p. 179 | Is Unbelief a Sin? by R. F. Cottrell

Pacific Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Oakland, California · Jun 12, 1879

Is Unbelief a Sin?

By R. F. Cottrell

IN ancient times unbelief and sin were ranked together. The great difficulty with the people in the time of Moses, and that which was condemned was their want of faith in God, and in his providential care for them; and the wonderful miracles in Egypt, in the Red sea, and in the wilderness, were performed to convince them that the Lord they professed to serve was God, and that he was fulfilling his promises to their fathers. Was it not sin for them to disbelieve God?

Says an apostle, "But with whom was he grieved forty years? was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcasses fell in the wilderness? And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not. So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief. Let us therefore fear, lest a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it." Heb. 3:17-19; 4:1.

From this testimony we learn that sin and unbelief go hand in hand, like twin sisters, and it is hard to decide which is the older of the two. Unbelief leads to sin; and sin tends to unbelief—it attempts to hide itself from justice under the covering of unbelief. In the first instance of sin in our race on record, the tempter would not have succeeded, but by creating a doubt of the word of God.

We learn too from the testimony quoted above, that we of this age, as well as the ancients, are in danger of falling in the same way by unbelief. And the danger continues beyond the time of the apostle; for he also testifies that in "the latter times" men will still depart from the faith.

Now, there never was a time in all the history of the world, when there were so many reasons for faith in the Bible, as at the present time. In the fulfillment of the promise of increase in knowledge, (Dan. 12:4,) in the time of the end, and by the fulfillment of prophecy down to our times, the truth of that word is so verified that there is no excuse for unbelief; and yet it is an age of infidelity. And this verifies the predictions of the apostles and the emphatic suggestion of Christ, that on his return faith would hardly be found on the earth. Luke 18:8.

And it is most marvelous to see professed believers, as they witness the plainest prophecies clearly fulfilled, so much that they can show no discrepancy between the prophecy and the fulfillment, while they dare not deny it, yet feel safe to doubt; as if it were safer to doubt than to believe the fulfillment of God's promises. When the word of God is fulfilled, is it a virtue to doubt? Is not unbelief rather a sin, even in a professed believer? Is it a wonder that the world is rushing into infidelity, when there is so little faith in the church? Believe, my brother, my sister, it is safe to believe; and there is no safety nor consolation in your doubts. Cultivate faith. Evil weeds grow spontaneously; but the valuable products of the earth must be sought by cultivation. There is no lack of evidence on which to found faith; but it must be carefully searched; and that with a willingness that truth shall be truth, and a courage that will acknowledge it when found.

R. F. COTTRELL.