I recently purchased a book that I haven’t yet read titled “I Never Learned to Doubt “ by Jesse Duplantis. I can’t wait to dive in. But sitting in my church on Sunday I heard a compromise that just ticked me off. I’ll address it later, but while in prayer on Wednesday the Holy Spirit spoke the title to me. I wrote it down but haven’t been able to sit with it till this morning. I’m interested to see what He reveals. But there’s no doubt in my mind that parishioners in many churches are learning doubt and unbelief from their pastors and leaders. They’re learning to dumb down the Word of God and not fully trust and depend on Him, while sitting in the pews.
The apostle Paul encountered this trend in Galatia. He had invested a lot in this congregation only to find out that an imposter was successful in undermining their trust in salvation through grace alone. At one point he even had to confront Peter’s hypocrisy as he was living a double life causing confusion among the new converts. Galatians 2. But where I’d like to take you is Galatians 3.
“Oh, foolish Galatians! Who has cast an evil spell on you? For the meaning of Jesus Christ’s death was made as clear to you as if you had seen a picture of His death on the cross. Let me ask you this one question: Did you receive the Holy Spirit by obeying the law of Moses? Of course not! You received the Spirit because you believed the message you heard about Christ. How foolish can you be? After starting your new lives in the Spirit, why are you now trying to become perfect by your own human effort? Have you experienced so much for nothing? Surely it was not in vain, was it? I ask you again, does God give you the Holy Spirit and work miracles among you because you obey the law? Of course not! It is because you believe the message you heard about Christ.” Galatians 3:1-5 NLT
These people had been delivered from the teaching that the Law or human effort was how one became right with God. Only for Paul to discover that they had reverted to the old teaching instead of continuing to walk in the freedom they had found in Christ alone. They were being taught to doubt their new birth experience. Any form of compromising God's Word will eventually lead to doubt. God’s Word is to be trusted explicitly over anyone else’s. It’s the only tried and tested reality in the Believer’s life. If we’re to experience total victory in every area, spiritually, physically and financially, we must believe His Word.
The rule that I personally live by is this: If it’s not scripturally based, you can’t find a verse to support your argument, then it’s an opinion and shouldn’t be relied upon. The Word of God is the bedrock of the church. Anything else should be set aside. The doctor says you’re dying. That’s his opinion. But what does the Word say about his opinion?
“I will not die; instead, I will live to tell what the Lord has done.”
Psalms 118:17 NLT
Are we living in denial? No! We’re doing what the Word says. Denying the opinion‘s right to have the final authority in our lives. We’re not natural people, we’re spiritual people housed in a soul that lives in a body. But what do most people do when they hear bad news or something out of the ordinary happens? They resort to the natural realm. The Word should always take priority over everything else. I recall a doctor telling me he’s checking me for every form of cancer because of the things that were seen in the physical realm. I told him he wouldn’t find it! They didn’t. The Word of God is my final authority. Someone may ask, “but what if it was true?” My answer: I still would’ve rejected it, standing on evidence that is more real than the doctor’s report.
I’ve heard pastors say this with regards to giving. “The tithe is ten percent of your income” (biblical) then follow up with. “But if you can’t afford to tithe the percentage that the Bible teaches then start somewhere. Two percent, three percent” (not biblical). They’re teaching people to compromise on the one thing that God has not only instructed us to do, but to prove His faithfulness in. They’re teaching them to doubt God’s ability to provide for them. Malachi to John are technically Old Testament scriptures. The New Testament begins in the book of Acts. Tithing was still being taught during Jesus’ time on earth. Giving isn’t an Old Testament concept, it’s a God idea to bring financial blessings to our lives, as well as teaching us how to trust Him for provision.
What areas is the Church struggling in the most? Physically and financially. Why? Because those are the two areas where most preachers have taught the Body of Christ to doubt God. I read a book the other day, by a well known pastor, a superstar. The book was on healing but at the end he wrote a disclaimer! Why bother teaching on healing if you don’t believe your own rhetoric. Did Jesus offer a disclaimer in His hometown when only a few sick folks got healed? Absolutely not! He put the blame where it belonged: Unbelief! Whenever I pray for people, I acknowledge a few things before praying. I’m not the healer, I don’t know hearts and can’t read minds, I’m not responsible for the outcome-person I’m praying for is, through their own faith in God.
I know and am convinced that the Word works all the time. I’m also convinced that doubt works all the time. Teaching people to doubt isn’t hard. Teaching people to trust is. But compromise isn’t the way to go. Consistency in our own lives is the key to conviction. We cannot teach that Jesus is the healer —but just in case… Just in case nullifies your first statement. Is He the Healer? Then that’s where the confession ends. But my God shall supply all your need, but just in case. I know what the Bible says, but. There are no conjunctions to His character but there are conditions to receiving the full benefits of what He’s promised. Only believe.
When a pastor tries to get you to disobey God’s Word in your giving, only believe what the Word says. When they tell you that healing is not for today, Only believe what the Word says. When they tell you prosperity isn’t for Christians or it isn’t for everybody, Only believe what the Word says. When they tell you God helps those who help themselves, Only believe what the Word says. When they tell you that the Bible isn’t relevant for today, Only believe what the Word says. When they tell you that speaking in tongues was only for the disciples, Only believe what the Word says. When they never open the Bible to teach or preach the Word: Find yourself another place to worship Jesus.
The Word of God is the anchor for the Church. Without it there is no Church. And all we’re left with is a body of doubt and unbelief. A weakened and defeated Church. We cannot live this Christian life independently of the Word of God.
So has your pastor taught you how to doubt God’s Word? Have you been bewitched? Search the scriptures. Don’t be gullible, don't be lazy and passive. Your answer to doubt is at your fingertips. There are no life issues that haven't been addressed in the Word. Only believe. But you can’t believe what you haven’t heard or experienced for yourself. So go search it out. Get involved in your own spiritual growth. Whenever you hear doubt being shared as fact say “I doubt that!” Don’t entertain it. The same way I rejected that doctor’s assessment and have done so on multiple occasions, do the same. God has backed me up every time I’ve stood on His Word in faith. I’m teaching you what I know. He’s a faith God.
Wherever He encounters faith, He responds. Starve your doubt and feed your faith. I don’t care who’s delivering the message. If it isn’t written in the Word, it must be rejected. Whatever is dedicated to the Lord, if redeemed or taken back, you owe an additional twenty percent. They don’t teach that when they’re encouraging you to tithe less than ten percent. The tithe is a dedicated thing. And don’t give me this nonsense about its Old Testament law. So are most of the promises we confess today. Prosperity comes from remembering and doing what He says. He doesn’t need our money He needs our obedience. Tithing is more than an act, it's a trust issue. I’m staying on this because that’s the struggle of the church. We struggle because we think it’s a man made rule, but it isn’t. Tithing benefits us. Do you go to your bank and make a withdrawal without a balance in your account? You may, but there’s an overdraft fee attached to that decision. We dutifully follow the world’s laws while ignoring God’s. Don’t let watered down preaching fill you with doubt. Just do what the Word teaches. We serve a God who still heals, still provides, still raises the dead, still gives power to gain wealth and still watches over His Word to bring it to pass.
“God is not a man, so He does not lie. He is not human, so He does not change His mind. Has He ever spoken and failed to act? Has He ever promised and not carried it through?”
Numbers 23:19 NLT
“No, I will not break My covenant; I will not take back a single word I said.”
Psalms 89:34 NLT
Go deeper: Malachi 3; Leviticus 27; 2 Corinthians 9; Luke 6:38; 2 Chronicles 31:12
Whose report will you believe?
Written by permission of the Holy Spirit
W. Tennant
October 6, 2021