Mark 9:23-24 – 23 And Jesus said to him, “ ‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.” 24 Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!”
I believe; help my unbelief! This applies for all believers in Christ. Central to sin is our rejection of the truth of what God says—and acceptance or belief in something that God says is false. We believe the lie. It is impossible for us to believe in or delight in the truth before we are born again. But once we are born again, the battle in our hearts and minds for truth begins. We battle daily to believe in the promises of God over the promises of the world.
God makes many precious and very great promises throughout the Bible to His people. He promises rescue and redemption. He promises the sure hope of eternal joy. He promises that love, humility, and service for others will bring us more joy than seeking our own interests and desires. He promises that once we are His, He will never let us become not His. He promises that because He began the good work of sanctification in us at the moment we were born again, He will complete it in love when we join Him in Heaven.
Contrary to God’s promises are the promises of our flesh, the world, and Satan. They tell us that the easy and wide road is the way to go. They tell us that instant gratification far exceeds what God tells us is worth the wait. When we believe the lies of our flesh, the world, and Satan instead of the promises of God, we sin. This is our daily battle as Christians. Do I believe that the promises of God are better? Do I believe that sex in the manner God describes is better than the immorality the world describes? Do I believe it is better to spend my time, money, energy, and life on the things God commends or on what my flesh, the world, and Satan describe as important? It is, like the passage above, a constant case of “I believe, help my unbelief!” Something to think about…
How are you believing in lies over the promises of God? Where do you need Jesus to help your unbelief?