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Pastor's Blog October 22, 2020
"What To Do With Doubt III"
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I have something potentially troubling, possibly disturbing, to share with you about the Bible. Are you ready to hear it? It is this: according to our friend Ellen, the biggest danger of doubt which Christians might have about the Bible does not focus on its historical or scientific statements, but rather on our unwillingness to receive the Bible as the work of the Holy Spirit for us and the voice of Jesus to us.
In "Steps to Christ," Ellen advises that we must pay attention to the fact that the Bible contains many challenges: "There are many things apparently difficult or obscure, which God will make plain and simple to those who thus seek an understanding of them" (78; 1977 edition). These challenges can only be overcome with the help of the Holy Spirit and Jesus.
The Holy Spirit guides us into all truth and takes what Jesus gives to him and shows those things to us (77-78); likewise, he gives us "aid" and "guidance" to help us properly interpret what the Bible teaches and not misrepresent the word of God to ourselves (78).
And Jesus is the one who gives us the grace to obey God and follow what the Bible clearly teaches and advocates, as well as greater light for us to better understand the Bible and love our Lord and Savior with greater intensity, "as we draw near to Jesus, and rejoice in the fullness of His love" (79).
But Ellen doesn't focus on the help of Jesus and the Holy Spirit to solve intellectual puzzles in the Bible, or provide additional information about Bible prophecy, science, or historical events to interested inquirers. Instead, Ellen identifies the "doubt and skepticism" that Jesus and the Holy Spirit save us from as our cherished sins, stubborn pride, and acts of rebellion against what the Bible clearly teaches regarding the will of God. (78-79). Apparently, Ellen is much more concerned about those doubts that cause us to not want to be in a relationship with the God of the Bible, rather than those doubts that cause us to merely and only wrestle with the verifiability of information presented in the Bible. And this seems to be God's primary concern, too.
Friends, whatever kinds of "biblical doubt" you may be struggling with at the moment, I invite you to take ALL your doubts to Jesus and follow him with love and trust.
(*) Steps to Christ, Chapter 12— What to Do with Doubt, 1977 edition
God Bless.
Pastor Nathaniel Gamble
