Doubt: is it a problem today

In my study today I came across the following quote from the beginning of a sermon given by Ellen White at Battle Creek in March of 1890. It is quite illuminating as to what she saw as the great besetting sin of God's people down through time, including her time and ours. It is the opening paragraph of her sermon that day.

The quote can be found in Manuscript 2, 1890.



As I read this I realized that this is very true. I have often doubted things, not the truths we have been given, but doubt concerning God really being in control of things, both inside and outside of my life. I have to say that these doubts of mine are lessening as a result of the trials I have undergone in the last 20 years. God has shown me that every time He brings me to a wall through which I can see no way around, through, or over, He opens a door through it if I will simply put my trust in Him. It is learning that lesson of trusting when things are the darkest and most formidable that God has been working on with me for a long time. I tend to trust too much to my abilities as He has given me a rather unique combination of valuable talents. To overcome that He has had to bring me to the point of utter hopelessness in myself. I count this as a major blessing for it has opened doors of faith that I never knew existed, and I must say that I brought a lot of it on myself for I have asked God to teach me the things I needed to know so that I might be fitted for heaven.

God really does answer prayer, but not always in the way we expect it.

Another reason doubt can be so easy is because we don't know what to expect a lot of times. It seems like guess work figuring out what God is really up to? You might wait years before God finally gets through what He actually meant. And if it is very far from what you expected, it can hurt extremely.

I understand why Job wished he had never been born. He didn't want the world to go back to, but, walking in the way gets very painful with too many bad surprises.

Looking at the rest of the sermon --- March, 16, 1890

This sermon was preached two years after the 1888 conference.
The conflict over righteousness by faith was still very much in people's minds.
It gave sister White great sorrow--




Then comes a startling statement:



They were rejecting the strong movement of the Holy Spirit on their hearts. In a sense they were rejecting salvation in Christ, the only means of salvation.




She is comparing the rejection of the message "righteousness by faith" to the Jewish leaders rejecting Christ as their Messiah. The end point of such rejection is the darkest point of unbelief!



This ties in with our Sabbath School lesson this week -- Paul's pastoral agony over the Galatian Christians who were doubting their salvation in Christ, and seeking to preform rituals in order to win the favor of God.

The next sermon talks more about faith versus doubt --July 22, 1891



And where are the conditions



Faith is perfect submission to God. Placing our wills under God's will. Faith believes in Christ's death and resurrection for our salvation, and takes that further into our own lives.
With Christ dying to sin, and with Christ rising to new life in Him.

Doubt then is thinking God doesn't know what we need, or won't supply what we need, and we start rationalizing His will and commands and doubting His ability to save us from sin.



This agrees with what Paul says in Romans six.
When we are baptized into Christ, we take Him as our Savior.
We accept His death as death to our sin.
We BELIEVE those sins are gone and we are to reckon ourselves dead to sin, and alive in Christ!



Do we have the faith?