Much is being said about deconstructing faith these days, and I read a very helpful ebook “Before you lose your faith” which the Gospel Coalition offers free from its website. Also reading a devotional from Truth for Life titled “assurance”. All these address doubts and how it is great to question, how it is totally legitimate to have doubts, and how we can find full assurance in so many ways.
This made me think deeper about my faith and my doubts. I realised I haven’t truly doubted in quite a while, and wondered why. I figured that should I doubt, these are the truths and realities that gird my faith.
1. Body of believers
Something that is very concrete to me is the community of professing Jesus-followers worldwide. I think of my friends from college who are planting churches, living sacrifically simple lives so that they can sow time and money into Kingdom work. Of course not everyone is still serving actively, and some seem to have fallen away, but the fact that so many wildly intelligent, capable folks are faithfully pouring themselves into ministry and seeking God’s glory assures me that there must be truth and power in the gospel. The earliest apostles and believers who gave their lives after their Saviour was crucified and resurrected reinforces that. And entire organisations and thriving charities testify that God’s love and truth are their motivation to help the least amongst us.
2. Inerrancy and historicity of Scripture
Entire libraries of books have been written on this by academics who have given their lives to this research, and anyone with a fair mind who searches out such well-explained facts will agree that Scripture was written by eye-witnesses, Jesus was a real man who walked the earth, and the Scriptures testify ever so loudly to His life and witness.
3. Holy Spirit’s voice
The Holy Spirit is the living breath of God and He convicts us – of sin and of hope. Christianity is not just dry facts or laws of nature to ascribe to. Knowing God is having His Holy Spirit live in us, fill us with emotional conviction that what we believe resonates in our heart of hearts. We know we are filled, and day by day His providence astounds us, in miracles great and small. Awe-inspiring sights that propel us to look heavenward at a sunset or ground-ward at the delicacy of flower petals, and know by the Holy Spirit’s conviction that our Creator is God.
Photo taken from the Doulos Hope, 12 May 2023
Facebook Comments