John 3:18b (AMPC), “…he who does not believe (cleave to, rely on, trust in Him) is judged already [he has already been convicted and has already received his sentence] because he has not believed in and trusted in the name of the only begotten Son of God. [He is condemned for refusing to let his trust rest in Christ’s name.]”

In 2 Samuel, we learn that King David had issued a census of his military power. One commentary stated that David's act of taking a census was considered a sin because it was interpreted as a sign of reliance on military strength and human power, rather than trusting in God's protection. By counting his soldiers, David was demonstrating a lack of faith in God's ability to defend his people, which was seen as prideful and contrary to the teachings of faith. As a result, David was told to select 1 of 3 options for his punishment. He could choose 3 years famine; 3 months of being pursued by their enemies; or 3 days under a severe plague. David acknowledged that his sin was against God personally, because it steered him away from placing his full reliance and trust in the Lord to take care of his subjects. He chose the 3 days of severe plague so they would not suffer under the hands of men, but God Himself. After 2 days of the plague, 70,000 men died. The angel of death was about to enter Jerusalem on the third day, when the Lord instructed him to stop. David’s heart was fully repentant towards the Lord, and it pained him greatly seeing his people suffer because of his disobedience and pride. He had counted the cost of trusting in his own achievements and calling his successes his own doing. Living in the New Testament realities, we never have to fear punishment from the Lord when we lose sight of our dependency on Him. However, Paul makes it abundantly clear that if we live our Christian life believing we can obtain salvation through our own efforts and achievements in doing good, we are mistaken. Salvation comes through our wholehearted trust in the Lord Jesus Christ and embracing the new life of the Spirit we have through Him. Beware of the temptation of being self-assured in God’s kingdom. It’s only in dying to our independence and fully accepting His reign in every area of our lives that we get to live the life of blessing and grace, both this side of heaven and beyond. Choose to let your trust rest in the Lord Jesus Christ and the work of His Holy Spirit within you to overcome and thrive in His kingdom life.