“Yet the Lord warned Israel and Judah through all His prophets and every seer, saying, ‘Turn back from your evil ways and keep My commandments and My statutes in accordance with all the Law which I commanded your fathers, and which I sent to you through My servants the prophets.’ However, they did not listen, but stiffened their neck like their fathers, who did not believe in the Lord their God. They rejected His statutes and His covenant which He made with their fathers, and His warnings which He gave them. And they followed idols and became empty, and followed the nations that surrounded them, about which the Lord had commanded them not to do as they did” (II Kings 17:13-15).
The bible is full of instruction, examples and parables about unbelief…why you ask? Quite simply, because unbelief is the opposite of faith and trusting God. The writer of II Kings explains very well in this passage. The people did not listen, rejected His statutes, followed idols, and followed people around them. Notice this progression of unbelief!
Similar to faith, unbelief deals with justification and sanctification. It is the unwillingness to believe God and that Jesus died and rose for sinners to gift eternal life. Unbelief is a state of mind but also can be a single act of sin. This unbelief prevents a person from knowing Jesus and receiving salvation.
However, unbelief is also prevalent in you and me.
As we endeavor to walk with God we frequently act in unbelief. When we stumble or disagree with God we tend toward doubting. We chose to do it our way instead of God’s way. Unbelief is the opposite of faith. We decide to trust in something other than God.
Unbelief can come in many forms. A simple lie, a secret sin, bitterness toward another person, cheating on a test, disrespect toward parents, and the list expands.
When we rely on our own logic or reason, we embrace the wisdom of the world. Our faith in God dissolves and we become deceived. We are all deceived into doubting God at some level. Deception is like a disease.
Without the treatment of God’s Word, we will slip into darkness and jeopardize our assurance. Trusting God and unbelief are inversely proportional. I call it the see-saw syndrome. When we trust God, unbelief goes down and vice versa. When the trials come, what do we do? When the pressure is on what do we do? We have two choices. Trust God or choose unbelief. And it is a choice!
As Christians we must remind ourselves that we choose faith in Him and must choose belief and daily trusting in Him. Let us do the opposite of the people of Israel and Judah. Trusting God means listening and accepting what He has said, avoiding idolatry by following and obeying Him alone.
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