Growing in faith is a process. Sometimes I think we forget that. When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we are born into a kingdom that we know very little about. That’s why we must grow in our knowledge and understanding of “kingdom rules” if we are to properly live and function in our new home.
No parent, for example, gives the car keys to a new born baby. The same is true for the “keys” to the kingdom of God. Our Heavenly Father will not give us the keys if we are still in spiritual diapers, which is what the Apostle Paul is saying to the church at Corinth in I Corinthians 3:1, 2
And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. I have fed you with milk, and not with meat, for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.
The writer of Hebrews says the same thing to the Jewish Christians in chapter five, verse 12 through the first part of verse 14.
For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God, and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. For every one that useth milk is unskillful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age...
Babies don’t realize they are babies.
I remember learning this truth with Ephraim, my first born. When he learned to crawl, my wife and I took off our shoes at the front door. If something was on the floor, Ephraim would find it and into his mouth it would go. He was a baby. He didn’t know that eating off of the floor was a no-no. (We taught him the five seconds rule later.?) Often when we stopped him, he would scream and cry “bloody murder”. He was a baby.
Ephraim had no discernment about what to eat and what not to eat. It was something he had to learn. His mom and I had to teach him, his younger sister and brother the “Johnson Rules” for not only eating but for living. As they grew and matured, the “Johnson Rules” became the foundation for how they thought and made decisions.
The same is true for Christians. There are rules that govern how we are to live in the kingdom of God and they should be – no, must be – the foundation for how we think and how we make decisions.
One of the biggest missteps I’ve seen in the Church during my years in ministry has been the willingness of the Church to promote people into leadership because of talent and charisma and not because of spiritual maturity and doctrinal purity.
The Apostle Paul and the writer of Hebrews are describing many of the men and women who are in leadership today. They are babies who don’t realize or believe they are babies.
This has led to beliefs and teachings about God that are not supported by Scripture. We have become so captivated with the melodic and smooth sounding voices that pump up our emotions that we fail to realize that we leave our churches the same way we came in: spiritually malnourished.
When we are spiritually malnourished it is impossible – impossible – for us to have faith, yet alone live by faith.
When we are spiritually malnourished, we believe we have the faith we need when the truth of the matter is we really don’t.
Hebrews 11:6 says faith pleases God. Hebrews 3:12 says not having faith is an indication of “an evil heart of unbelief that is departing from God.” Ouch.
What happens when faith is not evident in our lives? Is God able to move on our behalf? Is He able to override our unbelief? Mark 6:1-6a provides the answer.
(1) And He (Jesus) went out from thence, and came into his own country; and his disciples follow him.
(2) And when the Sabbath day was come, he began to teach in the synagogue; and many hearing him were astonished, saying, From whence hath this man these things? and what wisdom is this which is given unto him, that even such mighty works are wrought by his hands?
(3) Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Judah, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended in him.
(4) But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honor, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house.
(5) And he could there not do mighty works, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them.
(6) And he marveled because of their unbelief.
There is a lot in these six verses but we must stay focused. What causes Jesus, the son of God, the second member of the Godhead, to marvel, to be at a loss for words? Jesus marvels at the people’s “evil heart of unbelief”.
Unbelief blocked the mighty works that Jesus could have done in Nazareth.
Let me say that again. Unbelief blocked the mighty works that Jesus could have done in Nazareth.
What we see in Mark 6 is a Jesus that could not override the unbelief of the people. Do you think this is any different today? If Jesus needed someone’s faith in Mark 6 to act don’t you think He needs someone’s faith in 2017 act?
Unbelief, a lack of faith, locks the door to God’s blessings.
I want you to see this in Hebrews 3.
(12) Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.
(13) But exhort one another daily, while it is called Today; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.
(14) For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end;
(15) While it is said, Today if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.
(16) For some, when they had heard, did provoke: howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses.
(17) But with whom was he grieved forty years? was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcases fell in the wilderness?
(18) And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not?
(19) So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief. (3:12-19)
In this passage we see two things: (1) unbelief is evil and (2) unbelief is the result of a heart that is hardened toward God. I’m sure the children of Israel did not think their hearts were hardened. After all, they offered the sacrifices and complied with the rituals. But they were going through the motions. How many of us have allowed our hearts to harden and we are just going the motions of serving Him and loving Him?
I really like the way the Amplified Bible renders the last part of the verse: “unbelief had shut them out.” The Promise Land was within their grasp but because of unbelief – not taking God at His word – many of the children of Israel died never receiving the promise. Hebrews 4:1, 2 further establishes this. BTW, there shouldn’t have been a chapter break between chapters 3 and 4.
Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.
We will not receive the promises in the Bible if we do not have faith. It’s really that simple.
The writer of Hebrews is giving us a warning that we need to heed.
He says “The children of Israel heard God speak. They knew His expectations. But their hearts were so hardened that they became dull of hearing and didn’t listen to His instructions. That’s why many of them died in the wilderness. Their evil hearts of unbelief had shut the door to what God had promised to their forefathers.
“I’m telling you this because the gospel has been preached to you just like the commandments and instructions were spoken to Israel. If you respond to the gospel like they did to God’s commandments and instructions – not believing it is truth and obeying it – you will not receive all that is promised to you either.”
Jesus is powerless in the face of unbelief. No, this is not blasphemy. This is the truth.
We have seen that Jesus could do no mighty works in his hometown because of the people’s unbelief. He could not override their lack of faith. We’ve also seen that many of the children of Israel missed the Promised Land because of their unbelief. God could not override their unbelief and give them their inheritance.
This should be all the Scripture we need to show that God cannot sovereignly move in our lives without our permission.
So, let’s establish, once again, whose faith is the “game-changer” in the eyes of Heaven.
In Mark 9 we read about the father who brings his son, who has a dumb spirit, to the disciples. He asks them to cast it out but they could not. Jesus sees all of the commotion and asks why the disciples are being questioned. The father tells him everything in verses 17 and 18. The father brings the child to Jesus and the devil promptly throws him to the ground and he’s foaming at the mouth. Let’s pick the record up in verses 21 and 22.
And he (Jesus) asked his father, How long is it ago since this came unto him? and he said, Of a child. And oftimes it hast cast him into the fire, and into the waters, to destroy him: but if thou canst do anything, have compassion on us, and help us.
The father explains how the devil treats his son. “It throws him into the water. It throws him into the fire. Jesus, it’s trying to kill my boy! If you can do anything, anything at all, please have mercy on us. Help us!” At this point, surely Jesus would cast out the devil. Let’s keep reading in verse 23.
Jesus said unto him – now please, please pay close attention to this – If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.”
Based on what we see in this verse, what did Jesus need from the father in order to cast out the devil? He needed the father’s faith! Ladies and gentlemen, faith is a partnership we establish with Jesus. Through our faith, Jesus is able to deliver on His Father’s promises. He can do it no other way.
You’re going to love verse 24. Every child of God should.
And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.
The father’s cry to Jesus is a lesson for us today.
He says to Jesus, “I believe in you. I really do. But my faith is so weak. It’s so small. Please help me. Please help me with my faith!” How did Jesus help the father’s faith? He spoke. He told the devil to leave and never return.
Every single person in the body of Christ is like this father. We have faith but there is more faith available to us. And like this father, we have Jesus’ words – the Bible. It’s filled with His words of deliverance. Our faith is “being helped” each time we say what the Bible says when we face the things life throws at us. Again, Jesus is our example. When he faced the devil in the wilderness, he only had one response.
It is written...
May this be your response each time the enemy of soul confronts you. Amen!
