Last Sunday, we looked at unbelief as an enemy to faith. Today we shall look at another enemy to faith – “DOUBT.”
The only fight the believer is called to fight is “the good fight of faith.” In First Timothy 6:12 the Bible says, “Fight the good fight of faith…”
To win in this battle of faith, you MUST eliminate doubt from your heart because you can never be able to exercise your faith so as to enjoy the blessings of God, if you have doubt in your heart.
Doubt is actually a synonym of unbelief. A synonym is a word or phrase that means exactly or nearly the same as another word or phrase in the same language. For instance, the words start, begin, commence and initiate are all synonyms of one another.
What are the causes of doubt?
1. Satan – Fiery darts of the devil (Gen. 3:4).
So as a Christian, you must regularly put on the whole armour of God with which you can quench all the fiery darts of the devil (Eph. 6:10-18).
2. Unbelief. It is unbelief that gives birth to doubt (Lk. 1:18-21).
3. Worldly wisdom (1 Cor. 1:18-25).
4. Spiritual Instability (Jam. 1:6-8).
5. Unfulfilled expectations. John the Baptist introduced Jesus as “the Lamb of God” who takes away the sin of the world. But when John was put in prison and Jesus did not show up, he doubted Jesus because he thought that Jesus came to fight the Romans and liberate the Jews.
Remember that God the Father spoke to John the Baptist saying, “Upon whom thou shall see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, the same is He which baptizes with the Holy Ghost and with fire” (Jn. 1:33; Matt. 3:11).
This is the same John who doubted whether Christ was the Messiah, but Christ told John’s disciples to refer him to Luke 7:19-23.
This example clearly shows us that whenever we are in doubt concerning anything, we should quickly refer to the Bible.
Doubt comes when you don’t have enough information from the Bible to convince you that something is true.
What is doubt? Doubt is an undecided state of mind. To doubt is to be uncertain or undecided, to hesitate, to consider unlikely. Doubt is an inclination not to believe.
Doubt can be minor, such as an uncertainty about the accuracy of a newspaper report, or it can be major, such as a lack of confidence in the claims of the Bible.
Philippians 1:28 says, “Do not (for a moment) BE FRIGHTENED or intimidated in anything by your opponents and adversaries, for such [constancy and fearlessness] will be a clear sign [proof and seal] to them of their [impending] destruction, but [a sure token and evidence] of your deliverance and salvation, and that from God” (AMP).
“Not for a moment” means doubt. Do not have one moment of fright or intimidation means that you should never have a second thought about what God has said in His Word concerning your situation no matter what your five senses are telling you.
Doubt is having a second thought. Once you have a second thought about God’s promise concerning your situation, you are no longer looking unto Jesus (Heb. 12:2). And this will make you to sink like Peter did (Matt. 14).
Once you doubt God’s promise in any situation, your faith dwindles, and fear shows up.
Now look at what doubt can do to you:
1. Doubt will rob you of God’s best for your life. Jesus said to His disciples, “Let us cross (pass) over unto the other side” (Mk. 4:35).
He was weary and consequently fell into a deep sleep in the back of the boat. He continued to sleep peacefully in spite of the waves (storms) that pounded the little boat. His disciples lost their peace and got frightened. As the storm raged and the boat filled with water, the disciples awakened Jesus, saying, “Master, don’t You even care that our boat is about to sink and we’ll all die?” (Mk. 4:38)
They had forgotten Jesus’ Words as they started out on their journey. Jesus stood up, and rebuked the wind and stilled the storm. The Sea of Galilee became instantly calm once more (Mk. 4:39).
Then He turned to His disciples and rebuked them: “Why did you doubt Me? Why are you so full of fear? Where is your faith? Didn’t I tell you at the onset of this journey that we would cross to the other side? Why then didn’t you believe Me?” (Mk. 4:40).
The disciples failed to understand that His Word must surely come to pass (Matt. 24:35).
In Isaiah 55:11 He said, “So shall My Word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.”
In Jeremiah 1:12 He said, “I stand behind My Word to fulfil (perform) it.”
The disciples had allowed doubt and fear to come into their hearts, thereby driving out faith in Jesus’ promise that they would make it safely to the other side. They allowed the thief, doubt to triumph.
2. You can never receive the promises of God if you have doubt in your heart.
In Mark 11:23-24 Jesus said, “That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall NOT DOUBT IN HIS HEART, BUT SHALL BELIEVE that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. 24 Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.”
In Matthew 21:22 the Scriptures say, “And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.”
In Isaiah 7:9 the Bible says, “If ye will NOT BELIEVE, surely ye shall not be established.”
3. Doubt will cause you to sink (Matt. 14:22-32). “…28 And Peter answered Him and said, "Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water." 29 So He said, "Come." And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. 30 But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, "Lord, save me!" 31 And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, "O you of little faith, WHY DID YOU DOUBT?" 32 And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased.”
Once you stop looking unto Jesus (Heb. 12:2), doubt and fear will step in, and you will begin to sink.
4. If you remove doubt from your life you can move mountains.
In Matthew 21:21 Jesus answered and said unto them, “Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and DOUBT NOT, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done.”
Mark 11:23 says, “For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall NOT DOUBT IN HIS HEART, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.”
How can you get rid of doubt from your life?
1. Search the Scriptures and fill your heart with the Word of God (Acts 17:11-12; Rom. 10:17; Col. 3:16; 2 Tim. 2:15; Josh. 1:8; Ps. 1:1-3; Prov. 4:20-22).
2. Prove God (Ps. 59:5; Mal. 3:10).
How much faith do you need to receive God’s best for your life? Jesus said a faith no larger than a grain of mustard seed could move an entire mountain (Matt. 17:20).
When you remove doubt from your life and believe God for Who He is, then you can effectively exercise your faith so as to enjoy victory in every area of your life. Therefore, eliminate doubt from your life today! Then rise and receive your miracle even right now by faith in that Name that is above every other name!
Watch out for the next edition of Good News from the Pulpit!
Your friend, I. I. Madubunyi (Head Pastor) Feb. 23rd, 2020
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