BELIEF OR UNBELIEF? 

God’s biblical prophet Isaiah asked, “Who has believed our report?” (Isaiah 53:1).  The Bible says, “without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him” (Hebrews 11:6). 

BELIEF OR UNBELIEF BEFORE JESUS CAME

Moses was a descendant of Abraham who believed God. Because Abraham believed God, the  Lord  promised Abraham a land for him and his descendants; and that through him all nations would be blessed (Genesis 12:1-4). But because of a famine in the land God gave them, the descendants of Abraham’s went to live in Egypt where there was food.  After living there for a long time, a new Pharaoh decided to make them slaves and call them Israelites. However, Moses killed an Egyptian soldier who was beating an Israelite and ran away.

God miraculously appeared to Moses in a burning bush, and performed other miracles to convinced Moses to return to Egypt to lead  the people of Israel out of bondage. God used Moses as his agent to pronounce several plagues on Egypt to convince the Pharaoh to free the Israelites. Pharaoh only relented and let the people go after the Lord caused the first-born male of every Egyptian household to die. But God had instructed Moses to have the people of Israel to put the blood of a slain lamb over the doorposts of their houses and the Lord would Passover their houses and spare their lives. They believed and God spared their lives.

But later, Pharaoh had a change of heart and pursued them to the Red Sea. God then used Moses in parting the Sea for the people of Israel to escape. But God closed the Sea and destroyed Pharaoh and his pursuing army. (Exodus 14:5-31).

Nevertheless, when Moses led the people to the border of the land God had promised them, some feared to go in. They did not believe God could help them defeat the people now living in the land, whom they  saw as “giants.” 

The Lord said to Moses: “How long will these people treat me with contempt? Will they never believe me, even after all the miraculous signs I have done among them.” Concerning those who showed they did not trust him, God said: “They will never even see the land I swore to give their ancestors.”

 But regarding those “remained faithful to him., God said, they and their descendants “will possess their full share of that land.” (Numbers 13-14).

Moses told the people: “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your fellow Israelites. You must listen to him.” (Deuteronomy 18:15)

We learn from the Bible that this prophet and leader was to be Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and descendant of Abraham according to the flesh. (Matthew 1; Galatians 3:7-9, 29).

BELIEF OR UNBELIEF SINCE JESUS CAME

The Bible says, concerning belief in Jesus, Son of God: “He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” (John 1:10-12).

But those did not receive him were recognized as children of their “father, the devil.” (John 8:42-47).

• In Mathew 1, the Bible reveals that God miraculously made a body through a virgin who was a descendant of Abraham, for  God’s Son to come into the world; and gave him “the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins” (v.21).
• When the prophets Moses and Elijah appeared in a transfiguration on a mountain top with Jesus in front of his disciples, they wanted to do something to honor Jesus and the prophets. But a voice from a bright cloud said: “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!” (Matthew 17:1-5).
• Jesus said: “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the  prisoners [of the devil] and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free” (Luke 4:18).
• The Bible tells us “God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him” (Act 10:38).
• Jesus calmed a stormy sea (Mark 4:35-41); raised people from the dead (John 11:40-44); and rose from the dead three days after he was crucified (Matthew 12:38-40; Mark 24:46).
• He died on a cross for the sin of all who repent and believe in his atonement for their sins (Hebrews 10:8-10).“  For “while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).
• “God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life…Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.”  (John 3:16-18).
• After  Jesus rose from the dead he ascended into heaven with a promise to come again for believers (Acts 1:11)
• He fulfilled all biblical Scriptures concerning God’s promised messianic Savior of the world (Mark 24:44-48).

 The Lord’s disciple John said: “Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” John 21:30-31). However, many did not believe that Jesus was the Messianic Son of God; but as many as believed, God the Father recognized  as “children of God”  (John 1:11-12; 1 John 3:1). 

And to those who believe in Jesus Christ, God has given the Holy Spirit to empower them to live according God’s biblical Word (John 14:15-17).  And to enable them to be conformed to the likeness of the Son of God who is their Savior And Lord (Romans 8:29; John 3:16).

Furthermore, because of his love for unbelievers he has commanded believers to pray for all people (1 Timothy 2:1-6); “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned” Mark 16:15).

 BELIEF OR UNBELIEF ON THE DAY OF JUDGMENT

The Bible says: “ we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad” (2 Corinthians 5:10; Romans 2:12-16).

To people who did not believe and obey the Lord, he will say, “Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matthew 25:41)

However, to people who believed and obeyed the Lord, he  will say, “Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world” (Matthew 25:34).