Help- My Unbelief!

Lord, I believe- Help, thou, my unbelief.  Mark 9:24

What is this man saying to Jesus? He, like you and I, don't want anything to stand between us and Jesus. We believe, but even a sliver of unbelief scares us and we don't want even the smallest bit of unbelief in our lives. Satan is ever ready to fill us with doubt. Around every corner the devil will throw up roadblocks meant to veer us off the narrow way and onto his broad path. Doubt in our Savior is a Satan specialty that he doles out every opportunity he can. Is it any wonder the father of that demon possessed son cried out he believed, when Jesus asked if he believed, and then right on the heels of that pronouncement he added that the possibility of unbelief lurking within him, and he did NOT want that to keep Jesus from healing his son! He did not want the slightest weakness in himself to cause his son to suffer a moment longer. If his own failing cost his son his freedom from his tortured life, the father would not forgive himself. He BELIEVED, so what more was there to say? He told Jesus that he believed, there, that should have been it, it should have been enough, he didn't have to say more. I can exclaim I BELIEVE! And truly, I believe that I believe. Yet is it enough? I need for it to be more than enough, I need my Savior to know that if my weak belief, the believe that stems from the most imperfect of human beings is lacking at all, that He alone can make that belief all it needs to be. My belief needs HIS belief, all the glory, all the honor, all the praise is HIS! He is my CREATOR, I am but a creation of His! He is the Master of all that I am! I do believe! And forever, my Lord, help THOU my unbelief!

(Excerpt Ro. 11 E.J. Waggoner) 1800's)

Faith a Gift of God. 

That faith which God deals to man is indicated in Revelation 14:12: "Here is the patience of the saints; here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus." 

God does not give faith to the saints only, any more than he gives the commandments to them alone; but the saints keep the faith, and others do not. 

The faith which they keep is the faith of Jesus; therefore it is the faith of Jesus that is given to men.

Faith Given to Every Man. 

Every man is exhorted to think soberly, because God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. 

Many people have a notion that they are so constituted that it is impossible for them to believe.  

That is a grave error. 

Faith is just as easy, and just as natural, as breathing. It is the common inheritance of all men, and the one thing wherein all are equal. It is as natural for the child of the infidel to believe as it is for the child of the saint.

It is only when men build up a barrier of pride about themselves (Ps. 73:6) that they find it difficult to believe. 

Psa 73:6  Therefore pride compasseth them about as a chain

And even then they ill believe; for when men disbelieve God, they believe Satan; when they disbelieve the truth, they greedily swallow the most egregious falsehoods.

We Are Weak But He Is Strong.

 Truly we are weak…but He is strong and this is something we should never forget. 

Be strong they tell us, as if that is a good thing. The trouble with that is we know, deep down we all know how very weak we are in the grand scheme of all things. We know our weaknesses as human beings, so even when we are calling ourselves strong we recognize those who are considered strong people can also be laid low in a single heartbeat.

When we witness what we consider strength in others and long to possess that same sort of fortitude, we have to remember we all are made up individually and as such what consists in our genetic make-up is nothing like what another has. Our strength as such may appear weaker by standards man has set up, but that might not be true at all. For what we are, we may be incredibly strong as such and still that doesn't matter, it is dangerous. Yes, dangerous for us to long for strength in ourselves outside of the strength that is Christ's and Christ's alone. Our strength needs to be found outside of ourselves and in another completely. Our fortitude must be another's we rely upon. We are weak and we fail countless times, but He never fails and is always strong.

We have to give ourselves over to the truth of our weakness and align ourselves through FAITH in Christ for strength. We must cry out how very weak we are and how in need of Christ's strength we will always be! Christ will see us through, we don't see ourselves through, if we think we do it's only an illusion that has been built up by mankind in accordance with the prince of this world, Satan. We are set up to believe we can be strong, so Satan's can lay us low when we fail- over and over again.

Christ is our stronghold, our fortress, our strong tower, our everything.

We are weak…but HE is strong!  Yes, Jesus loves me!  

(Excerpt Ro. 11 E.J. Waggoner) 1800's)

Faith and Humility. 

Pride is the enemy of faith. 

The two can not live together. 

A man can think soberly and humbly only as the result of the faith that God gives. 

"Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him;  but the just shall live by his faith." Hab. 2:4. 

The man who has confidence in his own strength and wisdom, will not depend upon another. Trust in the wisdom and power of God comes only when we recognize and acknowledge our own weakness and ignorance.

Not A Friend of the World

 

Is this true…

Jas 4:4 … know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.

… and this, is it true too?

1Jn 2:15  Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 

1Jn 2:16  For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 

1Jn 2:17  And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever. 

This is true…

Col 3:1  If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. 

Col 3:2  Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. 

Col 3:3  For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. 

Col 3:4  When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. 

Col 3:5  Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: 

Col 3:6  For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience: 

Col 3:7  In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them. 

Col 3:8  But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. 

Col 3:9  Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; 

Col 3:10  And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him: 

Col 3:11  Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all. 

Col 3:12  Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; 

Col 3:13  Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. 

Col 3:14  And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. 

Col 3:15  And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. 

Col 3:16  Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. 

Col 3:17  And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him. 

(Excerpt Ro. 11 E.J. Waggoner) 1800's)

True Nonconformity.

In England, religious people have often been divided into two classes: Churchmen and Nonconformists. Now every true Christian is a non-conformist, but not in the sense that the word is ordinarily used. 

"Be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your minds." 

When those who call themselves Nonconformists adopt worldly methods, and engage in worldly schemes, then they dishonor the name. "The friendship of the world is enmity with God."

How to Think of Self. 

The exhortation to every man is not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think.  How highly ought one to think of himself? 

"Put them in fear, O Lord; that the nations may know themselves to be but men." Ps. 9:20. 

"Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help." Ps. 146:3. 

"Cease ye from man, whose breath is in his nostrils: for wherein is he to be accounted of?" Isa. 2:22. 

"Verily every man at his best state is altogether vanity." Ps. 39:5. 

"The wisdom of this world is foolishness with God."  1Co_3:19 

"The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain."1Co_3:20 

"What is your life? It is even a vapor, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away." James 4:14. 

We are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away." Isa. 64:6. 

"In lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves." Phil. 2:3.

Kept From Evil - All We Need.

Jesus prayed- Joh 17:15  I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.

We need to be kept from evil. Did you read that? Jesus asked the Father to keep us from the evil in this world. 

All we need truly will be supplied by the Father. I not talking about things we call our needs, but all we truly need. Our true need is to belong to God, to have Christ in us our hope, to be blessed with the holy Comforter. Our true need is God because God alone offers us eternity, and eternity with God should be our true need beyond any need we think we have here and now.

To be kept from evil by God is to insure our eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Please, Father keep me from evil through Your power!

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The closing verses of the eleventh chapter set forth the infinite, unsearchable power and wisdom of God. Nobody can add anything to him. No one can put God under obligations to him. No one can give him something for which he should receive something in return. "For of him, and through him, and to him are all things." "He giveth to all life, and breath, and all things." "In him we live, and move, and have our being."  Acts 17:25, 28.

Act 17:25  Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things;

Act 17:28  For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring

This being so, it is but reasonable that all should yield their bodies to him, for him to control. He alone has the wisdom and the power to do it properly.

The word "reasonable" is, literally, "logical." The logical result of acknowledging God's power and wisdom and love, is to submit to him. He who does not yield to God, virtually denies his existence.

Exhorting and Comforting. 

It is interesting to know that the Greek word rendered "beseech" is from the same root as "the Comforter," applied to the Holy Spirit. 

It is the word used in Matthew 5:4, "Blessed are they that mourn; for they shall be comforted." It occurs also in 1 Thessalonians 4:18, "Comfort one another with these words."

The following passage contains the word several times, as indicated: "Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ." 2 Cor. 1:3-5. 

 The fact that the Greek word for "exhort," or "beseech," is identical with that for "comfort," may give a new force to the exhortations of the Spirit of God.

There is comfort in the thought that God is all-powerful. Therefore there is comfort in all his exhortations and commandments, since he does not expect us to act in our own strength, but in his. When he utters a command, it is but the statement of what he will do in and for us, if we yield to his power.1 When he reproves, he is simply showing to us our need, which he can abundantly supply. The Spirit convicts of sin, but is always the Comforter.

(Excerpt Ro. 11 E.J. Waggoner)

Overcome Evil With God Who Alone Is Good.

 

Wonderful Knowledge

Taking Away Sin. 

There shall come out of Zion the Deliverer, who shall turn away ungodliness from Israel.  Christ is "the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." John 1:29. "He is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world." 1 John 2:2. The high priest Caiaphas spoke by the Spirit "that Jesus should die for that nation; and not for that nation only, but that also he should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad." John 11:51, 52.

So Peter, speaking in the temple at Jerusalem, said: "Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the kindred of the earth be blessed. Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities." Acts 3: 25, 26. The blessing of Abraham is the forgiveness of sins through Christ; and people of all nations become Israelites indeed by the taking away of iniquity.

All of Faith.

It was through faith that Jacob became Israel. It was through unbelief that his descendants were broken off from the stock of Israel. It is through faith that the Gentiles are grafted in, and only by faith that they stand; and it is through faith that the Jews may become reunited to the parent stock.

Faith in Christ is the only thing that makes one an Israelite, and only unbelief cuts one off from being an Israelite;  this was fully shown by Christ when he marveled at the faith of the centurion, saying; "I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel. And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven. But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness." Matt. 8:10-12.

All in Prison. 

"God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all." The word "conclude" means literally "to shut up," as indicated in the margin. He hath "shut them all up together." So in Galatians 3:22 we read that "the Scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe."

And the next verse speaks of all being "shut up" and guarded by the law. Both Jews and Gentiles "are all under sin." Rom. 3:9. All are shut up in prison together, with no hope of escape except by Christ, "the Deliverer," who proclaims "liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound." Isa. 61:1. He comes as the deliverer "out of Zion," bringing the freedom of "Jerusalem which is above." Gal. 4:26. All therefore who accept the liberty wherewith Christ makes free, are the children of Jerusalem which is above, heirs of heavenly Canaan, members of the true commonwealth of Israel.

Wonderful Knowledge.

"By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities," says the Lord. Isa. 53:11. Thus by forgiving sins he will build the walls of Jerusalem (Ps. 51:18), and restore her captive children. "O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!"

Let no one, therefore, presume to criticize God's plan, or to reject it because he can not understand it. "For who hath been his counselor?" "For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things; to whom be glory forever.  Amen."

Christ's - Abraham's Seed.

 'All who are Christ's are Israel… '

Gal 3:29  And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise. 

Abraham's seed- Israel. Christ's- Abraham's seed.

Right now in our world, the times of the Gentiles controlling Israel is over. Legally Israel fought and won the right to exist under Jewish control. They fought and won the war so they could obtain Israel, obtain Jerusalem- something they hadn't controlled since 70AD. 1910 years the Jewish people, those of the physical descent of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob…David. David who was instructed to have his son, Solomon build a permanent temple, something that didn't exist, the tabernacle was tent enclosed until the temple of stone was built. David, one of God's chosen Israelites.  The Israelites ruling Israel, in control of Jerusalem, were thrust out of control. 1910 years later they fought and won Jerusalem back. In 1980 they moved their capital to Jerusalem signifying that Jerusalem was no longer under the ruling power of a non-Jewish people.  They allowed others, they allowed Gentiles to continue to live in Jerusalem and they still allow that today, even with intense hostility. That hostile Gentile faction does not trod down Jerusalem, that Gentile faction does not control Jerusalem. That Gentile faction wants to control Jerusalem, but Israel has kept them at bay even while many world powers push for Israel to allow Gentiles to share Jerusalem. 

We, who are Christians, know that Israel or Gentile, through Jesus we are Abraham's seed- Israel. 

The sign of Jerusalem no longer being trodden down by Gentiles has occurred for God's purposes, He has never purposed that the Israel people would gain His favor again. He has purposed that those who are Christ's are Abraham's seed- they are His favored as such. 

We should not lament not being a physical descendent of Israel, we are grafted in, we are as much Israel as any physical descendent can claim- all through Christ Jesus our Savior, now and forever! Amen.

*******

A Great Ingathering of Jews Romans 11:27-36

27 For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins. 28 As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers' sakes. 29 For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance. 30 For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief: 31 even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy. 32 For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all. 33 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! 34 For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counselor? 35 Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again? 36 For of him, and through him, and to him,  are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.

All through Christ. Note carefully verses 25-27. 

Rom 11:25  For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. 

Rom 11:26  And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: 

Rom 11:27  For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins. 

When the fulness of the Gentiles shall have been brought in, "all Israel shall be saved." Indeed, it is only by the bringing in of the Gentiles that all Israel will be saved. And this will be a fulfillment of that which is written, "There shall come out of Zion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob." Only through Christ can Israel be saved and gathered; and all who are Christ's are Israel; for "if ye be Christ's then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise." Gal. 3:29.

(Excerpt)

Articles on Romans by E. J. Waggoner Chapter 11