Embracing Doubt: A Journey to Stronger Faith

Devotional

Day 1: Doubt as a Catalyst for Spiritual Growth

Doubt is often perceived as a weakness in faith, but it can be a powerful catalyst for spiritual growth and deeper understanding. By confronting doubts honestly, believers can engage with their faith more authentically, allowing the gospel to address their questions and struggles. The book of Ecclesiastes exemplifies this approach by acknowledging life's harsh realities and injustices, encouraging believers to be honest about their struggles. This honesty is not only permissible but necessary for a genuine faith journey. Embracing doubt as a pathway to growth can lead to a more profound and resilient faith. [01:57]

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." (James 1:2-4, ESV)

Reflection: What is a specific doubt you have about your faith right now? How can you invite God into this doubt to help you grow spiritually?

Day 2: Faith as a Fortress Against Doubt

Faith, as defined by John Calvin, emphasizes certainty in belief while acknowledging the reality of doubt. Doubt often attacks from the outside, but it is not a failure of faith. Instead, it is a challenge to be met with the resources God provides, such as Scripture, community, and worship. Strengthening faith through these means helps combat doubt, reminding believers that faith is not redefined by doubt but fortified against it. This perspective encourages believers to see doubt as an opportunity to deepen their faith and reliance on God. [05:19]

"Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain." (1 Corinthians 15:58, ESV)

Reflection: In what ways can you strengthen your faith this week through Scripture, community, or worship to better withstand doubt?

Day 3: Discerning Our Divine Calling

Understanding the biblical concept of being "called" involves recognizing the distinct calls to salvation, service, and the external call of the gospel. Each call is initiated by God and requires a response of faith and obedience. By discerning these calls, believers can better understand their roles within God's kingdom and the unique ways they are to serve Him. This understanding helps believers align their lives with God's purposes and live out their faith in meaningful ways. [07:08]

"But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light." (1 Peter 2:9, ESV)

Reflection: What do you believe is your specific calling in God's kingdom? How can you take a step towards fulfilling this calling today?

Day 4: Gaining Perspective Through History

Studying history, both biblical and secular, provides perspective on current challenges, reminding believers that their times are not unique and that God's sovereignty remains constant. This understanding helps believers navigate modern events with faith and hope, knowing that God has been faithful throughout history. By learning from the past, believers can gain wisdom and insight into how to approach present and future challenges with a steadfast faith. [11:14]

"For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope." (Romans 15:4, ESV)

Reflection: How can studying a specific historical event, either biblical or secular, provide you with perspective on a current challenge you are facing?

Day 5: Empowered to Witness Beyond Personality

The Holy Spirit empowers all believers, regardless of personality type, to witness boldly for Christ. This empowerment transcends natural inclinations, enabling both introverts and extroverts to share the gospel effectively. Boldness in witnessing is a fruit of the Spirit, demonstrating that the ability to share the gospel is not limited by personality but is a divine empowerment available to all believers. This understanding encourages believers to rely on the Holy Spirit for the courage and ability to witness for Christ. [14:29]

"For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control." (2 Timothy 1:7, ESV)

Reflection: How can you rely on the Holy Spirit to empower you to share your faith with someone this week, regardless of your natural personality inclinations?

Sermon Summary

In today's exploration of faith and doubt, we delved into the complexities of belief, uncertainty, and the assurance of salvation. We began by examining the Great Commission, noting that even among the disciples, some doubted. This acknowledgment of doubt is crucial as it reflects the reality of our human experience. Doubt is not a sign of weak faith but an opportunity for growth and deeper understanding. The book of Ecclesiastes was highlighted as a profound biblical text that confronts the harsh realities and injustices of life, encouraging us to be honest about our struggles and questions. This honesty is not only permissible but necessary for a genuine faith journey.

We also discussed the nature of faith as defined by John Calvin, who emphasized certainty in belief. Calvin acknowledged that doubt often attacks from the outside, and the antidote to doubt is the strengthening of faith through Scripture, community, and worship. This perspective encourages us to see doubt not as a failure of faith but as a challenge to be met with the resources God provides.

The concept of being "called" was explored, distinguishing between the call to salvation, service, and the external call of the gospel. Each call is initiated by God and requires a response of faith and obedience. Understanding these calls helps us discern our roles within God's kingdom and the unique ways we are to serve.

We also touched on the importance of history in shaping our understanding of current and future events. By studying both biblical and secular history, we gain perspective on our times, realizing that our challenges are not unique and that God's sovereignty remains constant.

Finally, we addressed the role of personality in apologetics, affirming that the Holy Spirit empowers all believers, regardless of personality type, to witness boldly for Christ. This empowerment transcends natural inclinations, enabling both introverts and extroverts to share the gospel effectively.

Key Takeaways

1. Doubt as a Pathway to Growth: Doubt is not a sign of weak faith but an opportunity for deeper understanding and growth. By confronting our doubts honestly, as seen in Ecclesiastes, we allow the gospel to address our questions and struggles, leading to a more authentic faith. [01:57]
2. Faith as the Antidote to Doubt: John Calvin's perspective on faith emphasizes certainty, yet acknowledges the reality of doubt. Strengthening faith through Scripture, community, and worship helps combat doubt, reminding us that faith is not redefined by doubt but fortified against it. [05:19]
3. Understanding Our Calling: The biblical concept of being "called" encompasses salvation, service, and the external call of the gospel. Recognizing these distinct calls helps us understand our roles in God's kingdom and the unique ways we are to serve Him. [07:08]
4. Historical Perspective on Modern Challenges: Studying history, both biblical and secular, provides perspective on our current challenges, reminding us that our times are not unique and that God's sovereignty remains constant. This understanding helps us navigate modern events with faith and hope. [11:14]
5. Empowerment for Witnessing: The Holy Spirit empowers all believers, regardless of personality type, to witness boldly for Christ. This empowerment transcends natural inclinations, enabling both introverts and extroverts to share the gospel effectively, demonstrating that boldness is a fruit of the Spirit. [14:29]
** [14:29]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:31] - The Great Commission and Doubt
[01:24] - Insights from Ecclesiastes
[02:26] - Facing Life's Injustices
[03:51] - Honesty in Faith
[04:27] - Calvin's View on Certainty
[05:19] - Faith vs. Doubt
[06:01] - Assurance in the Westminster Confession
[07:08] - Understanding the Call
[08:08] - The Role of the Holy Spirit
[10:44] - Learning from History
[13:04] - Personality and Apologetics
[16:07] - Approaches to Apologetics
[21:31] - Dreams and Revelation
[28:20] - God's Love and Wrath

Sermon Clips

"How can I defend confidently when I have uncertainty and how do I fight doubt? I'm trying to find it because I think we need to look at the Great Commission, and then I need my glasses. Thank you, Dr. Godfrey. 'Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw Him they worshiped Him, but some doubted.' These are the disciples and some doubted, and what Jesus did was gave them the Great Commission." [00:00:03]

"I've just finished a series on Ecclesiastes. I'd never preached on it before. I'd done Bible studies on it many times mainly because I wasn't sure which opinion about Ecclesiastes I should adopt. But I decided this year that since I'm 65 I'm going to die shortly and I've never preached on Ecclesiastes so I just need to dive in." [00:01:18]

"And it was staggering to me because I know this book, I have read it many times, but it was staggering to me how honest Solomon is about doubt. About this world does not make sense. This world under the sun can be unfair. Life can throw curveballs at you. Actually, God can throw curveballs at you." [00:01:44]

"But it was the honesty of that that actually was its redemption that we do live in a world where we don't have all of the answers. There are huge moral injustices in this world and not just in the world of unbelief, but it's in the church, it's in our lives, it's in the lives of those whom we love." [00:02:17]

"And those are honest doubts I think that the book of Ecclesiastes seems to face head on, and I think one of the things that I came away with at the end of the series of Ecclesiastes was what a gift this was and is from the Lord that we don't have to pretend with our sense of injustice, with our questions of why, and why me, and why now, why so harsh?" [00:03:13]

"Calvin defined faith in terms of certainty. 'Faith is certain,' Calvin said. Well, but Calvin was also aware that people had plenty of doubts and one of the dangers of doubt is you can begin to wonder do you really have faith at all. And what Calvin I think very helpfully said is that for the Christian doubt comes from the outside to attack faith and therefore the antidote to doubt is faith." [00:04:54]

"And the antidote to doubt is all the things that build up faith, reading the Word, hearing the Word preached, the fellowship of God's people, the encouragement that we receive in praising God together, so that as faith is built up that anxiety of doubt is reduced or fought. And so I think that it's helpful to focus on faith as an antidote to doubt not allowing doubt to sort of redefine faith or undermine faith, but to answer doubt with faith." [00:05:19]

"Well, there are different calls in the Scripture. There is the call to faith in Jesus Christ, which is the effectual call and that call is irresistible. It is the summons of the Holy Spirit to lay hold of the elect sinner and draw them and bring them into saving union with Christ. So, there is the call to salvation, there is the call to service, and there is the call within that to preach." [00:06:55]

"So to be called, it would depend on which call you're referring to. There's also a third call, which is just simply the external call which is the witness that is given through the preacher, through the parent or whatever that invites lost sinners to come to Christ. So the free offer of the gospel is a call to come to Christ." [00:07:39]

"I think what a study of history does, both biblical history and secular history, is really help us see that we're not quite as unique as we'd like to believe we are. Our age, I was just saying to some folks here at the break, as Americans we want to either live in the best time ever or the worst time ever. We have to be superlative." [00:10:49]

"By the power of the Holy Spirit, and you read the book of Acts when you look up every time someone is filled with the Holy Spirit either at the end of the verse or in the following verses it says they opened their mouth and spoke with boldness. The word 'boldness' means 'all speech,' that you tell it all and that you hold nothing back." [00:12:57]

"But when they are filled with the Holy Spirit, which is much like being filled with wine, they are liberated to speak the truth with great certainty and with great confidence. And so, yes there are different personality types, but the Holy Spirit is greater and He gives a great assurance as we give our testimony and we speak up as we're filled with the Holy Spirit." [00:13:32]

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