Doubt

In the first chapter of James, he describes the man who doubts what God has said and promised as “like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind.  Let not that man expect that he will receive anything from the Lord being a double minded man unstable in all his ways.”

From that we might expect God’s reaction to our doubts will be quick and severe.

I did a little research, though, on the Greek word used for “doubt,” diakrino, in the passage and found other places this word is used.  At the tomb when the women entered the tomb not finding a body, they were “perplexed.”  This is the same Greek word.  They were not judged for their lack of understanding.  In fact the angel told them not to be afraid. Their doubt, perplexity, was not sin.

At Pentacost, the disciples spoke in tongues to the crowd, and the crowd was confused.  The word for doubt is translated as “confused” here.  Confusion can be a form of doubt yet not sin.

Doubt which seeks an answer, a resolution for the doubt, perplexity, or confusion is honored in Scripture.  In Acts 17:10f, the Bereans were called “noble” not for their doubt but for seeking to belay that doubt through evidence.

In John 20:26-29, Jesus didn’t condemn Thomas’ doubt that He was risen.  He presented evidence to alleviate Thomas’ doubts.  He did the same for the other disciples in Luke 24:36-49 and used the evidence He presented to help the disciples understand the Scriptures.

Doubt is not always a bad thing, then.  Someone once said doubt is the first step to understanding.

I think the important thing here is what we do with doubt.  I doubted the gospel until I was convinced of its validity.  After that, I doubted nearly every major doctrine in the faith.  That doubt, though, drove me as it did the Bereans to seek the resolution to those doubts.  The result was a stronger faith founded on evidence.

Jude 22 says we are to have mercy on those who doubt.  If doubt truly is the first step to understanding, then I can see why God has such a special place in His heart for doubters.

Why is this important?

In Luke 7:18-23, John the Baptist was beginning to doubt Who Jesus was.  John was in a prison awaiting execution.  He wanted to make sure what he believed was true, so he sent messengers to Jesus asking if He were truly the Messiah.  Down deep, John knew He was.  He had seen the Holy Spirit descend on Him at His baptism.  He had heard the very voice of the Father saying “This is My beloved Son in Whom I am well pleased.”  He had told others Jesus was the Lamb of God Who takes away the sins of the world.  But, doubt was arising in his heart.

Jesus’ response is interesting.  He performed miracles in the presence of John’s messengers then sent them back to John with evidential confirmation that He was the Messiah.

John sought confirmation.  He was not dwelling on doubt, he was not giving in to his doubt.  He was seeking confirmation for what he already believed was true.

When we doubt we have not yet sinned.  It is when we dwell on the doubt without seeking to resolve it that it becomes sin.  It is similar to how James described temptation earlier in that same first chapter.  Temptation is not a sin in itself but can lead to sin.  There are steps involved.  James says we are first tempted, but when we dwell on the temptation until it becomes desire.  It is that desire to yield to the temptation that becomes sin.  In the same way, yielding to our doubts gives birth to sin.  We are to resolve our doubts, not yield to them.