I wish to encourage you to surrender doubt to truth.
Matthew 28:17 records a peculiar occasion with Jesus’ disciples; “And when they saw him (Jesus) they worshiped him, but some doubted.” These eleven disciples were privileged beyond compare, learning under the Lord of Glory. And yet, they experienced that inner nonsensical nagging, that questioning for no good reason, heart driven doubt directed at Christ. How deceptive the human heart can be, to worship and doubt simultaneously (Jer 17:9).
Doubt can be an insidious thing, robbing us of certainty, stealing security, and thieving hope from us. Like the disciples, our fleshly hearts have the capacity to worship Jesus Christ while doubting. While there are many possible causes for spiritual doubt, the truth of Jesus Christ is the universal remedy (Jn 1:17, 14:6).
Lordship crushes doubt
In response, Jesus immediately presents these 11 doubting men with His ultimate doubt killer; “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me” (Matthew 28:18). Absolute sovereignty! The resurrected, glorified Lord Jesus Christ is the highest, unequalled, unchallenged, and immutable authority in all realms and spheres. The apostle Peter states it this way; “through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him” (1 Peter 3:21-22). Therefore, we believers embrace this fact. We trustingly surrender our thinking and beliefs to this biblical truth – Jesus Christ is Lord of Lords!
That being said, Matthew records Jesus moving these 11 disciples attention directly onto His multi-generational instruction with surgical precision. “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:19-20). By design, we Christians experience our fulfilled purpose in Christ once we go, serving Christ in His mission. It is at this point that we experience more fully the sovereignty of the Lord Jesus Christ with doubt crushing impact. Once we are active in the discipleship of others on behalf of Jesus Christ, doubt is weakened.
Fulfilment, assurance, security, satisfaction, joy, dignity, and peace are experienced with a lethal blow to doubt, once the child of God unites with Christ’s program. Discipleship alone carries the certainty of sovereign authority, eternal purpose, and providential inevitability. Plus, discipleship is uniquely approved by the Son of God with His assurance of divine presence.
What blessed people we are? What a high calling we have? That we redeemed sinners should be reborn to such a divinely noble task as teaching others the truth of Jesus Christ as Lord!
God’s weapon against doubt
The apostle John records Jesus telling some ”Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:31-32). To be a discipler, a teacher of Jesus, we are to be specifically engaged in teaching God’s Word (The Bible) to those who say they believe in Jesus (Jn 17:17). The assurance is given to those who genuinely believe, for those who abide, who remain connected to and embedded in God’s Word, the truth of Jesus Christ as Lord will spiritually set you free. Doubt is obliterated when truth is believed in and surrendered to with no intention of taking back control.
Today, surrender any doubts to the truth of Christ in God’s Word, and get involved in planting that truth in other’s lives.