THE SIN OF UNBELIEF

Winifred L Kakumba

Hebrews 3:1-19 (NLT)  

“………7 That is why the Holy Spirit says, “Today when you hear his voice, 8 don’t harden your hearts as Israel did when they rebelled, when they tested me in the wilderness. 9 There your ancestors tested and tried my patience, even though they saw my miracles for forty years. 10 So I was angry with them, and I said, ‘Their hearts always turn away from me. They refuse to do what I tell them.’ 11 So in my anger I took an oath: ‘They will never enter my place of rest.’ 12 Be careful then, dear brothers and sisters. Make sure that your own hearts are not evil and unbelieving, turning you away from the living God. 13 You must warn each other every day, while it is still “today,” so that none of you will be deceived by sin and hardened against God. 14 For if we are faithful to the end, trusting God just as firmly as when we first believed, we will share in all that belongs to Christ. 15 Remember what it says: “Today when you hear his voice, don’t harden your hearts as Israel did when they rebelled.” 16 And who was it who rebelled against God, even though they heard his voice? Wasn’t it the people Moses led out of Egypt? 17 And who made God angry for forty years? Wasn’t it the people who sinned, whose corpses lay in the wilderness? 18 And to whom was God speaking when he took an oath that they would never enter his rest? Wasn’t it the people who disobeyed him? 19 So we see that because of their unbelief they were not able to enter his rest...............”

Unbelief is a sin! Many however do not see it as a sin because the commonly known sins are those mentioned in Exodus 20:2-17

The dictionary defines the word belief as; “an opinion or judgment in which a person is fully persuaded”. Our beliefs are things that we are thoroughly convinced of usually but not always. They are ideas or concepts that we gather through acquired information and experience. Because of this, our beliefs can change over time as we gain more knowledge and experience more throughout our lives.

For one to believe it means there is something that has persuaded you; or you have an opinion about and you can stand by it, but this does not happen often. One can therefore say that the experiences we go through form a portion of our beliefs. We should also be aware that lack of faith and unbelief are different, but one leads to the other; faith on the other hand, combines belief plus actions and confidence, so belief on its own is not faith, because the later involves corresponding actions and confidence.

We have read Hebrews 3:11 above that God in his anger took an oath that the Israelites would never enter His place of rest because they had hardened their hearts.

When the Israelites were leaving Egypt, God performed many miracles but each time He worked for them, acknowledgement of His saving hand was short lived and that un-forgetfulness resulted in complaining. However much they saw miracles and wonders, they were not enough to persuade them to believe that God was able to do whatever He promised He would do. In reading their history, you will see that they saw what God had done; His mighty works, ability and mercy but still they did not believe. The sin of unbelief can affect you - there is a lot you will not achieve in the kingdom of God if you do not believe. For instance God has worked many miracles in our midst; the barren have been able to bear children; those who were once jobless are now employed and I know he has done something for you as well; but if we fail to believe the God who saves, the God who heals, the God has worked for us and among us, who then shall we believe?

Unbelief leads to disobedience!

Adam and Eve’s first sin was not disobedience, but it was that they did not believe what God said. They were given strict instructions in the garden but in their unbelief they were persuaded and listened to the lies of the devil causing them to disobey God, yet this would not be so had they believed God and his word. The sins and transgressions we commit are due to our unbelief. Take an example of a child who is told not to touch fire because he or she will be seared, but intentionally disobeys the warning and goes ahead to touch the fire anyway; this way the child is challenging your instructions in the same manner, Israel disobeyed God. God had performed many miracles and wonders; (led them through the red sea, fed them with manna, rained quails) but still they did not believe, hence God’s reaction in Hebrews 3:10-11.

During the Exodus, 99.98% of the Israelites who trekked form Egypt died in the desert. They did not to make it to the Promised Land because of disobedience which was brought about by their unbelief – only Joshua and Caleb entered the Promised Land (Numbers 32:11-12), the majority who entered it were those born on the way. They experienced God’s love, saving hand and provision but they were not convinced that He was able to fulfill what He had promised them; they angered Him with their unbelief. In the same way, if we are not persuaded by what we have tested, experienced and seen - if we believe not, we shall not enter our rest.

Antidote to restlessness

Hebrews 3:11 (NLT) “So in my anger I took an oath: ‘They will never enter my place of rest.”

Because of unbelief we go about with a lot of anxiety. You may feel that things are not working out because you have not realized what God purposed for you, promised you or spoke forth in your life. This usually happens when you are cornered by challenging situations; you become perplexed and start panicking which leads to a general state of unrest. You cannot get into your rest until you believe God and His word. The Rhema word preached in church has the power to get you out of your situation but many still do not know this; some still want to approach the pastors after service for extra benediction and prayers neglecting the word that has already been spoken forth in the service. We will not get into our promises or place of rest until we believe God’s servants and the word He sends through them.

Belief Obstructions

When you believe and hold onto the word that has been spoken in church, you are going to breakthrough in a great way. If we believed, we would not do some of the things that we do or even say some of the things we say. When you have many alternatives before you, you cannot see the hand of God. The Bible says in Psalms 55:22-23 (MSG) that; “Pile your troubles on God’s shoulders - he’ll carry your load, he’ll help you out. He’ll never let good people topple into ruin. 23 But you, God, will throw the others into a muddy bog, cut the lifespan of assassins and traitors in half. And I trust in you.”

Many times just like the Israelites, we test and try God; we receive a word for the season and still remain unsettled and restless. We are not at rest because we do not believe God, His word and servants. Jehoshaphat teaches in 2 Chronicles 20:20 (NKJV) that; “Hear me, O Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem: Believe in the LORD your God, and you shall be established; believe His prophets, and you shall prosper.” God uses His servants and works through them, so if your pastor says a word and you do not believe, you shall not prosper.

Where you have a challenge in believing, take action, make your altar and lay your burdens at the feet of Jesus, then you shall enter into your rest. We do not have power over the burdens we carry but the Lord our God has all the authority and control over everything on earth. The bible says in Proverbs 21:1 (AMPC) that; “The king's heart is in the hand of the Lord, as are the watercourses; He turns it whichever way He wills.” Believe God and you will live a restful and stress free life; for when you trust God, you rest. What you choose to do with the word spoken into your life – prophesy or Rhema is what will determine what you will receive in this season of exaltation.

Unbelief is brought about by lack understanding; the more you work on your understanding and revelation of the word of God, the more you are going to believe and have faith in God. We face many challenges because we do not know the necessary scriptures to encourage us or use to fight the devil at that specific time. You should however remember that the bible has an answer to every question you have and to every problem you are facing - it’s the lamp to your feet and your navigation compass.

We do not believe because we become too familiar with God’s servants – pastors; we know their families, we have a glimpse of their history and even leave in the same neighbourhoods or at times even related to them, and this familiarity if not worked on, compromises our faith. Mathew 13:53-58 (NKJV) gives an insight in to this:

“Now it came to pass, when Jesus had finished these parables that He departed from there.  54 When He had come to His own country, He taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished and said, “Where did this Man get this wisdom and these mighty works? 55 Is this not the carpenter’s son? Is not His mother called Mary? And His brothers James, Joses, Simon, and Judas? 56 And His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then did this Man get all these things?” 57 So they were offended at Him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own country and in his own house.” 58 Now He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief.”

We need to work on our unbelief as a church. In the passage above we see that Jesus did few great works among the people in his home town because of their unbelief. We should not become like these people, who prevented the hand of God from working amongst them. In Mark 9:23 (NLT), Jesus had the perfect answer to the doubtful father who had brought his son possessed by am impure spirit to Him; “What do you mean, ‘if I can?” Jesus asked. “Anything is possible if a person believes.” The same hand that has healed one person can heal another if they believe. If we believe the God who has saved, healed and performed many other miracles among us, then we shall see His Mighty hand as well; but if we see Jesus as a mere carpenter’s son, He will not work for us. Like wise if the church continues to see the pastors as mere country men or colleagues among them, then they will not spiritually benefit them; they will go elsewhere and they will do great works among those who believe.

How do we work on our unbelief?

One way to curb our unbelief is if we become fully persuaded of the truth – Jesus (the way, truth and life) instead of the misconception and the lies. If we expose our minds to the truth and we are convinced and confident, then we shall stand firm and unshaken. We need to fully have faith in God, his word and servants so as to eradicate any drop of unbelief, so that we can become great people in the anointing.

God bless you!