The Why and The Wherefore of Doubt

Our Lord did not question the doubter until he had saved the sinker.

His rebukes are always timely.

The question was not only well deserved as a rebuke, but it was specially instructive, and no doubt it proved useful in after years.

When the grace of faith is really present, doubt has to answer for itself, and to die if it cannot defend itself.

Oh, that it may die in us at once!

We will put the question of our text to the two great classes of men.

I. WHEREFORE DO YOU DOUBT, O CHRISTIAN?

1. Let us mention some supposable valid reasons.

   • Can you quote past experience of broken promises?
   • Is the present evil beyond the power of Omnipotence?
   • Are the promises abolished? Are the purposes of grace annulled?
   • Has God himself changed? Is his mercy clean gone forever?
   • None of these supposable reasons have any existence.

2. Let us hear your actual reasons; if you dare state them.

   • My sense of guilt is peculiarly deep and clear.
   • My inbred sin has risen upon me with terrible fury.
   • My failures justify despair when viewed by the side of other men’s attainments, and my own obligations.
   • My trials are so peculiar, so fierce, so long, so varied.
   • My heart fails me. I can bear up no longer.
   • My fears predict greater evils still, and threaten ultimate ruin.
   • Many such insufficient reasonings becloud the mind; and it may be wisdom to look them in the face, and so dissipate them.

3. Let us view these reasonings from other standpoints.

   • How would you have viewed them when first you believed?
   • How did you view former trials when they came in your way; and how do you view them now that you have overcome them?
   • What do you think of your trials when you are lying in Jesus bosom—assured of his love?
   • How do you speak of them when you are instructing others?
   • How will they appear to you when you get to Heaven?
   • Jesus is now near you. How can you take such gloomy views of things in his presence?

4. Shall we hint at the true reasons of your doubting?

   • You were self-confident, and that confidence has failed you.
   • You looked too much to things seen by the light of sense; and now that it is dark, you are in consequence troubled.
   • You took your eye off from your Lord.
   • Perhaps you neglected prayer, watching, repentance, etc.
   • When you find out the real reason of your doubt, cry for pardon, and seek to the Holy Spirit to restore faith, and set you right.

II. WHEREFORE DO YOU DOUBT, O SINNER?

The Lord’s hand is stretched out to save sinking sinners.

Do not distrust the power of Jesus to save you from sinking.

1. Let us suppose good reasons for your doubting.

   • Have others believed and perished?
   • Have you yourself tried faith in Jesus, and found it vain?
   • Has the blood of Jesus lost its power?
   • Has the Holy Spirit ceased to comfort, enlighten, renew?
   • Is the gospel abrogated? Is God’s mercy clean gone forever?
   • None of these can be answered in the affirmative.

2. Let us hear your apparent reasons.

   • Your sins are great, numerous, aggravated, and singular.
   • You cannot think that salvation is for you.
   • You have refused the gospel call so long.
   • Your heart is so dreadfully hard and unfeeling.
   • None of these are sufficient reasons for doubting Almighty love.

3. Let us learn the way to deal with such unreasonable doubting.

   • Repent of it, for it dishonors the power and promise of the Father, the blood of Jesus, and the grace of the Holy Spirit.
   • End it, by simply believing what is so surely true.
   • Run as far as possible the other way. Believe up to the hilt.
   • In every case, let us be sure that to believe God is sanctified commonsense, and to doubt him is an extravagance of folly.

Modern Instances

Mr. Haslam has reported a conversation between two poor aged Christians to the following effect: “Oh!” said the husband, who was evidently the weaker vessel, “I’ve got so little faith, I do get these ‘before doubts so much.” “Yes,” added the wife, “and you keeps them, Peter, and brings them to me.”

Though the providence of God may be exceedingly dark, the language of faith is, “The Lord is ready to save.” If you look into your past experience, you will find that God has done great things for you. Is it not true that nine-tenths of all the difficulty you have anticipated have never come to pass at all? I have great sympathy with Billy Bray, whose wife said to him, when he came home, having given all his money away, “I never saw such a man in my life. Thee’lt go and look after other people’s wives and children, and help them, and you own wife and children may starve.” Billy, with great force, said, “Well, woman, thee’st never starved yet;” and that was the fact, for there she stood, a living witness to his word.—Henry Varley.

Good old Mr. Crisp, who had been President of the Baptist College at Bristol for fifty years, was towards the end of his life fearful that his faith would fail. Being reminded of the passage, “He who spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?” he said, after repeating and dwelling on the last words, “No, it would be wrong to doubt; I cannot, I dare not, I will not doubt!”—S. A. Swaine, in “Faithful Men.”

When darkness long has veiled my mind, And smiling day once more appears,

Then, my Redeemer! then I find

The folly of my doubts and fears.

I chide my unbelieving heart;

And blush that I should ever be

Thus prone to act so base a part,

Or harbor one hard thought of you.

—Cowper.

Certain persons think that doubting is a needful part of Christian experience, but it is by no means the case. A child may have a deep experience of its father’s love, and yet it may never have known a doubt of him. All the experience of a Christian is not Christian experience. If many Christians are despondent, it is no reason why I must be: it is rather a reason why I should watch against it. What if many sheep suffer from the fly; am I to be anxious to have my fleece fly-blown in order to be like them? Never doubt the Lord until you have cause for it; and then you will never doubt him as long as you live.