Unbelief is the bloodline for disobedience…………

“People who believe in God's Son are not judged guilty. Those who do not believe have already been judged guilty, because they have not believed in God's one and only Son.”  John 3:18 NCV

Unbelief is a great sin, because it is the root of all other sins.

Unbelief is seen in the fall of Adam and Eve. "Ye shall not surely die"-and the woman began to doubt whether God would fulfill His threats-----the tree was pleasant looking, the fruit inviting-the prospect of being as God awakened sinful pride-she ate.   In unbelief sin commenced and led to disobedience.

 Unbelief is the bloodline for disobedience.

The Israelites "could not enter in because of unbelief" they had no sufficient confidence in the divine protection of God. So when the unbelieving messengers made a fearful report, the people refused to enter, and were condemned to wander until that generation perished in the wilderness.

They did not believe the clear promise of God's blessing, so amply attested, but they did believe the exaggerated report of difficulties.  Men are ready to believe what falls in with their feelings or their carnal fears, while they are slow to believe what God has spoken.  

Unbelief of the truth always connected with the belief of a lie-that earth is better than heaven, sin lovelier than holiness, time more important than eternity.

Unbelief is a grievous sin in itself.

If a man is unable to believe, it is only because he is unwilling.

Pride is unbelief pure and simple. We seek to lift ourselves up before others because we do not believe that God can or will lift us up. There is so much wasted effort among Christians today as we try vainly to impress each other. We seek to climb up the
“ladder of success” even in Christian ranks by stepping on the heads of those below us.

We promote ourselves, albeit it so secretly. We lie to keep from losing face. We are hypocritical, deceiving others lest they find out the real truth about us.

All this could be avoided if we only had faith. After all, the Bible tells us that God has maintained both our right and our cause (Psa. 9:4).  By having faith we can run the risk of seating ourselves in the lowest chair, as Christ advised us to do (Luke 14:8-11).

By having faith we can simply admit who we really are. We can fearlessly confess our sins one to another as the Bible says (Jas. 5:16), and expose ourselves to the light. Such bold moves would greatly enhance the quality of our fellowship with one another and with God (1 John 1:7).

The Bible has a fool-proof prescription for pride. Here it is in simple words: “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you” (1 Pet. 5:6-7).

Remember that God always resists the proud, but He gives grace to humble people.

In I Timothy 6:9 we read, “People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction” Greed, the lust for money and things, is merely unbelief that God can and will provide for each of us.

We can take any sin, and if we consider it carefully we will realize that at the root of that particular sin is unbelief. The Bible tells us, “...everything that does not come from faith is sin” (Rom. 14:23). On the other hand, whatever is sin is not from faith.  

No doubt because of this, the pathway of righteousness begins with belief. We first believe in God, as Abraham did long ago.

In Hebrews 11:6 it is stated: “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”  We not only believe in God but we also believe in His Word.

We do not just believe in God and in His Word. We also believe in the Son whom He has sent into the world as our Savior.  In John 20:31 we read, “But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you
may have life in his name.”

So we see that the life of faith is quite the opposite of unbelief. Yet, unbelief will be so rampant in the end times that the Lord Himself sighs when thinking of these days. He says in Luke 18:8, “…However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”

As we approach the end-days may we not stumble in unbelief, but may we be clothed with the whole armor of God. In our hand may we skillfully wield the “shield of faith” against all the sharp arrows of the enemy. After we have done all to stand, may we stand firm.