What do these famous men have in common: Sigmund Freud, Jean-Paul Sartre, Bertrand Russell, Karl Marx, Pablo Picasso, and Aldous Huxley? They all declared that they did not believe in God, and all were sexually promiscuous. Coincidence?
In The Making of an Atheist, James Spiegel explains that many modern thinkers expressed doubts about God, at least in part, because it made it easier for them to continue in sin (Psalm 53:1). In an honest moment, Aldous Huxley admitted, “For myself as, no doubt, for most of my contemporaries, the philosophy of meaninglessness was essentially an instrument of liberation. . . liberation from a certain system of morality. We objected to the morality because it interfered with our sexual freedom.”
Not all doubts about God arise from sin. There are honest doubts that ambush our minds and haunt our hearts. There are distressing questions that buckle our knees in fear, and we will not rest until we solve them. But if we think about the times we struggle with doubt, it’s often when we have begun to coast in our walk with Jesus. Prayer, meditating on Scripture, and worshiping with fellow believers no longer capture our attention. We don’t consciously live repentant lives that reveal a broken and contrite heart that is truly seeking God (Psalm 51:3-5,17; 53:2). Instead, we lash out at others with corrupt values, arrogance, bitterness, and greed (Psalm 51:3,5; 53:3).
Our sin has put us at risk. God no longer seems real to us, for we have usurped His role in our lives. We’re troubled by our doubts about Him, but on one level we may be relieved. If there’s no God, then we’re free to live as we want (Psalm 53:1).
This won’t solve every kind of doubt, but the first thing to do when struggling with doubt is to search your life for unconfessed sin. Then repent (Psalm 51:7,10).
NLT 365-day reading plan passage for today: Joshua 1:1-18
More:
Read Psalm 51:12 and note the importance of seeking God’s strength to live a holy, obedient life.
Next:
Examine the current condition of your heart for God. What is your risk level for doubt? What can you do to prepare for doubt before it comes?
amandacl on February 27, 2012 at 3:22 am
It make perfect sense, the statement that a life less than totally devoted to Christ, can be ambushed by doubts. Thank you for the perspective
mike wittmer on February 28, 2012 at 10:34 am
amadacl:
I suspect there may be less honest doubt in the world than we think. And that stands to reason, because we all begin life wanting to play God, so why wouldn’t we grasp for reasons to doubt him?
daisymarygoldr on March 4, 2012 at 9:52 am
It is true; one of the reasons for doubt is disobedience. Eve doubted God, because she wanted to disobey Him. The rebellious spirit within us does not want to face up to the fact that we are accountable to God. Doubt that is seen as a sign of developed intellect is actually the product of a proud heart that claims to be like God.
People filled with pride question God’s authority. Sadly, disobedient doubters prefer to stay in the dark, and don’t want to hear the truth because they don’t want to be set free from things they enjoy. Skepticism eliminates moral responsibility as truth and its knowledge is deliberately ignored or evaded.
daisymarygoldr on March 4, 2012 at 9:52 am
The real reason for doubt—disobedient or otherwise is: lack of knowledge, ignorance and no revelation of God. When we have a warped view of God, we see Him as the one who is withholding good from us. Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint (Proverbs 29:18).
Many hear about God from others but they have not heard Him. They know about God but personally don’t know Him. And when we don’t know God well enough, we doubt Him. It is not wrong to doubt but is sin when it leads to disbelief and distrust in God.
Thankfully, doubts are like shadows that disappear when we see God in the light of His Word. Job doubted the goodness of God but repented when he saw Him. Note, although Job says that he has seen God with his eyes─ that is a figure of speech. God did not appear to Job in the literal sense. When Job heard His Word out of the whirlwind, it opened his inner eyes to see the truth. What truth? That God is God and he, Job is not.
The same happened to Thomas. When Jesus appeared to the group of disciples, Thomas was absent from fellowship. Since he missed the revelation of his resurrected Lord, Thomas doubted. Those who forsake the fellowship of believers will fail to see God in the revelation of His Word. When Thomas is with them, Jesus appeared again and offered to let Thomas touch the nail prints. And Thomas responded, “My Lord and my God!”
Thomas did not feel the wounds; He simply believed. You know why? When Thomas declared his need to see, touch in order to believe─ Jesus was not around. However, when He appeared the second time Jesus repeated Thomas’s words and addressed his doubt. Only an omniscient God could know words spoken in a closed room. This made Thomas see the truth─ that Jesus is God.
Let us not use David, Elijah, Job, John the Baptist or the Apostle Thomas as examples to rationalize our doubts. Those folks did not have what we have today—the indwelling Holy Spirit and the written Word of God. So, when in doubt—ask for God’s wisdom and you will receive. Seek His face and you will surely find Him. Knock on the door of knowledge and understanding— and the mystery of God will be unlocked and opened to you in Jesus Christ.