Now the essence is what something
is made of. I want us to consider what the
essence of faith is and what the essence of unbelief is, and
it's actually very simple. I want you to consider this before
we look at this from the scriptures. The essence of faith is believing
His ability. That's the essence. And the essence of unbelief is
believing in man's ability. Now I hope, by the grace of God,
we'll all ask ourselves the question, don't take it as a given. Well,
I believe in God's ability. I don't believe in man's ability.
I hope that's the case, but I hope that we'll give this some serious
consideration, the essence of faith and the essence of unbelief.
First Corinthians chapter 10, notice he says, moreover brethren,
I would not that you should be ignorant. This is something that
I want you to know about and I want you to know very clearly. And he speaks of these people,
the children of Israel, that saw the cloudy pillar. What a sight that must have been.
This gigantic pillar that would stop and sit over the tabernacle
and then it would move and they would move and it would stop
again, they would stop. They saw this cloudy pillar that
turned into a flame of fire at night. They experienced that
on a daily basis. These people actually passed
through the Red Sea. I love to think about that, the
sea parting. I don't know how deep it was,
but it was in the midst of the sea. It parted and they marched
through knowing that the only reason that water didn't come
down upon them was because of the power of God. These people were actually symbolically
baptized under the cloud and through the sea. The apostle
tells us. They ate manna. Every day they ate this manna
that fell down from heaven. Can you imagine experiencing
that? And every day they drank water
from that smitten rock. They saw water gush out of that
rock. And the scripture says that rock
followed them. And that rock was Christ. Paul tells us. What an experience. Verse 5, but with many of them. How many? All but two. This is talking about what took
place in Numbers chapter 13 and chapter 14, where The spies are sent and come back,
10 with a good report, two with a bad report. And the Lord says,
because of that, everyone that was 20 years of age or older
would not get into the promised land. Probably at least a million,
maybe two million, and only two people made it in. Joshua and
Caleb. Now the people under 20 years
old made it in, but all of those that were over 20, none of them
made it in, but Joshua and Caleb. Now I would like you to turn
to Numbers chapter 13. This is what he's talking about
when he says, with many of them, God was not well pleased for
they were overthrown in the wilderness. That's the language of scripture.
They were overthrown during this 40 years of wandering and all
of them died in the wilderness except for Caleb and Joshua. Numbers chapter 13. In verse 14, I mean in chapter 14
verse 10, this is after Caleb and Joshua give this good report
of the land. The other 10 had given the evil
report, and now Joshua and Caleb give their good report and look
at the response of the children of Israel. Verse 10, but all
the congregation bade stone them with stones. They wanted them
to be put to death. They had no belief in their report. And the glory of the Lord appeared
in the tabernacle of the congregation before all the children of Israel. Verse 11, and the Lord said unto
Moses, how long will this people provoke me? And how long will
it be ere they believe me? For all the signs which I have
showed among them. Unbelief was behind all of this.
Unbelief. It was groundless. There was
no excuse for it. I mean, when they were Expressing
this unbelief, the cloudy pillar was in their sight. That very
day, they had had this angel's food, manna from heaven. That very day, they had drank
water from the rock, and yet they failed to believe. Look in verse 12. God says, I'll
smite them with the pestilence and disinherit them, and we'll
make of thee a greater nation and mightier than they. He said
that to Moses. Look in verse 26 of chapter 14. And the Lord spake unto Moses
and to Aaron saying, how long shall I bear with this evil congregation,
which murmur against me? I've heard the murmurings of
the children of Israel, which they murmur against me. saying
to them, as truly as I live, saith the Lord, as I have spoken,
as you have spoken in mine ears, so will I do to you. Your carcasses
shall fall in the wilderness, and all that were numbered of
you, according to your whole number, from 20 years old and
upward, which have murmured against me, doubtless they shall not
come into the land concerning which I swear to make you dwell
therein, save Caleb, the son of Jephthah, and Joshua, the
son of Nun. Now, all the people have left the
promised land, or Egypt, and they're getting ready to enter
the promised land. Look with me in chapter 13. Twelve spies were sent into the
promised land. And 12 is very significant. God told 12 spies to go into
the promised land, and 10 come back with an evil report, and
two come back with a good report. Now, I don't always know what
numbers mean, but numbers are always of significance, always,
whether we know the significance or not. But I think this 12 is
very significant. 10, come back with this evil
report. What does 10 represent? The law,
the Ten Commandments. Two, come back with this good
report. What does two represent? The two shall become one. It represents the verification
of the truth in the mouth of two witnesses shall everything
be established, two or three. One is not enough. So there's
significance to this number, 10 and 12. In Numbers chapter
13, let's begin in verse 12. 1 And the Lord spake unto Moses,
saying, Send down men, that they may search the land of Canaan,
which I gave unto the children of Israel. 2 Of every tribe of
their fathers shall ye send a man, every one a ruler among them. And they are named, verse 17,
And Moses sent them to spy out the land of Canaan and said to
them, get you up this way southward and go you up into the mountain
and see the land, what it is, and the people that dwell therein,
whether they be strong or weak, few or many, and what the land
is that they dwell in, whether it be good or bad, and what cities
they be that dwell in, whether in tents or in strongholds, and
what the land is, whether it be fat or lean, whether there
be wood therein or not, and be of good courage. You see, he
knew the Lord was gonna give it to him. Be of good courage. And bring of the fruit of the
land. Now the time of the first right grapes, it was. So they went in and searched
the land from the wilderness of Zin and to Rehob as men came
to Hamath and they ascended by the south and came into Hebron
and where Ashmayim and Shishai and Tammai and the children of
Anak were there. Now Hebron was built seven years before Zoan
in Egypt. And they came out into the brook
of Eshkol and cut down from thence a branch of wine with one cluster
of grapes, and they bared between two upon a staff, and they brought
the pomegranates and the figs. The place was called the brook
of Eshkol because of the cluster of grapes which the children
of Israel cut down from thence. And they returned from searching
the land after forty days. Now picture in your mind, they're
coming with a cluster of grapes, two men with a staff, and this
cluster is so heavy, it takes two men to bring it in. Verse 26, and they went and came to Moses
and to Aaron, and to all the congregation of the children
of Israel, and to the wilderness of Paran, to Kadesh, and brought
back word unto them, and unto all the congregation, and showed
them the fruit of the land, told them and said, we came into the
land where thou sent us and surely it flows with milk and honey
and this is the fruit of it. Nevertheless, now here is the
reply of unbelief and it has to do with believing in man's
ability. Nevertheless, the people be strong
that dwell in the land, and the cities are walled and very great. Moreover, we saw the children
of Anak there, these giants. The Amalekites dwell in the land
of the south, and the Hittites, and the Jebusites, and the Amorites
dwell in the mountains, and the Canaanites dwell by the sea and
by the coast of Jordan. And Caleb, still the people before
Moses. I can imagine this murmuring
rising up. What are we going to do? walled
cities, giants. We're not able to stand before
these people. Now, wait a minute. God just brought you out of Egypt.
He annihilated the most powerful nation in the world. He brought
you through the Red Sea. He's fed you with manna every
day. You've had water from the rock.
What's the problem? And Caleb stilled the people
before Moses and said, let us go up at once and possess it. for we're well able to overcome
it. You know why? If God be for us,
who can be against us? We're well able, I don't care
if they're giant, I don't care if they're walled cities, I don't
care what the problem is, we're well able to overcome it. Why? Because we're trusting the
Lord's ability. They'd already seen that, and
remember, this is the very essence of faith. Paul said in 2 Timothy
1.12, I know whom I have believed, and I am persuaded that he is
able to keep that which I've committed
to him. against that day. Abraham staggered
not at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strong in faith,
giving glory to God, being fully persuaded that what he had promised,
he was able also to perform. Now, do you believe that God
is able to save you with no contribution from you? Do you believe that? Do you believe
he doesn't need your help? Do you believe, as Hebrews 1,
3 says, when he had by himself, oh, I love those words, when
he had by himself purged our sins, he sat down at the right
hand of the majesty on high. Why'd he sit down? The work was
finished. Do you believe his ability? No help from you, no
works you contribute. It's what he did by himself. We're well able. Caleb said,
this is easy. Verse 31, but the men that went
up with him said, we be not able. We're looking at human ability.
We be not able. There's the essence of faith. I mean, unbelief. The essence
of faith, we're able through Him. If He's for us, who can
be against us? We're able. They're bred for
us. And here's the essence of unbelief. We be not able to go
up against this people, for they are stronger than we. And they
brought up an evil report of the land, which they had searched
under the children of Israel, saying, The land though through
which we have gone to search it, it's a land that eats up
the inhabitants thereof. And all the people that we saw
in it were men of great stature. And there we saw the giants,
the sons of Anak, which come of the giants. And we were in
our own side as grasshoppers. And so were we in their sight. If salvation is of the Lord. Is it? Jonah found out it was. Salvation
is of the Lord. Every aspect of my salvation,
I'm so thankful to be able to announce this, to believe it,
to rejoice in it. Salvation's of the Lord. It's
not of man. It's not what men do. It's what
God does. It's not even what God enables
you to do. It's what He does. of the Lord. Now, if salvation is the work
of Christ alone, if salvation really is all of grace, what
can prevent God's salvation? Romans 8, 31, if God be for us,
who can be against us? That's what Caleb believed. because he's for us. We're well
able. Who can be against us? These
men looked at their ability and they thought, we can't beat these
people. We can't win against these giants. We don't have the
ability. I know you don't, but he does.
That's the point. Salvation is of the Lord. It's
according to his ability, his ability to save me. Hold your
finger there and turn with me to Romans chapter eight. Here's the verse I keep quoting,
verse 31, what shall we say to these things? If God be for us,
Romans 8, 31, what shall we then say to these things? If God be
for us, who can be against us? Now, what does he mean by God
being for us? It means something. He's not for everybody, but he
is for some, a great number of people. Look at verse 28, and
we know That all things work together
for good to them that love God, to them who are called according
to His purpose. For whom He did foreknow. He knew these people beforehand.
He loved these people beforehand. That's what foreknow means. He
loved them. Whom he foreloved, whom he foreknew. Remember that group that he said,
depart from me ye that work iniquity, I never knew you. Now he knew
exactly who they were. He knew every act that they had
ever acted and every sin they'd ever committed. He knew their
names, but he says, I never knew you. But what about these people
he foreknew? For whom he did foreknow. He also did predestinate to be
conformed to the image of His Son. He's for you in foreknowledge,
He's for you in predestination. If He predestinated you to be
conformed to the image of Jesus Christ, is there any way that
you're not going to be? No. If He's for you in predestination,
let's go on reading. That He might be the firstborn
among many brethren, I love that many brethren, not just a few.
There's going to be a lot of people in heaven. Aren't you
glad? There's going to be a lot of
people, a great number that no man can number. God knows the
exact number. It is an exact number, the elect
of God, but there's going to be a bunch of them. But he might
be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover, whom he did predestinate,
then he also called. This is speaking of the call
of irresistible, invincible grace. If he calls you, you'll respond.
Lazarus come forth, either was dead, came forth. Whom he called
them he also justified. Do you have any idea, do I have
any idea what that really means? If he justified me, that means
I stand before God having never sinned. Without guilt, a perfect
standing before the holy law of God, justified. whom he justified,
them he also glorified." That's how secure the salvation of every
believer is. Already glorified. Already glorified. I love saying this. I'm not as
sure for heaven as if I'm already there. I'm already there in Christ,
seated in the heavenlies in Christ Jesus. Now, what shall we say
to these things? If God's for me in purpose, if
he's for me in foreknowledge, if he's for me in predestination,
if he's for me in calling, if he's for me in justification,
if he's for me in glorification, who could be against me? Verse
32, he that spared not his own son, but delivered him up for
us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? There's absolutely nothing that
can prevent Him from freely giving you all things, because He spared
not His own Son. Who shall lay anything to the
charge of God's elect? Do you know if you're one of
God's elect, nothing can even be brought against you? No charge
against you? You see, you're justified. God
justified you. That means you stand before God without guilt.
It's God that justifies. Who is he that condemneth? It's
Christ that died, yea rather that's risen again, who's even
at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for
us, who shall separate us from the love of Christ. Now that's
the security of the believer. And this is not what these fellas
were looking at. They were saying, we're not able.
Well, I know you're not able, but is he able? That's the question. I love when the Lord said to
those blind men, do you believe that I am able? to do this. Yay, Lord. I believe He's able
to save me. But this other group, this is
the essence of unbelief. We be not able. Now turn back to our text. Numbers
14. And all the congregation lifted
up their voice and cried, and the people wept that night. And
all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron. And the whole congregation said
unto them, would God that we died in the land of Egypt, or
would God we died in this wilderness? And wherefore hath the Lord brought
us into the land to fall by the sword, that our wives and our
children should be a prey? Were it not better for us to
return to Egypt? And they said one to another,
let us make a captain and let us return into Egypt. Then Moses and Aaron fell on
their faces before all the assembly, the congregation of the children
of Israel. They were so upset after all
the Lord's done and you react like this. Verse six and Joshua. the son of Nun, and Caleb the
son of Jephthah, which were of them that searched the land,
rent their clothes." You know, they were there, they saw the
land, they saw the same things these fellows saw, the 10 false
witnesses, the exact same thing, yet they saw it in a completely
different view. rent their clothes because they
were upset. And they spake unto the company of the children of
Israel saying, the land which we pass through to search it
is an exceeding good land if the Lord delight in us. And there's the key. If the Lord
delight in us, then He will bring us into this land. Not we'll
get there by the skin of our teeth. He'll bring us into the
land and given us a land which floweth with milk and honey. If the Lord delight in us. Now,
can you think about the Lord delighting in you? Well, let me give you some scriptures
that I think will help us. Psalm 115, three says it, whatsoever
the Lord pleased, that did he. Whatsoever the Lord delighted
in. Our God is in the heavens, he hath done whatsoever he hath
delighted in. Whatsoever he hath pleased. Isaiah chapter 53, verse 10 says,
it pleased the Lord to bruise him. It pleased the Lord. It delighted the Lord to bruise
and crush the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, how can that be? That strong
language, how can you say the Lord was delighted to crush His
Son, that it pleased Him to do so? It wasn't because of any
sadistic desire for pain or anything like that, but it pleased the
Lord knowing what was being accomplished by this glorious crushing of
the Lord Jesus Christ. In Christ being crushed, all
of God's attributes are honored and glorified, and all of the
elect were saved. It pleased the Lord to do that.
You see the cross, I love saying this, I want to say it, I hope
with fear and reverence and trembling every time I say it, but the
cross of Christ is the most God-like thing God ever did. God glorified
every one of his attributes, his justice, his love, his mercy,
his grace, his sovereignty, his wisdom, his love. He glorified
himself. and he saved every single one
of his people. It pleased the Lord to bruise
him. Micah 7, 18 says, he delighteth
in mercy. And that's how he delights in
us because of who he is. You say, how could he delight
be? Because of who he is. And because of who he is through
the Lord Jesus Christ, he delights in every single believer. And had some kind of understanding
of this. If the Lord delight in us back
into our text verse 8 chapter 14. If the Lord delighted us
then he will bring us into this land and give it us a land which
floweth with milk and honey. Now here we see the two simple
Essence of unbelief, essence of faith. The essence of unbelief
is believing in man's ability. And if you believe that any aspect
of your salvation is dependent upon what you do, and that God
can't do something for you unless you first do this, and then when
you do this, then he'll respond to that, you believe in man's
ability. You believe it's up to you. You
believe it's according to God's ability when you believe that
he does it all and you rest the very weight of your soul in that
he does it all. When he said it is finished,
salvation was accomplished. Now that unbelief, man's ability. You need to do something. Take
it right down to free will. You need to at least have your
free will. Let this take place. That's man's
ability. That's salvation by works. That's
all it is. God's ability is he does it all. Now, what are you
looking to right now? Ask yourself that question. What
are you looking to right now? Are you looking to his ability
or are you looking to something you need to do to make what he
did work? Man's ability, God's ability. Now look what he says in verse
nine. Only rebel not ye against the
Lord. Neither fear the people of the
land, for they're bred for us. Their defense is departed from
them, and the Lord is with us. Isn't that the same thing as
if God be for us, who could be against us? It's the same thing.
The Lord is with us. Fear them not. And here's the
response of the people, that all the congregation bade stone
them with stones. Boy, there's never been a more
wicked group than this, except the group right here. We're all
the same, you know, in that sense. They bade stone them with stones. They didn't like what they were
hearing. And the glory of the Lord appeared in the tabernacle
of the congregation before all the children of Israel. And the
Lord said unto Moses, how long will this people provoke me?
How long will it be ere they believe me? For all the signs
which I've showed among them, I will smite them with the pestilence
and disinherit them and will make of thee a greater nation
and mightier than they. Now, the Lord said that to Moses.
to cause this prayer to be prayed. And this is such a powerful gospel
message in this prayer. The Lord always knew what he
intended to do, but as far as Moses understood, I'm gonna kill
them all and I'm gonna start over and make a greater nation
out of you. That's what Moses heard. Now, look at his prayer.
And Moses said unto the Lord, then the Egyptians shall hear
it, For thou broughtest up this people in thy might from among
men. And they will tell it to the
inhabitants of this land, for they've heard that thou, Lord,
art among this people, that thou, Lord, art seen face to face,
and that thy cloud standeth over them, and that thy ghost before
them by the daytime, and a pillar of cloud, and a pillar of fire
by night. And they were saying this even
when they were expressing this unbelief. Now, look what Moses
said. Look at this argument. Now, if
thou shalt kill all these people at one man, then the nations
which have heard the fame of thee will speak, saying, because
the Lord was not able." That's the issue, isn't it? They'll
say, you weren't able to save them. If thou shalt kill all these
people as one man, then the nations will have heard the fame of thee
will speak, saying, because the Lord was not able to bring these
people into the land. which he swear unto them, therefore
he hath slain them in the wilderness. And now I beseech thee, let the
power of my Lord be great, according as thou hast spoken, what you've
already said. He brings up what the Lord had
said in the past. The Lord is long-suffering and of great mercy,
forgiving iniquity and transgression, by no means clearing the guilty,
Visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto
the third and fourth generation. Pardon, I beseech thee, the iniquity
of this people, according to the greatness of thy mercy. Not according to anything in
them, but according to the greatness of thy mercy. And as thou has forgiven this
people from Egypt, even unto now. Forgiven the way you first
forgiven. For Christ's sake, keep doing
it. And the Lord said, I pardon according to thy word, but as
truly as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory
of the Lord, because all those men which have seen my glory
and my miracles, which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness
have attempted me now, these 10 times have not hearkened my
voice. Surely they shall not see the land which I swear unto
their fathers, neither shall any of them that provoke me see
it, but my servant Caleb. You know Caleb's name means faithful
dog. There were two people of the
people over 20 that went in, Joshua, Savior, and the faithful
dog. And that's who enters heaven.
Joshua, the Lord Jesus, and every one of his Caleb's, his faithful
dogs. You see, Moses couldn't bring
them into the promised land. That would represent them getting
in by the law. But it's Joshua who brings them in. But my servant
Caleb, because he hath another spirit with him, and hath followed
me fully, him will I bring into the land whereunto he went, and
his seed shall possess it. Now the Amalekites and the Canaanites
dwelt in the valley. Tomorrow turn you and get you
into the wilderness by the way of the Red Sea. And the Lord
spake unto Moses and to Aaron, saying, how long shall I bear
with this evil congregation which murmur against me? I've heard
the murmurings of the children of Israel, which they murmur
against me, saying unto them, as truly as I live, say ye unto
them, as truly as I live, saith the Lord, as you have spoken
in my ears, so will I do to you. Your carcasses shall fall in
the wilderness, and all that were numbered of you, according
to your whole number, from 20 years old and upward, which have
murmured against me, doubtless shall they not come into the
land concerning which I swear to make you dwell therein, save
Caleb, the son of Jephthah, and Joshua, the son of Nun, but your
little ones, these ones under 20, which you said should be
a prey, that the giants would kill them. Them will I bring
in the land, and they shall know the land which you have despised. But as for you, your carcasses
shall fall in this wilderness, and your children shall wander
in the wilderness forty years, and bear your whoredoms until
your carcasses be wasted in the wilderness." Now that's what
Paul was talking about when he talks about with many of them,
God was not well pleased, but they were overthrown in the wilderness.
Now the simplicity of this The root of unbelief is me thinking
my salvation has something to do with my ability. That's the essence of unbelief,
the essence of faith. is believing that my salvation
has wholly to do with the ability of Jesus Christ to save me. That is the essence of faith. And I have already quoted this,
but let me quote it again. Paul said in 2 Timothy 1.12,
I know whom I have believed. I know him. And I am persuaded
I've been persuaded is the way the language actually is stated. If you're persuaded, it's because
he persuaded you. If you believe, it's because he gave you the
faith. You know that. Faith is an exotic. It didn't
come naturally from us. It's the gift of God's grace.
But every believer possesses it. I know whom I have believed,
and I'm persuaded that he is able to keep That which I've
committed to him against that day. I have committed the salvation
of my soul. My hands are off. My hands are off. If he didn't
do it all, I will not be saved. That's faith. Trusting him alone. May God create this faith in
us that believes His ability. Don't look to your experiences.
Don't look to your past. They had plenty of experiences
they could enjoy. Hey, we went through the Red
Sea. We ate manna. We saw the Ten Plagues. We've
drunk water from that rock. What an experience. Don't look
to your experience. Forget your experience. Do you
look to His ability right now, His righteousness as your only
righteousness, the power of His shed blood to make you perfect
in God's sight. May the Lord enable us all to
have this simple faith in His ability and to have no confidence
in our ability, no confidence in the flesh. Let's pray. Lord, we are so tempted at all
times because of our sinfulness to look to our ability to save
us. And Lord, we ask that you would
kindly and graciously remove that from us and give us the
grace to be just like Caleb and Joshua, knowing that if your
force If you're for us in your son, if you're for us in foreknowledge
and predestination and calling and justification and glorification,
if you're for us, no one can be against us. And Lord, let
us rest in thy dear son. In his name we pray, amen. Matt,
come ladies, I'm closing in.