By Lamont H. Fuchs, Ed.D.
Scripture reference: James 1:5-8, Proverbs 2:6, Genesis 3:1
Not accepting God’s word as the truth and disobeying His commands were man’s original sins, which remain true today. Discounting and denying the power or Word of God by explaining away miracles and biblical stories is a slippery slope that has invaded our society, even into our religious doctrine and discipleship training.
Many stories in God’s word are described as fantastic. Some are hard to conceive as believable even by Christians. Right there. That’s the problem. Satan had Eve doubt God’s word and commandments, leading her and Adam to sin. Disbelief is a lack of faith. In this case, it led to sin and the downfall of man. This is our battle as Christians and as disciples leading others to Christ. Are you ready for the hard questions about your belief in God’s Word? Can you defend God’s Word when you encounter others who disbelieve?
Do you know the simple story of Adam and Eve in the Garden – the fall of man? First of all, it’s not as simple as it reads. I believe the story in its entirety. Read Genesis 3 to refresh your memory of man’s downfall through a lack of faith to believe God’s Word.
According to The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language – 5th Edition, the definition of fantastic is 1. Based on or existing only in fantasy, unreal. 2. Strange or fanciful in form, conception, or appearance. 3. Unrealistic; irrational. Interesting how we use the word fantastic all the time in a context of favor towards a concept, place, or object. The Grand Canyon was fantastic. That banana split was fantastic. That story about Noah’s Ark was fantastic. Be careful of what you say and what you mean.
Recently, while studying for an adult Sunday school lesson, I used a published study text from a widely used and well-known curriculum for churches across America. In the passage where Jesus performed a miracle for a lame man who couldn’t get into a pool before others because he was crippled, the text explained away the story in the King James Version (KJV) of the Bible that the pool probably had a spring under it that caused the water to stir occasionally. The reason the pool stirred was written in the verses as an angel stirred the pool, and the first to enter the pool, Bethesda, upon being stirred, was healed. Read it for yourself in the KJV or NKJV, John 5:4. Do you suppose all these people around the pool were there because they might get healed or that they knew if they were the first in the pool, they would be healed? How was the pool stirred? What did the Bible say? What do you think? Test yourself.
Lord, God, and Father, thank You for revealing how easy it is to doubt or try to explain in human terms what we can’t understand. Speak to us through the Spirit to know Your works as a mystery and help us to understand and accept how powerful and capable You are. With all that, help us understand that our ways are not Your ways, and Your will is far above our imagination. We praise You for the mighty God You are. Thank You for loving us and giving us all good things.
