O ye of little faith
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Is an expression found four times in our Bible, and all four times it is the Lord Jesus Christ who speaks it. Also all four times it is spoken to the group on the earth that I think all of us would argue are the most faithful toward Him… So then what is the Jesus saying when He tells His disciples “O ye of little faith?
I think it is important to state that one either has faith or one doesn’t. We would never say that a woman is a little pregnant, no, because your either pregnant or your not… Or that someone is a little alive, because you are either dead or your alive.
Hebrews 11:1–3 “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good report. Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.”
Hebrews 11:6 “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.”
Matthew 17:20 “And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.”
John 20:29 “Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.”
Sometimes it is easy for us to have the wrong idea about faith… Maybe we think of faith as something mystical, or maybe a feeling, or an emotion, or maybe even something that we can produce, or maybe it is something that we are lacking at first and we grow it over time... Did you know the Bible never commands us to grow in faith? That’s because the faith that we have is sufficient…
For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.
We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak;
And the apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith.
And the Lord said, If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it should obey you.
Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:
But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.
But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;
So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
Ephesians 4:1–5 “I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism,”
Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained.
And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
I hope that we have built an understanding through the Scriptures that faith is given by God, and that the only aspect of faith that we have dominion over is belief in what God has said. Hebrews 11 is full of faithful men and women who believed God’s word!
#1 Physical Needs
Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?
If then God so clothe the grass, which is to day in the field, and to morrow is cast into the oven; how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith?
#2 Protection
And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm.
And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?
And he said unto them, Where is your faith? And they being afraid wondered, saying one to another, What manner of man is this! for he commandeth even the winds and water, and they obey him.
How did they not believe the Word of God Himself?
Now it came to pass on a certain day, that he went into a ship with his disciples: and he said unto them, Let us go over unto the other side of the lake. And they launched forth.
#3 False Doctrine
Read: Matthew 16:1-12.
Mark 8:17–21 “And when Jesus knew it, he saith unto them, Why reason ye, because ye have no bread? perceive ye not yet, neither understand? have ye your heart yet hardened? Having eyes, see ye not? and having ears, hear ye not? and do ye not remember? When I brake the five loaves among five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up? They say unto him, Twelve. And when the seven among four thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up? And they said, Seven. And he said unto them, How is it that ye do not understand?”
Closing:
O ye of little faith, is not that the faith of Christ was not enough, or that it was a glass half full when it should have been a tanker truck. But their understanding of the word of God… When they should have believed the word, they doubted it...
I would like to challenge us from the challenge given by Christ to the church at Pergamos...
I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where Satan’s seat is: and thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith, even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth.
And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;
But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,
