John 6:60-69
Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this, said, “This is a hard saying; who can understand it?” 61 When Jesus knew in Himself that His disciples complained about this, He said to them, “Does this offend you? 62 What then if you should see the Son of Man ascend where He was before? 63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. 64 But there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who would betray Him. 65 And He said, “Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father.” 66 From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more. 67 Then Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you also want to go away?” 68 But Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69 Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
There is nothing that can kill a Christian's faith faster than unbelief. Tragically, this world is seeing the beginning of the end. As sin and evil rule more every day, we see church members leaving in droves. Only since the Great Awakening of the early 19th Century, or a tragic event like 9-11, have we seen churches filled to brim with Christians and seekers trying to find some meaning to life.
Yet, as things calm down, we go back to some sense of normalcy, complacency soon settles in, and not long after, people find themselves walking away from their faith. Preoccupation with the world and busyness of life, modern technology, fear and hopelessness soon take possession, and a degree of unbelief begins to take root.
Today, we see churches that once were the thriving heartbeat of a community now emptying and closing or being destroyed by vandalism or violence. Pews and chairs that once hosted faithful Christians are now nothing more than empty pieces of furniture. Pastors are not immune to this either. They too fall victim of unbelief and many vacate the pulpit every day.
But what has transpired that nearly every church in America is feeling the brunt of this calamity? Has unbelief found a resting place in the body of Christ? Now, I know not every Christian has fallen to this disease. But I also know that unbelief can and has, to some degree, affected the heart of a believer. God knows I have at times. The question is what do we do about it when unbelief tries to pry itself into our heart?
Jesus faced this very thing among those who chose to follow Him... that is... until things got tough and difficult. The teachings of Jesus became hard for them to bear, and after a gut-check, they checked out. They started to question their faith and allowed the unsettling spirit of disbelief to sprout up.
After those who walked away, Jesus asked the remaining twelve, "Do you also want to go away?” And Peter said, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
Is the Lord Jesus - the One who saved you for eternity form eternal Hellfire and damnation enough for you to stay firm and stand in your faith and continue to believe? Only you can answer that. But the more we see the falling away of believers in this world, the closer we see the Day of the Lord approaching. And then what will your answer be?
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