Doubt

If I were to ask you, what was Adam and Eve’s original sin, what would be your answer? Most will say that it was eating the fruit from the forbidden tree. But, was there something else that happened that led them to do that? In Genesis 3 we see that Satan, through the serpent, approached Eve and said, “did God actually say”? When someone presents a question like that, what are some of your first thoughts? Maybe the first reaction is, well, I do wonder if I heard him correctly. It probably would create doubt.

And that’s exactly the case with Eve, and then Adam. Doubt was their original sin. Everything that transpired from then on was precipitated by their questioning God’s command. God had basically said, “don’t eat the fruit of this one tree and you’ll live, eat the fruit of this one tree and you’ll die”. The serpent began to create questions in their minds and hearts. He made statements and promises that were untrue but since he had leveraged himself through doubt, they began to believe him rather than God.

Lust and pride

The three biggies came almost immediately after doubt entered in. These are: lust of the eyes, lust of the flesh and pride of life. Fast forward several thousand years later when Jesus was tempted in the wilderness by Satan. These were the three temptations that he tried to use on him. Jesus stood on the truth of the word of God, after which Satan fled from him. It is obvious that the Son of God/the Son of man, Jesus the Christ, trusted his father’s word implicitly and there was never room for doubt in his mind or heart. His obedience through these three temptations undid the three failures of our original parents, and ours as well, if we have trusted Christ for our salvation.

Jesus spoke a lot about doubt. It’s the one thing that Satan uses as leverage more than anything else to turn us from our Lord, even momentarily. We all know about doubting Thomas. You and I don’t have the privilege of putting our hands in Jesus’ physical wounds like he did before he believed. What we have been given is the word of God, prayer, the Holy Spirit, fellowship of the brothers and sisters, our own testimonies as well as others concerning his life changing work in us.

Grace and mercy

‘Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”’ (Mt. 14.31) This took place when Peter walked on water toward Jesus. Once he took his eyes off Jesus and looked at the storms around him, he cried out, “Lord save me”. Can you relate to Peter? Jesus extends his grace and mercy to us time and time again and yet the very next time something happens that seems out of our control, we question his power to handle the situation.

James puts it so well when discussing wisdom. “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.” (James 1.5-8).

So, what’s it going to be for you? A life of doubt, or a life filled with faith in your faithful Lord? The cross is all the evidence we need.