PRE-431-431. The Seriousness of Unbelief

431. The Seriousness of Unbelief

The Seriousness of Unbelief

by David Wilkerson

February 6, 2006

[May 19, 1931 '96 April 27, 2011]

Few devoted Christians would think of themselves as having unbelief. For years I'92ve been baffled by something Jesus said: '93When the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?'94 (Luk_18:8). The question implies a lack of faith not just on the earth but among God'92s people.

Why would Jesus say this? Faith is one of the most talked-about subjects in the church. Godly preachers emphasize it, and there'92s a flood of books on the topic. Great works are being done, huge projects undertaken, all in the name of faith. So, what is Jesus telling us by asking, '93When the trumpet finally sounds, will I find any faith at all?'94

We find a clue in the sober warning of Heb_3:12 : '93Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.'94 This verse says we should recognize unbelief in ourselves whenever we '93depart from the living God.'94 Yet, what does it mean to depart from the Lord?

It happens through our doubts about God'92s faithfulness. If we allow even small seeds of unbelief to grow in our hearts, we'92ll end up in a sorry condition. This passage warns us, '93Be on guard, and don'92t allow any unbelief to take root. At times the Lord may seem distant to you. But don'92t let your heart depart from the reality of his faithfulness.'94

A pastor from another city approached me recently after one of our church services. As he spoke, his head was bowed in discouragement. He said he'92d been meeting monthly with a group of pastors from various denominations in his town.

'93But, Brother David,'94 he said, '93our meetings have become depressing. Our numbers are dwindling because more and more are quitting the ministry. We never hear a word from God anymore. And many go about their ministry feeling hopeless. They'92ve lost all joy. Now their wives are fed up and urging them to quit. It depresses me because I love these men. I'92m hungry for us to hear from the Lord again.'94

I see something similar happening in many Bible colleges and seminaries. Some of these institutions have actually become hotbeds of unbelief. Students enter convinced of the inerrancy of Scripture, of God'92s ability to perform miracles, of a literal heaven and hell. But if they express their beliefs during class, a professor may ridicule them. He calls their beliefs '93old school,'94 and mocks them as being uneducated and insecure. Many sincere young people graduate with no faith whatsoever, because they'92ve been robbed of all confidence in God.

Yet the Bible tells us in no uncertain terms: '93Without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him'94 (Heb_11:6).

Let me show you how seriously God takes our sin of unbelief.

1. Unbelief is the sin that exasperates God.

In Exo_17:1-16, Israel arrived in the wilderness called Sin. There was no drinking water in sight, and the people angrily chided Moses: '93Give us water that we may drink'94 (Exo_17:2). They treated God'92s anointed as if he were their personal miracle worker. Yet not one of them turned to the Lord in prayer. Nobody said, '93Look, God has worked many water-miracles for us. He parted the Red Sea to deliver us from Pharaoh. And he sweetened the bitter waters at Marah. Surely he'92ll provide drinking water for us here.'94

You know the rest of the story. God instructed Moses to stand before a rock and strike it. When he did, rivers of water flowed out, more than enough to meet the people'92s thirst. But the Lord put a name to this episode of unbelief. He called the place Massah, which means provocation, as well as exasperated, fed up, irritated. God was telling Israel, '93You'92ve totally exasperated me with your unbelief.'94

Please understand, the Lord wasn'92t just slightly grieved here; he was exasperated to the point of anger. Yet he wasn'92t provoked merely by the people'92s complaints. It was much worse than that: they had accused him of abandoning them in their trial. They had said to Moses, '93Wherefore is this that thou hast brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst?'85 Is the Lord among us, or not?'94 (17:3, 7).

Their inference was, '93If God is with us, where is he now? We don'92t see any sign of his presence or power. Is the Lord dead or alive? How can we believe in a God who allows so many awful things?'94

You may think, '93Poor Israel. All they wanted was water for their crying children. Anybody would be parched if they went without water. Who wouldn'92t complain?'94 But the issue here wasn'92t a lack of water. Nor was it that God was holding back blessings from his people. He'92d just given Israel all the water they needed from the rock.

No, God was exasperated for a very good cause. We find the reason later in Scripture, as Moses recalled the episode at Massah. He said, '93Ye rebelled against the commandment of the Lord your God, and ye believed him not, nor hearkened to his voice. Ye have been rebellious against the Lord from the day that I knew you'94 (Deu_9:23-24). Moses was telling Israel, '93You'92ve been rebellious ever since I'92ve known you. You'92ve never obeyed or believed God'92s Word.'94

So, what was the real issue? According to Moses, it was that Israel never truly had faith. They had never fully committed themselves to trusting the Lord. In fact, these Israelites had been harboring idols all along. They kept little gods hidden away in their tents, to fall back on in case God failed them. The Lord said, '93Ye offered to me slain beasts and sacrifices'85in the wilderness'85(but) ye took up the tabernacle of Moloch, and the star of your god Remphan, figures which ye made to worship them'94 (Act_7:42-43).

Can you imagine God'92s exasperation with these people now? They were blaming him for their lack of water, demanding, '93Why hasn'92t the Lord answered our prayers?'94 Yet all along, they turned to foreign gods to deliver them. God'92s anger here wasn'92t some test of Israel'92s faith; it was a thundering call to repentance. He hadn'92t held back his favor from them at all.

A youth pastor wrote to me recently of an experience like Israel'92s. He said, '93When I came to the Lord, I didn'92t give up my worldly music. I didn'92t care how evil the musicians might be. It was my music, and no preacher could persuade me to forsake it.

'93I even introduced it to the youth groups I led. I wanted to draw in crowds of kids by giving them the music they wanted. We used hard rock, punk, rap, mosh pits. But then the youth group began to die spiritually. They stopped listening to God'92s Word and to my teaching, and all kinds of immorality broke out. It was absolute death.

'93I prayed and prayed that God would somehow awaken them, but nothing ever happened. One day, the Holy Spirit answered me very bluntly: '91You brought your foreign idol into my house. It'92s your ungodly music, which you know I detest. And now you'92ve corrupted your whole flock with it. Remove that idol from your heart, and get it away from these young people. Then I'92ll move in your midst.'92

'93I immediately got rid of the music. And I brought in worship music instead. I made my messages simple and direct, straight from the Scriptures. And soon the Holy Ghost was moving again. Now my young people are thriving spiritually.'94

This is exactly what God wanted to do in Israel. He was telling the people, '93I'92m not holding any good thing back from you. When you asked me to meet your thirst, I moved instantly, bringing water from the rock. Now I'92m only trying to get your attention. I want to speak to you about the hidden things in your life.'94

Do you believe God sees your hidden things?

Do you believe the Lord blesses Christians who try to serve him while holding onto a bosom lust? That is the real crime of unbelief: to harbor something in secret and not bring it into God'92s light for deliverance.

It is one thing to be bound to a habitual lust and hate it. Such a person despises his secret sin and struggles mightily against it. He cries out to God for deliverance and seeks the godly counsel of others. This servant can be sure the Lord will be patient with him through his struggle.

Think of it: the Israelites were still carrying their idols at Massah. That means they'92d clung to them through the parted waves of the Red Sea. They'92d held onto them even as Pharaoh'92s army bore down on them. And they'92d hidden them even after God sweetened the bitter waters at Marah. Now, at Massah, God delivered them without judgment again, filling their bellies with cool water. Indeed, all along God had blessed Israel in spite of their idolatry.

Yet the people went on hiding their sin. They praised the Lord, enjoying his protection under the cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night. Why did they go on this way? '93Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil'94 (Ecc_8:11).

Israel'92s unbelief had nothing to do with God'92s power to deliver them. They'92d seen him work miracles for them time after time. No, these people simply didn'92t take God'92s commandments seriously. They'92d become comfortable in their sin, because the Lord hadn'92t speedily judged them for it. They had no fear of consequences; after all, none of their children had died, and they still had manna and meat from heaven.

In short, the Israelites had lost their fear of God. They secretly thought, '93We should have been consumed by holy fire by now, for disbelieving God'92s wrath. But he has never brought judgment on our sin. So, we might as well keep having devotions.'94 They took for granted Jeremiah'92s statement: '93It is of the Lord'92s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not'94 (Lam_3:22).

2. Unbelief hinders all deliverance from the power and dominion of Satan.

I'92m convinced that every unsubdued sin is caused by unbelief. And right now, multitudes of Christians are fighting a losing battle with their sin. In fact, many have already given up the fight. They'92re convinced some powerful demonic spirit has taken up a stronghold in them and can'92t be expelled. So they live in wretchedness, bound by a besetting sin. Paul expresses the cry of their heart: '93O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?'94 (Rom_7:24).

But Paul answers his own question in the next verse: '93I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord'94 (7:25). In other words, '93Jesus Christ sets me free from the power and dominion of sin.'94 How is this so? Is this merely a theological truth we'92re to accept? Or should it have a practical outworking in our life? How does Christ truly deliver us?

The answer is so simple, we often don'92t get it. It'92s too simple for Hindus, who reject it in favor of works. They'92d rather crawl for miles to try to pacify God over their sins. Jews also reject this truth, preferring to keep over 630 rules and regulations, hoping to balance the books for their sins. Moslems would rather prostrate themselves and do good deeds, trying to appease Allah for their shortcomings. Even many Christians would rather add some rule of self-reliance to their deliverance. They make promises to God and try to beat down all the desires of their flesh in their own strength.

But here is the simple, uncomplicated gospel: whenever there is genuine repentance, there is instant forgiveness. And there is instant cleansing, as well as continual openness to the throne of God. If we believe these truths, we'92re made free.

Sin makes us want to hide from God'92s presence.

Here is the essence of unbelief among Christians: when we sin, failing God, we tend to run from his presence. We think he'92s too angry to want to commune with us. How could he possibly share intimacy with us, when we'92ve sinned so grievously?

So we stop praying. In our shame, we think, '93I can'92t go to God in this condition.'94 And we begin trying to work our way back into his good graces. We'92re convinced we just need time to get ourselves clean. If we can stay pure for a few weeks, avoiding our sinful habit, we think we'92ll prove ourselves worthy to approach his throne again.

This is evil unbelief, and it'92s a crime in God'92s eyes. When we confess our sin, including our besetting habits, God doesn'92t interrogate us. He doesn'92t demand proof of repentance, asking, '93Are you truly sorry? I don'92t see any tears. Do you promise never to commit this sin again? Go now, fast for two days a week, and pray for an hour every day. If you make it that long without falling, we'92ll commune again.'94

May it never be. When Jesus reconciled us to the Father at the Cross, it was for all time. That means if I sin, I don'92t have to be reconciled to God all over again; I'92m not cut off from the Lord, suddenly unreconciled. No, the veil of separation was rent permanently at the Cross, and I forever have access to God'92s throne, through Christ'92s blood. The door is never closed to me: '93In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him'94 (Eph_3:12).

The Bible states clearly that if any of us sins, we have an advocate with the Father in Jesus Christ. We may stand outside the door of his throne room, feeling rotten and unclean. But if we stay there, refusing to go in, we'92re not being humble; we'92re acting in unbelief. '93Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need'94 (Heb_4:16).

What is our '93time of need'94? It'92s whenever we'92ve failed our blessed Lord. The moment we sin, we'92re in need of grace and mercy. And God invites us to come boldly to his throne then, with confidence, to receive everything we need. We'92re not to come to him only when we feel upright or holy; we'92re to come every time we'92re in need.

Moreover, we don'92t have to wait to get our souls cleansed. '93If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness'94 (1Jn_1:9). John says we'92re not to try to work at being cleansed, over hours, days or weeks. It happens instantaneously, as soon as we come to the Lord.

So, do you have the faith to believe in God'92s instantaneous forgiveness? Can you accept instant, uninterrupted communion with the Father? That'92s exactly what Scripture urges us to do. You see, the same faith that saves us and forgives us is also the faith that keeps us. Peter says we '93are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time'94 (1Pe_1:5). What an incredible truth.

Yet, our unbelief prevents us from accessing God'92s keeping power. And over time, as we face sin'92s continual onslaught, we may start to despair. Beloved, this simply shouldn'92t be. God has given us wonderful New Covenant promises. But they'92re of no use unless we believe and appropriate them. Our Lord has pledged to put his law in our hearts, be God to us, keep us from falling, implant his fear in us, give us power to obey, cause us to walk in his ways. But we have to fully believe this.

3. Luk_1:1-80 includes one of the most revealing cases of the seriousness of unbelief.

You remember the story of godly Zacharias, the father of John the Baptist. Zacharias was a devoted priest who suffered because of a single episode of unbelief. His story illustrates just how seriously God takes this sin.

Scripture says Zacharias was '93righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless'94 (Luk_1:6). Here was a pious man who wore the robes of his respected position. He ministered before the altar of incense, which represented prayer and supplication, acts of pure worship. In short, Zacharias was faithful and obedient, a servant who longed for the Messiah'92s coming.

One day, as Zacharias was ministering, God sent the angel Gabriel to tell him his wife would have a son. Gabriel said the son'92s birth would be a cause for rejoicing for many in Israel, and he gave Zacharias detailed instructions on how to raise the boy. Yet, as the angel spoke, Zacharias trembled in fear. Suddenly, this devout man'92s mind was filled with doubt, and he gave in to terrible unbelief. He asked the angel, '93How do I know you'92re telling me the truth? After all, my wife and I are old'94 (see 1:18).

God didn'92t take kindly to Zacharias'92 doubt, and he passed this sentence on the priest: '93Behold, thou shalt be dumb, and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall be performed, because thou believest not my words'94 (1:20, my italics).

What does this episode tell us? It says unbelief shuts our ears to God, even when he'92s speaking clearly to us. It shuts us off from fresh revelation. And it keeps us from intimate communion with the Lord. Suddenly, because we no longer hear from God, we have nothing to preach or testify. It doesn'92t matter how faithful or diligent we may be. Like Zacharias, we bring on ourselves a paralysis of both our ears and tongue.

Finally, we'92re confronted by this verse in Hebrews: '93We see that they could not enter in because of unbelief'94 (Heb_3:19). Only one sin kept Israel out of the promised land: unbelief.

Canaan represents a place of rest, peace, fruitfulness, assurance, fullness, satisfaction, everything a true believer longs for. It'92s also a place where the Lord speaks clearly to his people, directing them, '93This is the way, walk in it.'94 But Israel couldn'92t enter the Promised Land because of one sin.

That sin wasn'92t adultery (and Scripture calls these Israelites an adulterous generation). It wasn'92t their rampant divorcing. (Jesus said Moses granted divorces to that generation because they were so hardhearted.) It wasn'92t rage, jealousy, sloth or backbiting. It wasn'92t even their secret idolatry. Those sins were all the result of unbelief.

No, it was this sin, unbelief, that prevented God'92s people from entering Canaan. Therefore, Hebrews urges us today, '93Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief'94 (Heb_4:11).

I have known many Christians who decided to get serious about their walk with the Lord. They determined to become more studious in his Word, and they fasted and prayed with renewed conviction. They set their hearts to cling to God through every situation in life. As I observed their lives, I thought, '93Surely all their devotion will bring a glow of joy. They can'92t help but reflect God'92s peace and rest.'94

But all too often, the opposite was true. Many never did enter into God'92s promised rest. They were still unsure, restless, questioning God'92s leading, worried about their future. Why? They had a habitual leaven of unbelief. All their devotion and activity had been rendered ineffective because of it.

The believing servant clings to God'92s New Covenant promise: '93I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them'94 (Eze_36:27). He also clings to this Word: '93I will cause him to draw near, and he shall approach unto me'85I will cause them to walk by the rivers of waters in a straight way, wherein they shall not stumble'94 (Jer_30:21; Jer_31:9).

Finally, Hebrews declares, '93Some must enter therein'94 (Heb_4:6). The writer is saying, in essence, '93Somebody has to enter into this incredible promise.'94 I ask you: why not you, believer? Why not me? If our unbelief is keeping us out, we should pray, '93Lord, help my unbelief. Heal my unbelief. Give me an abundance of faith.'94

Our God has made incredible promises to us. And he desires that we hold him to these promises. So, let us lay hold of his wonderful Word. May each of us enter into his promised rest. Then our lives will be a glowing testimony to this generation. ■

By: David Wilkerson