Don’t Let Doubt Have It’s Way
Analyzing our fear
For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. (1 Corinthians 2:2–5, NKJV)
When I was only five years old, I gave my heart to Jesus. Several years later, because I had a great fear of spending eternity in hell, I prayed to ask Jesus in my heart again. My real reason was doubt of my original decision. When I became a young adult, the church said things that planted another seed of doubt. Once again, I prayed that Jesus would come into my life and be my Lord and Master.
How often do I need to pray for Christ to be in my heart to get it right?
Therein lies the problem. It’s not what I do but what Christ does. My original decision was based on a childlike faith. The other commitments were formulated due to fear and doubt. The fear and doubt pushed Christ into the background and stifled the peace of His Spirit from flourishing.
So my question is this; “Would doubt, in and of itself, be able to separate me from God’s grace?” I imagine most of us have doubts in one way or another.
Ask yourself these questions:
- Have I ever touched someone and healed them from their blindness?
- Have I ever walked on water?
- Have I ever moved a mountain?
These questions may cause us to wonder if our faith is even as big as a mustard seed. Could any tiny doubt or lack of faith be an eternal condemnation? Does God want us to live in constant fear?
I remember an elderly lady, a follower of Christ for many years, who displayed fear fueled by doubt. On a phone call one day, she said, “Jenny, I watch pastors on the television, and every time they pray the salvation prayer, I pray it. I prayed it many times, but I don’t know.”
My heart went out to her. I tried reassuring her that all was well.
None of us are perfect; if we strive for perfection to be worthy, our strife will be in vain. God never expected our perfection. He knows our frailty, which is why He came into this world. Jesus signed the contract with His blood.
Do religions cause demanding criteria, deemed Biblical, affecting a mentality of doubt? Do some churches, priests, pastors, and leaders add burdens to breed uncertainty?
As a Christian, I hate admitting the truth that keeping congregants in constant fear is like a brilliant commercial. It means numbers, money, and job security.
The bottom line is that our salvation is not dependent on us but is all attributed to Christ. True justification is by God’s wisdom, not human wisdom.
A perfect example is when Jesus was dying on the cross in agony and pain. Scoffers were taunting and hurling insults as they divided His clothing. What did Jesus do? He prayed:
Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they’re doing.” They drew lots as a way of dividing up his clothing. (Luke 23:34, CEB)
Did Jesus ask for forgiveness for those who were torturing and mocking Him? They did not seek forgiveness. They did not walk an aisle, say a prayer, tithe, feel remorse, learn a creed, get baptized, or go to the confessional.
Our path to God was through Jesus's sacrifice. It is a gift, not contingent on us or our actions. What repercussions did His sacrifice cause? Just how big is His grace and love?
Even our doubt will not separate us from the love of Christ.
He fills in for all our deficiencies. His grace covers everything the church says we need to do but don’t, the things we shouldn’t do but did, and the doubt that creeps in because we know we may have missed some mark.
If God’s gift is peace, how can we have even one moment of peace knowing someone will spend eternity in a place without redemption, hope, love, or help? The answer is simple: “We can’t.”
And if we do, we must ask ourselves, “Have we grown calloused?”
Jesus has shown us God, and He is not a God with a whip in His hand waiting to strike. He told us that His yoke is easy and light. God understands our shortcomings because He is good, gracious, and lovingly just. He is more powerful than doubt or fear, and we can find sweet peace in this.
