A Journey Through Doubt
Speaker: Pastor Pierre du Plessis
Scripture References: John 14:14, 7:37, Genesis 3:3, Hebrews 3:13, Psalm 143:8
It has been said that doubt is not an enemy to faith. The only exception is when doubt becomes toxic and causes you to turn away from God. Toxic doubt is the most common form of unbelief. It is the opposite of virtuous doubt. Virtuous doubt occurs when we, as humans, long to understand the perplexities of life, and the mysteries of God, but we do so from a stance of faith in the character and nature of God as revealed in Scripture. Toxic doubt is inherent to our fallen nature and stands in opposition to the commandments Jesus gave us. We create a perceived doubt when we have a visceral reaction to His commandments, not unlike children who react to being told what to do, we declare, “You are not the boss of me!” Kierkegaard put it this way, “It is so hard to believe, because it is so hard to obey.” Truth be told, we do understand, we just don’t want to do what God says.
There is a trade off in every single disobedience to God’s commands. Culture teaches us to follow the direction of our heart to obtain whatever we desire, in essence, not to listen to warnings, your elders, or anybody telling you what to do. In other words, follow your heart; you may encounter a few bumps, but in the end you will live happily ever after. The truth of the matter is when you ignore the wisdom of others and follow your heart, and refuse to listen to the wisdom of the elders and people, you may not gain everything, instead you may lose everything. Jesus said, if you love me, keep my commandments…sounds restrictive, but it comes from a place of love and is protective, not restrictive, not joy- sapping, but life- giving. Jesus invites us into a love relationship with God who loves us so much. John 7: 38 reads , “He who believes in me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” God’s desire is for us to live a more excellent life, not just one to escape hell and gain heaven. So, how do we escape the toxic mindset that thinks we know better than God how to live our best life? Love makes obedience easy. Ask God for a heart that will love Him more, a heart that yearns to know more about Him. Ask God to create in you a thankful, obedient heart.
Discussion Questions
What stood out to you as you listened to the sermon and review??
What is toxic doubt? How does it differ from virtuous doubt?
How can “not understanding” lead to the sin of unbelief?
How does a dependence on human logic be an enemy of faith and obedience?
What is the “phantom allure of pleasure” and how does it make it hard to obey God’s commands?
How might you increase faith and obedience to God?
