The Bible warns us about unbelief

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The Resurrection of Christ
The Resurrection of Christ (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Momentary doubt has clouded the minds and hearts of believers in every age, even those great pillars of faith such as Abraham, David, and John the Baptist. We are all going to come to points in our lives when we wonder if things are really going to work out for the best, if things really are under control when they seem so chaotic. Such thoughts can be expected in this life. But we must be aware that doubt can lead to unbelief, and we must take the Bible’s warnings against unbelief seriously.

Jesus rebuked His disciples for their unbelief when they refused to believe that He had risen from the dead. Even though they had received reports that He had indeed risen, they still did not believe. When He finally appeared to them, “He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen” (Mark 16:14). 

The reasons for the disciples’ hardness of heart were probably manifold. One reason might have been that they had their hopes so set on an earthly king, that they were still fraught with confusion and doubt over Jesus’ death. They refused to remember what Jesus had taught them about His heavenly kingdom and about the promise that He would rise again because they were blinded by their own feelings and expectations. So when they heard reports of His being alive, they did not believe. They could not get past their own misconceptions and feelings despite what they had been taught and what they heard.

We can often be just like the disciples. We refuse to believe what His Word has told us, we reject the testimony of others because we have our minds set on how we think things ought to be. We have our own expectations and opinions about our lives and about the future. Then, when things don’t work out the way we want them to, we doubt. This can develop into a hardness of heart that refuses to believe the Word of God.

This can be devastating if you continue in your unbelief. It can even cause you to doubt the entire Christian message and lead you down the path to apostasy. That is why it is so important to trust the Word of God, to believe in Christ and His promises, despite how you feel or what you think.

Hebrews 3:7–19. Meditate on it for a few minutes, considering any doubts you have about God’s Word, about Christ, about His promises. Be honest with yourself and God about your doubts. Confess them to Him and pray that you will learn to trust Him more so you will not be hardened in unbelief.





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