Watch out for unbelief!

Hebrews 3:12 Take care, brethren, that there not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God. The Holy Spirit encourages us today to not be unbelieving, but rather believe God is living and active in all things. Faith is the critical operating power of God as we live to love with Jesus. We cannot love with God’s love without Him. He is the source of love. The moment we fall away or drift away (as warned in 2:1) from God, that’s when we disconnect from the source of life and love. Just to be clear, I don’t believe the Spirit is indicating it is possible for one to lose his or her salvation. The danger for the brethren is reacting to the circumstances of life and to people as if God is dead and uninvolved. That’s how unbelievers live. They don’t believe God exists or is alive and active in this world. So in their unbelief, they live and act as if they are god. Consequently, they live in insecurity and fear, trying to control life and secure as much happiness in this world as they can. In my book, Live to Love: Experience Freedom and Joy in Relationships, I contrast unbelief and faith. “Unbelief focuses on what we see and experience in life, whereas faith focuses on Jesus, sitting enthroned at the right hand of God, having all authority over everything in heaven and on earth” (pg. 50). This verse encourages us not to have an unbelieving heart which focuses on all the things that don’t seem subject to us or to Christ—all the things that don’t go like we want them to go. We are to take care, be careful, take pains not to harden our hearts to God’s word about Christ. He lives! He is Lord over all in heaven and earth. He is faithful over God’s house, whose house we are if we don’t drift or fall away from our confidence and hope in Christ. I wrap up today’s live to love with Jesus encouragement with this: If we believe Jesus lives in us, then we have the foundation for powerful living. Love only flows out of a trusting heart—a heart that believes what Jesus believes. Bear with me as I repeat what I said a couple of days ago. With the faith and love that are in Jesus, we believe 1) There is only one God, the Father, from whom are all things, and He is love. 2) Jesus’ love is enough. He satisfies my soul when everything else in this world fails to satisfy. 3) God’s purpose in all things is to reveal the life of Jesus Christ in me and prepare me for eternity. With these sound words in mind, let me encourage you with what the apostle Paul wrote to Timothy. 2 Tim. 1:13. “Retain the standard of sound words which you have heard from me, in the faith and love which are in Christ Jesus.” Watch out for unbelief!