GodSprings - April 03, 2016

Will My Doubt Help Me See Jesus?

So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”.

Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!” John 20:25,28 (NIV)

Authors Norman Geisler and Ronald M. Brooks in their book When Skeptics Ask pointed out that “before we can share the Gospel, we sometimes have to smooth the road, remove the obstacles, and answer the questions that are keeping that person from accepting the Lord.” Doubt is often viewed as a bad word in Christianity, but doubt is not the opposite of faith; doubt can actually be an essential stepping-stone for developing a person’s faith in Jesus Christ.

Doubt does have its uses. Deep doubt is often the prelude to an even deeper faith. I love the way Frederick Buechner expresses it in his book Wishful Thinking: “Whether your faith is that there is a God or that there is not a God, if you don’t have any doubts you are either kidding yourself or asleep. Doubts are the ants in the pants of faith. They keep it awake and moving”

It is a wonderful truth that the greatest doubters often become the strongest believers. And the honest doubts—once resolved—often become the bedrock of an unshakeable faith. It has been said that no truth is so strongly believed as that which you once doubted.

No greater personification of doubting in the Bible exists than that of the Apostle Thomas. He got his reputation for doubting from missing an important meeting with the other apostles after the resurrection of Jesus. When the other apostles came to Thomas and gave him the astounding news of what had happened, he refused to believe, saying, “Unless I see..., I will not believe”. Thomas, though often harshly criticized for his doubt, was actually looking for a way to solidify his faith, not reject his belief.

When Jesus appeared to the apostles the following week, Thomas was with them this time. In this encounter, Jesus lovingly helped Thomas to see clearly, drawing Thomas’s attention to His nail-scarred hands and His spear-pierced side. This caused Thomas to make the most profound confession of faith a person can make about Jesus: “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28).

Doubt that drives a person deeper into discovery of the truth about Jesus is an honest doubt that can produce a strong faith. Honest doubt should not be avoided or condemned, but instead, looked upon as an opportunity to make Jesus known.

Remember, when we are dealing with people’s doubts, deal with them lovingly as Jesus did with Thomas. Remain fully aware that the final result is not found in our ability to persuade, but in whether they will see Jesus and believe.