And does not doubt in his Heart...

“For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will come to pass, he will have whatever he says (Mark 11:23)”. These are the words of Jesus Christ to his disciples, explaining in simple terms the basic principles of faith and how to exercise faith. It is very important that we clearly understand the principles of faith and how to exercise faith. Since the Scriptures tell us that ‘without faith it is impossible to please God’.  We must understand that, to please our God, we must have faith. The reason is simple; for the scriptures say “for whatever is not from faith is sin. (Rom 14:23)”. Putting it plainly, sin is disobedience to the law of God, to His commands and will. Sin is thus, contrary to and against God. The scriptures actually paint a precise picture when it says, “Because the carnal mind is enmity against God (Rom 8:7)”. The carnal mind is one prone to sin, and so readily disposed to doing those things that are against the laws of God. It is a mind, quick to make obvious, its hate for God. Putting all these together, we come by an astonishing realisation; that doubting God’s words, in our hearts, is an expression of hate towards God, on our part. To doubt God, to have any reason not to believe and trust Him, is to make Him out as a liar; but the scriptures say ‘it is impossible for God to lie (Heb 6:18)’.

A doubting heart is a barrier that prevents us from having access to God. It creates a separation between God and us, making it not only impossible to please Him, but also impossible for us to receive from Him, the answers to our prayers. “But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. “For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord (James 1:6-7)”. When we pray believing, and afterwards allow ourselves occasion to doubt: we should not suppose, that the faith in which we prayed at the first, is sufficient for us to receive an answer from God. We must deal with every doubt and every occasion to doubt as it arises, otherwise we will not ‘receive anything from the Lord’. Have you considered why many a prayers go unanswered; it is because many a hearts go a doubting. A prayer said in faith, is unsaid in doubt. It is like undoing what we have done. Our works of faith are undone by our hearts of doubt, because doubts are the hands that destroy the works of faith. The things we see and hear are the very substance from which doubts are created. The carnal mind only needs to see in order to be convinced of the truthfulness of something. It is why it can be deceived into believing a lie; all it needs is the appearance of a form, even if a mirage, to hold on to a lie, as truth. As Christians we are not to judge based on the things we see or hear, (“Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment John 7:24”); we are not to judge at all (“Judge not, that you be not judged, Matt 7:1”). We are to try to be like Christ whose “delight is in the fear of the LORD” and who did “not judge by the sight of His eyes, nor decide by the hearing of His ears (Isa 11:3)”. This is how to guide against the snare of doubt and unbelief.

    

The fundamental principles of faith and the exercise of it; requires that doubt be removed completely from our hearts, ‘and does not doubt in his heart’. To effectively deal with doubts we should follow the example of Abraham, the father of our faith. Of Abraham’s faith the scriptures say, “He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform (Rom 4:20-21)”. Rather than giving place to doubt, Abraham gave glory to God. He was fully convinced of God ability to keep His promise. After all has the Lord Himself not asked, “Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for Me? (Jer 32:27).”  We must be fully convinced of God’s ability to do what He says He will do. Our confidence should be in Him and in His words. “God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good? (Num 23:19)”.