Chapter 2

Before we can truthfully discuss the power of unbelief, we must first establish what it is the people of God do not believe. A few weeks prior to the writing of this study guide, the Lord spoke to me very plainly. He said, “My people do not believe in me.” Immediately, there was a hush in my spirit. Somehow, I instantly knew what he meant. But before I could draw any conclusions, he proceeded with: “They reject my word because they do not believe it. They are fearful and afraid because my word has no place in them. They have preferred to be led by their own carnal mind; rather than the mind of Christ. They are troubled and perplexed in this world because they war against their own nature. Many have fallen as prey to their own carnal thinking, denying the inheritance of the sons of God. My people do not believe in me.”. I lingered and listened; then I wrote what he spoke to my heart. This visitation from the Father became a revelation of His heart. Not many days later, I was in a conversation with ministers who had a very different opinion than myself on a subject matter. During the conversation I was somewhat surprised at the secular reasoning of the individuals present. However, at the end of the discussion, I heard the Lord say, “I told you my people do not believe in me.” Immediately, I felt what seemed to be a deep hole in my chest. I felt depressed and extremely grieved. For several days I was not able to focus. I could not write or do anything productive. There was an extreme heaviness upon me. But then I realized that what I was feeling was the emotions of the Father. I was feeling what he felt regarding the unbelief and rejection of his people.

Let us look into the mind and heart of the Father regarding the things he has spoken concerning this matter.

Summary Scripture: John 7:38 - He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

BELIEVE IN ME

They reject my word because they do not believe it… We must first understand that the Father has made himself equal with His Word. It is the Word that reveals the character of our Father. Therefore, to reject the word is to reject all that our Father is. We deceive ourselves by rallying in the parts of the Word we embrace wholeheartedly but ignore our rejection of those parts of the Word that threaten our personage, deep-seated desires or fear factors. If this is the case, then one can find himself as a principal in the parable of the sower. But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon (immediately), with joy receiveth it; Yet hath he not root in himself, but endureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended. Matthew 13:20-21 The scripture is such an explanation as to why the sons of God fall by the wayside. The stony places of the heart of a saint, is those areas that are void of trust in the word of God. But we need to consider that to doubt the application of the word in any area of your life is to not completely trust in God. Furthermore, these are occasions to become offended by the very intent of the word. But David said, "Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them". Psalm 119:165. But there is no peace for those who receive the word in stony places; for the stones of their heart will not allow the word to take root. Therefore, if we are to come to a place of deliverance, we must first identify the stone. To do that, we will look at some scriptures from the Old and New Covenant.

Numbers 14:11

11 And the LORD said unto Moses, How long will this people provoke me? and how long will it be ere they believe me, for all the signs which I have shewed among them?

Matthew 13:54-58

54 And when he was come into his own country, he taught them in their synagogue, insomuch that they were astonished, and said, Whence hath this man this wisdom, and these mighty works?

55 Is not this the carpenter’s son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas?

56 And his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then hath this man all these things?

57 And they were offended in him. But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, save in his own country, and in his own house.

This is a classic example as to how humanity processes the omniscience of God. They were astonished at the mighty works and wisdom of Christ; but they began to consider His earthly personage among them. They knew him as Mary’s boy and the carpenter’s son. Yet he is able to come into the synagogue and expound on the scriptures with clarity and the wisdom of God. Their response was offense. "And they were offended in him", says the scripture. The word of God confronts our spiritual disposition. But when the carnal mind is not ready to accept truth, it becomes offended with the truth-bearer.

58 And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief.

Let us look at what these two scriptures have in common, seeing as how they are from two different Testaments.

First of all, the book of Numbers was written under the dispensation of the Law; but Jesus also came under the Law. (Grace and Truth began on the Day of Pentecost). Therefore, all the work Christ did was under the Law. That is important, as it helps to establish the perspective of salvation in the New Covenant.

They both emphasize signs or mighty works as evidence of God working among the people. However, when God provides proof of his presence and his power, it is a sin to reject what he says or does. To do so is termed, unbelief. These people, in both instances, did not believe in God, neither when he wrought many signs among them, nor when he stood before them in wisdom and power.

If Jesus did not perform many works among these unbelievers, then it is certain He will refrain from doing mighty works through unbelievers in general.

As we come to the New Testament, Jesus said, “When you have seen me, you have seen the Father; for my Father and I

are one.” It also follows that under Grace and Truth, those who are born again are the sons of God, even as Christ. (As he is, so are we).

2 Thessalonians 2:13

But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:

Thus, our election in eternity was based upon our belief; which is to agree with and accept that which the Father has put forth as truth.

Now, in the days in which Jesus walked the earth, he was the manifestation of God in the earth. The people of God understood that if he were truly the son of God, then he was equal with God, or a god himself. This is true of all the sons of God. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: John 1:12. Jesus Christ is the Son of God, The Spirit of God, and the Word of God. We have received that Word and are now the sons of the Most High. We are the only evidence of God in this world today.

2 Corinthians 5:20

Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.

For us, the workmanship of God in us is all the proof we need as evidence of his presence in the earth. But the rules of the kingdom in which we live demand that we live by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. (Mt.4:4). Therefore, his word is not only our law, but our confidence. For we know that He cannot lie. If God says a thing, it is and will be manifested in the earth. Everything that God has said about the sons will manifest. Moses wrote of Abraham on this wise;

Genesis 15:6.

And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.

But Paul, in contrast, speaks of the sons as having a far better covenant.

2 Corinthians 5:21

For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

The sons are the holiness of God manifested in the earth.

2 Corinthians 13:8.

For we can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth. We were created without sin and we can live in this world without sinning against God or mankind. This is a fact that is only true of the sons of God. This is the root of our salvation. It is to believe in what the Father has said and done in us. To believe that we are equal with God in character is the beginning of righteousness. But to not believe this is to build a stony heart that will not allow the roots of the faith to take hold of our heart. It is very difficult for me to minister this in the manner in which I have been made to understand it. First of all, we, the Body of Christ today, are learning from a disadvantaged position. We were not privy to the truth of the gospel from our conception in Christ. We were forced to entertain false doctrines that either pointed us to ourselves or back to the world. We were served a daily diet of spiritual food that was tainted and poisonous to our spiritual development. Therefore, in order to accept the present truth, we must be purged of the old mindsets that were created by these doctrines.

“My Father and I are one,” sounds like blasphemy to the church. And “as he is, so are we,” is ludicrous. Our faith was corrupted from the very beginning. The only sure thing we had was the fact that we knew beyond a shadow of a doubt, we had been saved. We knew we were filled with the Holy Ghost; but no one defined ‘sonship’ or ‘new creature.’ We quoted scripture about being partakers of the divine nature, but we were never permitted to see ourselves as divine in nature.

But the truth is, we are peculiar beings, who are not of this world; and moreover, our Father has called us gods. His promise to us is:

Luke 10:19

Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.

Satan is laughing at the church; even those of us who have heard the truth. He knows we do not believe it. His kingdom is safe because the sons of God (the only power on earth able to destroy the works of the devil in the lives of those who are lost, ignorant and out of the way) have denied their birthright. They will not take possession of the kingdom because they are even as Israel was; filled with unbelief. God promised to drive the inhabitants out of the promised land. He has promised us that in the face of the enemy, the excellency of the power will be of God and not ourselves. He has given us power over all the power of the enemy, yet we doubt this to be true; and, consequently, we fear failure. This power is not to be flaunted or wielded in pride. It is not subject to boisterous, inflated egos. It is the Holy Ghost working to do the will of the Father here on the Earth. The Lord said that he would make Moses a god to Pharaoh. He did this by placing power in the wooden staff Moses carried. However, that same power is placed in earthen vessels called the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ. Believe this or die in unbelief. In Luke’s account of the same parable, (Luke 8:16-18) Jesus concludes that “No man, when he hath lighted a candle, covereth it with a vessel, or putteth it under a bed; but setteth it on a candlestick, that they which enter in may see the light. When we come into the kingdom of God, we are enlightened by the knowledge of God. That knowledge is to be put on display in our lifestyles. There is no exception to this. In the midst of great trials and hardness, the sons of God are to be very Christ. Furthermore, it is God, the Father, who is the subject of this verse. It is the Father who fashioned the sons to be as Jesus Christ, thus making Jesus the first of many. It is the Father who made us lights in a dark world. And it is the Father who will place us in the darkest of places or situations so that others, including principalities and powers, might see His manifold wisdom. (Eph 3:9-10).

For nothing is secret, that shall not be made manifest; neither anything hid, that shall not be known and come abroad. Though the sons of God were a secret, curious work wrought in the nether parts of the earth, they have been manifested on the earth. They have come abroad or reached their point or place in time and purpose.

Take heed therefore how ye hear: for whosoever hath, to him shall be given; and whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he seemeth to have.”

Luke 8:16-18

Take heed therefore how ye hear… Most of the people in Bible Teachers would not agree that they reject the word of God. Most do receive it with joy and gladness. But Jesus warns us to take heed as to what kind of audience we give to the word of God. Are we listening to God’s word, but yet maintaining stony places in our hearts.

• Are there things or situations in which you do not trust God’s word?
• Are there some things the word demands that you know in your heart you are not going to do?

If your answer to either of the above questions is yes, then you are truly listening to the word of God with a carnal ear. But the carnally minded cannot hear the things of the Spirit, just as the unsaved cannot hear; for they are spiritually discerned. God is a spirit. His children are spirits. He is a God and his children are gods (Ps.82:6). At some point, we will have to accept the truth about our salvation. As he is, so are we. That is the truth that the enemy is warring against. I have noticed that many in my very own ministry are becoming complacent in declaring that God is provoking them to change. We are becoming accustomed to preaching to the saints a need for them to change. We confess that we know and understand the message, but to walk in it seems to be a struggle. Therefore, we have enabled that struggle with messages that ordain parts and pieces of our character to change or conform to that of Christ. So now we are seeing an ever-increasing spiritual quagmire in which there is a constant struggle to change our character traits.

But this is what the devil wants us to do. We will be forever trying to come to that place in God that is righteous and powerful in ministry. But our perception regarding this struggle to change our ways, thoughts, and disposition, is a great deception. For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. 2 Corinthians 5:21. According to this scripture, we were made the righteousness of God at salvation. We have the divine nature. It is our nature to love, be kind, and suffer wrongfully. These are the traits of the sons. The workmanship of God is finished. Yes, beloved, we are a finished work. Holiness is the nature of our inheritance. We don’t need to change; we need to stop.

• Stop doubting God and his word.
• Stop sinning against our very nature.
• Stop walking after the flesh; preferring things pertaining to the darkness of this world.
• Stop excusing ourselves.

If we obey this counsel, we will never fall or fail. Believe everything God has said about the sons. For they will be manifest. Even if some don’t believe; that will not make the faith of God of noneffect.