The Danger of Unbelief

When I was visiting Bethel Church in Redding, California, I sensed the Lord show me, "You don't know how much unbelief you have until you are in an atmosphere of faith and expectation."  I thought that unbelief was simply the lack of faith, yet the Bible seems to take it much more seriously.  As sons and daughters of God we live by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God and the Word says it is impossible to please God without faith (Hebrews 11:6).  As I have cried out to the Father to experience His rest and studied Hebrews 3 & 4 I was struck that the Israelites disobedience wasn't the source of their failure to enter into the Promise Land and rest, it was their unbelief.  Hebrews 3:12 says, "Take care, brethren, that there not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God."  According to the well-known preacher Charles Spurgeon unbelief is a hidden sin, "Unbelief hath more phases than the moon, and more colors than the chameleon. Common people say of the devil, that he is seen sometimes in one shape, and sometimes in another. I am sure this is true of Satan's first-born child—unbelief, for its forms are legion. At one time I see unbelief dressed out as an angel of light. It calls itself humility, and it saith, "I would not be presumptuous; I dare not think that God would pardon me; I am too great a sinner." We call that humility, and thank God that our friend is in so good a condition. I do not thank God for any such delusion. It is the devil dressed as an angel of light; it is unbelief after all."  In a culture that borders on lawlessness and has lost it's moral compass, we often dare to name anything as a sin unless it is completely vile and detestable to most people.  Unfortunately, as the light of Christ has been suppressed by the schemes of the enemy in America the darkness has crept in to the point where people don't even know what the light is and call sin "normal".  While I am the last person that wants to focus on sin and trying to manipulate people's sinful behavior, I believe we have been deceived by not seeing sin for the death that it is.  I have heard some prophetic voices saying that this great awakening will not be as gentle as in the past, I believe one dimension of this move of God that is coming is holiness.  God is holy, set apart from all that is evil, as we are to be set apart for Him.  I believe our Father is absolutely desiring us to be set apart and holy, He purchased this for us through Christ but there is still the process of bringing us into alignment with His Word.  Unbelief is not simply the lack of faith but the refusal to enter into belief and faith.  My mentor shared with me the story of the father who brought his son afflicted by a spirit, who Jesus challenged when he said "But if you can do anything..." that all things are possible to him who believes.  Then the father cries out, "I do believe; help my unbelief.”  (Mark 9:17-27)  The father not only made a confession of his belief/faith but then also realized his sin in not believing.  It was the Presence of Christ Incarnate that exposed the man's sin of unbelief, so he could receive deliverance for his son.  Amazing that Jesus being the incarnation of grace does not condemn the man for his sin of unbelief, yet this sin was in the way of the man receiving the deliverance he was crying out for with his son.  I wander what the enemy has stolen from you through unbelief.  Unbelief was formed when Satan cast doubt on God's Word and character in the Garden of Eden, Eve took the bait and unbelief gave birth to full blown sin and rebellion against God.  There is absolutely forgiveness for all believers that get entangled in unbelief, yet it is the one sin that can eternally separate an unbeliever from eternal life.  We are called "believers", let's step up to our destiny to walk in faith.  Jesus took our unbelief on the cross and gave us His very faith (see Galatians 2:20 KJ).  In the New Covenant where faith is how receive all that Jesus has done for us versus our trying to perform works to somehow be in God's good graces, faith is foundational.  I believe many believers are not experiencing the destiny God has stored up for them because they are allowing unbelief in their heart and life.  Let's rise up in who we are, so we will see our inheritance.

A son and believer,
Bret