Any time we allow human reason to overshadow faith in God, sinful doubt is the result. Zechariah doubted God’s ability to overcome natural obstacles – many people today share the same doubt. He logically assumed that he and his wife were too old to have children, and in response to his doubt, the angel said he would be mute until the day God’s promise was fulfilled (Luke 1:18-20). When Zechariah was visited by the angel of the Lord and told that he would have a son (Luke 1:11-17), he doubted the word given to him. Lest we think that we can lay all of the blame on Satan, the Bible clearly holds us accountable for our own doubts. When she affirmed God’s command, including the consequences, Satan replied with a denial, which is a stronger statement of doubt: “You will not surely die.” Doubt is a tool of Satan to make us lack confidence in God’s Word and consider His judgment unlikely. Satan introduced doubt into Eve’s mind when he asked, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” He wanted her to lack confidence in God’s command.
God had given a clear command regarding the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and had specified the consequence of disobedience. Instead of taking the advice of skeptics and false teachers, we will see what the Bible has to say.Ī working definition of doubt is “to lack confidence, to consider unlikely.” The very first expression of doubt in the Bible is in Genesis 3, when Satan tempted Eve. Find your own light.” If we take their advice, we would have to doubt what they said, which seems rather contradictory. René Descartes said, “If you would be a real seeker after truth, it is necessary that at least once in your life you doubt, as far as possible, all things.” This is similar to what the founder of Buddhism said: “Doubt everything. The Bible has something to say about the cause of doubt and provides examples of people who struggled with it.Ĭlassical humanism says that doubt, while uncomfortable, is absolutely essential for life. Some people are hindered greatly by doubt some see it as a springboard to life and others see it as an obstacle to be overcome.
Even those with faith in God struggle with doubt on occasion and say with the man in Mark 9, “I do believe help me overcome my unbelief!” (verse 24). Doubt is an experience common to all people.
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