Is Unbelief/Doubt in Christ a Sin?

[reddogs]

​

We see many times that Jesus faced unbelief even among his own disciples...

Matthew 28:17
And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted.

Mark 9:24
And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.

Mark 16:14
Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen.

John 20:24-29
24 But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came.
25 The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.
26 And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you.
27 Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.
28 And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.
29 Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.

Was this Unbelief or Doubt a sin?

 

[Randy]

​

We see many times that Jesus faced unbelief even among his own disciples...

Matthew 28:17
And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted.

Mark 9:24
And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.

Mark 16:14
Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen.

John 20:24-29
24 But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came.
25 The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.
26 And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you.
27 Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.
28 And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.
29 Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.

Was this Unbelief or Doubt a sin?

Those who really are His disciples belong to Him and know Him.
The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.

Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test?

To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

Whoever belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.”


We are sanctified by our faith in Him.

So how can one have the Spirit of Christ in them and NOT know Jesus lives?

 

[Who Me]

Doubt or questions are not a sin, provided one is looking for answers.
To say ' I doubt or have a question about a passage ' and not to be actively looking for and answer is actually unbelieve and that is a sin.

Let's be brutally practical.
No one here is of such an intellectual standing that they have an original question.
The doubts and questions we have are ones that a great many intelligent and spiritual people have had, investigated and found reasonable answers to those doubts and questions.

We should be educati g ourselves about those answers.
Sites li,e reasonablefaith, coldcasechristianity, answersingenesis to name just three.

 

[Carry_Your_Name]

Was this Unbelief or Doubt a sin?

I assume you're thinking about the unforgivable sin. By default we're all sinners with unbelief and doubt, inbound to hell, that's what Jesus came for. The only unforgivable sin is denying Jesus with full knowledge of his identity and experience of his blessing.

 

[Josef]

​

We see many times that Jesus faced unbelief even among his own disciples...

Matthew 28:17
And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted.

Mark 9:24
And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.

Mark 16:14
Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen.

John 20:24-29
24 But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came.
25 The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.
26 And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you.
27 Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.
28 And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.
29 Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.

Was this Unbelief or Doubt a sin?

Hey All,
Good question reddogs. It is not an easy one to answer. I like hard questions. They make you think.

Was Thomas committing a sin? Or was it a request for more information? Jesus told them He would rise again. The other disciples who saw Him were convinced. But Thomas, as well as some of the other disciples were not having any of that. Thomas then makes his famous declaration. Was that a sin or a need: In Thomas' case, it was a desire for more information. I have gone back and forth on this question. I am now settled into it being a request.

Believers can and do sin. But I don't believe Thomas committed sin by being honest about needing more proof.

Keep walking everybody.
May God bless,
Taz

 

[Randy]

Hey All,
Good question reddogs. It is not an easy one to answer. I like hard questions. They make you think.

Was Thomas committing a sin? Or was it a request for more information? Jesus told them He would rise again. The other disciples who saw Him were convinced. But Thomas, as well as some of the other disciples were not having any of that. Thomas then makes his famous declaration. Was that a sin or a need: In Thomas' case, it was a desire for more information. I have gone back and forth on this question. I am now settled into it being a request.

Believers can and do sin. But I don't believe Thomas committed sin by being honest about needing more proof.

Keep walking everybody.
May God bless,
Taz

He wasn't the only one having difficulty accepting Jesus's resurrection. That Jesus lives.

Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. 14 They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. 15 As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; 16 but they were kept from recognizing him.

17 He asked them, “What are you discussing together as you walk along?”

They stood still, their faces downcast. 18 One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, “Are you the only one visiting Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?”

19 “What things?” he asked.

“About Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. 20 The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; 21 but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place. 22 In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning 23 but didn’t find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. 24 Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but they did not see Jesus.”

25 He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” 27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.

28 As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus continued on as if he were going farther. 29 But they urged him strongly, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over.” So he went in to stay with them.

30 When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. 32 They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”

 

[reddogs]

Those who really are His disciples belong to Him and know Him.
The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.

Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test?

To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

Whoever belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.”


We are sanctified by our faith in Him.

So how can one have the Spirit of Christ in them and NOT know Jesus lives?

Well, it seems there were many who knew Him and yet had trouble from the start...

John 6:60-68
60 Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it?
61 When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you?
62 What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before?
63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.
64 But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him.
65 And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.
66 From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.
67 Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away?
68 Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.

 

[Randy]

Well, it seems there were many who knew Him and yet had trouble from the start...

John 6:60-68
60 Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it?
61 When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you?
62 What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before?
63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.
64 But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him.
65 And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.
66 From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.
67 Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away?
68 Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.

Not knew Him in this manner as God writes this new covenant on the hearts of the people to those who believe in their hearts not just those giving lip service. (honor Him with their lips only)

No longer will they teach their neighbor, or say to one another, ‘Know the LORD,’ because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest,” declares the LORD. “For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.”

 

[GodsGrace]

​

We see many times that Jesus faced unbelief even among his own disciples...

Matthew 28:17
And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted.

Mark 9:24
And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.

Mark 16:14
Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen.

John 20:24-29
24 But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came.
25 The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.
26 And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you.
27 Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.
28 And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.
29 Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.

Was this Unbelief or Doubt a sin?

No.
Who here, after many years of believing, has not had doubts.

This is because we believe by faith.

It's important to have a reason for believing...
Since we do not have impirical proof.

 

[Fastfredy0]

Is Unbelief/Doubt in Christ a Sin?​

John 3:18 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.

... so there is a point at which Unbelief is sin and results in condemnation.

... the question becomes difficult to answer if one delves into the minutia of what specifics must be believed. I.E. is Christ God? ... or does Christ have 10 toes? ... some disbeliefs may be condemning

 

[Tenchi]

Hebrews 3:7-13
7 Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, “Today, if you hear his voice,
8 do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, on the day of testing in the wilderness,
9 where your fathers put me to the test and saw my works for forty years.
10 Therefore I was provoked with that generation, and said, ‘They always go astray in their heart; they have not known my ways.’
11 As I swore in my wrath, ‘They shall not enter my rest.’”
12 Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God.
13 But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.

The writer of Hebrews called an unbelieving heart an evil heart.

Mark 16:14
Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen.

Jesus "upbraided" - chided, reproached, rebuked - those whose hearts had, in unbelief, grown hard.

Romans 11:20
20 Quite right, they were broken off for their unbelief, but you stand by your faith. Do not be conceited, but fear;

2 Corinthians 5:7
7 for we walk by faith, not by sight—

 

[Josef]

Is Unbelief/Doubt in Christ a Sin?​

John 3:18 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.

... so there is a point at which Unbelief is sin and results in condemnation.

... the question becomes difficult to answer if one delves into the minutia of what specifics must be believed. I.E. is Christ God? ... or does Christ have 10 toes? ... some disbeliefs may be condemning

Hey All,
Unbelief and doubt are two very different reactions to information. A synonym for doubt is uncertainty. No decision has been made. More information is necessary. It is not sinful seek more information.

Luke 11:9 And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.

Seeking more information is encouraged. Jesus promises a result.
So doubt is not sinful.
Unbelief is the worst sin in the Bible. Die in unbelief and there is no way to correct your situation.

Keep walking everybody.
May God bless,
Taz

 

[Fastfredy0]

So doubt is not sinful.

So, an agnostic (a doubter) can go to heaven?

Agnostic

1. One who believes that it is impossible to know whether there is a God.
2. One who is skeptical about the existence of God but does not profess true atheism.
3. One who is doubtful or noncommittal about something.

 

[Carry_Your_Name]

Was this Unbelief or Doubt a sin?

No. It was rather a requirement, a necessary phase. If you don't have unbelief or doubt, chances are, you're like the shallow soil where the seed of gospel sprouts out quickly, but its root doesn't grow in depth. When facing difficulties, it dies off as quickly as it sprouted.

 

[Josef]

So, an agnostic (a doubter) can go to heaven?

Agnostic

1. One who believes that it is impossible to know whether there is a God.
2. One who is skeptical about the existence of God but does not profess true atheism.
3. One who is doubtful or noncommittal about something.

Again you are confusing your definitions. An agnostic has made a choice, as your first definition states. They no longer have doubt in their mind.
Clearly, as is evident in your definitions, the second and third ( . . . "does not profess". . . and
. . . "noncommittal" . . . respectively) have not come to a final conclusion. A doubter is in need of further information.
Read those definitions again. They are in complete agreement with what I wrote. So thanks for admitting that you agree with me.

Keep walking everybody.
May God bless,
Taz

 

[Carry_Your_Name]

Again you are confusing your definitions. An agnostic has made a choice, as your first definition states. They no longer have doubt in their mind.
Clearly, as is evident in your definitions, the second and third ( . . . "does not profess". . . and
. . . "noncommittal" . . . respectively) have not come to a final conclusion. A doubter is in need of further information.
Read those definitions again. They are in complete agreement with what I wrote. So thanks for admitting that you agree with me.

Keep walking everybody.
May God bless,
Taz

Most people seek AFFIRMATION instead of information, any research they conduct is essentially ME-search, and the almighty algorithm greatly facilitates this tendency, as it feeds them what they already accept and believe - by design.

 

[Josef]

Most people seek AFFIRMATION instead of information, any research they conduct is essentially ME-search, and the almighty algorithm greatly facilitates this tendency, as it feeds them what they already accept and believe - by design.

Hey All,
The Holy Spirit eats algorithms for lunch.
Nothing will stand in the way of the Holy Spirit reaching and guiding a doubting soul towards salvation.
People seeking affirmation have made a decision.
People who doubt, but are truly searching will find an answer. That's a promise.

Keep walking everybody.
May God bless,
Taz

 

[Carry_Your_Name]

Hey All,
The Holy Spirit eats algorithms for lunch.
Nothing will stand in the way of the Holy Spirit reaching and guiding a doubting soul towards salvation.
People seeking affirmation have made a decision.
People who doubt, but are truly searching will find an answer. That's a promise.

Keep walking everybody.
May God bless,
Taz

This is not just about algorithm, man. It's about hardened heart and closed mind, it's the stony ground on which the seed of gospel - or any new information - is instantly rejected. With such an attitude, when a person is exposed to new information that challenges their well established and fortified worldview, they immediately get furious, not curious, because they perceive it as a threat, their inner defense mechanism is activated. They don't bother to listen, to read, to study, to investigate; they begin to judge, to react emotionally, to retaliate, to lecture on you, we've got a handful of such people on this forum. If they show such doubt or skepticism, that would be a good sign, that indicates at least they're curious, at least they're willing to engage in a conversation and they're using their intelligence to process the incoming information, that's a healthy attitude.

 

[GodsGrace]

Most people seek AFFIRMATION instead of information, any research they conduct is essentially ME-search, and the almighty algorithm greatly facilitates this tendency, as it feeds th1¹1¹¹1¹em what they already accept and believe - by design.

I must say, however, that it makes life easier IF you already know your belief system and you need to prepare lessons.

You need to know how to SIFT.

 

[GodsGrace]

This is not just about algorithm, man. It's about hardened heart and closed mind, it's the stony ground on which the seed of gospel - or any new information - is instantly rejected. With such an attitude, when a person is exposed to new information that challenges their well established and fortified worldview, they immediately get furious, not curious, because they perceive it as a threat, their inner defense mechanism is activated. They don't bother to listen, to read, to study, to investigate; they begin to judge, to react emotionally, to retaliate, to lecture on you, we've got a handful of such people on this forum. If they show such doubt or skepticism, that would be a good sign, that indicates at least they're curious, at least they're willing to engage in a conversation and they're using their intelligence to process the incoming information, that's a healthy attitude.

I believe the OP is speaking about something different,,,, but continue.