Perrydox.com is devoted to the pursuit of truth, whether plain or paradoxical, whether simple or sublime, or simply absurd yet absolute.
Genesis 3 – Doubt
Few emotions are more powerful than doubt. The power produced can be productive, paralyzing, or destructive. It is an emotion that can lead to a better understanding of God and His word; or disillusionment with what we think we know about God can make us fall down and fall away. Doubt can either build or destroy.
What we believe God has said, commanded, and required, is often based on what we believe about God Himself. Habakkuk said that the righteous man will live by faith (2:4) which is dependence upon what God said because of Who God is. Satan will use these disruptive and disquieting feelings we have about God to destroy our confidence in what we believe. I would suspect that more do not believe what God has said, than believe something God never said. Satan wants us to doubt God and his words.
No better example exists, than the first example. The first words out of Satan’s mouth set the stage for creating doubt in Eve’s mind. Notice what Satan said, “”Did God really say, ‘You can’t eat from any tree in the garden'” (Genesis 3:1 HCSB)? What is Satan implying? “Is God cruel or selfish? Are you sure you understood God correctly?”
Notice the connection between creating doubt in God’s words with creating doubt in God’s character. Satan challenged, “No! You will not die,” the serpent said to the woman. (5) “In fact, God knows that when you eat it your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil” (Genesis 3:4-5 HCSB).
Just as doubt destroys, truth also destroys, but in a good way. It destroys doubt. New truths will either build upon what we correctly know or destroy what we wrongfully know.
Comments