Slay the giant of unbelief, from the Following Jesus series

From the “Following Jesus” series: Slay the giant of unbelief !

The lack of faith in God is probably the major reason that most of us don’t have answers to our prayers. There are other factors – including cultural influences (such as “fatalism”) – but unbelief – not trusting God – is the most prevalent.

Most of the scriptures quoted here, except where noted, are from the NLT:

Our central scripture for this theme will be Hebrews 3:3-19, and we will read other related passages in the Bible.

Hebrews 3:18-19 – “And to whom was God speaking when he took an oath that they would never enter his rest? Wasn’t it the people who disobeyed him? ¹⁹ So we see that because of their unbelief they were not able to enter his rest.”

Mark 6:4-6.” ⁴ Then Jesus told them, “A prophet is honored everywhere except in his own hometown and among his relatives and his own family.” ⁵ And because of their unbelief, he couldn’t do any miracles among them except to place his hands on a few sick people and heal them. ⁶ And he was amazed at their unbelief.”

Matthew 13:58 – “And so he did only a few miracles there because of their unbelief.”

Mark 9:23-24 – “²³ “What do you mean, ‘If I can’?” Jesus asked. “Anything is possible if a person believes.” ²⁴ The father instantly cried out, “I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!”

This passage in Mark describes the status quo of many Christians today that go back and forth in matters of faith.

John 5:6 – “ When Jesus saw him and knew he had been ill for a long time, he asked him, “Would you like to get well?”

The verse in John suggests that we ask ourselves, how badly do we want what we are asking the Lord to do for us?

Luke 5:12-13 – “¹² In one of the villages, Jesus met a man with an advanced case of leprosy. When the man saw Jesus, he bowed with his face to the ground, begging to be healed. “Lord,” he said, “if you are willing, you can heal me and make me clean.” ¹³ Jesus reached out and touched him. “I am willing,” he said. “Be healed!” And instantly the leprosy disappeared.” 

Do we suppose that the Lord doesn’t want to answer our prayers? It’s like doubting God’s love toward us. The Lord proved His love to a dying world through His suffering, crucifixion, death and resurrection. We should therefore seek to not in any way minimize the act of salvation! What Jesus Christ obtained for us cost Him everything. When He said on the cross “It is finished” (John 19:30), He indicated that there was nothing more left to be done to destroy the power of sin over our lives and the works of the devil        (I John 3:38).

Hebrews 13:8 – “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”

Mark 16:17-18 - ¹⁷ These miraculous signs will accompany those who believe: They will cast out demons in my name, and they will speak in new languages. ¹⁸ They will be able to handle snakes with safety, and if they drink anything poisonous, it won’t hurt them. They will be able to place their hands on the sick, and they will be healed.”

James 1:6-8 – ⁶ But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. ⁷ Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. ⁸ Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do.

Peter the apostle, at first, was unstable in his faith; but he didn’t stay that way. Thomas said he had to “see” before he could believe. That wasn’t faith.

John 20:24-31 – Thomas, who doubted. John 20:29 – “Then Jesus told him, “You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing me.”

Romans 10:17 (NKJV) – “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” [Review our previous session on faith.]

We need to fill ourselves with the Word of God, and this way we will store up what we will need from His Word. Reading the Bible and even listening to an audio version and memorizing scriptures will help greatly to become familiar with God’s promises.

Romans 12:3 [d] (NKJV) – “For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.”

Cultural influences (avoid extremes)

Expressions such as “if God wills” reflect a cultural influence that at times contradicts faith. (This is a marked influence in Hispanic and other cultures.) “Si Dios quiere.”

What often happens after we pray and ask for healing or other things, and after Christians brothers or sisters prayed for and with us for these things? Before we even leave the church, we start sharing our same problems and symptoms with others instead of giving thanks to God for what He is doing and is going to do in our lives and the lives of others.

In this way, we show a lack of stability in our faith. Why did Peter deny knowing Jesus? His lack of trust in God was the root of his fear (Mark 14:72), and he reacted out of fear instead of faith. However, he recovered in such a way that the Lord put Peter in charge of taking care of His sheep. History tells us that Peter died a martyr for the Christian faith.

 

Other cultural influences and strongholds

Mark 16:14 –  ^“Still later he appeared to the eleven disciples as they were eating together. He rebuked them for their stubborn unbelief because they refused to believe those who had seen him after he had been raised from the dead.”

Jesus sent Mary Magdalene to tell the apostles that He was risen from death and they didn’t believe her (Mark 16:9-11). Why did the Lord’s closest followers choose not to believe what Mary Magdalene told them about Jesus?

It is probable that despite Jesus trusting Mary to take to them the most important news in the history of humanity, the apostles (1) were still frightened by the recent events (crucifixion) and were acting on their fears; and/or (2) they suffered from a cultural stronghold that did not permit them to receive the Word of God from a woman.

Keep in mind that the apostles lived in a period and culture that was strongly patriarchal. Jesus did not doubt in sending Mary Magdalene – the first witness of the Resurrection – to share the good news with his followers. He also did not doubt in sending the Samaritan woman – after telling her directly that He was the Messiah – to go tell her community about what she had witnessed (John 4:5-43).

Unbelief is a sin

Unbelief is a root sin because it can affect so many things in the life of a Christian. But, like any other sin, we can confess it and repent of it. With the grace and mercy of God, we can decide to exercise our faith in God and trust Him with everything, starting today.

The Holy Spirit can reveal to us if we possess any cultural strongholds that hinder our faith, and we can renounce them in the name of Jesus Christ.

Suggested prayer: Father, forgive me for doubting you and acting out of unbelief whenever I prayed in the past and wavered. Help me to develop a consistent walk of faith. Show me areas where my faith is weak, expose them to your light so I can end and renounce the bad habits that hinder my trust in you, in the name of Jesus Christ. Thank you, Jesus, for everything you have done for me and are going to do. Amen.

2 Corinthians 5:7 (GNV) – “For we walk by faith, and not by sight.”

God does want to – answer our prayers! He is willing!

[Faith Today Christian Ministries/DWV]

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