Articles
Doubts of Freedom
Long before the day Moses went to the Israelites to bring them out of Egyptian slavery, God had promised their forefather Abraham as he stood in Canaan, “To your descendants I will give this land” (Gen. 12:7). Later, Moses would relay the message from God to the Israelites — those descendants of Abraham — “I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt to the land of the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Amorites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites, to a land flowing with milk and honey” (Exod. 3:17). God would later tell Moses, “I have also established My covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their pilgrimage, in which they were strangers…I will bring you into the land which I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob” (Exod. 6:4, 8).
And when it came time for God to deliver the Israelites from Egyptian captivity, He did so mightily. Through the ten plagues brought upon the land of Egypt, the land was devastated and Pharaoh was humbled before God and his country. After he finally relented and allowed them to leave, and then after he changed his mind and pursued them, God destroyed Pharaoh and his army in the sight of all Israel (Exod. 14:24-31) so they, and the rest of the world, would know God was over all. He continued to demonstrate His great power and, at the same time, His care and protection for them as they traveled toward the Promised Land.
But, as we likely know, when they got to the edge of the Promised Land and sent spies into the land to “see what the land is like: whether the people who dwell in it are strong or weak, few or many; whether the land they dwell in is good or bad; whether the cities they inhabit are like camps or strongholds; whether the land is rich or poor; and whether there are forests there or not.” (Num. 13:18-20), ten of the spies brought back a bad report and their bad report caused many of the Israelite camp to begin doubting.
Without going any further in the story, let us stop and consider that their example stands as a pattern today for us to note and avoid. Many times, individuals also doubt the power of God, the promises of God, and the provision of God. These doubts lead some to further doubt that they can achieve victories over their spiritual adversaries now and in the future. Let us learn from the doubts of Israel, and resolve to not doubt — and fall short — as they did.
Doubts About the Possibility of Escaping Captivity. When Pharaoh finally let the Israelites go, they came to the edge of the Red Sea and they saw the Egyptian army approaching, they cried out to Moses, “Because there were no graves in Egypt, have you taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you so dealt with us, to bring us up out of Egypt?” (Exod. 14:10-12). When they got to the edge of the Promised Land, they actually asked, “Would it not be better for us to return to Egypt?” (Num. 14:3). They just could not believe God could deliver them from captivity, beginning with the moment just prior to the Red Sea crossing to the time they got to the edge of the Promised Land. They doubted.
But even today, many who are in sin and who hear the call of the gospel to leave the world and its ungodly ways behind simply cannot believe it is possible for them to escape captivity from sin. Many do not know they are even captive (cf. 2 Tim. 2:26), and many others are so deeply mired in the quagmire of sin and worldliness that they cannot believe they can ever escape. Like those Israelites, though, the doubts are unfounded and often because some are trusting in themselves and their own abilities to escape, and they quickly discover that is not possible, but with God, it is! We can be “set free from sin” (Rom. 6:17, 18) and it is possible to escape every temptation to go back (1 Cor. 10:13). We really have no reason to doubt!
Doubts We Can Obtain the Promise. When the Israelites came to the edge of the Promised and the spies were sent into Canaan, we know that ten of the twelve came back with a bad report, telling the people, “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we” (Num. 13:31). They doubted, and when the people heard their report, they also doubted. It was to this doubt that the writer of Hebrews referred when he wrote of how “they could not enter in because of unbelief” (Heb. 3:19). Let us note that unbelief is synonymous with doubt. Simply put, the Israelites doubted.
Many today unfortunately never begin their journey out of sin and towards eternal life in Christ because they also believe it is beyond their ability to receive the promise of forgiveness and eternal life in heaven. Much of this doubt comes from a misplaced trust in one’s own ability to overcome sin or a failure to grasp the breadth of God’s grace. Some, trusting in self rather than in God, doubt the ability to overcome sin because they have failed so many times and believe they will just do it again. They do not ever realize we cannot overcome sin without Christ.
Let us all realize that, outside of Christ, we are powerless to overcome sin, for all of us have sinned (Rom. 3:23) and we are all “without strength” to overcome sin (Rom. 5:6) and have “no hope” (Eph. 2:12). Let us also realize that our sins are not too great for God to forgive. Though man’s sins are abundant, “where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Rom. 5:19, 20). In Christ, we have hope, and we really have no reason to doubt!
Doubts About Victories Over the Enemy. As we noted earlier, when Israel sent the spies into the land, ten of the twelve spies came back with a report, “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we” (Num. 13:31). They somehow forgot all the things God did in devastating the land of Egypt and annihilating the Egyptian army, and when facing future enemies in order to conquer the land, they forgot who was fighting for them [God], and they doubted.
In the same way, many today never begin their journey toward the promised rewards of forgiveness and eternal life because they don’t believe they will live a sinless life after becoming a Christian, and they see that as a failure and a reason to just never become a Christian. Such thinking is the product of misconceptions of what being a Christian means [sinless perfection, which never happens]. God’s word tells us plainly that we still sin as Christians (1 John 1:8-10), but that seeking God’s forgiveness through prayer and repentance is the solution; it is not a failure. That is what your spiritual adversary wants you to think!
Let us not forge the promises of God that are given to remind us we can overcome and defeat our spiritual adversary. James tells us, “Resist the devil and he will flee from you” (Jas. 4:7). But keep in mind it is not the power within self, but through Christ we have that ability: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Phil. 4:13). Remember, too, that God provides a way of escape for every temptation (1 Cor. 10:13), and forgiveness, should we fail to take that way of escape (1 John 1:9).
Alone, we have plenty of reasons to doubt; but, with God and Christ, we really have no reasons to doubt! — Steven Harper
