Doubt and Preaching Grace

Recently I have been thinking about the relationship between faith and doubt for a college paper.What do our doubts say about the state of our faith? Is doubt the opposite of faith? Can our faith survive significant doubts?

Yes, is Jason Boyett's hesitant response in O me of little faith. But there are no simple answers, and our creaturely limitations mean we must learn to accept some level of uncertainty about many aspects of life.

This easy to read book describes Boyett's life long struggles with doubt since his conversion in a Southern Baptist church aged 7 or 8. This book seeks to avoid pretense, and the author lays bare many of the deep questions about Christianity which continue to plague his conscience.

What fascinated me is that Boyett's undermined confidence came at the suggestion of a well-meaning Revivalist preacher.

 "The revival preachers made it clear that some Christians thought they were Christians but weren't really Christians after all. They had been baptized, they had walked the aisle, they even lived as followers of Jesus. But somehow their salvation wasn't real. [...]

"Suddenly my entire conversion was thrown into doubt. I'd waited forever to become a Christian, and the only reason I finally had the guts to make that decision was... well, was it because my brother did it? I didn't know. I couldn't exactly remember. What if I didn't make the choice "of my own accord"? What if I did it of my brother's accord instead? Was I even saved? Was Jesus really in my heart? Was my whole salvation experience a sham?

"The security of my eternal destination - which had been blissfully solid for less than half a year - was shattered, and for the next ten years I doubted my salvation." (p72-3)

I wonder if my words have ever undercut assurance like this? I pray not, and where they already have, I pray that God will keep and restore his little ones...

As ministers of the word and sacraments, let us therefore be very careful with our words. We need to remind ourselves and our hearers about God's grace to us in Jesus, and his sure promise that whoever places their faith in him will be saved.

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,  through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. (Romans 5:1-2)