Believing & Doubting - St Michaels North Carlton

NOTES Believing & Doubting

This study prepared by Rev’d Steve Webster for use at About This Series
St Michaels Anglican Church North Carlton
These studies are designed to help people rediscover the usefulness of
12 the classic Christian spiritual disciplines in a contemporary way. The
accompanying document entitled “Spiritual Disciplines Diagnostic Chart”
can be downloaded at www.stmichaelsnc.org.au. Each session will help
participants identify a spiritual need or condition and help to identify
spiritual practices that may assist in strengthening faith and growing in
maturity. The study is adapted from “Beyond the Quiet Time” by Alister
McGrath.

1. Introduction

In the last study we explored what it means to know how the God who
rescues. We were encouraged to use our minds to reflect on the concepts
involved and to gain a deeper understanding of the Bible’s message about
our situation. We were also encouraged to use our imaginations to explore
the extent to which God goes to search for and save the lost, the enslaved,
the sinner. Lastly, we were challenged to take up appropriate spiritual
disciplines to help us to grow in this understanding. Now we turn to the
great Biblical theme of faith and God’s faithfulness.

2. Belief vs. Faith

How might we define and distinguish between these two English words?
1. Belief
2. Faith

• View a clip from the film Apollo 13 (approx. 02:03:40 to 02:09:06)
where Houston Control must wait an agonizing
three minutes of re-entry to see if the ill-fated craft
will regain radio contact after it is pessimistically
expected to burn up and be destroyed.

OR... B. Journal
• View a clip from the feature film Contact (approx. 02:09:00 to 02:18:00) You are Abraham. Write down you hopes and fears for the future, basing yourself on
what you know of his background. Now explain how these hopes and fears are
where Jodie Foster’s character is transported back to earth from an transformed by the encounter with God, described in Gen. 15:1-6. Alternatively, do
encounter with an alien on an imagined beach and recounts to her superiors this exercise through the eyes of Sarah, Abraham’s childless wife.
the “fact” of the experience that she cannot prove by rational evidence.
OR C. Study
• View a clip from the feature film Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade Read 2 Corinthians 1:20. Now read the first two chapters of Matthew’s Gospel. Notes
(approx. 01:46:50 to 01:48:45) where Indi, the daring archeologist how many times a great Old Testament expectation is fulfilled in the birth and life of
adventurer is in search of the Holy Grail. His father is mortally wounded and Jesus Christ.
so the need for the grail with its apparent healing powers becomes all the
more intense. Indi must follow the clues from an ancient text to guide him D. Journal
through a maze of obstacles. As he faces a chasm he must cross he at first is You are ‘Doubting Thomas’, writing a letter to a friend about the remarkable things
downcast at the impossible challenge. However, the ‘leap of faith’ he must that have happened in Jerusalem after the death of Jesus. Focus on the central facts
take is realized in taking a step upon which the first stone of a bridge appears of John chapter 20. Describe your reaction to the reports of the resurrection. Then
before him. Step by step he is carried across. His father utters the words, describe your change of belief when confronted later with the risen Lord.
“You must believe, boy, you must believe.”
OR E. Study
• View a clip from the feature film Red Planet (approx. 01:02:30 to 01:03:40) Read chapter 11 of Hebrews. Use a concordance to trace the history of each of the
for the argument trusting a scientist with a PhD is compared to trusting God. ancestors of faith recorded in the chapter. Write a paragraph for each character in
relation to what impressed you about their trust in God, despite their circumstances.
Summary
Belief in spiritual matters might be distinguished as assenting to an idea as being 11
true. Faith might better describe the act of trusting; trusting someone or a
declaration of truth that you believe to be entirely reliable and worthy of acting
upon. The two ideas are no more tested than when a Christian prays. We “trust”
that the God we “believe” in hears us on the basis of what the Bible has revealed
of God’s faithfulness down the ages and Jesus’ teaching about God’s faithful love
and attentiveness to us. The letter to the Hebrews defines faith thus: “Now faith
is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” Hebrews
11:1 (NIV)

3. God’s Faithfulness a key

Consider 1 Thess. 5:24: “The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it.”
• Note: The “it” is not present in the original Greek. The sense is more
“he will act” or “will achieve”. It therefore indicates that God will
not do the particular, but will do whatever is needed, and do it well.

What sort of things do we mortals need God to act on?

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1 As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. Consider 2 Corinthians 1:20-22. The Apostle Paul writes...
2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with 20 For no matter how many promises God has made, they are "Yes" in

God? Christ. And so through him the "Amen" is spoken by us to the glory of
3 My tears have been my food day and night, while men say to me all day God.
21 Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He
long, "Where is your God?" anointed us,
4 These things I remember as I pour out my soul: how I used to go with the 22 set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a
deposit, guaranteeing what is to come. (NIV)
multitude, leading the procession to the house of God, with shouts of joy
and thanksgiving among the festive throng. (Note: ‘deposit’ is a metaphor based on financial practices)
5 Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your
hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and Discuss what this passage says to you about God’s trustworthiness.
6 my God. My soul is downcast within me; therefore I will remember you
from the land of the Jordan, the heights of Hermon-- from Mount Mizar. Note the following commentary from the great reformer Martin Luther:
7 Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls; all your waves and “For where there is the Word of the God who makes promises, there
breakers have swept over me. must necessarily be the faith of the person who accepts them. So it is
8 By day the LORD directs his love, at night his song is with me-- a prayer to clear that the beginning of our salvation is a faith
the God of my life. which clings to the Word of the God who makes the
9 I say to God my Rock, "Why have you forgotten me? Why must I go about promises, who, without any effort on our part, in free
mourning, oppressed by the enemy?" and unmerited mercy goes before us and offers us the
10 My bones suffer mortal agony as my foes taunt me, saying to me all day word of his promise. ‘He sent forth his word, and thus
long, "Where is your God?" healed them,’ (Psalm 107.20) not: ‘He accepted our
11 Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your work, and thus healed us.’ The Word of God comes
hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God. (NIV) first of all. After it follows faith; after faith, love. Then
love does every good work, for it does no wrong,
The Psalmist’s problem The Psalmist’s faith indeed, it is the fulfilling of the law (Romans 13.10).
We can only come to God or deal with him through faith.”
He is conscious of the absence of any experience He remembers his experience of God in the past.
of God. 4. Abraham’s Example
He recalls that God is a ‘rock’; changless and
He longs for God; He is hungry and thirsty for an remaining faithful and constant. Abraham is an extremely important example of our topic of faith.
experience of God’s presence.
He feels God has forgotten him. He looks forward with eager anticipation to the Read Genesis 15:1-6:
restoration of his experience of God’s presence. 1 After this, the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision:
His enemies taunt him regarding his state. He realizes that his loss of experience (feelings)
"Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great
is only temporary and finds hope. reward."
2 But Abram said, "O Sovereign LORD, what can you give me
10 since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my
estate is Eliezer of Damascus?"
3 And Abram said, "You have given me no children; so a
servant in my household will be my heir."

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4 Then the word of the LORD came to him: "This man will not be your heir, but Despite the preference to rely on facts, feelings do play their part in helping us to
a son coming from your own body will be your heir." trust in God. The key is not to allow the feelings to rule faith.
Consider the seldom sung 5th verse of Charles Wesley’s great hymn ‘Free Grace’ (or
5 He took him outside and said, "Look up at the heavens and count the stars-- And Can It Be):
if indeed you can count them." Then he said to him, "So shall your offspring
be." No doubt many Christians will find that Wesley’s references to ‘feeling’ the life of
Christ will resonate with their own experience. There is a benefit from the heart
6 Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness. (NIV) being warmed by God’s love and mercy.
• Discuss these ‘feelings’ with another and explore how such feelings might
Imagine yourself in Abraham’s shoes (sandals!). Imagine the hopeless and miserable
thoughts that must have prevailed. assists one’s faith in God.

• Named ‘Abram’ (meaning ‘exalted father’) yet still childless, and had already 8. Practical Excercises
named Eliezer, his servant, as his legal heir.
A. Meditation on Scripture
• Sarai, his wife, was getting very old and it would seem impossible that they What happens if your faith is always based on dry facts? What if you never
could have children of their own. experience the comfort of God with you? How can one persevere in faith when the
feelings flag? After all, the Scriptures tell us that:
• How would God’s words have been received in such a situation?
• Note the two promises of God to Abram. How trustworthy would he have “… hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into
our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.” Romans 5:5
considered God to be? How difficult must the second promise have been to Read and reflect upon Psalm 42. Read it slowly and carefully. Try to identify with the
believe? Psalmist. Ask the Holy Spirit to fill you with knowledge and understanding; of both
• Note how Abram takes the step; decides to trust God (vs. 6). Faith/trust in the anxiety and hope that is expressed in the Psalm:
God’s promise counts as righteousness in the sight of God. As we read on we
discover such trust transforms Abe’s life. 9

Exercise: In 25 words or less, write a definition of biblical faith that would help
someone who isn’t a Christian understand it….

Extra Study- John Calvin’s definition of faith

Think about the following statement before moving on to the notes
that follow: “Faith is a steady and certain knowledge of the divine
benevolence towards us, which is founded upon the truth of the
gracious promise of God in Christ, and is both revealed to our minds
and sealed in our hearts by the Holy Spirit.” (John Calvin)

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John Calvin, whose definition of faith we studied earlier, went on to write:
“When we stress that faith ought to be certain and secure, we do not
have in mind a certainty without doubt, or a security without anxiety.
Rather, we affirm that believers have a perpetual struggle with their
own lack of faith, and are far from possessing a peaceful conscience,
never interrupted by any disturbance. On the other hand, we want to
deny that they may fall out of, or depart from, their confidence in the
divine mercy, no matter how much they may be troubled.”

Q. What implications do Calvin’s comments have for those who experience
times of doubt after having once believed in Christ?

7. Faith and Feelings

One major contributor to chronic doubt is our ready reliance on our feelings
when making judgments. Many a Christian will say how strong their faith is when
they ‘feel’ the presence of God is with them. However, often when circumstances
turn one’s feelings to despair or loneliness or distress, faith can falter. One
helpful illustration as to the peril of relying on feelings rather than the facts of
God’s revealed faithfulness is found in the diagram below:

Imagine you are walking along the top of a brick wall and you represent Notes:
‘faith’ (the middle character in the diagram above). When relying upon the • For Calvin faith is about knowing certain things about God. It focuses on the
‘facts’ (in this case the testimony of Scripture about God) faith is easier. One can
remain balanced and proceed along the narrow pathway. However, if one is to benevolence of God.
rely on ‘feelings’ by looking backwards an unbalanced state is more likely and so • Faith is grounded in the promises of God, which he argues are made known and
is disaster for faith.
made secure through Jesus Christ.
8 • Calvin involves both the head and heart in faith. Both are influenced by the Holy

Spirit.
• Note the Trinitarian structure to the definition.

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5. Weak Faith or Great God 6. The Problem of Doubt

The Bible majors on the faithfulness of the God we trust, not on the competence Doubt is a natural part of the Christian experience since so often we are called to
or strength of one’s faith. It is the trustworthiness of the person in whom one trust in promises and take someone at their word. Note the following testimony
trusts that really matters. Again, two pieces from Martin Luther help us about doubt and faith by Sheldon Vanauken, an American writer converted by
understand: C.S. Lewis at Oxford University:

1. Guldens List some of the classic doubts Christians experience in their life of faith:
“Even if my faith is weak, I still have exactly the same treasure and the
same Christ as others. There is no difference… It is like two people, each Note the experiences of doubt in these New Testament examples:
of whom owns a hundred guldens (old German coins). One may carry • Matt 28:16-20 (Note: vs 17 ‘doubted’ means ‘held back’ or ‘hesitated’.
them around in a paper bag, the other in an iron chest. But despite
these differences, they both own the same treasure. Thus Despite the physical presence of Christ they still needed reassurance before
the Christ who you and I own is one and the same, believing.)
irrespective of the strength or weakness of your faith or • John 20:19-29 (Imagine yourself in the shoes of Thomas. What would be
mine. required for your faith to be sufficient when told that Jesus had been raised
from the dead? Would it be nothing short of his physical presence? A
2. Wedding Ring trustworthy testimony? Something else?
“Faith unites the soul with Christ as a bride is united with her
bridegroom. As Paul teaches us, Christ and the soul become one flesh by 7
this mystery (Eph. 5:31-32). And if they are one flesh, and if the
marriage is for real- indeed, it is the most perfect of all marriages, and
human marriages are poor examples of this one true marriage- then it
follows that everything that they have is held in common, whether good
or evil. So the believer can boast of and glory in whatever
Christ possesses, as though it were his or her own; and
whatever the believer has, Christ claims as his own. Let us
see how this works out, and see how it benefits us. Christ
is full of grace, life and salvation. The human soul is full of sin, death and
damnation. Now let faith come between them. Sin, death and
damnation will be Christ’s. And grace, life and salvation will be the
believer’s.”

Draw a diagram which shows how the belongings of the man in a marriage are
shared by the woman and vice versa. Now draw a diagram showing how that
which Christ owns is shared by the believer and vice versa.

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