Believing God
At the root of every sin there is a consistent cause. Lack of faith. It doesn't matter if the sin is from a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ or if it comes from a muslim, atheist, buddhist, or a person who isn't a Christian who claims to be. All sin comes from not believing God.
Just think of every scenario:
You don't come to faith in Jesus - you don't believe God that Jesus was God & God's only Son & through His perfect life, death, & resurrection, that He is the only way to be reconciled to God.
You flatter man - you don't believe that God is jealous or so glorious & so steal or share His glory with others
You don't forgive someone or you are holding a grudge - you don't believe God who through His Son said, "if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will forgive you, but if you don't forgive others, the Father will not forgive your trespasses." Not to mention the fact that you lose complete sight of the Gospel which exposes our desperate need for forgiveness in spite of the fact that we in no way deserve it.
You are prideful - you don't believe that God gave you every thing you have received, from your very breath to your gifts and abilities, & that He doesn't need you or anyone. You have actually convinced yourself that you are capable of being something apart from the One who gives you life & sustains it for His purposes.
You are lustful - you don't believe that you will find pleasures forevermore at the right hand of God, but instead think you will find them in a glance, in skin, in embrace, in addiction.
You are anxious - you don't really believe that God will care for you and bless you more abundantly than the flowers and the birds.
You are lazy - you don't really believe that God can & will equip you for His purposes or that every limb that does not abide in Him withers & is thrown into the fire.
This list could be endless. This reality should cause us to cry out...
"I believe; help my unbelief!"
Just think of every scenario:
You don't come to faith in Jesus - you don't believe God that Jesus was God & God's only Son & through His perfect life, death, & resurrection, that He is the only way to be reconciled to God.
You flatter man - you don't believe that God is jealous or so glorious & so steal or share His glory with others
You don't forgive someone or you are holding a grudge - you don't believe God who through His Son said, "if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will forgive you, but if you don't forgive others, the Father will not forgive your trespasses." Not to mention the fact that you lose complete sight of the Gospel which exposes our desperate need for forgiveness in spite of the fact that we in no way deserve it.
You are prideful - you don't believe that God gave you every thing you have received, from your very breath to your gifts and abilities, & that He doesn't need you or anyone. You have actually convinced yourself that you are capable of being something apart from the One who gives you life & sustains it for His purposes.
You are lustful - you don't believe that you will find pleasures forevermore at the right hand of God, but instead think you will find them in a glance, in skin, in embrace, in addiction.
You are anxious - you don't really believe that God will care for you and bless you more abundantly than the flowers and the birds.
You are lazy - you don't really believe that God can & will equip you for His purposes or that every limb that does not abide in Him withers & is thrown into the fire.
This list could be endless. This reality should cause us to cry out...
"I believe; help my unbelief!"
