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Can people, who go to church their whole lives, neglect belief in Jesus? Can people, who are very close to God’s work, fail to believe in Him? Might this describe our friends, family or even us?
I just finished reading a translation of the first five books of Hebrew Bible with commentary. It has many insights about Hebrew words and language that we can miss in our English translations of the Bible. In many ways, it is a great work. Yet by the end of it, I wondered if the author actually believed in God.

Several times, he explained Israelite practices and customs as merely copying other nations. He would sometimes describe miracles as an “obvious” overstatement or myth. This is not the first time I’ve seen this. Be wary of TV specials on Jesus that claim to reveal some new discovery about him. The producer usually consults “experts” who teach the Bible but do not actually believe in God.

Yet this phenomenon shows up outside the academic world. Some pastors don’t believe in Christ or at least don’t believe in His resurrection. Some churchgoers don’t believe in the Bible’s authority. Many baptized believers end up walking away from the faith.

Think about Judas. He had a personal relationship with Jesus. He heard Jesus’ teaching. He witnessed Jesus’ miracles. He saw the impact Jesus had on many. Yet in the end, Judas did not believe.
The story of Judas’ life serves as a wake up call for us to guard against complacency in our hearts. I don’t think Judas woke up the day of Jesus’ arrest and suddenly decided to betray Jesus. It was a long journey to convinced unbelief. He let his obsession with money and greed blind him to the truth about Jesus. He lived in the environment of God’s work but in the end didn’t believe in God. He walked with the Son of God but failed to confess Jesus as Lord.

So, how can we guard against this result in our own lives and hopefully influence others in the same direction?

1 – Start or keep reading the Bible. If we aren’t regularly exposed to God’s Word, it will quickly fade from our minds. Some other worldview or belief system will replace it.
2 – Don’t just read the Bible. Pray it. Respond to it. Before you read the Bible, pray for God to speak. After you read the Bible, respond to what He reveals by writing it in a journal or texting yourself a specific verse for the day. Transform “Bible reading time” into “Hearing from God time.”
3 – Regularly connect or gather with other Christians. We need encouragement that others bring when most of the world disbelieves in God. It spurs us on and keeps us going when we see others keep the faith. It also alerts us when we are straying from the path.
4 – Act on what God says to you in the power of the Spirit. Stop that destructive habit. Start more careful listening to your spouse, kids, significant other or friends. Slow down to help that person in need. Share your hope in Christ with those lost.

And by God’s grace, we will not be counted as unbelieving believers.

“Lord, Judas’ story troubles and terrifies me. How could one, so close to you, not believe? Yet it reveals the hardness of the human heart and our great need for your saving work in us. Keep working Lord so our hearts remain tender and sensitive to You and Your Word for us.”