A Living Faith that Overcomes the Temptation of Doubting God
This part 5 of a 5-part series. For previous posts, click the following: part 1; part 2; part 3; part 4.
I’ve often heard it said that the most common reason people give for turning away from God is not due to some intellectual hangup but due to some horrible experience of suffering. If that’s true, then perhaps our methods and manner of evangelism ought to be examined. We are not offering people self-help or betterment in this life now. We must enter the kingdom of God through much tribulation (Acts 14:22). I love apologetics, and there is a way to do it that dovetails well with evangelism. But I have to remind myself that people reject the gospel because of their hearts, which blind their minds.
Doubting God is the last of the three common temptations that I believe are categorized by James in the following verses:
- Disgust: Why me? I don’t understand… Should I or should I not rest in God and His wisdom by faith when I don’t understand? (James 1:5–8)
- Discouragement: Look at my circumstances… I am so lowly compared to others… (James 1:9–12)
- Doubting God: What are you doing to me? Are you a good God? (James 1:13–18)
Responding with an attitude of joy as you face overwhelming trials will only be possible by a correct perspective of your faith in God. And that means living out that faith to overcome these temptations.
Let’s look out how to live out this command while overcoming the temptation of doubting God.
“Let no man say when He is tempted”: Every trial brings with it a temptation to respond rightly or wrongly. But the trial itself is not the temptation. God’s sovereign hand is over our trials, but He is not culpable for our internal responses that arise from the temptations within us that give birth to sin when we respond wrongly.
“Do not err”: don’t blame God; this is a common error
“Every good and every perfect gift is from above”: In contrast to thinking that God is culpable, we should understand God to be a gracious God who gives us all good things.
“No variableness or shadow of turning”: God is an unchanging God; we can be confident and stable in our faith rather than double-minded because of God’s unchanging character. We can be sure that He will always be good to us.
“Of His own will He begat us with the Word of truth”: The greatest example of God’s goodness is giving us the Word of truth that leads to our salvation.
“That we should be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures”: The ultimate solution to our trials is our redemption and restoration from this fallen world (Rom 8:18–25; 2 Cor 4:16–18).
How can you live out a faith that delights in God? The antidote to doubting God is to remain confident in Him and His character as revealed in the Word of truth that brought us to salvation.
These temptations can go dormant only to come back to the surface again (1 Cor 10:12). You may find one temptation more common to you than others. Keep going back to this passage to remind yourself:
- What you must do: have intense joy in the midst of trials (James 1:2)
- Why you can do this: because of a correct perspective of faith in what God is doing through the trials (James 1:3-4)
- How you can do this:
- don’t be disgusted when you don’t understand; ask God for wisdom (James 1:5-8),
- don’t be discouraged overly lowly circumstances; focus on your eternal high position in Christ (James 1:9-12),
- don’t doubt God; remain confident in Him as the giver of every perfect gift (James 1:13-18)
May God be glorified for preserving our faith so that we persevere in it (1 Pet 1:5). Any good we do is to God’s credit for He is the one doing the sanctifying work in us evidenced by the fruit of our lives (Phil 2:13; Gal 2:20). May we be more dependent on Him because of our trials. May we seek Him more because of our trials. Our trials are not purposeless (Job 42:1–6). God is truly doing a special work for our good and His glory (Rom 8:28). May people rejoice in the greatness of our God for equipping us to overcome until the end (Rev 12:11).
Kevin Collins has served as a junior high youth leader in Michigan, a missionary in Singapore, a Christian School teacher in Utah, and a Bible writer for the BJU Press. He currently works for American Church Group of South Carolina.
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