Posts Tagged ‘sproul’

30 Dec

Doubt

Posted by Nequient Troll in Devotional Ramblings, The Hard Things. Tagged: , , .

Whew!  The holidays have kept me from posting recently.  I need to remedy that!

I’ve been reading Doubt and Assurance by R. C. Sproul.  It may very well end up being one of my favorite Sproul books.  Much more simple to read than his deep, theological books, Doubt and Assurance addresses what I believe resides in the hearts of all of us.  Doubt:  that thing we don’t want to admit to or talk about — even with our Christian brothers and sisters.

For most of us, our faith isn’t something we can touch or feel.  Yet that is the very thing we long to do.   We fear doubt and yet doubt can be valuable in the life of a confessing Christian.  Sproul says, “Faith is much more than the absence of doubt, but an understanding of doubt is the key to a strong faith, a sound mind, and a quiet heart.”  I love all three of those things.  I desire them.  I seek them.

I think what I would like to do in this post is to list several quotes from this book for you to ponder.  Instead of analyzing them for you from my point of view, maybe it would be best for you to ponder them yourself.  Thanks again, R.C.  Your balance amazes me.  I am thankful.

  • Doubt is to the Christian apologist what choke is to the professional athlete and block to a best-selling novelist.
  • Doubt is not unbelief.  It can, however, become unbelief.  Doubt comes about because of our human weakness and frailty.  We lack the confidence to trust fully in God and long for certainty in all matters of faith.
  • Unbelief is the decision to live life as if there is no God.  It is deliberate.
  • Doubt arises within the context of faith.  It is a wistful longing to be sure of the things in which we trust.  But it is not, and need not become, a problem.  Just because I can’t prove my faith in God doesn’t mean that it is wrong.
  • Doubt nags the soul.  Still, doubt can appear as a servant of truth.  Indeed, it is the champion of truth when it wields its sword against what is properly dubious.

Well, I’m only up to Chapter 4 so stay tuned and I’ll write some more soon for you to ponder.  The whole point is to THINK.