January 20, 1999

EXPLORE THE BIBLE:
A loving God is the perfecter of our imperfect faith
___ Mark 8:1-9, 29; Mark 9:14-27
___By Dillard Wilbanks
___Travis Avenue Baptist Church, Fort Worth
___Jesus will change lives when people respond to him in faith. Genuine faith is unquestionable confidence in the character of God and will set no limits on what he can do.
___ Lack of faith (Mark 9:14-19). Jesus came down from the Mount of Transfigu-ration to find a frustrated father seeking his healing of a demon-possessed son.
___In Jesus' absence he had asked the nine disciples, who did not accompany him on the mountain, to heal the afflicted son. Although they had previously been given authority to "drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness" (Matthew 10:1), they were unable to do so.
___This failure opened the door for the scribes to belittle not only the disciples but also their master. This confrontation drew a crowd. Upon Jesus' arrival, the frustrated father tells his story and a frustrated Jesus directs his ire toward the source of this frustration ­ his disciples (v.19).
___Their lack of faith in failing to appropriate what was promised resulted in an inability to cope with this situation. This brought into question the character of their master. It is no less true today. Our inability to appropriate by faith that which is promised to us in meeting the demands of everyday life is a hindrance to our witness of an all-sufficient Jesus.
___After this brief encounter with the disciples, Jesus quickly turns his attention to the boy. It was a characteristic of Jesus to give himself to every individual who came to him.
___Mass evangelism will not win the human race. It can be won, however, as believers recognize and respond to the individual opportunities to share our faith.
___ Cry of faith (Mark 9:20-24). After addressing the disciples' lack of faith, Jesus turns to the father of the afflicted child. The disciples' failure had prompted doubt of Jesus in this father's mind. This doubt is unmistakable in his words. "If you can do anything..." (v. 22). In Jesus' response it is as if he is saying the healing of your son depends more on you than on me. "Everything is possible for him who believes" (v. 23). Taken out of context, this statement can lend itself to a universal optimism rooted in positive thinking. In context, the statement relates solely to a belief in the power of Jesus.
___Face to face with Jesus, this father's faith had been restored, and he exclaims, "I do believe, help me overcome my unbelief."
___ Human faith is never perfect. We do well to recognize this, first, in our own lives. We also do well to recognize that saving faith exercised in those who respond to the gospel is not a perfect faith.
___Disciple­making is a process which begins in salvation but continues throughout a life of maturing faith of overcoming unbelief.
___ Response to faith (Mark 9:25-27). In healing the boy, Jesus responded to the father's incomplete faith. All that was required was his expressed faith in Jesus for the situation at hand and his plea for strengthened faith.
___We need not feel perfect in our faith to experience the intervention of Jesus in re-sponse to our prayers. Admis-sions and pleas similar to that of this father on behalf of his son will bring a similar re-sponse from our Father through his Son.

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