That Basic Sin of Unbelief

“Whatsoever is not of faith is sin” (Romans 14:23).

In T. Austin-Sparks’ book, “The Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus,” he explains how the law of life operated in many of our forefathers; ultimately, it culminated in Jesus Christ, but herein this quote below he explains how it operated in Abraham.  But first, this verse of scripture: “For this reason it is by faith, in order that it may be in accordance with grace, so that the promise will be guaranteed to all the descendants, not only to those who are of the Law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all” (Romans 4:16).  Now that quote from Mr. Austin-Sparks: 

“Whatever is not of faith is always of the nature of death. Doubt is death, unbelief is death, lack of trust is death, and all things that are in that category.  Questions, controversies, anything that is short of simple faith brings us to a standstill, brings under arrest.  It is death.  So then, the law of life in Abraham is seen operating along the line of faith, which faith worked deeper and deeper, producing life in ever increasing measure.  These two things go together.  The deeper the faith the stronger the life.  Similarly, the greater measure of life implies the deeper faith … Here … we note that we are reversing Adam’s evil.  In … Abraham … God is working backward.  He is reversing Adam’s evil.  When you come to Abraham, you see in him God’s triumph over THAT BASIC SIN OF UNBELIEF (emphasis mine).  In Christ Jesus … [Abraham was] … gathered up, not in a figurative or representative way but in a living, actual way, and Satan’s triumph in Adam’s deception and fall was completely reversed, completely undone; for Christ was manifested to destroy the works of the Devil.  But even here it means, you see, the works of the Devil are being destroyed in something more than a merely figurative way.  God is reversing the course of things and undoing Adam’s mischief, correcting things.”

And indeed, faith corrects things!  Our English language inadequately defines faith as “allegiance to duty or person; fidelity to one’s promises; sincerity of intentions; firm belief in something for which there is no proof; complete trust.”  What!?  FIRM BELIEF IN SOMETHING FOR WHICH THERE IS NO PROOF!!!!  Are you kidding me?  That is not faith!  Not even close!  I’ll let Dr. Chuck Missler, after citing this verse of scripture— “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1)—rebut this foolishness:

“In our culture, faith is frowned on as mere imagination—the hopes and wishes of the common man.  Evidence is what matters, we are told—and not just any form of evidence.  We’re told we can only ‘know’ things after they have been demonstrated time and again through stringent scientific method, and even then, future experiments might change up what we thought was true … The Bible offers a different position.  True faith IS substance.  It IS evidence.  The word ‘substance’ in Hebrews 11 is HYPOSTASIS, and it means ‘confidence’ or ‘assurance.’  It has the connotation of a foundation or superstructure, something stable and unmoving on which things can be built.  It is substance that gives real existence.”

And indeed, when we look at the meaning of the word “faith” in the languages of scripture, we find that the Hebrew word for faith means, “firmness; security; fidelity; established; trustworthiness”; in the Greek, it means, “persuasion, reliance upon, agree, obey, moral conviction, constancy, make friend.”  Somewhere in my past I heard faith defined as “clinging to.”  Because this is in accord with many of these other definitions, and it’s something I have found true in my experience, I trust it.

And this is saving faith—effectual faith—because it clings to Jesus Christ in holy matrimony; and faithfulness in marriage is the essential tie.  Clinging one to another is the essence of a faithful marriage (and the essence of what real faith means).  Do you doubt that fidelity in marriage to God is the key to real faith?  I offer proof: “Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God” (Romans 7:4).

The oneness of union with God/Christ is the only hope for glory!  As scripture clearly states, “I am the Lord … and my glory will I not give to another” (Isaiah 42:8).  Yet, “Woman is the glory of man” (1 Corinthians 11:7), and God, being married to His bride/people—even the backsliders—ensures His glory is shared/given to those who are one with Him.  But in a sense, He never gives it to anyone—just as He said; His bride merely walks in it by the phenomena of the two becoming one.  As intimated, “Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27).

THAT BASIC SIN OF UNBELIEF is so fundamental as to ultimately be the unpardonable sin; the Holy Spirit convicts of sin “Because they do not believe in me [Jesus Christ]” (John 16:9).  To further elaborate, the unpardonable sin is STUBBORN unbelief in Jesus Christ—an unbelief that refuses to relent even in the face of incontrovertible evidence to the contrary.  Jesus is all that He claimed to be, and the Holy Spirit is ever dramatically affirming His divinity and role in the salvation process.   Faith saves; unbelief damns.  God damns nobody!  As the unfaithful prophet Jonah learned the hard way, “They that observe lying vanities (looking to falsehood and running away from God) forsake their own mercy” (Jonah 2:8).

I love the way James Smetham characterizes his struggle with THAT BASIC SIN OF UNBELIEF: “I think that I can trace every scrap of sorrow in my life to simple unbelief. How could I be anything but quite happy if I believed always that all the past is forgiven, and all the present furnished with power, and all the future bright with hope because of the same abiding facts which do not change with my mood, do not stumble because I totter and stagger at the promise through unbelief, but stand firm and clear with their peaks of pearl cleaving the air of Eternity, and the bases of their hills rooted unfathomably in the Rock of God. Mont Blanc does not become a phantom or a mist because a climber grows dizzy on its side.”

I plead with you all!  THAT BASIC SIN OF UNBELIEF is completely unjustified, completely without foundation.  Please, please, please, “Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God” (Hebrews 3:12).

I Heard Hannah!

Other than the last paragraph and the last verse of scripture quoted, I wrote this article in 2016. Today— (6/9/2019)—I added those extra words. I sensed the entire article (re-written) was pertinent to this hour (prophetic in nature).

The irony that I heard Hannah is that “her lips were moving but her voice was not heard” (1 Samuel 1:13 NIV).  But I definitely heard in my spirit “Hannah” at the end of our church service (5/8/2016).  I knew immediately that it meant a glorious breakthrough was imminent in a similar pattern as the story of Hannah played out—she who birthed the great prophet Samuel.  As it was testified of Samuel—“Not one of his words fell to the ground” (1 Samuel 3:19)—so I testify of what God is birthing now by the resurrecting testimony of Jesus which is the spirit of prophesy: a prophetic anointing so strong as to make not one word of that true testimony fall to the ground.

       

At the near time of the glory departing from Israel a barren woman in great anguish of heart prayed so earnestly that she “poured out her soul before the Lord” until she had nothing left to vocalize.  That of course was Hannah, whose name means “gratuitous gift.”  Peninnah, the other wife of Hannah’s husband Elkanah, whose name means “pearls,” makes for an interesting contrast.  Pearls develop in excruciating pain but in beautiful form and luster when an intruder enters into an oyster’s world and IRRITATES ITS MANTLE.  “Because the Lord had closed Hannah’s womb, her rival [Peninnah] kept provoking her in order to IRRITATE HER.  This went on year after year” (1 Samuel 1:6-7 NIV).  Finally, “In her deep anguish Hannah prayed to the Lord, weeping bitterly.  And she made a vow, saying, ‘Lord Almighty, if you will only look on your servant’s misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the Lord for all the days of his life...and the Lord remembered her.  So, in the course of time Hannah became pregnant and gave birth to a son.  She named him Samuel, saying, ‘Because I asked the Lord for him’” (1 Samuel 1:10-11, 19-20 NIV).

The backdrop of Hannah’s time, besides a near, constant and irritating rivalry inside her home, was a blind and impotent religion, government and society.  A famine of the full and true word of God is irritating and provoking many souls to pour themselves out before the Lord until prayer percolates in their hearts and becomes unspeakable to natural ears.  As David—who was anointed by Samuel—said, “I will watch my ways and keep my tongue from sin; I will put a muzzle on my mouth while in the presence of the wicked.  So, I remained utterly silent, not even saying anything good.  But my anguish increased; my heart grew hot within me.  While I meditated, the fire burned; THEN I SPOKE WITH MY TONGUE [emphasis mine]” (Psalm 39:1-3 NIV).

Hannah, year after year, watched her antagonist prosper while anguish and barrenness was all she received.  BUT LIKE AS ONE SAMUEL IS GREATER THAN A THOUSAND SAULS AND WORTH THE PROTRACTED WAIT AND PAIN, SO ONE WORD SPOKEN IN SEASON AND UNDER THE ANOINTING IS WORTH MORE THAN A THOUSAND WORDS SPOKEN OUT OF TURN AND WITHOUT GOD UPHOLDING THEM. 

Not long after Samuel was weened, Hannah fulfilled her vow to the Lord in giving Samuel over fully to the Lord.  Just as Sarah’s womb had to die before the promised child Isaac (meaning “laughter”) could be miraculously born, so Hannah’s womb only came alive from the dead to birth Samuel (meaning “heard of God”) after she died to herself fully by pouring out her soul to emptiness in straitened prayer.  Desperate times require desperate measures, and just as Hannah had to sacrifice her firstborn son in order to have other sons, so we are brought to a sacrificial crisis.  Many are those who quote Revelation 12:11 as “They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony” without finishing the thought that they also “DID NOT LOVE THEIR LIVES SO MUCH AS TO SHRINK FROM DEATH [emphasis mine]” (NIV).

Spiritual birthing only happens in the dead womb of the natural life sacrificed.  “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship” (Romans 12:1 NIV).  Fire only falls on an unblemished and properly prepared sacrifice.  Empowerment is preceded by more than weakness; it is preceded by death! The devil has IRRITATED MANY MANTLES, some to the point of utter failure, but for those who continue to pour themselves out before the Lord to the point of surmounting or overcoming that failure, A Pearl of Great Price will develop inside of them, a pearl with resurrection glow and supernatural luster.

I believe we are the generation that will do exploits, as the book of Daniel prophesied.  But to get to the point where not one word of ours falls to the ground, we must, like Samuel, be FULLY given over to the Lord for divine service.  The gross darkness of our last day requires more power than perhaps even the first church walked in.  The devil has long worn many of us out; he has IRRITATED our MANTLES (our specific calls and anointings); but just as Hannah FINALLY poured out her soul before the Lord (and thereby obtained COMPLETE victory), so we too must exhaust all breath in straitened prayer.  Only when all pretense—all hypocrisy and every facade—is torn down; when we GET REAL with God … only then will we be truly empowered to do exploits in His name.

“After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you” (1 Peter 5:10).