Question 1

Is it a sin to doubt God?

Accepted Answer

Psalm 94:19When doubts filled my mind, your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer.Matthew 11:2-3John the Baptist, who was in prison, heard about all the things the Messiah was doing. So he sent his disciples to ask Jesus, “Are you the Messiah we’ve been expecting, or should we keep looking for someone else?”Matthew 14:31Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him. “You have so little faith,” Jesus said. “Why did you doubt me?”David, John the Baptist, and Peter, along with many other biblical heroes, struggled with various doubts about God and his ability or desire to help. God is not afraid of or threatened by our doubts. As long as we seek answers from him in the midst of our doubt, we can wrestle with our questions freely. However, doubt can become sin if it leads us away from God to skepticism, cynicism, and hardheartedness. But doubt is a blessing when our honest searching leads us to a better understanding of God and a deepening faith in him.Genesis 3:4-6“You won’t die!” the serpent replied to the woman. “God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil.” The woman was convinced. She saw that the tree was beautiful and its fruit looked delicious, and she wanted the wisdom it would give her. So she took some of the fruit and ate it. Then she gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it, too.One of Satan’s tactics is to get us to doubt God’s goodness. He tries to get us to forget all God has given us and focus on what we don’t have. If we are spending much of our time thinking about what we don’t have, we may be slipping into unhealthy doubt.Psalm 95:9There your ancestors tested and tried my patience, even though they saw everything I did.God gives everyone plenty of evidence to believe in him. Doubt comes when we fail to stop long enough to observe all the evidence. And when doubt turns to disbelief, we are in danger of ignoring God altogether.John 20:27-29Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and look at my hands. Put your hand into the wound in my side. Don’t be faithless any longer. Believe!” “My Lord and my God!” Thomas exclaimed. Then Jesus told him, “You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing me.”Doubt can be healthy or destructive, depending on what we do with it. We can use our doubts to learn about God and to make our faith stronger.

Question 2

When I’m struggling in my Christian life and have doubts, does that mean I don’t have enough faith?

Accepted Answer

Genesis 15:8Abram replied, “O Sovereign Lord, how can I be sure that I will actually possess it?”Matthew 11:2-3John the Baptist, who was in prison, heard about all the things the Messiah was doing. So he sent his disciples to ask Jesus, “Are you the Messiah we’ve been expecting, or should we keep looking for someone else?”2 Peter 1:4-5Because of his glory and excellence, he [God] has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires. In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises.Many people in the Bible whom we consider to be “pillars of faith” had moments of doubt. This doesn’t mean they had less faith, but that their faith was being challenged in a new way. When you have moments of doubt, you are probably in new territory. Allow your doubt to move you closer to God, not farther away from him. As you move closer to him, you will find the strength to trust him and your faith will grow even stronger.

Question 3

What should I do when I find myself doubting God?

Accepted Answer

Habakkuk 1:2How long, O Lord, must I call for help? But you do not listen! “Violence is everywhere!” I cry, but you do not come to save.Bring your doubts directly to God in prayer. Be candid and honest as you pour out your heart to the Lord. Your doubt can draw you closer to him.Mark 9:24The father instantly cried out, “I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!”Pray that God will give you the confident faith you need.Deuteronomy 7:18“Don’t be afraid of them! Just remember what the Lord your God did to Pharaoh and to all the land of Egypt.”Mark 8:17-19“Why are you arguing about having no bread? Don’t you know or understand even yet? . . . When I fed the 5,000 with five loaves of bread, how many baskets of leftovers did you pick up afterward?”When you are struggling with doubt, take time to remember the way God has worked—in the Bible and in your life. As you recall God’s past track record, you will grow confident that he will work in your present situation as well.John 20:27Then he [Jesus] said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and look at my hands. Put your hand into the wound in my side. Don’t be faithless any longer. Believe!”When you have doubts, review the evidence. There is a great deal of historical evidence to verify the accuracy of the Bible’s claims.Habakkuk 2:1I will climb up to my watchtower and stand at my guardpost. There I will wait to see what the Lord says and how he will answer my complaint.Be patient. Let God answer your questions on his schedule, not yours. When we wait patiently for God, we learn to trust him in all circumstances, which can lead to assurance and peace, even in times of doubt.1 Thessalonians 5:11So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing.Hebrews 10:25Let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.Doubt feeds on loneliness. When we wrestle with doubt, we may be tempted to isolate ourselves from other believers. But really, that’s one of the worst things we can do, as our faith will only weaken. Keep attending church and stay close to other Christians. Hearing truth and experiencing the love of the people of God will help you work through your doubt.

Question 4

How can I believe that the Lord cares for me?

Accepted Answer

Psalm 139:13-17You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered!Luke 12:6-7“What is the price of five sparrows—two copper coins? Yet God does not forget a single one of them. And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows.”Don’t underestimate your value in God’s eyes. The Bible assures you time and again that you are God’s unique creation.

Question 5

Does my doubt keep God from helping me?

Accepted Answer

Matthew 14:31Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him. “You have so little faith,” Jesus said. “Why did you doubt me?”When Peter was walking on the water, he was overcome by doubt. But Jesus did not punish him or let him drown. He saved Peter. Doubt can be a starting place where you begin to admit your weaknesses and grow in your faith. Let your doubts drive you into the Word of God and draw you into a deeper relationship with him.

Question 6

Are there things I should never doubt?

Accepted Answer

John 10:28-29“I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me, for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else. No one can snatch them from the Father’s hand.”John 6:37“Those the Father has given me will come to me, and I will never reject them.”Ephesians 1:14The Spirit is God’s guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify him.Hebrews 13:5Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.”Never doubt your salvation. Once you become a Christian, Satan can never snatch you away from God.2 Corinthians 6:2God says, “At just the right time, I heard you. On the day of salvation, I helped you.” Indeed, the “right time” is now. Today is the day of salvation.Never doubt God’s desire or ability to help you.

Question 7

What if I find it hard to believe that Jesus Christ really rose from the dead?

Accepted Answer

1 Corinthians 15:3-8I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me. Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said. He was seen by Peter and then by the Twelve. After that, he was seen by more than 500 of his followers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died. Then he was seen by James and later by all the apostles. Last of all, as though I had been born at the wrong time, I also saw him.1 John 1:1-3We proclaim to you the one who existed from the beginning, whom we have heard and seen. We saw him with our own eyes and touched him with our own hands. He is the Word of life. This one who is life itself was revealed to us, and we have seen him. And now we testify and proclaim to you that he is the one who is eternal life. He was with the Father, and then he was revealed to us. We proclaim to you what we ourselves have actually seen and heard so that you may have fellowship with us.The resurrected Jesus was seen by countless credible witnesses. The disciples were transformed from cringing cowards to courageous witnesses who could not be silenced. The truth of Jesus’ claims was validated by his resurrection. If God can bring Christ back from the dead, he can overcome our doubts, too.

Question 8

How can I trust God when I can’t see a way out of my problem?

Accepted Answer

Genesis 18:13-14Then the Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh? Why did she say, ‘Can an old woman like me have a baby?’ Is anything too hard for the Lord? I will return about this time next year, and Sarah will have a son.”Luke 1:37“The word of God will never fail.”Doubt often arises because we look at the problem instead of looking up to God. God is not limited by our circumstances or by our lack of resources or abilities. Sarah and Abraham, Mary and Joseph, and many other of God’s people across the centuries have learned that God can do anything, even the impossible.Matthew 21:21-22Then Jesus told them, “I tell you the truth, if you have faith and don’t doubt, you can do things like this and much more. You can even say to this mountain, ‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen. You can pray for anything, and if you have faith, you will receive it.”Luke 12:31-32“Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and he will give you everything you need. So don’t be afraid, little flock. For it gives your Father great happiness to give you the Kingdom.”Romans 10:17Faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ.Ephesians 1:14The Spirit is God’s guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify him.Hebrews 13:5Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.”When we fill our mind with the promises of God, God fills our lives with the provisions we need. Doubts erode our confidence, but God’s promises inspire faith and hope.