But the fearful and unbelieving....
All unbelief is sin. That which is not of faith is sin. All
unrighteousness is sin. That is scripture and that is the
truth. The Jews in the desert who grew up in Egypt did not enter
the Promised Land because of unbelief. There bodies left Egypt
but their souls were still there. They murmured and complained,
they tempted Christ, and they fornicated. They were fearful and
unbelieving. No matter how many times God delivered them, they
refused to believe. They rather believe the report of the ten
scouts who saw themselves as grasshoppers compared to the giants in the
land, and for that, they lost the blessing. shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire Rev21:8 We usually think of sin as the transgression of the law which it is, but we do not think of sin in new covenant terms. We do not think of sin as fear, the opposite of faith, or unbelief, which kept the first generation Jew out of Canaan. Hebrews tells us that there is a rest for the people of God, a rest of faith. Unless we believe God, when the storms of life assail, we will lose our rest. We will lose our peace. We will murmur and complain. We will tempt Christ. We will wonder where God is and why he is letting us suffer this trial. While all the time God is looking for a people of faith, people who are the righteousness of God by faith. Many of us have gone to church for years, have heard the word of God over and over again. Yet it does not reach the heart for if we believe in the heart that God raised Christ from the dead we would be saved. We would confess the Lord Jesus with our mouths and we would believe. We would see our trials as more precious than gold which perishes and we would rest in the Lord. But most of us don't. Like the Jew in Egypt, we live in a pagan culture and it is very difficult for us to get out of that culture and walk by faith. The only difference between the Jew raised in Egypt and the person living in today's world is today we are in the dispensation of grace. God will honor those who call on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and he aids us with the gift of the Holy Spirit. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. But if you don't make it your most important priority, to believe God and spend time in the word, you will not make it into the Promised Land. We are justified by faith apart from the law so even a vain attempt at keeping the commandments won't save you. Has Christ made a difference in your life? Do you believe goodness and mercy shall follow you all the days of your life and you will dwell in the house of the Lord forever? Do you know that greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world? Do you believe that God directs the path of those who trust in him? Do you have the confidence that God hears your prayers that are according to his will and therefore you have the petitions that we desired of him? If you do, you walk by faith. If you don't, you are treading on thin ice. Be people of faith! amen |