How best to respond to something like this? This individual certainly knew what the right answer was; he/she knew what the Bible has to say about it... the problem is simply that he/she is struggling to believe it. He/she is certainly not alone in this. We have all experienced doubts and questions about the faith. It's hard. It's disturbing. It makes us worry. We might even ask, "the fact that I am questioning this, does this mean I'm losing my faith?"
One thing that is helpful in situations like this is to highlight the distinction between rejecting the Word outright and struggling to accept the Word. It is a key distinction. The thing is: doubt is natural to anyone living in the sinful flesh. This side of eternity, we will never ever be perfectly in tune with all of God's Word, it's just not possible... not without some doubt or struggle with what God tells us in His Word. Even though we may never give up trying, we understand that we will never be able to fully understand and accept everything God says in Holy Scripture.
It's like that time that Jesus told a father whose son was possessed by an unclean spirit, "All things are possible for one who believes" (Mark 9:23). The father's response? "I believe; help my unbelief" (Mark 9:24). Certainly it's true that this "I believe; help my unbelief" characterizes much of the Christian. We are, after all, both saint and sinner.
When we sinners approach our Lord and Savior Jesus in trust, we are at the same time trusting in Him and doubting Him.
When we sinners approach our Lord Jesus, we are at the same time trusting His divine goodness and mercy and struggling to understand how that mercy plays out in our lives.
When we sinners approach our Lord, we are at the same time trusting in the merits of the cross and wondering if all of this can possibly be true, struggling to accept all that His Word says.
We come with both: faith AND doubt. We come with both to lay both at the foot of the cross, under the authority of the Word. We submit ourselves to the authority of the Word even while we struggle to understand and accept all that is in it.
I suppose it's a little like the first day of kindergarten for a little boy. He's scared. He doesn't know what to expect. Everything is new and intimidating. Yet the child walks forward into this great unknown because Mom is holding his hand. He's filled with fears and worries, yet is content to place all those fears and worries in the strength of Mom's presence.
This is a lot like the journey is all for all of us. The future is uncertain, it's new, it's intimidating. We can't know what will come, but we walk into the future hand in hand with the beloved Savior Jesus. Though we may have a thousand questions and a thousand doubts, our trust and our confidence in the sufficiency of His grace (2 Cor. 12:9) gets us through the day.
Hebrews tells us that "faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen" (11:1). And it is by faith that we walk, and not by sight (2 Cor. 5:7). That faith trusts in things we do not know and cannot understand. That faith trusts in things which we will struggle to accept— but still it is faith (however weak and however wavering) in the loving mercy of the God who sent His Son Jesus Christ to the cross for us... for us and no one else.
No matter how hard it is, if we look for the answers in God's Word, He will not disappoint us. He will lead us to the Truth which is His own Son Jesus (John 14:6). The Lord says:
"Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food. Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live" (Isaiah 5:1-3).
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