Two Kinds of Unbelief

In speaking at First Baptist Church of Long Beach last week, I shared how unbelief is the thief of God's best blessings.

Have you ever struggled with unbelief? There are two kinds of unbelief: unbelief because you just don't know and disobedient unbelief.

When Jesus went to do miracles in his own hometown of Nazareth, he couldn't be productive because of their unbelief. Mark 6:5-6 says, "And he could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them. And he marvelled because of their unbelief." Jesus seemed to be astounded because they had no clue! They were ignorant of who he was and that he was the Son of God. Just as ignorance is curable, so is unbelief. Romans 10:17 says, "Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God."

The other kind of unbelief is just being disobedient and stubborn. That would be the category that most of us fall into today and it's the exact reason why the children of Israel wandered in the desert for 40 years, going around and around in circles. How do we know that for sure? Hebrews 3:19 says, "So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief." The cure for this kind of unbelief is to obey and act on God's Word. Faith must have corresponding action. James 2:17 says, "Faith without works is dead."

God is still looking for great faith today. But your faith can't go beyond your knowledge of God's Word. Get into the Word and come out in greater faith in Him.

(Barbie will be speaking at the Mississippi Library Association's Convention in Natchez this Thursday.)