We all have a need for the mercy and grace of God. Many people can listen to the gospel and understand, but still not accept it because they see no need for it. Why should I believe in God they say to themselves. I am fine without Him. But are they? When we stand at a crossroads in our life and see the enormity of our sin before the perfection of God, that is when we see our need.
Desperate for Jesus
We don't always come to God filled with faith. Sometimes like the father of the child with the mute spirit in Mark 9: 14-29 we come to the Lord in desperation. The Father approaches Jesus and says, "But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” This father is out of options. Jesus is his last resort. "If " you can do anything he says, with the if implying the father's lack of faith. Maybe, thinks the father, just perhaps this man Jesus, this miracle worker that they have heard of, can help them.
Help My Unbelief
How does Jesus reply? How does our compassionate and loving Savior respond to the father? He says, "“If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” The father sees an open door before him. A door to possibilities and healing that he wasn't sure even existed. He walks through that door with his despairing cry, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!”
This father knew his faith was weak so he cried out to Jesus to help him. He could pretend no longer that he had no needs. And Jesus responded by lovingly casting the unclean spirit out of the man's child. Our faith, like the father's is often weak. Sometimes we worry that it isn't enough, but we are not dependent on the quantity of our faith. We are dependent on the source of our faith, our Father. It is not our righteousness but His alone that works to save us in our need.
The father in our story also had to humble himself before Jesus. He recognized the power was God's, not his own. He saw his need and confessed it, "help my unbelief". He could pretend to himself and to others no longer that he could do anything to help his child. Only belief, faith, could heal his boy.
Good Enough?
One of the characters in John Bunyan's beautiful book, Pilgrim's Progress, is called Mr. Fearing. Mr. Fearing comes from the town of Stupidity. Mr. Fearing worries that he is not good enough to obtain Heaven. He feels that he must somehow show God that he is worthy of Heaven. Mr. Fearing doesn't seem to believe Romans 5:8 which says,
"While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."
We will never be perfect enough to reach Heaven. Only Christ, bearing our sins on the cross, could accomplish that. In 2 Corinthians 12: 9-10 Paul addresses our weaknesses. He says,
"And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong."
Whatever our weaknesses are we know that all that is required is God's grace. Our weaknesses require us to acknowledge our need for the grace of God in our life. Without it we are lost.
Good Works Result From Grace
Mr. Fearing's friend Greatheart reminds him that good works result from grace. Grace does not come from good works. God is truly our Father. We don't have to prove to Him that we are His, but His grace will change our desires. Our desire will be to do good works. Why? Because we love our Father because He first loved us. He who is forgiven much, loves much (Luke 7:47). Our response is to want to serve God with all our heart.
In Bunyan's book, Mr. Fearing eventually makes his way to Heaven. The amount of his faith was not the issue just as it was not the issue for the father in Mark 9. God will help our unbelief if we ask Him sincerely. When we see our lives for the mess that they are without God, we will cry out to Him. When we do we may still have some doubts, maybe we will not be perfect (that is for sure), maybe we will still have sin that needs confessing but our Savior is there to guide us. He is a merciful God who gives us grace beyond measure.
Enjoy the beautiful hymn, Wonderful Merciful Savior by Selah
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