Unbelieving Believers

Weekly Feature
Unbelieving Believers
Source: Charlotte Gambill Scanlon
Before our last Cherish conference, God directed me to tell the women just
how much he believed in them. As God impressed this on my heart, I
questioned it because it sounded so obvious, so simple. Then over the next
few weeks God took me on a journey to teach me that I actually had no idea
just how much he believes in me. I had to understand the depth within this
seemingly simple truth before I could share it with anyone else.

The conference has come and gone but I am left with the lingering impact of
ministering this truth. I receive regular letters and e-mails describing how
this truth has dawned on people and changed their world. People are changing
their location, jobs, relationships and more. This truth is changing lives!
People are grasping the truth that all of heaven believes in them and that
this is no fleeting or circumstantial thing but a foundational, consistent
and empowering belief that energises them to live their dreams.

Do you know how much God believes in you? He believes in you absolutely. He
believes in your potential and ability; he believes that you are perfectly
equipped to do all he has destined for your life.

Created in his image
God created you in his own 'image and likeness'.1 He effectively gave you
his DNA in creating you to be like him. He then believed in mankind so much
that he gave you authority and dominion over every other living creature on
the planet.2 This is how much almighty God believes in you.

These are awesome truths known by most Christians but for many the
realisation of what they are reading and hearing has not come home to their
hearts. How do I know? By observing how many Christians live their lives as
victims rather than as people made in God's image with a dominion mandate.
You see, knowing the Scriptures is not enough, you have to really believe
them and be able to point to where they are working in your world.

The problem we have in the church today is that we have lots of believers
who are actually unbelievers. There is an epidemic of unbelieving believers.
'Believer' is not just a term used to describe people who come to Christ, it
is a term that is supposed to characterise the rest of our lives with God.
Believers believe in God and what he then says about them, their destiny,
future and purpose in life.

God believes in you but do you believe he does? Do you really believe that
the promises in the Bible apply to you? Do you really believe that you are
chosen, that you have the ability to heal the sick, meet people's needs and
make a difference? Or are you just another unbelieving believer?

Unbelieving disciples
Is it really possible to be close to God, to be in his House, raise your
hands in worship and yet still be an unbelieving believer? Yes, even Jesus'
disciples struggled with this issue.3 He gave them authority to heal the
sick and cast out demons, which they went out and did. Yet only a few
chapters later, faced with a similar situation we find them in fear and
confusion because a demon would not come out. Consequently, the father of
the demon possessed boy brought his son to Jesus. A situation was developing
where those who were supposed to help carry the load for Jesus were creating
more work for him because of their unbelief. And the same is true in many
churches. Leaders are being worn out because people around them give in to
doubt and negativity; their unbelief renders them ineffective against the
enemy and imposes a burden on the church.

Note how Jesus responded. He first healed the boy but then expressed his
disappointment with the disciples; he called them an 'unbelieving and
perverse generation'. Later they asked him what had gone wrong. His response
was simple: 'Because you have so little faith.'4

The disciples were close to Jesus, did life with him, had been chosen by him
and were given authority by him, yet they still had unbelief in their heart.
They were unbelieving believers in that situation and that is why I do not
presume for one minute that this is something we have mastered. For if the
closeness of the disciples to Jesus didn't eradicate their unbelief, how
much more must we the church remain aware of this potential footbrake on our
life and ministries.

Yoked to unbelief
'Do not be yoked with unbelievers'5 taught the Apostle Paul. Though normally
used to describe relationships between Christian and non-Christians, I
believe this scripture has a wider wisdom to pass on in our present context.
If there are unbelieving believers out there, you should not be yoked with
them either! In fact some unbelieving believers will do more damage to your
walk with God than a sinner ever could. It is far more subtle and pervasive.
It evidences itself in seemingly innocent questions, in a 'Did God really
say?' comment which then allows unbelief to settle on you and sow its
destructive seeds.

Never allow your life to be manipulated by unbelieving believers, by those
who every time you even mention stepping out to do something for God are
quick to express their concerns cloaked as 'Christian counsel'. Instead,
yoke your life to believing believers, who may see the problems but their
belief in the promise silences all doubt or unbelief.

Believing and doing together
So, how do you know if you are a believing believer? By what you do.
Believers are doers. Belief is a motivator, it is a force that energises
people to do something. Belief gets things done.

Take Gideon for example. He thought he was the weakest of the weak when God
came and called him a 'mighty warrior' but God was just expressing how much
he believed in him. His next command was then 'Go in the strength you have
and save Israel'.6 Belief energised him into action.

Moses' first response to God's command to go and deliver Israel from Egypt
was 'I can't do it'. But as God affirmed 'I believe that you can do this',
Moses began to believe he was believed in and this motivated him to action.7
God didn't spend a long time reassuring Moses because if God says you can do
it he expects you to believe it too. Your questioning suggests that God's
belief in you is misplaced but God knows you better than you know yourself;
he knows you can do it!

God spoke to Noah and effectively said, 'I believe in you and my favour is
on your life. Now I want you to go and build me an ark because I am going to
send rain to flood the earth.'8 Noah had never seen rain before and had no
idea what an ark was but he still went and built one. God's expression of
belief in him motivated him to extraordinary action.

All these men accomplished incredible things from just one encounter with
God. They had a revelation of just how much God believed in them, it went so
deep into their hearts that they came away from their encounter hearing
'nothing is impossible' and believing it enough to try the impossible. And
God has got some amazing things for you to do too. But you will never
accomplish them unless you take God seriously and believe him when he says
he wants to use you.

'What good is it my brothers if someone claims to have faith but has no
deeds?' said James.9 Faith always has a corresponding action. So, do you
believe that you are to love your enemies? Where then is your corresponding
behaviour? Do you believe that you are salt and light to the world? Where
then is your involvement in society? Never say that you believe God if you
are not expressing it in action; to do so is self-deception and doesn't fool
God or anyone else in the long run.

Belief gets you out of the boat
One night as the disciples were crossing Lake Galilee, the weather turned
stormy. Then: 'During the fourth watch of the night Jesus went out to them
walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake they
were terrified. "It's a ghost" they said, and cried out with fear. But Jesus
immediately said to them: "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid." "Lord if
it's you," Peter replied, "tell me to come to you on the water." "Come," he
said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came
towards Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to
sink, cried out, "Lord save me!"' 10

The reaction of the disciples that night illustrates four positions we can
find ourselves in when it comes to believing God:

1. The terrified disciple
If you are in the boat, then like the disciples you love God, are saved, you
go to church and are not a bad person. In the boat you have found a safe
place and you intend staying there. You don't like waves and commotion. But
suddenly, as with the disciples, a voice starts challenging where you are
at. It says, 'You can do more, be more and experience more than this. I'm
here'. God is calling you to a new level but you identify with the terrified
disciples in the boat.

Getting out of the boat can be frightening. It means embracing the unknown
and this tests your essential belief. The challenge is: do you believe that
the God of your boat is also the God of the unknown ocean? You may be scared
of moving on but all that hinders you is deciding whether or not you really
believe God when he says 'come' or not.

2. The inquisitive disciple
You may be in the boat but like Peter you immediately recognise God's voice.
Even though scared, you are inquisitive. Though surrounded by people who
refuse to get out of the boat, your heart is pounding and you know you will
have to do something about it. Like Peter your response is, 'if this is you,
tell me to come!' Jesus answered with one word, 'come'. He didn't explain
how to come or what to do, it was simply a test of belief.

If you know that God has asked you to do something, then stop hanging around
with the terrified unbelievers in the boat and change your environment by
stepping out.

3. The inquisitive disciple
Some of you are reading this and thinking, 'I've already got out of the boat'.
You made a decision, went for it and now you are walking on water. But
having decided to move forward into what God told you, doubts are now
creeping in. The waves of circumstance and disappointment are crashing
around you and you wonder whether it was a mistake.

To you God is saying 'Don't look at the waves, believe!' God hasn't changed
his mind, he still believes in you. It's just a storm and his belief in you
is stronger than any adversity you will face, so keep going.

Never let adverse circumstances alone determine whether you should continue
or not. Jesus promised his disciples that 'in this world you will have
trouble.'11 Your belief should strengthen with every storm you face because
fundamentally you are convinced that in Christ you have 'overcome the world'
and your destiny is secure in his hands.

4. The sinking disciple
And to all of you who feel like you are sinking fast I'd say two things.
First, well done for getting this far, and second, get back up and believe
again! Remember what got you out of the boat in the first place. Ask
yourself what's changed? God is still in control, he still believes in you
and is still calling you. To the sinking Peter Jesus reached out a hand and
caught him. To you he also says 'I'm here, why did you doubt?' Doubt will
sink your life every time. So, let any doubt be drowned out by your strong
belief.

Believers are first followers
Peter was a first follower. While the other disciples were afraid and stayed
in the boat, he heard the voice of God and responded. He got out the boat
first and became a first follower.

This can be frightening but Peter's belief in God meant he was the only
disciple who ever knew what it was like to walk on water. Like him, first
followers have some great experiences. First followers are always the ones
who do what God has said first. They launch the initiative, they write the
book and start the ministry. This is because they have a revelation of just
how much God believes in them; belief energises their world. Gideon, Moses,
Noah and Peter were all first followers. They understood that believing and
doing couldn't be separated. Today we need an army of Christians who are all
first followers.

God believes in you, loves you and you are special to him but are you
willing to get out of the boat? Peter is not remembered as the disciple who
sank, he is remembered for being the one who walked on water. Do you want to
be remembered for being a doubting Thomas or a first follower? The choice is
yours because God really believes in you!

1 Genesis 1:27
2 Genesis 1:28
3 Matthew 10:8
4 Matthew 17:17-21
5 2 Corinthians 6:14
6 Judges 6:12-14
7 Exodus 3:7ff
8 Genesis 6:8-22
9 James 2:14-26
10 Matthew 14:25-36
11 John 16:33
Useful link: www.alm.org.uk