I want to talk about unbelief today. It is something we all deal with from time to time. We need to recognize unbelief and be aggressive in dealing with it. It pulls against the faith that God has given us. It pulls us in the opposite direction. We spend a lot of time trying to get more faith when all we need to do is deal with unbelief. Faith isn’t our problem. God has dealt to us the measure of faith! (Rom 12:3). I like this prayer of a father for his son in Mark 9:23-24 (NKJV)-23 Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.”24 Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!”. Thank God that He understands and wants to help us. It is so important for us to be honest with God. God doesn’t write us off when we struggle with unbelief and doubt. He gives us an antidote.
Let’s look at Mark 6:5-6 (NKJV)-5 Now He could do no mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them.6 And He marveled because of their unbelief. Then He went about the villages in a circuit, teaching.Notice in Matthew 13:58 (NKJV)-58 Now He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief. The Greek says He was amazed. Why was He amazed? Because he was not received in his hometown. There was no honor of who Jesus was. They did not esteem Him as the Son of God.(Isaiah 53:3). With all the news of His teachings, miracles, and healings, they were suspicious, doubtful, and didn’t recognize Him for who He truly was. He was more than just a carpenter’s son. They were so familiar they missed the supernatural. The answer to unbelief is the Word of God. We need to honor and esteem the living Word. Jesus went about teaching the word of God. We know faith comes by hearing and hearing the Word of God. (Romans 10:17). Romans 10:14 (NKJV)-14 How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? If God has dealt to every man a measure of faith what does hearing the Word of God do? It strengthens the belief in our hearts. It causes our faith to be active. For the unbeliever it causes them to be saved when they hear the Gospel and receive it by faith. Suppose you are struggling with unbelief and doubt regarding assurance of salvation, healing, provision, or direction for your life. God’s Word is the answer for you.
Do you want God’s Word to profit you? Look at Hebrews 4:1-2 (NKJV)-1 Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it.2 For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it. The Greek Word for profit means to be useful, i.e. to benefit:- advantage, better, prevail, profit. I like that! I want to have the advantage, to prevail, and to be better. Hebrews 4:6 (KJV)-6 Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief: Some translations say disobedience. God wants us to enter into our promised land. To enter the place of “Faith Rest”. A place where our confidence and trust are in Him. The term “not being mixed with faith” The Greek Word for mixed means to commingle, to combine or assimilate:- mix with, temper together. What we hear is important. What we hear is mixed with faith. A comingle, an assimilation, to combine and be tempered with and to the Word of God. Jesus said This type of heart would bring fruit 30, 60, 100 fold ( Mark 4:20).
This brings up another point. We can hear negative things and believe them in our hearts, like a bad report. Right away fear grips us! The only way to counteract this is with The Word of God! We are either motivated by fear or by faith. Isaiah 54:17 (NKJV)-17 No weapon formed against you shall prosper, And every tongue which rises against you in judgment You shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, And their righteousness is from Me,” Says the LORD. We need to pass judgment and condemn bad reports and negativity spoken against us. Maintaining a confession of faith, the confession of God’s Word instead of bad reports and negativity is so important. Hebrews 10:23 (NKJV)-23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. We can’t let go of God’s Word no matter what we are facing in life! The Greek Word wavering means “without bending” not leaning, “to bend”),” without wavering,” RV, “that it waver not.” We also find the word waver in James 1:6-7 (KJV)-6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.7 For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. The Greek Word here is diakrinō similar to the Greek Word above. It means: to separate thoroughly i.e. (literal and reflexive) to withdraw from, or (by implication) oppose; figurative to discriminate (by implication decide), or (reflexive) hesitate:- contend, make (to) differ (-ence), discern, doubt, judge, be partial, stagger, waver. We know we are in unbelief and doubt when we are divided in our minds. When we have two opinions. It is when a promise from God is not fixed or settled in our hearts. We hesitate, withdraw, and lean back and forth mentally. We go back and forth between faith and unbelief. We end up not receiving the promise of God.
In the life of Abraham, we see how he stood and trusted God after many years of believing for the child of promise. Romans 4:20-22 (NKJV)-20 He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God,21 and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform.22 And therefore “it was accounted to him for righteousness.” The Greek Word for waver again is diakrinō. He did not stagger at the promise of God. He didn’t have two different opinions about what God had promised. If God said it He believed it! The Bible says he was fully persuaded. The Greek word for persuaded is plērophoreō and it means; to carry out fully (in evidence), i.e. completely assure (or convince), entirely accomplish:- most surely believe, fully know (persuade), make full proof of. To make something fully known—by a process of reasoning, persuasion, or proclamation. You know you are not in unbelief when you no longer question God’s Word. You have fully carried out in your mind and heart that what God has said is true and you don’t believe differently. There is assurance and confidence in the promise of God. It is settled in your heart. In Mark’s gospel where Jesus talked about speaking to our mountains, He used the word doubt. Mark 11:23 (NKJV)-23 For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. This Word is diakrinō. He telling us not to waver but only believe. Here is another important point, Notice it states the word says three times in this verse. You know you are in unbelief and doubt when what you say is contradicting what God says. You cannot be in unbelief and faith at the same time. You can’t be saying God’s promise in one breath and another breath saying it must not be God’s will. You are being double-minded. You are vacillating between two opinions. God’s promise or unbelief and doubt.
We see varying degrees of unbelief in the scriptures. At one end we see unbelief in the rejection of Jesus. The refusal to believe in His name. To reject the salvation He brings. On the other end is the unbelief characterized by carnality. This type of unbelief and doubt is all about our five senses. What we feel or don’t feel. What we see or don’t see. I won’t believe it until I see it manifested. John 20:29 (NKJV)-29 Jesus said to him, “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” Jesus tells us in Mark 11:22 to have faith in God. It means to keep having faith in God. Don’t stop believing no matter what you feel or see or don’t feel or see. 2 Corinthians 5:7 (NKJV)
7 For we walk by faith, not by sight. We need to understand that unbelief and doubt can come from ignorance or it can come from wrong unbiblical teaching. There is a lot of religious teaching that goes against the Word of God. Some people don’t let the Word of God get in the way of what they believe. Mark 7:13 (NKJV)-13 making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down. And many such things you do.” The cure is the knowledge of God’s Word. The preaching of the whole gospel. 1 Thessalonians 2:13 (NKJV)-13 For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe. Look at Hosea 4:6a (NKJV)-6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge. We don’t have a faith problem we have a knowledge problem.
We need to be on guard against doubt and unbelief. We need to be aware of how the enemy would sow words of doubt and unbelief. We need to recognize his lies and replace them with the truth of God’s Word. We have the shield of faith to quench the fiery darts of the enemy. Ephesians 6:16 (NKJV)-16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. We don’t have to be struggling with doubt and unbelief. Especially when we have been standing in faith for a long period. We can’t waver but stand strong like Abraham. Romans 4:20 (NKJV)-20 He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God. What will undergird your faith and keep it strong and active is praise. Unbelief can manifest itself through whining, complaining, and being unthankful. Colossians 2:6-7 (NKJV)-6 As you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him,7 rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving. We need to keep thanking and praising God no matter what it looks like. When we maintain this on the inside we will see it manifested on the outside. Whether it is for salvation, healing, or provision. When we understand the will of God. His Word is His will for us. It will demolish unbelief and doubt and you will receive the promises of God! Amen!
1 John 5:14-15 (NKJV)-14 Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.15 And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.
In Christ’s Love;
Brent and Linda Bushen
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Be alert and stay alert; be on the lookout and do it constantly; watch and keep on watching.
There is great danger that believers might depart from the living God. They might do just what Israel did. Therefore, be careful—take heed (Blepete). Keep a watchful eye on your trust and obedience to God. Watch for an evil heart of unbelief. What is an evil heart of unbelief? It is a heart that…
- stands off from God
- stands aloof from God
- renounces God
- rebels against God
- does not believe in God
- does not trust God and His promises
- does not follow God as He demands
Practical Word Studies in The New Testament.