Living Faith is a declaration of faith of the Presbyterian Church. You can download it at presbyterian.ca. We suggest you read the passage being discussed each month.
Additional reading: Can We Doubt? (April 2013).
Living Faith 6 (Faith and Doubt)
Is it possible that faith and doubt can exist together? It seems we have faith and then challenges arise and we are filled with doubts. A few years ago on an adventure holiday, I tried zip-lining. I am not very comfortable with heights. I love to fly in airplanes, but to look over the ledge of a high building is another story. I went to the zip-line centre, was given instructions, strapped into a harness, and suddenly found myself standing on the edge of a platform hundreds of feet above the earth. I had to make a choice. Would I go back to the parking area or would I trust myself to the process? The term “leap of faith” came to mind. A leap of faith I discovered is not about believing that which seems impossible but rather a commitment to action in spite of my doubts. So I jumped!
It is interesting to see how many people in the Bible had serious doubts. God told childless Abram that his offspring would be as numerous as the stars in the night sky. Years passed yet there was no child. At age 99, God visited Abram and told him he would be the “father of many nations,” and Sarah the mother of the same, and God changed his name from Abram to Abraham to signify this promise. When Abraham heard this he laughed and said to himself, “Will a son be born to a man a hundred years old? Will Sarah bear a child at the age of 90?” Abraham had serious doubts.
The angel Gabriel visited Mary and told her she would be with child by the power of the Holy Spirit and give birth to the one called the Son of God. Mary had to explain this to Joseph who did not believe what she was saying. Assuming she had been unfaithful, Joseph decided to end the relationship because he doubted Mary’s story.
A man approached Jesus and pleaded with him to restore his son to health. The child was ill and had seizures which caused him to fall into open fires or into pools of water. The father told Jesus that he brought his son to the disciples but they could not heal him. When the boy was brought to Jesus he immediately began to convulse and fell to the ground foaming at the mouth. The father cried out to Jesus, “If you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.” Jesus’ response is telling. “If you can?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible to him who believes.” The father exclaimed, “I do believe, help me overcome my unbelief” (Mark 9:22-24). He wanted to believe, but he had doubts.
You may find yourself among those who have doubts. To make matters more challenging, you may know some people who never question their faith; they simply believe. There are bumper stickers declaring, “God said it; I believe it, that settles it.” Such statements do not allow for questions or doubts. Author Philip Yancey states, “Inquisitiveness and questioning are inevitable parts of the life of faith. Where there is certainty there is no room for faith. But we must learn to doubt our doubts as much as we doubt our faith.”
So what do we do with our questions and our doubts? Is the Christian faith simply holding to specific beliefs? No! Our faith is not in creeds or doctrinal statements but in a person. John Ortberg in his book Faith and Doubt states, “Trust is something that happens between people. It is what holds the world of personal relationships together.” The writer to the Hebrews states, “Without faith it is impossible to please God” (Hebrews 11:6). As we consider our faith and wrestle with our doubts we begin to focus on the one in whom our faith rests; it’s all about our relationship with God. Is God trustworthy? Is God faithful to His promises? Does God care about our wellbeing? Is there evidence that God is still the unchanging one who will be with us on this journey even though our feelings may vacillate?
When life takes us through the unexpected and we begin to feel overwhelmed, doubts may surface. It is at times like this, when we have doubts, that we can grow in our faith by trusting God more and more. Is it easy? No. Is it worthwhile? Yes.
We return to the three stories. After God made the promise to Abraham, three visitors came and informed him that within the next year he and Sarah would have a child. When the child was born Sarah exclaimed, “Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have born him a son in his old age” (Genesis 21:7). They had their doubts, but the visitor asked Abraham one question, “Is anything too hard for the Lord?” This is an important question for us to consider. The writer to the Hebrews states, “By faith Abraham, even though he was past age and Sarah herself was barren, was able to become a father because he considered him faithful who had made the promise” (Hebrews 11:11).
Joseph, filled with doubts about Mary’s pregnancy, assumed his only alternative was to find a way out of the relationship. An angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and told him that the child conceived in Mary was from the Holy Spirit, so in obedience to God he took Mary to be his wife. Joseph had doubts but he acted in faith trusting what God said to be true.
The man with the sick boy had doubts and the disciples also struggled with their faith. They had been commissioned by Jesus to “heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers and cast out demons” (Matthew 10:8), yet in this instance they were not able to help. When they asked why, Jesus revealed it was “because of the littleness of your faith” (Matthew 17:19-20). It’s easy to claim to have faith when life is going well, but great faith develops when we choose to trust in God even when we do not understand. The disciples would learn many lessons about faith and doubt and it was through these experiences their relationship with God matured.
Do you have doubts? You’re in good company. As you wrestle with your doubts let this be an opportunity for your relationship with God to grow.
