TITLE: The
Paralyzing Effect of Unbelief and It’s Cure
TOPIC: Unbelief:
Diagnosis, Effects & Cure
What is UNBELIEF? According to dictionary, unbelief is
doubt, withholding of belief, incredulity, and skepticism, disbelief on divine
revelation or divine providence or scheme of redemption.
Greek word for unbelief is “APISTIA” which is unreasonable,
obstinate, rebellious, prejudiced, presumptuous, insolent, stubborn,
self-willed, boastful, insensible, hardening and deceitful.
Unbelief is the core of paralysis that eventually has an
effect not on the power of God to perform wonders but on man’s capacity to
experience what God has in stored for him, it is worst than fear because
unbelief is as act of rebellion and stubbornness toward the divine
manifestation of God and His existence.
I.
What is Jesus diagnosis of unbelief?
a.
Unbelief is a SIN – John 16:9
Unbelief
is the foundation of sin, it is rejecting the very existence of God, it is
putting to question the evidences of God and denying the power thereof.
b.
Unbelief will be condemn – Mark 16:16
This is the case where the Word of God is preached yet they do not believe.
Faith is essential to take the Word of God by heart that is the only time a
person can be saved but despite of the Word preached to them, they remain to be
unbelievers: they deny His word and they caused judgment to fall on them.
c.
Not numbered with Christ’s sheep – John 10:26
Those who do not believe are not part of Jesus’ flocks, only those parts
of His can experience the privilege of God’s provision, protection and favor. Jesus
was confronted by the Pharisees and asked Him directly about Him being the
Christ, but He refused to tell them the truth because of their unbelief, despite
of the miracles which He performed in the sight of the people, they never
accepted Jesus’ words because they do not recognized Him for they were not His
sheep and will never be…
d.
God’s wrath is upon him – John 3:36
Wrath of God is defined as temper, violent emotion, anger and in this
verse it implies the judgment of God:
Hebrews 3:11 – “They shall not enter My rest…”
Revelations
14:10 – Wrath of God
II.
What does unbelief paralyzes in us?
Unbelief paralyzes our five senses; faith is believing the things unseen,
when you have faith you conquer the limitations of your senses, resulting the
materialization of the things immaterial and the realization of the things
incomprehensible. Thus, unbelief does the opposite…
a. Unbelief paralyzes our vision – John 12:37-40 “…because
their eyes were blinded and hearts hardened.”
Our eyes are clouded with the glaucoma of unbelief that we failed to see
the wonders Jesus has performed in our midst. In this passage, Jesus was
doubted by the people of that region even though they witnessed the miracles He
performed, Jesus withdrew from the people not because His powers won’t operate due
to their unbelief but because it will be useless to perform miracles in their
midst for this has been God’s means to save the people. How can He continue the
signs and wonders and show more of what He can do if the people’s unbelief had
already offended Him?
· In the story of Elisha and his servant found in
2 Kings 6:13-17, when the Syrian army surrounded Elisha in the land of Dothan
the whole Syrian army gathered around him, when the servant saw the army he was
in fear, Elisha told his servant not to be afraid, so he prayed to God to open
the eyes of his servant and there he saw the host of God surrounding the whole
army of the Lord.
· Also in John 11:39-40, when Jesus commanded that
the stone that covered the tomb of Lazarus be pulled away, Martha his sister
said that the body is stinking already for Lazarus has been dead for four days
already – Jesus rebuked Martha and told her that her unbelief will cause her
not to see the glory of God, sometimes Jesus performs wonders in our midst yet
since we are too focused on the impossibilities of things we tend to forget that
we are serving the God of possibilities, unbelief has taken the opportunity
from us to see the glory of God and to experience His power.
· Moreover, unbelief causes us not to please God –
Hebrews 11:6, in this verse we see the necessity of faith to please God,
without faith it is impossible to come to Him, pray and expect from God – how can
God operate and how can He be please if we do not believe: pleasing God
requires faith and unbelief causes God’s wrath to rest to the unbelievers.
b.
Paralyzes our feet to walk on water – Matthew 14:27-31
Unbelief paralyzes our feet to walk on water. In Peter’s case he sank
when he saw the raging seas ready to topple over him. As Christians, we were given
opportunities, means and strength to walk over the waters and pacify the
uncontrollable circumstances of life. However, if we withhold faith to overcome
the raging seas and tempest of life as Christ has enabled us to just like Peter
when Jesus asked him to walk over the waters, we will sink like him.
c.
Unbelief paralyzes our rights to the privilege
of miracles and wonders of God – John 12:37-40 – this is the sad part of
unbelief, we were given full access to the blessings and wonders of God but we
will not be able to take advantage of it because of our unbelief.
Faith
is God’s gift to us as man’s means to experience fully the wonders, miracles
and mysteries of God. It is up to us to nurture it by exercising faith
according to the measure God has given us…little by little until the mustard
seed grows and develops into a full grown tree. Matthew 17:20
d.
Unbelief paralyzes our hearts to be saved – Luke
8:12
Unbelief paralyzes our hearts to believe fully and accept the works of
Jesus as a condition to be saved – Satan stole the opportunity and turns away our
hearts from Him leading us to the damnation of our souls.
e.
Our unbelief paralyzes our hands to perform
miracles and wonders for God – Mark 9:17-18
Unbelief
is the reason why we cannot perform miracles and wonders, Christians were given
and empowered with gifts and will operate as the need arises that all who
witness will believe – miracles and wonders are not a natural event but
supernatural brought about by the supernatural works of the hand of God,
miracles were performed to confirmed His power, Hebrews 2:3-4; Mark 16:20 and
Acts 14:3. If we failed to believe then we hinder the operation of miracles,
unbelief acts like a clog within the channel of blessings from the throne of
God.
III. What are Jesus’ prescriptions for unbelief? Mark
9:29 - Unbelief can be cured only with prayer and fasting:
A.
Prayer verse 24 – when the father appealed to Jesus
for healing of demon possessed boy, he exclaimed, “Lord I believe, help my
unbelief!” He declared two things:
Ø
“Lord I believe…” – states the father’s desire
to believe tells of future condition. Upon saying this, he wanted to believe in
Jesus and His power to heal though he was frustrated to see the failures of the
disciples causing him to doubt; now he is declaring his desire to believe.
Ø
The father’s
desire to be healed of unbelief – his present condition. When he exclaimed “…help
my unbelief, he accepted that he is sick and therefore needs healing. To admit
to God that we have a problem and that we want to be healed is to admit our
need for God and our dependency on Him, this kind of prayer moved Jesus with
compassion that’s why He healed first the spiritual sickness of that man and
later on He healed the physical sickness of the boy. To be healed of the
paralysis, we need to come to Jesus admit our dependency on Him and allow Him
to heal us of our unbelief.
B.
Fasting verse 24 – to abstain from pleasures, to
seek God’s will and be in solitude with God. When we fast we should feed our
inner man who is connected with God – our spirit.
Ø
Fasting humbles our soul – shows total
dependency on God to feed us with spiritual meal. Psalms 35:13
Ø
Mastery over temptation of unbelief etc. –
genuine fasting opens the channel between God and man, thus allowing God to
freely pour His spiritual blessings for the victory of the unbelieving hearts.
Ø
Power over demons – since unbelief has a demonic
origin, fasting empowers the spirit to overcome satanic influence of unbelief. Having
dominion in spiritual realms.
Ø
Develops faith – you master your body and your senses
which is material and physical by nature that’s what fasting can do, it allows
you to operate in faith taking control of the flesh as you conquer you unbelief
and fear.
Ø
Crucifies unbelief – after having been attached
to God and detached from the world, faith is developed, exercised, therefore
putting to death the spirit of unbelief and all its satanic influence and
manifestation.
IV.
Conclusion:
The
possibilities of all things happening under the command of God are based upon
our faith. This is not a matter of what God cannot do or can do but what God
can do if we believe, it is what man can do and experienced if he believes. God’s
power is never limited by our unbelief, there’s no question on God’s power – it
is God’s discretion to withhold the blessings from the unbelievers due to their
unbelief for unbelief is an offense to God and His almighty acts!
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