Be merciful to those who doubt; Jude 1:22, NIV
Mercy in Doubt
In the book of Jude, we come across a simple yet profound instruction: “Be merciful to those who doubt” (Jude 1:22). These words remind us of the importance of extending God's mercy and compassion to those who may be struggling in their faith. This includes ourselves!
Doubt is a common experience in the journey of faith. It can arise from various sources, such as intellectual questions, personal struggles, or the influence of the world around us. When we encounter people who are wrestling with doubt, it is crucial that we respond with mercy and understanding.
Being merciful means showing kindness, compassion, and patience towards others. It involves listening without judgment, offering support, and providing a safe space for honest conversations. When we extend mercy to those who doubt, we create an environment where they can openly express their questions and concerns, without fear of rejection or condemnation.
As followers of Christ, we are called to imitate His example. Jesus was always compassionate towards those who were struggling in their faith. He met people where they were, offering understanding and guidance. He never turned away those who sought Him, even if they had doubts or uncertainties.
When we extend mercy to those who doubt, we not only help them on their journey but also reflect the heart of our loving Savior. We can even be merciful to ourselves when we experience doubt.
There’s room for the questions. There’s room for the uncertainties. Doubt doesn’t intimidate Jesus, and it doesn’t need to intimidate us either.
https://bible.com/bible/114/jud.1.22.NKJV
Note after sharing the devotional: In my experience I’ve noticed how today’s verse can get lost in the shuffle. Because I’m big on context, I will share the surrounding verses and then make my observation:
20 But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life. 22 Be merciful to those who doubt; 23 save others by snatching them from the fire; to others show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh. Jude 1:20-23, NIV
First, you may notice that I’m not using my usual preferred translation. That’s because it states it this way:
And on some have compassion, making a distinction; Jude 1:22, NKJV
And for good measure, here are a few different translations (same verse):
And of some have compassion, making a difference: (KJV)
And you must show mercy to those whose faith is wavering. (NLT)
And have mercy on some, who are doubting; (AMP)
I include the surrounding verses because I have come across them at different times, including messages that feature them. But what I’ve also noticed is that typically these messages have focused on verses 20, 21, and 23, while omitting verse 22.
The Bible does also have these two things to say regarding faith and doubt:
But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. Hebrews 11:6, NKJV
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, NKJV
(I’m aware it appears that so far I’m setting up an argument to vilify doubt and doubters, but the point of this post is actually to do the opposite. I just like to lay out all the key opposing arguments first before I make the point that I’m really intending to make. Hang tight.)
So, I’ve laid out why it's important 1.) to have and to cultivate faith, and 2.) not to exalt doubt. But I’ve always had an issue when pastors and preachers vilify Thomas the disciple in his moments of doubting. The main argument that these speakers have used has to do with Jesus’s response when Thomas claimed that he wouldn't believe that the Lord was raised from the dead unless he saw His hands and touched His side:
27 Then He said to Thomas, “Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.”
28 And Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!”
29 Jesus said to him, “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
What I see is that Jesus fulfilled the verse from Jude 1:22 by having mercy on Thomas in his doubting. Yes, He spoke saying that blessed are those who believe without seeing, but it does not mean that He casts away those who doubt. In my experience, and even in my reading and researching, I have never come across a person or situation where the person doubting did so for malicious or self-indulgent reasons. And especially considering the Great Commission in which us believers are sent to go preach the Gospel to nonbelievers, of course those individuals that we try to reach are going to doubt. (They already do, and then some!) And for all believers growing in their faith (or attempting to), we will encounter things that will shake us to our core and leave us questioning what we believe. That’s what life does. If we never doubted, and always had faith no matter what, then we wouldn’t need God’s continual mercy on us, especially once we first receive Jesus as our Lord and Savior.
Oftentimes, pastors and preachers (even well-intentioned ones) who preach about how "bad" doubt is, more often than not they have not encountered the types of difficulties that cause people to doubt in the first place. Sure, they encounter their own difficulties and get through those, but either those difficulties pale in comparison to that of others, or their challenges are simply vastly different to the point that it can be difficult to really understand another person’s specific tribulation, or they’ve had a greater amount of blessings to offset the challenges.
Also, I’ve noticed that many of these same "faith is great, doubt is bad" preachers also tend to neglect another key point of the Christian faith: God's sovereignty. It’s great and important to have faith and stand on His Word the Bible (because it doesn’t fail) for things that are part of God’s will, like strength, healing, and blessing (in general). But, in our selfish society, it is so very easy for any of us (myself included, by the way) to take that message and starting believing God for things that we want that may or may not be His will. Sure, if it’s something that is God’s will that we also want, that’s generally not going to be a problem. But we can get so consumed with what we want that we automatically assume that because God wants us blessed He will bless us with whatever we want, even if it’s not necessarily His plan for us (let alone His will).
It’s why this passage is very important:
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.” Daniel 3:16-18, NKJV
Let me be clear about something: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego had faith. They believed firmly that God could save them from any situation, and He ultimately did, as recorded a few verses later. But their resolve was so strong that their statement to King Nebuchadnezzar, at the risk of ticking him off (which it did), was that even if God were to not deliver them from the fire and instead let them pass into eternity right then and there, it was worth it. This passage is where the phrase "even if" that is spoken in Christian circles comes from.
Below is another example from the Bible, when Jesus is pleading with His Father in the garden of Gethsemane, inquiring if there could possibly be any other way that He could pay for mankind’s sins. For the sake of brevity, I will link you to the entire context here (Matthew 26:36-46) and only share two verses that jump out:
He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.” Matthew 26:39, NKJV
Again, a second time, He went away and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done.” Matthew 26:42, NKJV
I am getting away from the main topic of doubt at this point, but I want to reiterate that sometimes we don’t do a good enough job putting up a guardrail against forms of "faith" that are really just self-serving. Doubt can be a thief, but it is not always a thief. For example, the Bible does say that we can believe for supernatural healing and speak it over ourselves (I myself have been doing that regarding a condition I am continuing to battle).
But, it would be a mistake for me to starting thinking that God is no longer God if the healing doesn’t happen. We can question the thing but still trust God. The delay (or non-occurrence, even) can make space for growth in our relationship and walk with God. Sometimes things don’t happen not because we didn’t believe but instead because this is earth and not heaven. But despite that, God is still God. He is sovereign. Yes, He wants me healed and He has the capability to do it, but He also uses times of challenge to shape us. What kind of faith would we have if we only believed God for something because we expect that the thing would materialize? What about believing God for God Himself and learning to treasure the journey with Him, completely entrusting ourselves and our journey to Him, regardless of the outcomes here on earth?
And even if I happen to have gotten some things wrong in my own analysis and arguments... Jude 1:22 still speaks to that. Have mercy on me when I doubt, just like God has had mercy on you regarding that and regarding other things.
Be merciful to those who doubt; Jude 1:22, NIV
Prayer: God, help me have a heart of mercy towards those who doubt. Help me create safe spaces for honest conversations, offering support and understanding. And most of all, thank You for staying unchanging, even when I doubt You. I want to be more like You. In Jesus’s name, Amen.