Unbelief

“Unbelief” – is a lack of trust.

Num. 11:18-23 Regarding what, did Moses initially not believe God?

What was God’s response to Moses’ unbelief, vs. 23?

When God states in the Bible that something will happen or has happened (no matter how great or impossible it seems), do you believe it or not, and why?

For example, when God says that He created the universe in six, 24 hour days, do you believe Him, and why?

Or, when God says that He flooded the entire world so that it literally covered even the highest mountain, do you believe Him, and why?

Num. 20:8, 11, 12 The Lord told Moses and Aaron to speak to the rock in front of the people of Israel and that enough water would come out of the rock to give drink to all the people and their beasts. But what did Moses do instead?

[“struck the rock twice” – instead of depending upon the power of God alone (“trusting Him as holy”), they depended on human exertion.].

Because of their unbelief in doing exactly what God had commanded them, what would they suffer?

For example, you worship (acknowledge/show by your attitude, thoughts, words, and actions your supreme devotion and respect to) God, but in unbelief you don’t worship Him in the way He demands that He be worshipped, and that is, in spirit (inner thoughts) and in truth (correctly, according to doctrinal accuracy, and obedience to His commands), Jn. 4:24; Matt. 15:8, 9, because you think it’s okay to worship Him however you feel like.

Psa. 78:18-33 Since God had promised the Israelites deliverance into the promised land (Ex. 3:17), that meant He would provide for them all the way there. But in spite of that promise, how did the Israelites respond, vss. 22, 32?

When God makes a promise to you in the Bible, do you doubt Him or believe Him, and why?

For example, when God says that He will take care of/provide for those who fear Him (i.e., hate sin, Prov. 8:13, and obey Him, Psa. 112:1) and seek Him (pursue an intimate relationship with Him by getting to know and trust Him, Psa. 9:10), do you believe Him or not (see Psa. 34:8-10)?

Num. 13:25-29, 31-33; 14:1-4; Psa. 106:24 Though God had promised to give the Israelites the promised land (vs. 2), what did all but a couple of them think about going in and possessing the land, and why?

What was the consequence of their unbelief (14:30; Heb. 3:19)?

Do you have unbelief in what God says in the Bible, when things look humanly impossible, and why?

For example, when God says in 2 Tim. 1:7 that He’s given Christians a spirit (frame of thinking) of power (boldness) instead of timidity (being scared), do you believe God and take the initiative to evangelize the spiritually lost by sharing the gospel with them, even with strangers who look mean or uninterested?

Or, when God says that He will grant you any request that’s in accordance to His will (1 Jn. 5:14, 15) and you know it’s His will to love everyone because He commands it (Rom. 13:8), do you believe that you can love your enemies or the person who severely wronged/hurt you, and why?

Jer. 5:11-14, 17 Because Israel and Judah didn’t believe God’s prophets (e.g., Jeremiah, Ezekiel, etc.) when they spoke God’s word of impending judgment on Israel and Judah, what would God do to them?

When an accurate Bible teacher teaches God’s Word in context, do you disregard what he says in unbelief, and why?

For example, when he teaches that it’s every Christian’s responsibility to evangelize the spiritually lost (Matt. 28:19 20; Eph. 4:11, 12; 2 Tim. 4:5; Phil. 2:2 with 1:27), do you disregard the Bible teacher’s words in unbelief, and why?

Or, when he teaches that it’s every Christian’s responsibility to build up spiritually other Christians (1 Thes. 5:11; Rom. 14:19), do you in unbelief just think it’s his opinion and not God’s Word, and why?

Mal. 1:2 What didn’t Jacob (the people of Israel) believe?

Do you ever doubt that God loves you, especially when you don’t seem to be getting answers to your prayers or when you’re going through some really tough times?

If you don’t believe God loves you, meditate on Rom. 8:35-39; 5:8; 2 Thes. 2:16; Eph. 2:4; 1 Jn. 3:1.

Heb. 3:12 What were these Christians warned about, so that they wouldn’t fall away from the living God?

Have you ever fallen away from God because of not believing He cares about you or that the Bible is His Word or that it’s relevant for today?

What can we do to help prevent our fellow Christians from getting a hardened heart from sin’s deceitfulness, vs. 13?

Are you regularly encouraging your fellow Christians to trust, obey, and develop a close relationship with God while you have the opportunity to do so? If not, why? And if so, how do you encourage them to believe?

Isa. 7:5-9 Israel/Ephraim with Syria go to war against Judah (vs. 1), but God tells His prophet Isaiah to tell King Ahaz of Judah that they will not conquer Judah and that within 65 years Ephraim/Israel would be scattered and not be a united people/nation. Then Isaiah tells King Ahaz that if he doesn’t believe this prophecy, what would happen to him?

Do you see how God hates a person’s unbelief in Him and His Word?

Today, people mock the idea of Christ’s second coming and Noah’s world-wide flood (2 Pet. 3:3, 4). Do you fail to believe in Christ’s future second coming, the destruction of our world with fire from God (2 Pet. 3:7; Rev. 21:1), Jesus’ ruling on our planet for a thousand years (Rev. 20:4, 6), and the majority of humanity (i.e., unbelievers) being cast into hell/the lake of fire for eternal punishment (Rev. 20:10, 15; 14:10, 11; 2 Thes. 1:9; Matt. 7:13, 14)?

Did you know that without faith it’s impossible to please God (Heb. 11:6)?

Matt. 13:57, 58 Why didn’t Jesus do many miracles in His home town of Nazareth?

Do you think that you don’t experience very many miracles in and around your life because of your unbelief in the promises and statements in God’s Word, the Bible, that apply to you, and why?

Lk. 16:30, 31 What does God think about the idea/excuse that some people have that if they could only see a miracle, then they would believe?

Even though Jesus performed the miracle of raising Lazarus from the dead, what did some eye-witnesses do who still didn’t believe in Him?

Are there times when you don’t believe God/Jesus and want to see a miracle in order to believe what He says in the Bible?

Do you have to personally see what God/Jesus says (Jn. 20:27) in the Bible before you believe what He says (Matt. 16:21) in the Bible, and why?

2 Tim. 2:13 Even though we Christians/believers at some point during our Christian lives are faithless (unbelieving in Jesus), why does Jesus remain faithful?

When we become a Christian/believer, we become a part of the body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:27; Col 1:24; Eph. 1:22, 23), and Christ can’t deny Himself, of whom we are a part of once for all time (Heb. 10:10).

Do you ever have a lapse of your faith in Christ as Savior?

If so, do you ever think He’s going to disown you and that you’ll lose your salvation?

If so, be assured now that He won’t, and you won’t lose your salvation (Rom. 8:29, 30).