The Man MinuteSample

WHEN SOMEONE YOU KNOW DOUBTS GOD

Too often, we treat those who doubt the validity of the message of salvation through Jesus Christ as if they are permanently locked in rebellion. Yes, those who don’t acknowledge Jesus as their Savior are, by definition, in rebellion. They don’t understand rebellion as we understand it. I believe that is one of the reasons God’s Word tells us to “be merciful to those who doubt.” We’re often quick to judge, aren’t we? We treat doubters’ or skeptics’ questions with quick rebuttals or snarky religious comebacks, or we just dismiss them as people who simply want to snub God—and who will pay dearly for that snub one day. When we talk to doubters about our relationship with God, we often make the mistake of expecting it to take effect immediately. I think we do this because we have forgotten what it was like to live on the other side of the cross. Having mercy on someone who doubts God—and whose life reflects that doubt—doesn’t mean excusing his lifestyle. We must be honest with doubters about a life lived in resistance to God, for honesty is the only thing that can put them in position to allow God to shape their eternal future. Mercy means treating those who doubt God as eternal beings who are of great worth to God. It means listening to their questions without answering in ways that make them feel spiritually inferior. It may also mean remembering that there was a time when church people looked at us the way we look at them now. I’m betting Jude knew a lot about mercy. After all, his brother, Jesus Christ, was a master at it.