The Sin of Unbelief
Armando explains how unbelief is foolish and sinful. Then, argues that trusting God in His Word is the remedy.
A couple of days ago, I shared with my family a lesson from Numbers 14. I explained to them the sin and folly of unbelief. All unbelief is sin, whether we recognize it or not. In Numbers 14, Israel received the report from the spies sent to scout the people of the Promised Land. Only two of the twelve spies brought back a good report. The rest of the spies explained how huge the enemy was. They explained that they would be squashed like bugs by inhabitants of the Promised Land.
Caleb and Joshua disagreed. These two believed that the land was promised to them. They believed the words of Moses, which means they believed the words of God. They proclaimed the inhabitants of the land would be prey to them because God was with them. The people would not listen to these two believers and instead wanted to name a leader who would lead them back to slavery in Egypt. Moreover, they wanted to kill Joshua and Caleb for their report.
This is the prime example that unbelief is foolish. The people longed to be slaves in Egypt rather than trusting in the word of the God who had just answered their prayers by freeing them from Egypt. They feared the strength and might of the Amalekites and Canaanites rather than trusting in the might of the God who delivered them from Egypt with the might of His arm. This was not due to a lack of proof. The Israelites witnessed the ten plagues that eventually brought the hard-hearted Pharaoh to his knees. They witnessed the sea part and then drowned the commanders and armies of Pharaoh. Yet, they trusted the word of ten spies rather than the word of God.
Our unbelief will always seem rational to us. It always makes sense in our heads. But when we zoom out and see the might and faithfulness of God, it is always foolish not to believe in the promises and Word of God. It is always foolish to fear our circumstances, odds, and enemies rather than trusting in the promises of God.
It would be one thing if unbelief were merely foolish, but it is also sin. Unbelief is not believing something God has said. God literally promised the land to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. God was fulfilling that promise through them. Their unbelief meant that they not only did not get to enter the Promised Land, but they were not allowed to be used by God to accomplish His plan through them. Instead, God punished the generation that did not trust him at His Word. He would only allow their children to enter the Promised Land. God also swore that the Israelites would wander in the wilderness for forty years, one year for each day the spies scouted the land.
Instead of being humbled to repentance, the rebellious hearts of the people prevailed. They decided to belatedly obey God and try to battle the land's inhabitants. Moses warned the people that God would not be with them and they would be defeated, which they were.
Unbelief tends to occur because we look at our strength and ability and think we cannot do what God is calling us to do. Despite the prevalence of self-help in today's theologians, God does not tell us we have all that we need within. God wants to show off His power in and through us. He works in us both to will and to work for His good pleasure. God does give us circumstances, callings, and commands that are greater than our natural abilities. However, none of those circumstances, callings, or commands are too difficult for us to endure and obey with the might and care of our God. He always provides what we need to do what He has called us to do. If the remedy was for the Israelites to believe in themselves, then they would not have been defeated by the Amalekites and Canaanites at the end of Numbers 14. Their main problem was their unbelief and rebellion against God.
So, whether it is raising a child with autism or taking part in the Great Commission, God will do what He promises. God will strengthen me to be the pastor, husband, and father I am called to be, even with the difficulties that occur with a child with special needs. There is no command or calling that this circumstance in my family's life should lead me to believe I cannot trust God and His Word. No difficulty gives me a license to rebel against His commands or to grumble in unbelief like the Israelites did.
Even more daunting than the task of raising a family with a special needs child is the task of the Great Commission. When we scout the landscape of the land Jesus commanded His disciples to conquer, it is much bigger than the Promised Land. Jesus commanded His people to conquer the nations. When we look at the landscape of these lands, including our own, we find rebellions of every kind. We seem to be outnumbered, and it can be easy to believe we will fail. However, Jesus told His disciples that all authority in Heaven and on earth was now His. He is the King who is ruling and reigning now. Therefore, we know that His will will be done on earth, eventually, as it is in Heaven. When we read of the vision of John in the last book of the Bible, we see a great multitude from every tribe, tongue, and nation worshiping the Lamb around His throne. The Great Commission will be accomplished not by our might, but in the might of the one in whom we have trusted. Will you believe and get to work? Or will you, like the Israelites, rebel?