day no. 16,368: beyond a reasonable doubt

"In dealing with the arrogant asserter of doubt, it is not the right method to tell him to stop doubting. It is rather the right method to tell him to go on doubting, to doubt a little more, to doubt every day newer and wilder things in the universe, until at last, by some strange enlightenment, he may begin to doubt himself." — G.K. Chesterton, Introduction to the Book of Job

The doubter’s biggest problem is not the strength of his doubt, but the weakness of it. He is too sure of his doubts. He is confident that he has a case against God. The doubter does not need more confidence, but less. He doesn't need more assurance, but more humility. It is the doubter's pride that keeps him from doubting more. He holds God at a distance because he has some reservations he cannot get passed, but he needs to doubt his reservations, not God's revelations. He places too much faith in his own speculations and too much suspicion in God's revelations. He needs to flip the script and begin to suspect his speculations and to place his faith in God's revelations.

When dealing with a doubter, do not attempt to answer his questions, but encourage him to continue questioning. He hasn't doubted enough. He needs to apply the strength of his accusation against his own accusations. He needs to run his doubts out far enough to doubt even his own doubts. It is not that the doubter cannot believe, it is that he already believes fiercely in his own doubts and cannot imagine recanting them. He finds his doubts reasonable, but he needs to doubt his reasons for thinking so. He does not doubt the reasonableness of his doubts. Encourage him to keeping going until he repents of his certainty. Then, he may see that blessed assurance that the blessed are those who find no assurance in themselves.

2 Corinthians 10:18

For it is not the one who commends himself that is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.

The doubter suffers not for the strength of his doubting, but the weakness.

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POST SCRIPT

For an example of how to apply this technique, observe the following question and answer by Doug Wilson

QUESTION:

I could really do with some counsel on how to help my wife through some doubt. She was baptised as a professing believer at the age of 6, but in her teen years, after growing up in a Christian home and attending church as a professing believer, she went astray into worldliness. Now she thinks she has no hope because (according to her) she fell away like a Hebrews 6 person. Please help.

Jonty

ANSWER:

Jonty, the problem is not that she is doubting, but that she is doubting the wrong things. For example, she seems sure that she fell away like the person in Heb. 6. But is she Jewish? Was she delivered from a sacrificial system where she had to keep sacrificing bulls and goats? Did she get on a boat to return to Jerusalem just in time for the Romans to sack it? No to all three. So why is she so confident that Heb. 6 could apply to her? So she is being confident, like we all are, and she has doubts, like we all do. But her confidence is in the wrong place, and so are her doubts.

Doug