Basically, there are two types of people in the world; those who believe in God and those who don’t. The Jews of that day didn’t believe, and by their hand through unbelief, they put Jesus on the cross. When Jesus was trying to tell them who he was, they didn’t understand and refused to listen. In John 8:23-27 John wrote: And he said unto them, Ye are from beneath; I am from above: ye are of this world; I am not of this world. 24 I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins. 25 Then said they unto him, Who art thou? And Jesus saith unto them, Even the same that I said unto you from the beginning. 26 I have many things to say and to judge of you: but he that sent me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I have heard of him. 27

They understood not that he spake to them of the Father. When Jesus spoke those words he made it plain to all, that if they didn’t believe in him they would die in their sins without a hope of redemption. The verses tie sin and unbelief together because they are inseparable. Unbelief shows in sinful deeds and unbelief produces sin.  

However, though there are many different acts that the Bible calls sin, the focal point isn’t necessarily on sins that will cause one not to be saved, (those specific sins are listed) but rather on the consequence of sin and the corresponding need for salvation. When Jesus walked the earth teaching the people, he taught them about the sins that they were committing. He pointed out that the acts were not pleasing to God and were causing them to be separated from God, even those people who were faithfully keeping the law. Keeping of rules of the law didn’t take away their sin nor did it keep them from sinning.

Prior to the death on the cross the emphasis was on taking away specific acts of behavior or sin, all of which were displeasing to God. The death of Jesus on the cross was the perfect sacrifice to put away sin once and for all, and by so doing, the focus shifted away from sin to Jesus Christ. The reason for the shift is because Jesus took away the sin of the world when he died on the cross. The focal point of salvation is life, not sin. John the Baptist announced the purpose for Jesus being in the world, which is recorded in John 1:29: The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. That was hard for some to accept then and it still is in this day and age.

The writer of Hebrews recorded the following words in Hebrews 10:10-13: By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. 11 And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: 12 But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; 13  From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. The sacrifice of Jesus took away the sins of the world and in that doing he took away the sins of every human who believed in him before he died, and now those who believe in him this side of the Day of Pentecost.  We know it was acceptable because he rose from the grave and now sits at the right hand of God.

Faith for salvation rests on the truth that Jesus died, then rose and ascended into heaven to sit at God’s right hand. As Jude wrote in Jude 1:13: Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. Once delivered to the saints (those who believe) never to be done again, means it is finished. The sacrifice has been made and all sins are washed away in the blood of Christ except one, the sin of unbelief. Thus those who refuse to obey the gospel are naked outside of Christ, showing unbelief by their actions. They have no protection from God’s wrath, which is to come.  Jesus said before his death as written by John in 3:36: He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

Unbelief is the sin now in the world. Jesus can’t take that away except in one way. Those who will obey in the act of obedience by faith will have their sin taken away in the water of baptism. (Romans 6:1-4) And newness of life begins when the sin is washed away.

© 01-14-2003 DEC

 Revised 03-23-2008

                  Next Lesson Sins That Show Unbelief Part I