Millions of people profess to know and follow God, but when it comes to believing Him enough to follow His instructions and examples, they deny Him. This disbelief is often revealed in topics such as Christian obligation, works, God's law, and especially the seventh-day Sabbath. The practice of putting a line of demarcation at Christ's death essentially invalidates everything He said and did except dying for our sins. Anyone who rejects the example and teaching of Jesus Christ disbelieves Him, willing to accept His perfect sacrifice but unwilling to accept the life of obedience that follows. Carnal man believes what he wants to believe, or what he has grown up believing, rather than what God says directly through Jesus or through the inspired writings of His apostles. There is a large measure of fear involved in changing one's ways and submitting to God's Word, fear either of what it would cost the individual or fear of what others would think. Many simply disbelieve the One they claim to follow and much of the rest of the Bible because of what it would cost.

Disbelief, as the opposite of belief, is closely tied to disobedience. Peter, in I Peter 2:7, contrasts belief with disobedience, showing that those who disbelieve are disobedient, while believers are obedient. This connection implies that disbelief inherently leads to a lack of obedience. The Greek word apeitheo (Strong's 544), defined as "not to believe" or "to disbelieve," further implies disobedience. In Romans, this word is interchangeably translated as "do not obey," "disobedience," "not believed," and "them that do not believe," reinforcing that disbelief and disobedience are synonymous. Similarly, in Hebrews 3:18, translations vary between "them that believed not" and "those who did not obey," highlighting the same equivalence. Thus, disbelief is not merely a lack of faith but is evidenced by a failure to obey, demonstrating that true belief cannot exist without corresponding obedience.

In a striking display of disbelief, the United Church of Canada, known for its liberal stance, decided in November 2018 to allow Gretta Vosper, an avowed atheist minister, to retain her credentials and position at West Hill United Church in Toronto. Vosper declared her atheism in 2001, openly stating she does not believe in a supernatural, interventionist, divine being, reflecting her desire for control over divine intervention. Despite this, it took seventeen years for the church to reach a resolution, tolerating her views without censure until 2015, when policy changes demanded clergy affirm the church's creed, which Vosper rejected as archaic and meaningless. Following the 2015 Charlie Hebdo massacre, Vosper wrote an open letter suggesting belief in God can motivate harmful actions, implying disbelief might be preferable. Although found unsuitable for ministry in 2016 by a review panel, she maintained her position, and even after a heresy trial was scheduled for 2018, a confidential settlement with new church leadership under Right Rev. Richard Bott allowed her to continue. Bott publicly expressed satisfaction with this resolution, despite the church's stated core values of faith in God. At West Hill United Church, Vosper's disbelief is embraced by the leadership and core membership, with chairman Randy Bowes claiming her atheism represents the church's essence, drawing participants across a spectrum of belief and unbelief. Vosper herself views her role as pushing the church into the 21st century, a stance supported by her congregants, many of whom stayed and applauded her courage after her 2001 declaration. Her disbelief in the Bible as God's authoritative Word, a conviction held before her ordination, aligns with views common among United Church of Canada clergy, as she credits her seminary for grounding her in liberal, atheistic perspectives. In services at West Hill, traditional elements are replaced: prayer becomes community sharing, hymns are rewritten to exclude God and Jesus Christ, and discussions of love, compassion, and beauty substitute for divine references. Vosper occasionally uses biblical examples in her talks to make points, but the focus shifts to progressive ideologies emphasizing tolerance, inclusiveness, and community idealism. She asserts that goodness must come from humanity alone, rejecting God as its source or promise, and claims humans define and create what is good.