God wouldn’t hold it against me if I don’t believe in him?, would he? Given the complexities of our world, how could he?
Is unbelief a sin? Surely not!
Culturally, we don’t take unbelief very seriously. We tend to think of unbelief as a neutral characteristic, if not even something that might show a particular strength of character. We might consider someone who doesn’t believe as being sharp minded, thoughtful, or not gullible.
Many Christians even diminish the nature of unbelief. I recently read a book by a popular pastor who claimed that Jesus didn’t call his followers to believe, but rather to love. Jesus calls us to love, but he also calls us to believe. In the gospel of Mark, Jesus’ ministry begins with his proclamation, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel” (Mk 1:15).
Belief and unbelief are not neutral for Jesus. Jesus calls us to belief and frequently rebukes unbelief.
Jesus frequently rebukes unbelief:
“If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things?”[i]
“[Y]ou have seen me and yet do not believe.”[ii]
“[A]nd he rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart…”[iii]
“If I tell you, you will not believe.”[iv]
“And he did not do many mighty works there, because of their unbelief.”[v]
“And he marveled because of their unbelief.”[vi]
“[W]hoever does not believe will be condemned.”[vii]
Overhearing this, a contemporary Westerner might respond, “Whoa, Jesus. Chill. Don’t you realize you shouldn’t judge?”
Jesus hasn’t forgotten himself here or wrongly lost his temper.
Why is Jesus so harsh against unbelief?
Jesus is harsh against unbelief because the stakes are so high.
It is only through belief that we can experience the transforming power of new birth in our lives and God’s rescue. Through the door of belief in Jesus Christ is salvation, adoption, and life together with God. Through the door of unbelief is standing in front of the Judge with no Advocate, spiritual death, and eternal separation from God. The stakes couldn’t be higher. We must weigh our unbelief because eternity is at stake. Just as it wouldn’t be loving to casually let your toddler play with a running chainsaw, it wouldn’t be loving for Jesus to downplay the gravity of unbelief. The consequences of flippancy are serious. Jesus is harsh against unbelief because the sin of unbelief is serious.
I love talking with those who identify as agnostics or atheists. It isn’t unusual for skeptics to level harsh criticism against Christianity: “Christians are hypocrites and Christianity has been used throughout history to oppress people.” “The Bible is full of historic errors and unreliable.” “The church is a greedy institution and has been the greatest source of evil the world has seen.” If you sympathize with these opinions , are you willing to listen to the other side and consider its veracity? The attacks might be weaker than they first appear (Rebecca McLaughlin’s Confronting Christianity is a good place to start examining these pressing issues).
Many use these opinions not as the origin of serious investigation, but as a smokescreen to avoid discovering the truth. Why is that? Because unbelief stems not from mere intellectual doubt, but rather from a hardness of heart and self-protection. Rick Warren once said, “behind every sin is a lie of unbelieving.”[viii] In Hebrews 3:12, the author jarringly says, “Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart…” Unbelief doesn’t stem from a neutral heart, but an evil heart. Unbelief is a serious sin because it reveals an evil heart.
2. Jesus is harsh against unbelief because he doesn’t confuse it with doubt.
For most of us unbelief and doubt are synonymous. But Jesus distinguished the two. He responds to the sincere doubt of Thomas with great patience. David had seasons where he was wracked by doubt. Peter doubted Christ, then denied Christ once, twice, thrice and yet was still restored. Jude concludes his brief letter with a prayer for God’s mercy, not judgment, on those who doubt.[ix] Doubt may sprout from the soil of faith. This is not unbelief. This form of doubt can in fact, be healthy in stretching one’s faith and relationship with God.
Unbelief is a serious sin, friends. Perhaps the most serious sin for the consequence is eternal. Therefore, we ought not take it lightly, either in ourselves or in others.
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[i] John 3:12
[ii] John 6:36
[iii] Mark 16:14
[iv] Luke 16:67
[v] Matthew 13:58
[vi] Mark 6:6
[vii] Mark 16:16
[viii] Quoted in Preaching with Power, edited by Michael Duduit, 213.
[ix] Jude 1:22
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