How Will I Know?

Genesis 15:5-8, 18

Intro: Someone once said “Believe your beliefs and doubt your doubts. Simple to say. Hard at times to do consistently. Yet if we are going to progress in the Christian life, we must continue believing what we know to be true. We must fight against the tendency to allow doubts to develop and grow to the point of dominating.

Doubt in the Christian life might be compared to a dungeon in which the one with doubts becomes locked in as a captive. Yet there is a key that each one in this dungeon holds and it is a key known as promise. Holding to the promises of God keeps us moving through life in faith and freedom.

The Situation: Abraham is faithfully following the LORD’S directive for his life which included leaving from Ur of the Chaldeans and separating from his family including his nephew, Lot.

Abraham has also been given more information from the LORD with respect to the promise that was made several years earlier. At the beginning of God’s revelation to Abraham, he was told about “a land” that God would show him. Later God made things more specific and said “this land” (12:7) was the land of promise. Now the LORD says to Abraham that “I brought you out…to give you” and later God says “To your descendants I have given this…” Before Abraham has any descendents, God has established what His plan and promise for Abraham encompasses.

Yet Abraham asks the question that each of us are so prone to ask; the question is “how shall I know?”

The answer given by God is essentially that Abraham shall know because of the character of God. Additionally, the LORD makes a covenant, not with Abraham, but with Himself. God who cannot lie validates all that He has promised through covenant (promise).

The Meditation: Doubts are not an uncommon struggle for the Christian. Abraham was counted as righteous because of his faith in the promise of God.
Like Abraham, that is where our journey with God begins. We believe the promise of salvation through Christ and we are declared righteous and we have peace with God. But the position of righteous does not neutralize the potential of doubts arising and moving into the believer’s heart—my heart and your heart.

How do I know when I have moved from believing my beliefs and doubting my doubts to believing my doubts and doubting my beliefs?

The evidence of such a move is the emotions that become dominant in my life. Things such as worry, anxiety, fear, despair, etc are the emotions of one that doubts. When I am doubting my beliefs, the peace of God will be missing from my life. Salvation assures that I have peace with God. Doubt assures that the peace of God that I need for daily life will be removed.

Abraham asked the question “how will I know?” when he needed an answer to a situation in his life that he could not get a handle on. He knew what God promised and asked for assurance.

The Application: What assurances do we have from God that enables us to remain outside of the dungeon of doubt? When tempted to ask “how shall I know?” what are some key truths to keep a hold on as protection against believing our doubts?

1. The Faithfulness of God – 1 Thess. 5:24; 2 Thess. 3:3
- God is faithful to do what He has said.
- God swore by Himself – Hebrews 6:17-18
- His Word and His oath – Titus 1:2

2. The Goodness of God – Matthew 7:11

3. The Awareness of God – Matthew 6:32

Conclusion – There really is a difference between those that believe their beliefs versus those that doubt their beliefs (John the Baptist and Paul). Cf. Matthew 11:2-6 and 2 Timothy 1:12.

“All the Way My Savior Leads Me” – Fanny Crosby

All the way my Savior leads me, what have I to ask beside?
Can I doubt His tender mercy, Who through life has been my guide?
Heavenly peace, divinest comfort, Here by faith in Him to dwell!
For I know what e'er befall me, Jesus doeth all things well.
For I know what e'er befall me, Jesus doeth all things well.