Unbelief and Unfaithfulness.

As believers, we all know how vital and even essential belief or faith is in our Christian life.  We are saved by faith or belief (Acts 16:31), justified by faith (Romans 5:1), forgiven by faith (Acts 10:43), and given eternal life by faith (1 Timothy 1:16).  Peter wrote that the outcome of your faith is the salvation of your soul (1 Peter 1:9).

If faith (or belief) is so necessary, what is the outcome of a lack of faith?  Hebrews plainly says, “Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him” (11:6).  Jesus Himself shows the result of disbelief: “He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God” (John 3:17).  Even in the Great Commission, the Lord said, “He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned” (Mark 16:16).  The book of Revelation shows us that the “unbelieving” will have their part in the lake of fire, which is the second death (21:8).  Faith in God and in Christ definitely is absolutely essential to us!

From passages like this, we can see that the one who does not have personal faith in God and the Lord Jesus Christ cannot please God, will be judged by God, will be condemned, and will be sent to hell—the lake of fire.  Unbelief indeed must be reckoned with and remedied.  Lack of faith is a tragic sin that results in a plethora of other sins!  We can see why Jesus would say, “Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life” (Revelation 2:10).

There are some professing Christians who have an objective “belief” in certain facts of Scripture and certain truths about Christ. But where is their trust? Where is their reliance?  Where is their confidence?  Are they trusting in their own good deeds to give them entrance into heaven?  Are they even trusting in their faith—having faith in faith?  Luke tells of certain religious ones who “trusted in themselves that they were righteous”—but were lost in sin (Luke 18:9).

In contrast, Paul says that we must “not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead” (2 Corinthians 1:9). Where is our faith?  Scripture says that we must place our reliance on God and His saving work.  We must trust in Christ Jesus and His saving work on the cross if we would be forgiven and accepted by a righteous God.  Indeed, unbelief is a serious sin that will condemn us!  “Take care, brethren, that there not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God” (Hebrews 3:12).