043 Faith and Doubt: The Leap of Doubt

We all live in the tension of faith and doubt. They are simply part of the human experience.

But for some, that doubt goes to questioning the very existence of God. If that’s you, this talk is for you. 

The Bible posits that God is...and that one of the primary evidences is creation itself.  That such a design points to a Designer. 

Doubters, on the other hand, say, “The universe is nothing but meaningless stuff that came together by accident and it will disappear without a trace.” 

The thing is, neither position can be absolutely proven. Both statements are actually faith statements. 

Years ago, philosopher Soren Kierkegaard coined the phrase “leap of faith.”  I would suggest that as much as there is a “leap of faith,” there is also “a leap of doubt.”  The one who disbelieves that there is a God is making a leap every bit as much as the believer.

The question to consider then is this: Which is the more reasonable leap? That a personal, powerful God exists or that God “isn’t” and it’s all a meaningless accident?

An atheist has been defined as “a person who disbelieves the existence of God.” If that is your position, I would ask you gently… Is that logical?   

Consider this illustration. Draw a large circle and call it “All Knowledge.” Now, draw another circle inside that one and call it “My Knowledge.” How much of all knowledge do you know?

Now, here’s the question. Is it possible that God’s existence could lie outside the circle of what you know and still within the circle of truth? 

It would seem to me, friends, that at the very least, an intellectually honest person must admit, “The existence of God is possible simply because I don’t know everything.”  That being the case, it would seem to me that the best you can be is an agnostic:  a person who believes that God’s existence is incapable of being known.

Maybe your questions about God are genuine…or maybe they’re not. Maybe, like many skeptics, you don’t WANT there to be a God.

But maybe you want to believe, but you just have so many questions. If so, know this: The God who is WANTS to be found by you.  He says as much. “And you will seek me and find me when you search for me with all of your heart.” (Jeremiah 29:13)

Text: Isaiah 40:25-28; Psalm 19:1; Romans 1:20; Jeremiah 29:13

Originally recorded August 15, 2010, at Fellowship Missionary Church, Fort Wayne, IN.