4:15 says,
“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.”
He understands our fears and our doubts, and tells us to come to Him.
However, “doubt is not the same as unbelief.” We often equate the two and believe that any doubt we have must mean that we are not believers. However, that is far from the case. Often doubts can lead us to diving deeper into our faith and what we believe. A few years ago I took a deep dive into how we got the Bible, which led me into the area of New Testament Textual Criticism. This led me further into a greater understanding and profound love for how God has preserved his word for us today.
A final thought I would like to share comes from an important section halfway through this chapter. It relates to my last observation about studying the Christian faith deeply. If you truly want to have a firmer foundation, there is nothing better you can do then study the Bible, God’s word. Kruger makes the point, “good theology matters. A believer with a solid theological foundation is able to handle these difficult questions better than a person who has a shallow understanding of the Christian faith.” I would encourage everyone who reads this post or this book to seriously consider how much time and effort you put into knowing the faith. The more you know God through Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit, the stronger you will be in your faith.
In Christ,
Billy