The Greatest Sin Ever Committed
In a discussion of the greatest sin man has committed some of the things that will no doubt come under consideration will be that of murder, adultery, lying, etc. . Without exception, we would agree that these various sins are indeed terrible but we would not have discussed the greatest sin that man has committed until we consider unbelief. Unbelief is the greatest sin that has ever been or ever will be committed by man.
In Mark 16:16 we are told that all who believe and are baptized will be saved but those who believe not will be damned or condemned. It makes no difference how moral our lives may be, for without faith we cannot please God (Heb. 11:6) and our lack of faith; yea, our unbelief will cause our souls to be damned throughout the endless ages of eternity. A man may commit the most heinous crime that, in the world's eyes, could be committed but his fate will be no more than that of an unbeliever.
I'm afraid that some of us who profess to be Christians have the idea that unbelief is that which is manifested by alien sinners only. We need to know for a certainty that primary obedience (faith, repentance, confession and baptism) to the gospel of Christ will by no means guarantee that we'll be free from this "greatest of all sins." God's chosen people fell in the wilderness because of their unbelief. The fact that they were God's chosen did not alter that fact. Because of the unbelief manifested by God's people under the old covenant, the writer of the Hebrew letter admonishes God's people under the new covenant to "Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God" (Heb. 3:12).
The children of Israel, in spite of the many miracles performed and blessings enjoyed, were unbelievers in fact and in practice. And as a result many were not allowed to enter into the promised land (Heb. 3:18, 19).
We claim to be God's children and yet many of us by our practice, make our proclamation and profession a lie! We breathe from our mouths a love of God and a love for the Truth and then fail to assemble (Heb. 10:25), to pray (I Thess. 5:17), to give as prospered (I Cor. 16:2), to contend for the faith (Jude 3) and fail to be soul-winners for Jesus. We profess a love for the lost but are not willing to do anything in order to save them. We are unwilling to teach and to spread the gospel, even in our own neighborhood or on our own block, not to mention our unwillingness to assist in the support of preaching the gospel in other areas. Why? Because of unbelief! We don't believe what the Bible says with reference to these various subjects as we should. Yes, like the children of Israel, our hearts have become hardened with unbelief. Brethren, let us realize that unbelief will cost us, as it did them, our very souls!
There is a rest that has been prepared for God's people. Jesus said, "Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also" (John 14:1-3). Blessed thought! Through diligent effort and labor on our part this resting place will be ours. The Hebrew writer speaks of it in this wise: "Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief" (Heb. 4:11). Let us therefore, "press on toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus" (Phil. 3:14). Let us cast aside the sin of unbelief and place our trust and confidence in Him. Let us be faithful unto death that we may receive the crown of life (Rev. 2:10).
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