Unbelief.—Unbelief is not of itself sin. “Sin is the transgression of the law.” Belief, or faith, will save from sin. God gave His Son, that “whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16. “He that believeth on Him is not condemned.” Verse 18. Why?—Because “the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin.” 1 John 1:7. It is sin, transgression of God’s law, which condemns; for “he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only-begotten Son of God.” John 3:18. Unbelief leaves him in sin, and sin condemns.
Relation of Unbelief to Sin.—But is not unbelief properly called sin?—Yes; for in a sense it is the greatest of sins; nay, it includes all sin. He who in the face of light will not believe, cherishes sin, loves sin. The Jews could not believe, because they thought more of their own honor than of the honor that came from God. See John 5:43, 44. Sin intervenes between the soul and God, and blinds to the light of His Gospel. But he who cherishes one sin, cherishes the very nature of sin, and thus unbelief shows that he prefers sin to holiness, transgression to righteousness. When, therefore, we find ourselves doubting God’s word, we may know that sin reigns in the heart. Unbelief is an infallible indication of cherished sin, and so it is taken as standing for cherished sin. Many of the tribes of Israel did not enter the promised land because of unbelief; but this simply meant that they cherished and loved their own sinful ways instead of God’s ways, and this is demonstrated by their history. Let it not be demonstrated in ours.