When the Fog of Doubt Clears

When the Fog of Doubt Clears

 

Scripture Verse: “For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: ‘The righteous will live by faith.’” (Romans 1:17)

Those who earnestly seek the truth feel a deep joy the moment they encounter it. The secret to discovering the truth that comes through faith is to empty our hearts and listen to the Lord’s word. Academic inquiry requires “eyes of doubt” and “eyes of criticism” in order to grow, but such qualities become obstacles when it comes to faith.

When you stand on a high place and look down at a city, you can see its layout clearly. On a clear day, from the top of the Empire State Building or the Sears Tower, you can look down and understand the structure of New York or Chicago. But on a foggy day, no matter how high you climb, you cannot discern the city's form. The thicker the fog, the harder it is to see. Likewise, when our eyes are veiled by the fog of doubt, pride, or greed, we cannot see or discover the truths of faith we long to find.

John Wesley, even after being ordained as a minister, arrived in Georgia filled with missionary zeal. However, he failed to fulfill his mission and, after wasting much time, eventually returned to England, virtually fleeing under the cover of night. Standing on the deck of the ship back to England, his heart was filled with emptiness. When a storm shook the vessel, he was overwhelmed with fear of death. At that moment, he heard the sound of hymns sung by Moravian Christians on board. Their hymns brought peace to Wesley’s heart.

He began to reflect: “I am a minister, yet I’m so anxious and fearful—how can these people remain so calm in the midst of a storm? We believe in the same Jesus, so why don’t I have their joy and peace?” Troubled and unable to answer this question, he wrestled with his calling as a minister.

One day, while walking down Aldersgate Street in London, he entered a small church where a soft hymn was being sung. Inside, an unknown preacher was reading Martin Luther’s Preface to the Epistle to the Romans. As Wesley listened, his heart began to grow warm. He had found the truth of faith. Sitting quietly in a corner of that little church, he wept endlessly.

Wesley had attended Oxford University and formed the “Holy Club” during his school years, diligently practicing his faith. He had been ordained as a minister in the Anglican Church at the young age of 25 and was seen as a promising elite minister. Yet until that moment, he had never experienced the joy of salvation. He was a Christian in mind, but not in heart. At the age of 35, through a personal experience of being born again in Christ, he would go on to become the founder of the Methodist movement.

The Preface to the Epistle to the Romans that awakened Wesley’s heart was written by Martin Luther, the 16th-century German priest and Reformer. While he was still a Catholic monk, Luther lived without peace. No matter how much he engaged in ascetic practices, he found no assurance of the forgiveness of his sins. Even after crawling up and down the church steps in Rome on his elbows and knees, he still felt that sin remained within him. Then, one day, a verse struck his heart—Romans 1:17: “For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed… ‘The righteous will live by faith.’” Through this revelation, Luther raised the banner of Sola Fide—“by faith alone”—and launched the Protestant Reformation.

Our salvation does not come from good deeds, asceticism, or by purchasing indulgences, but only through faith in our Savior, Jesus Christ.

This awakening to salvation through faith was also the Apostle Paul’s own experience. As a Pharisee, Paul was zealous in keeping the Law of God. Yet he lacked the joy and peace that the deacon Stephen had even in the face of death. But when Paul met Jesus Christ—the author and perfecter of our faith—on the road to Damascus, he realized that human salvation is possible only through faith in Jesus Christ, the way, the truth, and the life. From then on, he considered all things he once valued to be rubbish compared to Christ, who gave him eternal life and joy, and he was transformed into an apostle who boldly proclaimed Christ.