Dr. Barclay with Something to Think About - DO YOU BELIEVE?

DO YOU BELIEVE?

When Paul wrote to the church at Thessaloniki, he made comments regarding how the church had impacted the surrounding area, attributing this to the fact that:

…when you received the word of God which you heard from us, 

you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God… 

(1Thessalonians 2:13)

The question is: How do we receive the word of God? Is it in the same way that the church of Thessaloniki did or do we tend to change it into a creation of our own making? Our tendency is often to do similar to that expressed by Satan in Genesis when he said:

“…Has God indeed said?…”

(Genesis 3:1)

And we have been questioning God’s word ever since. Under Satan’s influence, Job questioned the faithfulness of God in Job chapter 2. A lying spirit was also sent forth to prophesy to Ahab in 2 Chronicles chapter 18, verses 20-22.

  In Matthew, Satan tried to alter God’s word against Christ when he tempted Him in the desert. Christ replied and defeated Satan by, in turn, saying these words:

…It is written… 

(Matthew 4:4,7,10)

In 2 Corinthians, Paul writes where Satan tried to throw him off track by manipulation and deceit.

…a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, 

lest I should be exalted above measure. 

(2 Corinthians 12:7) 

Similarly with two others:

[O]f whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander; whom I have delivered to Satan 

that they may learn not to blaspheme. 

(1Timothy 1:20)

It all goes back to that original question asked in Genesis whether or not God really said what He said and meant it. The Bible goes on to state that Satan is:

…a liar and the father of it. 

(John 8:44) 

And that he

…walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 

(1 Peter 5:8)

As a result he 

…deceives the whole world… 

(Revelation 12:9) 

and even after the millennium 

…will go out to deceive the nations… 

(Revelation 20:8)

One of the greatest deceptions of all may be in making us feel confident in our own abilities to the point that God is seemingly made irrelevant, just as His word is seemingly made to be unimportant. After all is said and done, however:

…the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. 

(1 Corinthians 3:19)

And

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of [true] wisdom, 

And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. 

(Proverbs 9:10)

So, the knowledge of God and the understanding of Him only comes from His word, and the acceptance that His word is not the:

…word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God…

(1 Thessalonians 2:13)

Do you believe?

It is something to think about.