Our hearts are moved by what we believe. This effects our emotions. This is why sometimes it takes time for something to sink in before the emotions catch up to us.
I know now that my belief effects my emotions, just as I know that when I do not believe what I hear I have no feeling about it.
Our emotions are equally effected by both belief, and unbelief.
Something else in us is greatly effected by these two forces at work in us. Our actions!
Perhaps this is best demonstrated by what we see regarding Israel in the Bible. Israel had come up out of Egypt after 400 years of cruel bondage and witnessed many miracles, even the destruction of their captors. But, that generation refused to believe God.
Deuteronomy 1:32 "Yet, for all that, you did not believe the LORD your God,
Rebellion is the poster child of unbelief.
Kids who begin to think that their parents just want to spoil their fun cease to listen to their parents advice and instruction and will even oppose their parents. What is the problem? What the child believes about mom or dad and their motives.
If you change what is being believed, an issue no longer exist. Rebellion ceases. Our obedience is directly effected by what we believe.
Deuteronomy 9:23 "Likewise, when the LORD sent you from Kadesh Barnea, saying, ‘Go up and possess the land which I have given you,’ then you rebelled against the commandment of the LORD your God, and you did not believe Him nor obey His voice.
Moses is cataloguing Israel’s rebellion against the Lord in this chapter. Why did they rebel? They did not believe!
They did not believe so they did not obey. But not believing is no excuse when we give an account to God. God still held them responsible for their lack of obedience, He just let’s them know that He knows why they did it.
If we had read the whole story Moses spoke we would discover that each offence he mentions involves Israel listening to and believing the wrong people. They listened to rebels when they made the calf, they listened to rebels when they followed after Korah’s rebellion, and they listened to the wrong spies about the land God wanted to give them.
They listened to everyone but God and God’s appointed leadership for them.
About The Author
- Tim Atchley
- Knoxville, Tennessee, United States
- I currently serve as Senior Pastor of Harvest Church in Knoxville, Tn. I was sent out from Trinity Chapel of Knoxville in 1993 accompanied by my wife Sheila our four children Sarah, Hannah, Josiah & Isaac and a handful of bold, brave and committed believers determined to plant our first church. Pioneering is hard work but well worth the journey. That is why we desire to make disciples of Christ who will, like us, also embrace the call to plant churches.
