Romans 2:14-15 “for when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do the things in the law, these, although not having the law, are a law to themselves, (15) who show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and between themselves their thoughts accusing or else excusing them.”
So why is it important for us to recognise that doubt can only exist in the mind of the believer and not in their spirit? The above quoted passage of scripture gives us one of the reasons why this truth is important for us to understand. In the context of this passage the “heart” that the apostle Paul is referring to is the spirit of the believer. And so in this passage Paul teaches us that the spirit and conscience of the born-again believer will always convict the believer of any sin that they commit, for together the spirit and conscience will accuse the believer of the wrong that they are doing. And so if the saint acts in doubt, both their spirit and their conscience will convict them of that sin. This is a safety mechanism that God has given to the saints, to help them recognise when they are acting while not yet being fully convinced in their minds regarding the reality and truth of God’s word. And so when believers are fully convinced in their minds regarding their actions then they will be walking in faith and not in the sin of doubt, and their spirit and conscience will therefore not convict them of any sin.
1 John 3:21 “Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God.”
In the above quoted passage of scripture the apostle John confirms the same truth to us that Paul mentioned in the previous passage of scripture. In the context of this passage the “heart” that John is referring to is also the spirit of the believer. Essentially what John is saying in this passage is that if our spirits do not condemn us in the actions we are taking, we can be assured that we are acting in faith and not in doubt. Clearly therefore the reverse can also be stated, i.e. if our spirits do condemn us in the actions we are taking, we can be assured that we are acting in doubt and not in faith. Obviously it goes without saying that the saint who acts in doubt will not receive anything from God (James 1:6-7).
Michael E.B. Maher
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