The Crossroads of Faith

Today we’re continuing our series on doubt. We’re in part three of five. 

Because there’s so much easy access to information and ideas today, we can take in a huge amount of stuff. The downside is that much of it is just noise, and a lot of it simply isn’t true. What we hear, even if it sounds good, is not always good for us, especially when we’re talking about spiritual doubt. 

There are many opinions floating around out there on the subject. For instance, some will say that doubt is really something to wrestle with continually, never finding a satisfying answer. While at the other end of the spectrum, some will say that if you doubt, you are permanently cut off from God. Both of those extremes are not helpful at all.

The Bible is clear that God gives us a choice whether to believe in Him or not. John 1:12 says, “Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” Within each person is a longing to understand our place in the world and to know if there is something or someone beyond this life. The Bible says that “He has set eternity in our hearts,” that “curiosity is in all of us.” And if you’re wondering about God, then your curiosity is a good starting point. 

A bedrock truth for Christians is that God sent Jesus in human form to atone for the sins of mankind. This is not an easy concept to grasp honestly, but it’s what is known as the Gospel, the foundation of our faith.

Christianity’s exclusive claims are too much for some seekers. In Mark chapter 10, the Bible describes a wealthy young man who asked Jesus what he had to do to be saved, and Jesus replied that besides following the 10 Commandments, he should give his money to the poor, and the story ends with that man sadly walking away. It’s likely that Jesus was helping him to see that his heart was not yet ready to receive anything that would require any sacrifice on his part. 

In Luke 9:23, Jesus says, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” Believing in the true God is not a bed of roses, but if you can make the search for God your starting point, you’ll likely find what you’re looking for. 

Let’s pray. 

Father, you’ve given us the knowledge of saving faith in your word. Thank you for giving us a free choice to decide our path in life. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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Transcript

Part Three On Doubt Begins

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Today, we're continuing our series on doubt. We're in part three of five.

Information Overload And False Ideas

SPEAKER_00 0:05

Because there's so much easy access to information and ideas today, we can take in a huge amount of stuff. The downside is that much of it is just noise, and a lot of it simply isn't true. What we hear, even if it sounds good, is not always good for

Two Unhelpful Extremes About Doubt

SPEAKER_00 0:23

us. Especially when we're talking about spiritual doubt. There are many opinions floating around out there on the subject. For instance, some will say that doubt is really something to wrestle with continually, never finding a satisfying answer. While at the other end of the spectrum, some will say that if you doubt, you are permanently cut off from God. Both of those extremes are not helpful at

Choice Faith And Inner Longing

SPEAKER_00 0:45

all. The Bible is clear that God gives us a choice whether to believe in Him or not. John 1.12 says, Yet to all who did receive Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God. Within each person is a longing to understand our place in the world and to know if there is something or someone beyond this life. The Bible says that He has set eternity in our hearts, that curiosity is in all of us. And if you're wondering about God, then your curiosity is a good starting point.

The Gospel And The Cost Of Following

SPEAKER_00 1:21

A bedrock truth for Christians is that God sent Jesus in human form to atone for the sins of mankind. This is not an easy concept to grasp, honestly, but it's what is known as the gospel, the foundation of our faith. Christianity's exclusive claims are too much for some seekers. In Mark chapter 10, the Bible describes a wealthy young man who asked Jesus what he had to do to be saved. And Jesus replied that besides following the Ten Commandments, he should give his money to the poor. And the story ends with that man sadly walking away. It's likely that Jesus was helping him to see that his heart was not yet ready to receive anything that would require any sacrifice on his part. In Luke 9 23, Jesus says, If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. Believing in the true God is not a bed of roses. But if you can make the search for God your starting point, you'll likely find what you're looking for.

Closing Prayer For Saving Faith

SPEAKER_00 2:26

Let's pray. Father, you've given us the knowledge of saving faith in your word. Thank you for giving us a free choice to decide our path in life. In Jesus' name. Amen.