~~~ Radical Blog~~David Burnette /David Platt ~~Tweet Do you ever have doubts about whether or not the Word of God is true? You might not share them with your Christian friends, but deep down, do you ever sit and wonder if what you’re living your life for is, well, actually real? If you’ve been a Christian for any length of time, it’s likely you’ve had some doubts about what you believe. That’s a part of what it means to still be imperfect. But sometimes these occasional doubts come to a head. The brief moments of wondering, “Is this all true?” get some traction. We begin to worry, and a heaviness comes over us. The confidence and joy we used to have in God’s loving care seem naive or out of reach. If that kind of doubt sounds familiar, I’d like to point you to a (former) fellow doubter. He’s actually an unlikely doubter. According to Jesus, this man had been given the most privileged calling in history up until his time (Matthew 11:11). Yet, in the confines of a prison cell, this man who once thundered the arrival of King Jesus in his preaching now agonized over whether it had all been a big mistake. He wondered, “Is Jesus really the One?” I’m speaking, of course, of John the Baptist. The account of John the Baptist’s doubt is recorded in Matthew 11:1-19 and Luke 7:18-35. One of the reasons John’s example is so helpful is because it keeps us from thinking that doubt and uncertainty are only the experience of immature or wishy-washy Christians. This fiery prophet from the wilderness was no half-hearted disciple: John the Baptist was fearless, telling everyone in no uncertain terms that they needed to repent of their sins and flee God’s wrath. We’re talking about a guy who called the religious elite of his day a “brood of vipers.” Who does that? John was the one predicted by the Old Testament who would prepare the way of the Lord (Isaiah 40:3). He was uniquely called by God and filled with the Spirit from birth. This guy baptized Jesus, for crying out loud. Yet, as John’s ministry was coming to a close, he began to wonder about whether he had correctly identified the Lamb of God. Had he made a colossal mistake? John the Baptist’s doubt seems a little puzzling at first. Could the man who saw the Holy Spirit descend on Jesus really be perplexed about Christ’s identity? This is where we need to be reminded that doubt is not simply an intellectual hurdle. In his commentary on Matthew, David Platt points out three factors in this passage–what he calls the “anatomy of doubt”–that help explain John’s questioning (Exalting Jesus in Matthew, 145-146): 1) Difficult situations: John likely experienced hunger, physical torment, and emotional struggles as he sat alone in a filthy prison. 2) Unmet expectations: The Messiah had not brought about the change that John expected. No judgment had fallen on the wicked, and the Messiah was still largely unknown. 3) Limited perception: John couldn’t see exactly how his imprisonment and the events of his day were all part of what God was doing in Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. These aren’t the only sources of doubt, but could it be that you’re wrestling with uncertainty about the gospel because of a difficult situation at work? Or because a close friend has cancer? Or maybe you were expecting to be at a better place in life, and despite trying to serve the Lord faithfully, you can’t seem to find a job or a husband or close Christian fellowship? These are the kinds of things that often feed our doubts. Trials wear us down emotionally or they make us feel like this Christianity thing can’t be true. And like John, we don’t consider that our perception is limited, and that God might be working through our suffering and disappointments for his own good purposes. So how do you respond to this kind of doubt? Platt mentions two ways (147): 1) Biblical revelation: Regardless of how things look or how we feel, Scripture provides us with a firm footing for our faith. Doubt must be countered with the truth. Just as Jesus answered John’s question by pointing him to Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah (Matthew 11:4-5), so we must look to God’s Word to interpret our own, sometimes confusing, experiences. 2) Joyful submission: Jesus told the disciples of John the Baptist ” . . . blessed is the one who is not offended by me” (Matthew 11:6). This is a call to trust Christ, even when all around us is giving way. We rely on what our eyes can’t see–that God is sovereign, that God is wise, and that he is working all things for our good (Romans 8:28). There are many kinds of doubt and many causes of doubt, including a person’s own physical and emotional wiring. There are also many ways to attack doubt, not least of which is through fellowship with other believers who can counsel and encourage us. So whatever you do, don’t withdraw from the church as you wrestle with doubts. But in every case, whether you’re John the Baptist or a brand new Christian, at least part of the response to your doubt should be to listen to God’s Word and to trust in what you hear. Submit joyfully to the One who gave his own Son for you. Your circumstances don’t have the final word. Confess your doubt, believer, and then let Jesus talk you out of it, just as he did for John. – For more on battling doubt: “When Faith is Hard and the Burden is Heavy” (sermon)
Posted on: Sun, 20 Jul 2014 21:21:49 +0000
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