Michael Youssef, megachurch pastor, told his congregation that “questioning God is OK” (“Michael Youssef,” Christian Post, Jan. 26, 2022). This is emerging church heresy. Rob Bell says that God gives men “the invitation to follow Jesus with all our doubts and questions right there with us” (Velvet Elvis, p. 28). Brian McLaren says that we should welcome “the disillusioned and the doubters” (A Generous Orthodoxy, p. 172). While it is right to ask sincere questions in the honest search for the truth, it is evil to entertain questions that deny Bible truth. If the Bible says all unbelievers will suffer conscious eternal torment in fire, which it does, we must not entertain questions that speculate if this is a just punishment. If the Bible claims to be the infallible Word of God, which it does, we are not to question how this could be possible. If the Bible says we are not to love this world, which it does, we are not to question whether this might be a narrow, “legalistic” position. Our questions must be controlled by the Bible, not the Bible by our questions. If a church member asks a question about the deity of Christ or hell, etc., he should be instructed from Scripture. If, though, he refuses to accept the Bible’s teaching and persists in his doubt and unbelief and chooses heresy over the truth, he must be put out of the congregation. A qualification for church membership is to continue “steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine” (Acts 2:42). Further, the Bible exalts faith over doubt. “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him” (Hebrews 11:6). Jesus rebuked those who doubted (Matthew 6:30; 8:26; 14:31; 16:8) and praised those who had faith (Matthew 8:10; 15:28). The Bible teaches that doubt must be resolved. The Psalmist momentarily doubted in Psalm 73, but his doubt was resolved and he rightly saw himself as a foolish beast for doubting God.
(Friday Church News Notes, May 27, 2022, www.wayoflife.org fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143)