The Problem with Doubt
Devotional:
“That you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light” (1 Pet. 2:9).”
“Take the helmet of salvation.” (Eph. 6:17)
The Key to Conquering Doubt is to Focus on the Preserving Power of God
Doubt comes to Christians in many ways. After you’ve sinned, your conscience might hiss at you, saying, “Surely you’re not a Christian. You don’t deserve His mercy. You’re not good enough. How presumptuous to think God could ever use you!” Such doubts are common among Christians who focus on their performance rather than God’s power.
All too often we’re quick to acknowledge God’s power to save us but slow to understand His power to keep us. To complicate matters, many Christians believe they can lose their salvation, so they live in constant fear of falling away from the faith. Still, others have never learned what Scripture teaches about their security in Christ. They’re so intent on pleasing God through their own efforts that they lose sight of grace and drift into a subtle works- righteousness mentality.
Your Performance Doesn’t Determine Your Standing in Christ; Your Standing in Christ Determines your Performance
Jude said, “Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy” (v. 24).
Able: Greek Word defines it as: “To Speak of Power”
All too often when trouble strikes, we begin to play the fiddle music of “self-pity.” What follows are verses of fear, doubt, anxiety which often leads to behaviors of isolation which stimulates depression.
The word “keep” is translated and literally means “to be secure in the midst of an attack.”
“Stumbling” refers to falling into sin.
If you put the entire definitions together we see and should hear something like this:
God is powerful enough to prevent you from stumbling into sin and falling away from Him—no matter how intense Satan’s attacks might be. He will continue to protect and cleanse you until the day you enter His glorious heaven perfected.
So, the next time you find yourself with doubt, just remember that even though we live in a world that seems out of control, WITH GOD, nothing is out of HIS CONTROL. So, relax and be still, trust HIM.
Remember the old song that says…
“Many things about tomorrow, I don’t seem to understand, but I know who holds tomorrow, and I know who holds my hand.”