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"Because faith is never perfect, belief and unbelief are often mixed" (so says one commentary.) I think all of us can relate to that fact. Let us go to the context of that statement above, "I believe; help thou mine unbelief."
A father brought his demon possessed son to Jesus to be healed, and Jesus told the father, "......If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth." - Mark 9:23
In Mark 9:24 the desperate father replied, ".....and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help Thou mine unbelief."
Notice how the upset father made a direct prayer to Jesus asking the Lord to help him with his unbelief (or weak faith). Jesus did not rebuke him, but instead cast the demon out of his son and thereby healed the boy. The father was not deliberately and stubbornly doubting the Lord; he recognized his weak faith and prayed for Jesus' help in that regard. The father was sincere and asked - in prayer - for help with his doubting and unbelief.
Even weak faith, if a person has the proper attitude, the Lord will honor when we have a good and submitting and surrendered heart and we pray for help and forgiveness.
One commentator has said, "No man is quite a stranger to the Lord, or an utter unbeliever, who with tears entreats Christ to put away his unbelief."
The help for unbelief is much prayer and strong belief in the Savior. The condition of Jesus answering prayer and gaining His favor is to have FAITH and BELIEF. Jesus was very merciful to this father and his son by honoring what little faith the father exhibited and by honoring the father's sincerity in praying for help with his unbelief or weak faith.
"But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him." - Hebrews 11:6
Charles Spurgeon said, "Unbelief is an alarming and criminal thing, for it doubts - in fact, unbelief robs God of His glory in every way, and therefore it cannot receive a blessing from the Lord."
We are now talking about deliberate and willful doubt - refusing to believe in the Lord and in what the Bible has to say. This type of doubt is sinful. As a sin, unbelief grieves the Spirit; but as a weakness mourned and confessed, it secures His help. Weakness of faith is no sin when it is confessed and help for stronger faith is prayed for.
Jesus Himself is the remedy for unbelief.
I am thinking now about Abraham, who had a strong faith in the LORD.... so much so that he was called the friend of God:
"And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God." - James 2:23
I am also reminded of Zacharias, the elderly priest who was the father of John the baptist. An angel appeared to him to tell him that he would have a son in his old age, but Zacharias did not believe it. The angel then said to the elderly priest: "...... I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak unto thee, and to shew thee these glad tidings. And behold, thou shalt be dumb, and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall be performed, because thou believest not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season." - Luke 1:19-20
Following is an 8 minute video sermon by Andrew Murray on the evil heart of unbelief.
"Unbelief is the worst sin of all," says Charles Spurgeon in the following video. He also says, "If you don't have something besides your own goodness, you will never get to heaven." This video by Spurgeon is 58 minutes in length, but I pray that you take the time to listen to it. It is full of wisdom and insight.
In one of Charles Spurgeon's devotions, he has also stated: "The angels never doubted Him, nor the devils either: we alone, out of all the beings that God has fashioned, dishonor Him by unbelief, and tarnish His honor by mistrust. Shame upon us for this! .....May we henceforth wage constant war against doubts of our God - enemies to our peace and to His honor; and with an unstaggering faith believe that what He has promised He will also perform. "Lord, I believe; help Thou mine unbelief."
"But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul." - Hebrews 10:39
"Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them." - Jesus at Mark 11:24
Mark 16:16 tells us: "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned."
If you are not a believer, not a follower of Jesus Christ, then you need to turn your life over to the good Lord. Turn away from a life of sin - repent - and ask in prayer for forgiveness and believe in Jesus as the Savior with all of your very being.
We are living in the end times - the last hour of the last days - and time is short and running out. You do not want to suffer the horrors and terrible wrath of God during the 7 year tribulation period.....nor spend eternity in hell. Turn to the Lord NOW.
Romans 10: 9,10, 13 tells us: (9) That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. (10) For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. (13) For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."
Jesus loves you, and will welcome you with open arms of forgiveness.
Jesus will wipe the slate clean and give you a new life and eternal life as well.
"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me." - John 14:6
"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." - John 3:16
Have a happy weekend and a Christ centered life !
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