A friend asked me last week, “What is the viewpoint of Christianity on people who believe in Jesus as their savior, but they have doubt about it?” Here is my reply:
I had to think about your question for a few minutes. I think there are two ways to doubt, and I think the Christian view depends on which way the person doubts. To illustrate my opinion about the two ways to doubt, read Matthew 14:22-32, the story of Jesus walking on the water.
Peter shows two kinds of faith. The first faith says, “Jesus is really who he says he is.” Jesus says, “It’s me, not a ghost,” and Peter believes him and tests him. He doesn’t just test him by saying, “Okay, what did we eat for breakfast yesterday?”, he tests him by asking God to do something for him that only God could do. In this case, Peter believed that Jesus, who had the power of God, could make him walk on water. A ghost couldn’t do that. I feel like there is a comparison between this and the faith that says, “God, if you are really who you say you are in the Bible, save me,” and then makes an action of the heart to “step out of the boat” in trust.
There’s another kind of faith. Peter looked at the waves and then began to sink, because he doubted. What did he doubt? I don’t think he was doubting whether it was really Jesus at that point. He was doubting whether he could really walk on water. (I don’t blame him—it would be freaky.) He lacked faith in himself. Was he really able to do this? By our analogy, this is the doubt that asks, “Am I really able to receive God’s salvation? Do I believe enough? Am I good enough?” Lots of Christians sometimes think, “Am I really saved?”
But this kind of doubt doesn’t mean that a person “might be” a Christian, because, like Timothy Keller tweeted the other day, “It is the object of our faith, not the quality of our faith, that saves us.” That’s a beautiful mystery about Christianity—it’s not on you. You don’t even have to “believe well enough.” Peter cried out to Jesus and Jesus grabbed him and kept him from drowning. God is merciful on one who believes and doubts, but calls to God to help their doubt. I think the other good example of this is in Mark 9:14-29, the story of the boy with the unclean spirit. Personally, I have often felt like that father who cried, “I believe, help my unbelief!” (verse 24).
So every person has to look at their own heart. If they have the kind of doubt that says, “Umm…..I don’t think you are really real,” and stays in the boat, then do they really believe? But if they have stepped out of the boat and truly called out to Jesus in their heart, then they should have no fear about their doubt—God has got them by the hand.
Ben Taylor 