Guinness closes the section about the nature of doubt by saying, “our examination of doubt will always tell us two things: the deficiency of faith that has caused the problem, and the sufficiency of God that is needed as the answer” (34). Doubt leads to unbelief, but it is not unbelief, so we should show compassion and understanding. Doubt should never be treated as trivial, but it is also not quite unbelief. Should Christians be hard or soft on doubt? Guinness said, “Doubt is not always fatal but it is always serious” (29). This section provides a framework for the rest of the book. It’s having a foot in both camps it’s having a divided heart it’s a halfway stage. “To doubt is to waver between the two, to believe, and disbelieve at once and so be in two minds” (23). Guinness points out that doubt is not the opposite of faith, unbelief is. “Assurance of faith comes directly from knowing God and only indirectly from understanding doubt” (32). Yet the only way to battle doubt is to feed faith. Guinness says the reason to study doubt is because “a healthy understanding of doubt should go hand in hand with a healthy understanding of faith” (14). What exactly is doubt? How should we counsel someone who struggles with doubt? Should we be hard or soft on them? How did Jesus deal with doubt? These are the questions Os Guinness seeks to answer in God in the Dark. In addition, everyone has moments of doubt. Why write-or buy-a book about doubt? For one, I know of very few good books on doubt. Click here to listen to a 9Marks interview with with Os Guinness.
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