Danger of Doubt and Unbelief Causing Anxiety
the opposite of faith is not doubt - the opposite of faith is fear
.jpg "Doubt is the opposite of faith")
The opposite of unbelief is faith. Faith is standing and believing in the things you cannot see. It is standing on the Word of God to build your faith. Unbelief is not able to believe in the things not seen. That means you cannot trust God. Is it doubt or fear? Learn that the opposite of faith is fear first then doubt.
Hebrews 3
7. Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice,
8. Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness:
9. When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years.
10. Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway err in their heart; and they have not known my ways.
11. So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.)
Simply put, the author says that it is the Holy Ghost speaking by
Psalms 95:7-11 7. For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. To day if ye will hear his voice,
8. Harden not your heart, as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness:
9. When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my work.
10. Forty years long was I grieved with this generation, and said, It is a people that do err in their heart, and they have not known my ways:
11. Unto whom I sware in my wrath that they should not enter into my rest.
The verses contain words of warning with a lot of urgency about them. We are called upon to give immediate attention to what is being said. We are also urged to be sensitive to the voice of the Spirit. Mainly, we are not to harden our hearts.
We are reminded of the attitude of the Israelites from the time they left Egypt until their entrance into Canaan. For 40 years, they showed a rebellious attitude, and thereby, they tested the patience of God.
Finally, God responded to their rebelliousness in holy anger. This is always God's response when we deliberately disobey His revealed will. Thus, those guilty of rebellion were excluded from the land of Canaan; they died in the wilderness. They missed the blessing of the Promised Land.
Hebrews 3
12. Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God.
13. But exhort(verb 1. transitive verb urge to do something: to urge somebody strongly and earnestly to do something 2. intransitive verb give earnest advice: to give somebody urgent or earnest advice) one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.
The great danger we face is developing an unbelieving heart. Faith is the center of all Christian endeavors. In fact, the writer of Hebrews later said, "But without faith, it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. Hebrews 11:6".
The result of a sinful and unbelieving heart is apostasy(noun, renunciation of faith: the renunciation of a religious or political belief or allegiance). It leads to an attitude that refuses to cleave to, trust in, or rely upon the Lord. The ultimate outcome is a denial of faith and a forfeiture of the blessings and benefits of knowing God.
We must unite, building one another up in the Lord to all be victorious.
Sin can deceive through riches.
Matthew 13:22. He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.
Lusts
Ephesians 4:22. That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;
Philosophy
Colossians 2:8. Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
Unrighteousness
2 Thessalonians 2:10. And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
