Faith is arguably the most important component of our Christian lives. After all, it is through the gift of faith (given to us by the Holy Spirit) that we are saved (Eph 2:8)! Jesus seemed very impressed by people (especially non-Jews, Luke 7:9) who displayed great faith and had surprisingly harsh words for those who lacked it (see our Matthew 17 passage above). He told Bartimaeus, a blind man that he healed of his blindness, that it was his faith that made him well (Mark 10:52). And, in Mark 6, it seems that Jesus limited his mighty works in his hometown because of the unbelief of the people! We know from Hebrews 11:6, that without faith it is impossible to please God, and from our Mark 9 passage above, we learn that faith (or believing) is the key to doing the impossible! All that to say that there is a lot that seems to hinge on our faith, or lack thereof! 

Most Christians have little, if any, doubt that, by faith, their sins are forgiven and they’ve been adopted into the family of God (but, if you have such doubts, then please come see us!). However, many struggle to believe that it is also by faith that we’re enabled to have victory in this life after our salvation (Gal. 2:20). Author Hannah Smith says that, “Doubting is such a universal habit (among Christians), that the only fitting and descriptive name that could be given to many of God’s children would have to be ‘Doubter’ instead of ‘Believer!’” These doubts, she says, “include most of the promises our Father has made to his children. They refuse to believe them until they can have more reliable proof of their being true rather than believing what the Bible clearly states. Then they wonder why they are walking in such darkness.”   

Since we understand the bondage that doubt causes (see James 1 above), let us fight the battle for our faith!  So much is at stake! Everything we are and do as Christians hinges on what we believe. So, how do we tackle unbelief in our lives? First, we must recognize that deliverance comes from God alone and that he will help us as we hand our doubts over to him in surrender. Second, we must choose to yield to the truths of God’s word. We have to decide if we will believe it all or not, which is a matter of our will, as we learned last week. Thirdly, we must agree with him that unbelief is a sin, and hold fast to Jesus in trust, receiving the truth that he is working his righteousness and purposes in us and repenting when we fail. Fourthly, as we walk forward, we need to ask him to help us catch every doubt that crosses our mind, as well as the lies and discouragements Satan throws at us, and replace them with the truth of God’s word. Then we will know the freedom Jesus wants to give us!

Fifthly and finally, we can increase our faith  by reading the biographies of missionaries or other Christian people who have experienced things that we have not yet experienced. One good example of this is George Mueller’s, Answers to Prayer. Mr. Mueller was used in remarkable ways to provide for over 10,000 orphans during his lifetime. He never went into debt or asked anyone to supply his needs. He simply prayed and trusted (had faith!) that God would provide for him and for the orphans and God never failed to do so. Another of my absolute favorites is Hudson Taylor’s Spiritual Secret. So powerful! It is sure to increase your faith!