By: Obed Pineda
It has been stated before that the identity of a man is shaped by two primary factors: his biological inheritance and the environment in which he was raised. If we self-examine the origins of our current personality, we will confirm that these two components are indeed responsible for who we are today. However, it is vital to beware of mistakenly shifting off of ourselves all of the responsibility of the choices we make in our lives. Even though it is true that genetics and society contribute to who we are, it is just as true that we can choose to change the trajectory of our character as well. Consider the fact that an individual has the power to choose the environment they inhabit in. Once more, the environment that a man is surrounded by will inevitably impact who that man becomes. Thus, it is essential that one selects wisely the culture he will surround himself with. When the fall of the symbolic Babylon was revealed in a vision to the beloved apostle he advised, “‘Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and has become a dwelling place of demons, a prison for every foul spirit,and a cage for every unclean and hated bird! For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich through the abundance of her luxury.’ And I heard another voice from heaven saying, ‘Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins,and lest you receive her plagues’” (Revelation 18:2-4, cf. 2ndCorinthians 6:14-18). The Bible continually reminds us that with whom we associate can either build us up or tear us down (cf. Proverbs 13:20, 1stCorinthians 15:33-34). For this reason, it becomes important to remain vigilant and mindful of the traits we may unconsciously pick up from our surroundings. Considering the ghastly level of moral decadence and irreverence for God, this warning becomes crucial for the survival of our faith. Lamentably, the majority of humanity does not accept that God is and due to their unbelieving hearts sinful living thrives and dominates civilization. Ergo, it becomes monumental to resist the deadly influence of the charming merchant of death known as incredulity. The Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary defines incredulous as “unwilling to admit or accept what is offered as true.” This was the condition of mankind before the Great Flood (cf. Matthew 24:36-39, 2ndPeter 3:5-9). This, too, was the reason why the first generation of Israel that had been delivered from Egyptian bondage was denied entrance into the promised land (cf. Hebrews 3:7-19). Remember that the Hebrew writer is alluding to that moment in Israelite history when an entire generation was swayed by ten wicked, cowardly spies who “gave the children of Israel a bad report of the land which they had spied out” (Numbers 13:31-14:4). Biblical examples such as this one reveals to the faithful the insidious and infectious nature of unbelief. It is worth pinpointing the bitter root of a man’s unbelieving heart. In every case presented in this humble piece, the thread that ties them together is an anxiety roused by the lack of understanding “how.” It is a tendency of human nature to find comfort and security in understanding “how” things work. Although there is benefit in having this information available, it is not always necessary or essential for an individual to use it effectively. This is (in this author’s personal opinion) the greatest challenge to a man’s faith. Man’s curious nature oft times becomes the cord that ensnares his spiritual walk. Doubt soon discovers a fertile ground to sow its seed of incredulity in the heart of a man who dwells too long in wanting to understand every detail of God’s majestic plan instead of focusing on Him who is carrying it out. Observe that the Master taught “The Kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground, and should sleep by night and rise by day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he himself does not know how.For the earth yields crops by itself; first the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head. But when the grain ripens, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come” (Mark 4:26-29). The Savior’s parable is establishing that regardless of whether the sower understands or not the entire process of what he is engaged in, the process will still work as God had originally designed it to be. Thus, what is more important is understanding that it works, because this is what prompts action. Trusting in the system that the Almighty created is what incredulity attacks and eventually leads to discouragement and inactivity (cf. Proverbs 6:6-11). Notice that this was the outcome of the world that perished in the flood as well as the generation of Israel that was not allowed to enter Canaan. Learning this also validates the apostle Paul’s proclamation that “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase.So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase” (1stCorinthians 3:6-7). Paul did not need to know the exact science of how the Gospel would grow within the minds of the Corinthians for he “determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified” (1stCorinthians 2:2). The apostle to the Gentiles is teaching, through inspiration, the mistake that opens the door for unbelief is focusing on the wrong information. Pay attention that what he is saying in the pericope above is that he did not need to learn about the Corinthians history or lives, because it was not a determining factor to whether the power of God through the obedience of the Gospel in baptism would wash away their sins or not. The lesson that we must not forget is that even though we cannot physically see how an obedient faith washes away their sins, we can understand why that is certainly the case because “we walk by faith, not by sight” (2ndCorinthians 5:7). It is truly a sorrowful thing to know that many Christians delay in obeying the Great Commission because they do not see how it works considering the minute amount of people who accept the Gospel of Christ. Once again, their disillusionment stems from focusing on the wrong information by listening to the evil tongue of the merchant of death. When incredulity seeks to allure us away from being faithful to God and His Word, it is when we must remember to “hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful” (Hebrews 10:23).