The Great Cost of Unbelief - Part 1 — W.F. Kumuyi

Together. Heavenly Father, we thank you for this wonderful time of coming to worship you. We come, Lord, with a spirit, a soul, a mind, a body. With all the attention and all the commitment you have given us, oh Lord, we come before you.

And we're asking, Lord, that our worship today will be totally, completely acceptable unto you in Jesus' name. That as we hear the word of God, our hearts will receive that word, will not despise your word.

Belief and Unbelief in John 3

And then the grace and the mind, the spirit, will follow through and be obedient to your word you've granted to us in Jesus' name. Save us, Lord, from the sin of unbelief and lead us into the faith that honors and glorifies your name.

In Jesus' name we pray. In John chapter 3, I'm reading verses 18 and 19. John 3, verse 18. He that believeth on him is not condemned. But he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

Verse 36. He that believeth on the Son has everlasting life. And he that believeth not the Son shall not see light, but the wrath of God abideth on him. In those two verses that I read to you, verse 18 and verse 36, you will see the importance of believing, the result of believing, the consequence of believing, the profit, the advantage of believing.

The Salvation and Reconciliation Found Through Faith

When we believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, it leads us into life eternal. It makes us to have acceptance with God, reconciliation with God. On the other side is not believing. And we'll see the consequence of unbelief.

For my people say, the cost upon belief. We'll see the damnation that comes upon the people that do not believe. It says, he that believeth not is condemned already, is condemned here now. I will be condemned over there in the hereafter in eternity.

I think in verse 36, he that believeth not the Son shall not see light. He that does not believe that salvation will come through the Son, that forgiveness comes through the Son, that reconciled with God through the Son of God.

He might be religious. He might be morally good. He might be philanthropic. He might do a lot of good, good things all around him, but he does not believe unto life eternal, unto salvation. He does not believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.

He will not see light. He is condemned here. He will be condemned in the hereafter. In Mark chapter 16, Mark chapter 16, we're reading from verse 15. And he said unto them, go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.

He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved. Begin to see the importance of believing. If we're going to be saved, saved from sin, saved from the consequence of sin, saved from the damnation that comes on the day of judgment.

If we're going to be saved, we must believe on the Lord Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. Look at the other side. But he that believeth not is damned. Again we see the consequence of not believing.

He that believeth not is damned. In 1 John chapter 5, verse 10. 1 John chapter 5, verse 10. He that believeth on the Son of God has the witness in himself. He that believeth not, God has made him a liar.

Unbelief Makes God a Liar

It says there is believing on the one hand. And when you believe in God, and you believe in the salvation that Christ has purchased for us, it tells us you have lied. But he who does not believe, it says he has made God a liar.

I want you to think about that. Calling God a liar. Making God a liar. Proclaiming God to be a liar. You can see the consequence, the cost. Because he that believeth not the record that God gave of his Son.

When you do not believe, you do not believe Christ, the words of Christ, the salvation coming through Christ, the atonement of Christ, the sacrifice of Christ. When you despise all that Christ has brought unto us, and you refuse to believe on the great loss you are sustaining here on earth, and get rapture in eternity.

Forgiveness and Justification Through Christ

Acts of the Apostles chapter 13 verse 38. Acts chapter 13 verse 38. Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins. Through this Christ, Redeemer, Savior, is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins.

And by him all that believe are justified from all sins, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses. Beware therefore, lest that come upon you which is spoken of in the prophets, behold ye despise us, and wonder, and perish.

Behold ye despise us. That is those who despise Christ, his words, his salvation, his promise of life eternal. They neglect salvation. They reject salvation. They refuse to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and so they can be saved.

They might come to church. They might act religious. They might be like Pharisees or the Sadducees. They might profess that they believe. They believe in a lot of things. The Pharisees believed in angels.

They didn't believe in the resurrection. But they did not believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. They despised Christ, his person, his word, his message, his sacrifice, his atonement, and what he did for us on the cross of Calvary.

Christ Alone Provides Salvation and Righteousness

That's why it says it is only through this Christ you can have forgiveness of sin. Only through this Christ you can have salvation, life eternal, reconciliation with God. Only through this Christ you can have the righteousness that comes by faith.

Only through this Christ you can have acceptance from the Father. And if you despise Christ, and you refuse to believe in Christ, and you do not take his atonement, his sacrifice, and you do not take his promises, either because you feel I don't need them, I can get by without the promises Christ has given, or you think they are too good to be true, too high, too great.

And how will those things be fulfilled? Whatever reason we have, whatever reason anybody has, but not believing on those great promises and promises coming through Christ. It says, Beware therefore, lest that come upon you which is spoken of in the prophets, Behold, ye despise us, and wander, and perish.

By what a word in your mouth.