Hebrews 3: 18 And to whom swore he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not?
19 So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.
Throughout the history of our world, persons who have truly believed in God have always been in the minority. That is not something new, for from the time sin entered in the garden of Eden, the spirit of unbelief has been passed down to every generation, some more some less.
And as we get closer to the end of earth’s history, a very strong undercurrent of doubt and unbelief will grip persons with iron fingers from which it will be very difficult to escape. Most of the difficulties we experience in surmounting hurdles, challenges and problems in life, are indeed the result of unbelief.
For the record, God has given to His people a very different way of life, in contrast with secular modes of thought and action. The way true Christians are to approach difficulty is quite different to how the secular mind will deal with the same problems, and often with greatly varying results.
The weapons of our warfare are not carnal nor are they visible to the naked eye, for they are spiritual in nature. Very many of the challenges we’ll face in the spiritual realm, such as bad habits, illicit desires, self-control, and unbelief, are intangible. Therefore, our approach to subduing these issues will require invisible strategies.
There are several ways to cross the red sea. You can sail across, fly across, or persons can walk across by faith. There are several ways to deal with infectious diseases, financial difficulty, weight-loss, addictions, mental health problems, infertility, and any other issue that may arise from time to time.
Faith in The Living God is the key by which all of the supernatural resources of heaven are unlocked, and for all those who truly believe, we will discover that although we would have problems, just like anyone else, yet the methods that God instructs us to use will move mountains, and defy logic, where secular methods would often fail miserably.
We are facing an invisible foe and if we desire to be conquerors in the battles of life, we will have to use invisible weapons. That’s, why the Bible lists several key weapons in the Christian’s arsenal which cannot be touched, interfered with or hacked. Faith, prayer and belief, together with obedience, and the sword of the spirit are just a few to mention.
But when employed against the visible and invisible forces of darkness, they produce amazing results, in contrast to carnal methods. But, for all intents and purposes history teaches us that the majority of the professedly Christian world prefers to employ those methods that are approved or recommended by the secular mind.
One day when Christ was in His own hometown, He desired to do some mighty work, but He could not, for something prevented Him from doing so. If I told my son to carry out the garbage, and he came back and told me that he did not, that answer suggests that he may have made a deliberate decision not to.
But if he came back and told me that he could not carry out the garbage that would suggest that some issue, some hindrance, or obstacle, prevented him from doing so, and by implication, it means that he tried but failed in his attempts to comply.
In Jesus’ case He wanted to work mighty miracles in the town where He was, but something hindered Him. Therefore, the Bible does not say that He “did not”, it says that He could not, which means that He was restricted in His efforts to do so. Let’s read:
Mark 6:2 And when the sabbath day was come, he began to teach in the synagogue: and many hearing him were astonished, saying, From whence hath this man these things? and what wisdom is this which is given unto him, that even such mighty works are wrought by his hands?
3 Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him.
4 But Jesus, said unto them, A prophet is not without honor, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house.
5 And he could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk and healed them.
Jesus is actually itching to bless His people, but our unbelief hinders Him to a great extent, and whereas in certain instances, where miraculous deliverance would have greatly honored His name, our unbelief often throws cold water on His efforts, and golden opportunities to lift up the name of Christ are often lost.
There are several reasons why the majority of folks who name the name of Jesus suffer unnecessarily because of unbelief, and these reasons will need to addressed at the root cause, for great changes in our approach to last day events would need to be incorporated into our thoughts and actions. Some of the more prominent reasons are listed below.
[1] The methods of faith.
One of the sticking points in the exercise of faith is the method that God might employ. Whenever the method of faith contravenes norms, there unbelief often rears its head, for it can be difficult to wrap our heads around something we are not used to, or something that might go contrary to conventional wisdom.
For instance, if in the Hebrew’s attempt to cross the Red sea, God were to park a Carnival cruise line ship near the shore most of them wouldn’t have had any problem with that. But to walk across is an entirely different story, for the mental roadblocks to doing so would be logic, science, and a lack of precedent.
Naaman would gladly have preferred to take one of those pharmaceutical concoctions, with names that cannot be pronounced, rather than dip seven times. It was the sheer simplicity of the method Elisha had given that irritated him, but if he were instructed to undergo some complex intricate medical procedure, he would not have batted an eye.
On this issue of the methods of faith persons should never conclude that God is giving us uncanny ways and means for the sole purpose of humbling human pride. This is an entirely erroneous view, for we are to remember that we have become accustomed to doing things in ways God never originally intended.
God never originally intended that boats should be used for travel. Airplanes and cruise liners, cars and other modes of transport that we’ve now become accustomed to, which pollute the atmosphere were never in God’s plan originally because all travel was meant to be accomplished in a manner that would be environmentally friendly.
There would be no ships, no airplanes, no rockets in heaven, nor cars nor any motorized vehicles, and if we are to ask an holy angel how to cross the Red sea, they would show us entirely different ways that would transcend our current knowledge of travel.
Thus, its not to make us look stupid why God often employs strange methods of faith; it’s just to show us that there are different, better, and easier ways of doing things using the methods of faith which in many instances might seem illogical to us. When it came time for Elijah to cross the Jordan, he took his mantle and smote the water, and he walked across on dry land.
Again, when Jesus determined to cross the sea of Galilee to rescue His disciples from the storm, His preferred method was walking, and therefore, the methods of faith may often cause some Christians to drawback in unbelief, for in many cases those methods are not conventional by any means.
When the multitude became hungry after listening to Christ’s sermon, He asked Phillip how they would get bread to feed the people. This question by Jesus was deliberately meant to test Phillip’s faith, but as is too often the case he resorted to those restrictive methods that only fall within known human norms.
The eye of faith which would grasp unseen realities and thus take hold of Omnipotence, was never even considered and thus, like the Hebrews of old, Phillip unconsciously limited the power of God through his unbelief, and Jesus was grieved in spirit. Let’s read:
John 6: 5 When Jesus then lifted up his eyes, and saw a great company come unto him, he saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat?
6 And this he said to prove him: for he himself knew what he would do.
7 Philip answered him, Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may take a little.
8 One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, saith unto him,
9 There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many?
Thus, the methods, the ways, and the means God may employ from time to time may seem stupid to the unbelieving mind but when we study the sacred record, we would observe that the heroes of faith apparently did mostly “stupid” things according to the so-called wisdom of man. Let’s read:
Hebrews 11: 6 But without 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.
8 By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.
24 By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter;
25 Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;
26 Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompense of the reward.
29 By faith they passed through the Red sea as by dry land: which the Egyptians assaying to do were drowned.
30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they were compassed about seven days.
31 By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not, when she had received the spies with peace.
Joshua 2:1 And Joshua the son of Nun sent out of Shittim two men to spy secretly, saying, Go view the land, even Jericho. And they went, and came into an harlot's house, named Rahab, and lodged there.
15 Then she let them down by a cord through the window: for her house was upon the town wall, and she dwelt upon the wall.
Hebrews 11:32 And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephtha; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets,
33 Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions.
34 Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.
35 Women received their dead raised to life again.
[2] A lack of Precedent
Precedent meaning: An earlier event or action that is regarded as an example or guide to be considered in subsequent similar circumstances.
Many would-be Christians would stumble and fall when it comes time to believe and act upon certain instructions coming from God, for which there are no precedents. Wherever there has been at least one prior instance we can point to, where God did something great in the past, this fact often gives our faith a boost, and we begin to sing that song: “He’ll Do It Again”.
That is all well and good, but whenever there isn’t any precedent, no historical record to lean on, then unbelief often rears its head again. We are almost certain, that if previously someone had passed their menopause for years and then had had a child, then Sarah would not have laughed when God said she would have a son in her old age.
But, because there wasn’t any precedent, no prior instance of this science baffling occurrence, Sarah thought that what God said sounded funny. It ain’t funny! Again, if it had rained at least once before the flood, those antediluvians might have thought twice about making fun of the predictions of Noah.
But because it had never rained before, what Noah predicted sounded like a big joke, and the spirit of unbelief found fertile ground in most hearts, being backed up by research, data, and a total lack of any known precedent.
Thus, it is a solemn statement we make, that the spirit of unbelief often looms large when there is no historical precedent for us to lean on. Let’s read:
Hebrews 11:7 By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.
Therefore, according to the raw data given in the Bible, the overwhelming majority of believers are actually prone to unbelief and the root cause of this is our preference for carnal methods. In fact, when we observe the ratios given in the scriptures, we are confronted with bone-chilling figures as it pertains to the spirit of unbelief. Let’s read:
Noah: 8/ approximately 7 billion. Gideon: 300/ 32,000. Joshua and Caleb: 2/ 10. David: 1/ the entire army. Jonathan: 2/ 600. Daniel: 4/ approximately 20,000, and in 1844: 50/ half a million.
But God has given us unmistakable proof that the spiritual ways and means He has instructed us to use do work, and if they are employed a brand, new day will dawn in our relationship with God. Let’s read:
2nd Corinthians 10:3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh.
4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;
5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.
Ephesians 6: 10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
11 Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.
Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. 2 For by it the elders obtained a good report. 6 But without 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.
Numbers 13:17 And Moses sent them to spy out the land of Canaan, and said unto them, Get you up this way southward, and go up into the mountain.
18 And see the land, what it is, and the people that dwelleth therein, whether they be strong or weak, few or many;
19 And what the land is that they dwell in, whether it be good or bad; and what cities they be that they dwell in, whether in tents, or in strong holds;
20 And what the land is, whether it be fat or lean, whether there be wood therein, or not. And be ye of good courage and bring of the fruit of the land.
23 And they came unto the brook of Eshcol, and cut down from thence a branch with one cluster of grapes, and they bare it between two upon a staff; and they brought of the pomegranates, and of the figs.
We were just wondering what they are going to focus on when they give their report. Just wondering!
Numbers 13:26 And they went and came to Moses, and to Aaron, and to all the congregation of the children of Israel, and shewed them the fruit of the land.
27 And they told him, and said, We came unto the land whither thou sentest us, and surely it floweth with milk and honey; and this is the fruit of it.
28 Nevertheless the people be strong that dwell in the land, and the cities are walled, and very great: and moreover we saw the children of Anak there.
30 And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it.
31 But the men that went up with him said, We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we.
32 And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched unto the children of Israel, saying, The land, through which we have gone to search it, is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and all the people that we saw in it are men of a great stature.
33 And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.
The ratio of words of unbelief, as opposed to words of faith stands at 26/172. Then the servant of The Lord writes something that should concern all of us, as it pertains to our human nature, and the spirit of unbelief, for it will become evident, that our minds are naturally, heavily tilted towards unbelief, instead of faith. Let’s read:
[Patriarchs & Prophets pp 390] If only the two men had brought the evil report, and all the ten had encouraged them to possess the land in the name of the Lord they would still have taken the advice of the two in preference to the ten, because of their wicked unbelief.
[Patriarchs & Prophets pp 293] The history of the wilderness life of Israel was chronicled for the benefit of the Israel of God to the close of time. The record of God's dealings with the wanderers of the desert in all their marching to and fro, in their exposure to hunger, thirst, and weariness, and in the striking manifestations of His power for their relief, is fraught with warning and instruction for His people in all ages.
The varied experience of the Hebrews was a school of preparation for their promised home in Canaan. God would have His people in these days review with a humble heart and teachable spirit the trials through which ancient Israel passed, that they may be instructed in their preparation for the heavenly Canaan.
Thus, in order for us to dispel the spirit of unbelief permanently, we should understand that we must focus on the positives in life. And even though in the scriptures good and evil, victory and defeat are presented, yet, in every situation, God will have us to look on the brighter side.
Doing so would greatly improve both our outlook, and perspectives so that a solid resilience would be our experience. It is a law of human minds, that by beholding we become changed, therefore, if we’re mostly dwelling on negatives, we will become more negative and unbelieving. Let’s read:
Matthew 13:24 Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field:
25 But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.
26 But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also.
36 Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field.
The parable was about the sower who sowed good seed, but when the disciples ask for an explanation, their focus is on the tares, and nothing is mentioned of the wheat. Thus, fallen, human nature naturally gravitates towards the negatives, not the positives, and that’s why the overwhelming majority of what the media presents is bad news.
In reporting on Covid, the numbers of the dead are tabulated daily, but scarcely anything is said of the untold millions who have survived. Mass shootings are counted daily, the dire results of climate change are showcased, and the rapid increase of crime is often featured prominently on the news. Thus, when they are finished with you, with all the bad news, some folks may go looking for a condo in some monastery or convent, being too scared to even live or breathe.
A phenomenon that often takes place in the lives of many Christians is that when one prays often about some problem the problem only seems to get larger and you would not believe what is causing this. It is because we’re praying too much about the problem and the more we do, the more it looms large, until doubt and unbelief may take over.
But the real reason why we feel it necessary to put our problems before God very often, is because of unbelief. God does not desire us to have problems ever before our faces, for by beholding we become changed. In other words, focusing on problems is a recipe to breed even more problems.
The instruction of the Bible is for us to be aware of problems, but not to focus on them, for doing so would often cause faith to dwindle, and unbelief to flourish. When Job was passing through his time of trouble, God appeared to him, but God made not a single mention of his problems.
Instead He pointed his mind to the starry heavens, to the great facts of creation, and to His omnipotent power, but not once did God discuss Job’s problems because doing so would only blow the issues out of proportion and foster unbelief.
Until Job learned to remove the focus from himself, and his very real problems he would continue to see more problems, but when his attention is turned to serving others, his problems would be alleviated. It is this pattern that must be followed, if unbelief and doubt are to be dispelled. Let’s read:
Job 42: 10 And the Lord turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends: also the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before.
There’s no need to worry about our salvation, if we know we have given our lives to Christ. Instead, let us believe those mighty promises He has made to us, not focusing on our failures but rather let’s seek to minister to others and the unbelief and problems would be greatly dispelled. Let’s read:
Philippians 1: 6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.
Jude 1:24 Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, 25 To the only wise God our Savior, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.
John 10: 27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. 29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.
Thus, if by the grace of God, and by our decisions to trust Him we focus on the positives, we would begin to live victoriously from day to day, and our faith would grow stronger, for when we dwell in victory, doing so often tends to breed more victories. The choice is actually ours, to choose what we would focus on. Let’s read:
Deuteronomy 11:26 Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse;
27 A blessing, if ye obey the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you this day:
28 And a curse, if ye will not obey the commandments of the Lord your God.
Deuteronomy 30:15 See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil;
Matthew 25:1 Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.
2 And five of them were wise, and five were foolish.
14 For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods.
15 And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey.
31 When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:
32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats.
Revelation 22:11 He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.
Isaiah 21:11 The burden of Dumah. He calleth to me out of Seir, Watchman, what of the night? Watchman, what of the night?
12 The watchman said, The morning cometh, and also the night.
In our day, we have no reason not to believe, for we are pregnant with precedents, factual evidence, and historical data, together with the many experiences of the faithful, who have gone before, so that there is not a valid reason why we should still indulge the spirit of unbelief.
Again, we are facing momentous times, and it may be that our faith in God will include experiences for which there are no precedents. Yet, through it all, The Lord wants us to cultivate a believing attitude, a cheerful spirit that is cognizant of the dangers, but which focuses much more on God’s power to save, and on the brighter side of the equation.
Let us therefore encourage a living faith that takes hold of omnipotence, and unseen realities, for the just shall live by faith, not by research, and secular philosophies which often tend to limit God. We’ll end with a passage of scripture that should foster a believing spirit in all who so desire. Let’s read:
1st John 5:4 For whatsoever is born of God overcomes the world: and this is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith.
God bless!