The solution to unbelief
Living in the Blessing Lesson # 7 Responding to Unbelief
2 Peter 1:2 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, 3 as His divine power has given to us all things that [pertain] to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, 4 by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption [that is] in the world through lust.
Divine influence and your understanding of your union with Christ be multiplied. God has given us exceedingly great and precious promises. He has called us to be partakers of the divine nature and live in the benefit of the great and precious promises.
Ephesian 1:3 Blessed [be] the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly [places] in Christ, 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, 5 having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.
What a great revelation of God the Father and His hearts desires toward us. Blessed, chosen, adopted, and accepted in the Beloved. May the object of our faith ever be in Jesus Christ the Beloved One.
Hebrews 6:17 Thus God, determining to show more abundantly to the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel, confirmed [it] by an oath,
The desire of the Father is for the heirs of promise to have a strong confidence in His immutable promises. Our souls need anchored to the greatness of the Word of God, over any and all circumstances.
Mark 9:17 Then one of the crowd answered and said, "Teacher, I brought You my son, who has a mute spirit. 18 "And wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid. So I spoke to Your disciples, that they should cast it out, but they could not." 19 He answered him and said, "O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him to Me." 20 Then they brought him to Him. And when he saw Him, immediately the spirit convulsed him, and he fell on the ground and wallowed, foaming at the mouth. 21 So He asked his father, "How long has this been happening to him?" And he said, "From childhood. 22 "And often he has thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us."
The disciples had cast out demons and healed the sick; but this one was different. There was a demonstrative demonstration that moved the disciples to unbelief. Jesus identified it as a lack of faith on the disciples’ part. The man was not quick to give up, he pressed past the disciples and came to Jesus!
Mark 9:23 Jesus said to him, "If you can believe, all things [are] possible to him who believes." 24 Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!" 25 When Jesus saw that the people came running together, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it: "Deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, come out of him and enter him no more!" 26 Then [the spirit] cried out, convulsed him greatly, and came out of him. And he became as one dead, so that many said, "He is dead." 27 But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose. 28 And when He had come into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, "Why could we not cast it out?" 29 So He said to them, "This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting."
Jesus spoke life filled words to the man. “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” I love the man’s response “I believe Lord; help my unbelief!” Jesus spoke and the boy was healed. The unbelief can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting. Jesus was always working to remove unbelief.
Luke 8:40 So it was, when Jesus returned, that the multitude welcomed Him, for they were all waiting for Him. 41 And behold, there came a man named Jairus, and he was a ruler of the synagogue. And he fell down at Jesus' feet and begged Him to come to his house, 42 for he had an only daughter about twelve years of age, and she was dying. But as He went, the multitudes thronged Him.
A man in pursuit of Jesus; all in pursuit of Jesus did not leave disappointed, without exception. Jairus fell down at Jesus feet, and Jesus agreed to come to his house. The woman with the issue of blood interrupted Jesus journey to Jairus’s house
Luke 8:49 While He was still speaking, someone came from the ruler of the synagogue's [house], saying to him, "Your daughter is dead. Do not trouble the Teacher." 50 But when Jesus heard [it], He answered him, saying, "Do not be afraid; only believe, and she will be made well." 51 When He came into the house, He permitted no one to go in except Peter, James, and John, and the father and mother of the girl. 52 Now all wept and mourned for her; but He said, "Do not weep; she is not dead, but sleeping."
Jairus heard a contrary word to his faith; Jesus immediately spoke life filled words “Do not be afraid; only believe,”. Once they arrived at Jairus’s home Jesus limited whom He brought into the situation. Then again Jesus spoke the life filled words. “Do not weep; she is not dead, but sleeping.”
Luke 8:53 And they ridiculed Him, knowing that she was dead. 54 But He put them all outside, took her by the hand and called, saying, "Little girl, arise." 55 Then her spirit returned, and she arose immediately. And He commanded that she be given [something] to eat. 56 And her parents were astonished, but He charged them to tell no one what had happened.
Those who did not agree with the life filled words of Jesus were put outside. Changing the atmosphere from doubt and ridicule to faith filled, will change the outcome. The only limit to God’s power flowing is an atmosphere of unbelief. Jesus came into His hometown and could do no mighty miracles due to their unbelief. Just as the children of Israel limited the Holy One by their unbelief.
Acts 20:32 "So now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.
The Father has the fix for unbelief; receive the word of grace. It is not any word we need to receive, it is the specific word, the word of His grace. It is powerful enough to build you up and give you the inheritance that is rightfully yours.
Romans 10:17 So then faith [comes] by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Exposing your heart to hear the word of God builds and strengthens faith and takes away unbelief.
Hebrews 3:12 Beware, 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 have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end,
The church is warned from coming to a heart of unbelief by departing from the living God. We have become partakers if we hold our confidence toward Christ to the end. Resting in the finished work of the cross is the place of safety and partaking in His goodness.
Hebrews 6:18 that by two immutable things, in which it [is] impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before [us]. 19 This [hope] we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the [Presence] behind the veil, 20 where the forerunner has entered for us, [even] Jesus, having become High Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.
This is one of theme verses we have been reading every week. It is a very important key to living in the blessing. To drive out unbelief is to believe that the Father cannot lie and Jesus is your forerunner into His presence; these truths are great enough to anchor your soul to the hope from heaven.
1 Peter 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 9 Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.
Many have their own ideas what it is to resist the devil. However, the word has given the key! Resist him steadfast in the faith. Exalting the truth of God’s word above the lies of the enemy is the resistance that drives out unbelief.
Philippians 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things [are] noble, whatever things [are] just, whatever things [are] pure, whatever things [are] lovely, whatever things [are] of good report, if [there is] any virtue and if [there is] anything praiseworthy--meditate on these things.
Meditation on God’s word results in success every time. Change a man’s thought life and you can change the outcome of his life.
2 Corinthians 10:3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare [are] not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,
Unbelief can be brought into captivity to the obedience of Jesus Christ, one stray thought at a time. Victory is for every believer; yes, especially you!