” ‘You will not surely die,’ the serpent said to the woman. ‘For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.’ ” (Genesis 3:4-5)
Once he has lured Eve into a conversation about God’s command, the serpent becomes more bold, directly challenging the truthfulness of God’s words. God said to Adam, “You WILL surely die.” The serpent said, “You will NOT surely die.”
The choice to give into temptation and sin often involves doubts about God’s character. Does he really love me? Is he really powerful? Is it possible he’s just wrong? If you or a friend or the Liar can talk you into questioning God’s goodness, love, or power, you’re much more likely to take the next step into testing God by disobeying him.
With the germ of doubt about God’s rightness planted in Eve’s mind, the serpent challenged God’s motives: “He knows this experience will liberate you and make you like him. He wants to keep that power – knowing good and evil – for himself.” Translation: God is selfish, and he doesn’t love you.
Satan and his followers have been telling the same lie ever since.
Think: Have you ever justified sin by questioning God’s goodness, love, or power? Have you ever used painful circumstances in your life to convince yourself God didn’t deserve your obedience if he would allow that bad thing to happen to you? What’s wrong with that thinking?
Pray: Ask God to help you to be absolutely convinced of his integrity, his power, and his love for you proven in the sacrifice of Jesus for your sin and the promise of eternity with him.
Do: People challenge God’s goodness, power, and love all the time these days. Listen for those challenges in your world this week.