SUBMITTING TO UNBELIEF

I would like to render a simple yet profound definition of unbelief. For the saints of God, it simply means to obey what you know to be a lie. We can always rely on the Scriptures to identify any disposition common to man. It is the Word that sets the boundaries of the faith and reveals the heart and mind of God as it relates to belief and unbelief. Our belief or unbelief is judged by our obedience or disobedience to the Word of God.

To believe is to be fully persuaded. This persuasion goes beyond having a mental knowledge of the Word of God. Belief conquers and destroys all opposition in the soul, establishes truth in the heart and genders a desire to obey God. The saints do not comprehend the above principle from the perspective that God renders it. Consequently, there is a gulf that remains between the saint and the manifested son. What does this really mean? The answer is simple. The saints of God are constantly trying to hear and learn belief but belief is not learned but created and manifested as a result of obedience. Obedience manifests belief in you not the quoting of scriptures or the pouring of oil on some “materialistic” artifact. Belief is synonymous with love and just as love is manifested by the keeping of the commandments so is belief. God bears the responsibility to reveal the truth to every man. The Sons of God are direct partakers of that truth by way of the Holy Ghost.

Romans 1:19-20

19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.

20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:

The Father can declare that once you are exposed to the truth you are responsible to believe and obey what He has revealed. To obey the Father is to be called a believer, but to disobey is to obey what you know to be a lie. This person is considered an unbeliever. Note that in the verses to follow of Romans 1, Paul describes the effects and spiritual progression of unbelief.

Romans 1:21-32

21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,

23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.

24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:

25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.

26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:

27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.

28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;

29 Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,

30 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,

31 Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:

32 Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.

THE POWER OF THE LIE

We need to understand that believing a lie will initiate the power of Satan or darkness in the hearts of the Sons of God. To believe a lie now opens your heart to darkness and spiritual blindness regarding the truth. Jesus said, “Hereafter I will not talk much with you; for the prince of this world cometh and hath nothing in me” (John 14:30). If we, as the Sons of God cannot say the same thing it is because of unbelief. To not walk in the truth is to consciously submit to darkness and its powers. Consider the following.

2 Timothy 2:24-26

24 And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient,

25 In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth;

26 And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will. The Body of Christ has become quite proficient in lying to itself concerning its spiritual location. But John fervently admonishes us on this wise.

1 John 1:6

If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth.

Jesus kept His heart submitted to the truth. In doing so, there were no devices of the enemy to be found in Him. The absence of darkness in the heart of Christ established and made manifest His love for the Father.

SUBMITTING TO THE LIE

I really want you to focus on the power of disobedience for a moment. Oftentimes saints tend to hide behind, “I didn’t know, or I didn’t understand.” However, if you are in the Faith, the Lord fulfills His obligation of revealing the truth to you regardless of your spiritual location. As the scripture states…If in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you (Philippians 3:15).

It is manifest that the Body of Christ has willingly submitted to false doctrines and lying emotions. In most cases saints have heard teachings that do not bear witness with their spirit, but such doctrines have catered to the desires of the flesh. Now what I am about to say may be somewhat shocking to you. Not because it is a fact that you have never considered, but because you are finally brought face to face with its reality. Most of those who are in submission to false teachings are not there because they believe such doctrines. But their anchor is lust and false hope. These are they who obey that which they know to be a lie. We have Adam as our example of obeying a lie but not believing it. Although Adam was a natural man he could have lived forever in the truth, light, glory of God and perfection. All of this could have been accomplished by obedience. God spoke to Adam and set the boundaries of the truth. The Father revealed the laws of life leaving him with no excuse for sin. Scripture state that Adam was not deceived (1 Timothy 2:14).

Adam obeyed the lie even though he did not believe it himself. As a result, the power of the lie blinded him to the truth regarding the consequences of his actions. Constantly obeying a lie will cause you to accept it as truth. For example, when clergymen continue to preach to congregations “no one is perfect” such a doctrine makes provision for anticipated sin. Thus, the Body of Christ embraces the lie and assumes that God has sanctioned such a doctrine. This deception is the power of obeying that which is not true. The strength and end of this deception is strong delusion which is initiated by lying emotions gendered by the lie itself. “And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion that they should believe a lie” (2 Thessalonians 2:11). The apostle Peter renders us a lesson on this subject. Study the entire second chapter of II Peter and judge yourself accordingly.

2 Peter 2:1-2

1 But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.

2 And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.

Because of unbelief many will turn to false prophets. Note here that those who consciously reject the truth are the ones who willingly turn to follow false prophets and false doctrines.

2 Peter 2:3-8

3 And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.

4 For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;

5 And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly;

6 And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly;

7 And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked:

8 (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;)

Those who are born again have a witness within that is able to lead and guide them into all truth. That same witness is also vexed by that which is not the Word of God. Therefore, many follow after false teachings that actually grieve their spirit and conscience. Nevertheless for whatever the reasons, they prefer to hold fast to the lie.

2 Peter 2:9-22

9 The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:

10 But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous are they, selfwilled, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities.

11 Whereas angels, which are greater in power and might, bring not railing accusation against them before the Lord.

12 But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption;

13 And shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, as they that count it pleasure to riot in the day time. Spots they are and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceivings while they feast with you;

14 Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children:

15 Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness;

16 But was rebuked for his iniquity: the dumb ass speaking with man's voice forbad the madness of the prophet.

17 These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever.

18 For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error. 19 While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage.

20 For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.

21 For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.

22 But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.

It is the saints of God who have been washed in the blood of Jesus and made clean through the Word. However, according to the above passages, these blood-bought, word-washed saints can choose to depart from the truth they know and submit themselves to that which they know is not the Word or work of God. Judge yourself to see if you “be in the Faith."