In Matthew 10, one, we read, and when he had called
unto him his 12 disciples, he gave them power against unclean
spirits to cast them out. And they did cast them out. They were given this miraculous
power. Can you imagine that? I like to think about that. People
with unclean spirits and the disciples weren't able to command
them to come out and they did. And then in Matthew chapter 17, beginning
in verse 15, Lord, Have mercy on my son, for he's
a lunatic and sore-vexed. For oftentimes he falleth into
the fire and often into the water. And I brought him to thy disciples,
and they could not cure him." Now picture this scenario in
your mind. They tell the demon to get out. Nothing happens. Perhaps that's the first time
that had taken place. Nothing happens. Well, after this takes place
and the Lord cures this young man, cast the demon out, verse
19, then came the disciples to Jesus apart privately. I guess
they weren't going to say it publicly. They were embarrassed.
They had failed. That's all they knew at this
time. They had failed. And they come to the Lord. privately and said, why could not we cast
him out? They didn't know. They didn't
have an answer. What happened? We've done it
in the past. This time it did not take place. Why? Could not we cast them out? And look at the simplicity of
the Lord's answer in verse 20. And Jesus said unto them, because
of your unbelief. That's why you were powerless. That's why the demon could not
be cast out. Because of your unbelief. And this was the unbelief of
a believer, wasn't it? They had the same problem this
father had. Lord, I believe, help thou mine
unbelief. They had the same problem. I
don't know if they knew they had the same problem, but they
did. Because of your unbelief. God does not work through unbelief. Now let me repeat that. Christ
does not work through unbelief. God the Holy Spirit does not
work through unbelief. Matthew chapter 13 verse 58 says,
and he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief. How many different ways are there
to take that? He did not many mighty works there because of
their unbelief. And then Mark's account says
in Mark 6, verse 5, he could there do no mighty works, save
that he laid his hands on a few sick folk, and he marveled at
their unbelief. This is amazing. This is our
Lord's response to this unbelief. He marveled at their unbelief. Now, I want you to listen real
carefully to this statement. He could not because he would
not. He could not because he would
not. It's not he would not because
he could not. Perish any kind of thinking like that. It's not
that he would not because he could not. If he would not because
he could not, two things would be true. Number one, he's less
than omnipotent, which is a denial of his deity. If he would not because he could
not, number two, man's FAITH, and not Christ, is salvation. Man's faith and not Christ is
the cause of salvation. That is a denial of salvation
by grace. By grace, or you say through
faith, never apart from faith, through faith and that not of
yourselves, it's the gift of God, not of works, lest any man
should boast. You see, human unbelief, cannot
negate God's purpose. Let me show you that in scripture.
Turn with me to Romans chapter three. I wanna show you two scriptures
with regard to this. It's not like God cannot work
because of our unbelief and he can't work until we start believing.
Not that way at all. God is not hindered. God's purpose is always done. Look in verse three of Romans
chapter three. But what if some did not believe? Is that messing
up everything? Shall their unbelief make the
faith of God without effect? God forbid. God forbid. Man's unbelief will
never frustrate God's purpose. God's will is always done. Turn with me to Luke chapter
one. Luke, the first chapter, beginning
in verse 18. This is after the angel told
Zechariah he would have a son whose name would be John. And
Zechariah said unto the angel, Whereby shall I know this? For
I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years. How can
this take place? He was obviously incredulous. He did not think this would take
place. How can it be? And the angel
answering said unto him, I am Gabriel that stand in the presence
of God and am sent to speak unto thee and to show thee these glad
tidings. And behold, thou shalt be dumb
and not able to speak into the day that these things shall be
performed because thou believest not my words. which shall be
fulfilled in their season. You see, Zachariah's unbelief
could not keep the purpose of God from coming to pass. I'm so thankful for that. What is unbelief? Why could not
we cast them out? Because of your unbelief. Belief. Well, unbelief is the
opposite of faith. There's belief and there is unbelief. It's that simple. There's belief
and there is unbelief. Not believing God. Abraham, the scripture says,
believed God. Now listen to this with regard
to faith. Abraham believed God. That's pointed out in Genesis
15, 6. Abraham believed God. There is nothing meritorious
about faith. Now let me repeat that. There
is absolutely and positively nothing meritorious about faith. He ought to be believed. You see, the scripture points
out God cannot lie. He's incapable of lying. Think about how easy a lie comes
across our lips. It ought not be, but think about
it. You get in trouble, you get backed up, you're gonna lie your
way out of it. That's not right, I realize that. I'm not justifying
it, I'm not saying it's okay, but think of how naturally lies
roll off our tongue. Been that way since we were kids.
Born the wicked are estranged from the womb. They go about
as soon as they be born speaking lies. Not God, he cannot lie. Isn't that glorious? He is incapable of telling a
lie because he's God. A God of truth, without iniquity,
just and right is he, he ought to be believed, he's utterly
faithful. It was said of Abraham in Romans chapter four that he
staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief. But he was strong in faith, giving
glory to God, being fully persuaded that what God had promised, God
was able also to perform. Now, the only reason to not believe
him is just flat out wickedness on our part. Amen? There's no question about that. It's a denial of his character. John says to believe not God
is to make him a liar. It's to call God a liar. You
know, somebody says, you call me a liar? Yeah. Yeah, people
say, you called me a liar? Yeah, not him though, not him. The Lord said to marvel at unbelief,
it is so unreasonably wicked, even Christ marveled at it. Oh, the stupidity and the wickedness
of unbelief. Now, when the Holy Spirit convinces
us of sin, what does He convince us of? Well, turn to John 16. I'd like you to look at this.
I know you're probably familiar with it, but here is true Holy
Spirit conviction. John 16, 8. And when He has come, speaking
of the Holy Spirit, He will reprove the world of sin and of righteousness
and of judgment. Of sin, now here's holy spirit
conviction of sin, why? Because they believe not on me. It is the sin from which all
other sins proceed. It was the first sin. What was Eve's first sin? She
failed to believe what God said. It really is that simple. In Titus chapter one, verses
15 and 16, we read to the defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure,
but even their mind and conscience is defiled. They profess that
they know God, but in works they deny him being abominable and
disobedient and to every good work, Now that's what unbelief
does. It makes everything we do abominable,
an act of disobedience, I don't care what it is, to every good
work, reprobate. Now that gives us some idea of
the severity of this sin. Why could we not cast them out? Because of your unbelief. It is said of Satan, The God
of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not. Turn with me to John 8. I'd like
you to look at these scriptures with me. John chapter 8. Verse 45. And because I tell you the truth,
But you believe me not. Which of you convinces me of
sin? It couldn't be done. Can you
imagine being able to say that? Which of you can convince me
of sin? And if I say the truth, why do
you not believe me? What a question. If I say the
truth, why do you not believe me? Well, he that's of God, heareth
God's words. You therefore hear them not,
because you are not of God. Look in John chapter 10, verse
24. Then came the Jews round about
him and said unto him, how long dost thou make us to doubt? If
thou be the Christ, tell us plainly. Jesus answered them, I told you,
and what? You believed not. The works that I do in my Father's
name, they bear witness of me, but you believe not because you're
not of my sheep. As I said unto you, my sheep,
hear my voice. Now, unbelief, listen to this.
Unbelief is the damning sin. Can't you be damned for other
sins? Yeah. But what did the Lord say? Mark 16, 16, he that
believeth and is baptized. Now, somebody shall be saved.
Somebody may think, well, does that mean salvation comes through
baptism? No, it doesn't. You gotta know
that from the rest of the word of God. Salvation comes by what
Christ did for you, nothing else. What this does tell us is who
ought to be baptized. What is the requirement for baptism?
Belief. If you believe the gospel, you're
to be baptized. He that believeth and is baptized,
the same shall be saved, He that believeth not shall be damned. Those are the words of the Lord
Jesus Christ. In John 3.36, John the Baptist
said, he that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life, and
he that believeth not on the Son shall not see life, but the
wrath of God abides on him. It's there. It won't leave as
long as there is unbelief. Now, I touched on this last week,
but to show you how little we understand this sin of unbelief.
If I told you I was caught up in some kind of sin, and there's
no point in me, as soon as I start naming what they might be, that's
what you start thinking about. So I don't want to do that. But
let's say I'm caught up in some kind of sin and you said, what
is it? Unbelief. Whew. Good. I'm glad it's nothing
more severe than that. That shows how little we understand
this thing of unbelief. Why could not we cast them out? These are believers. These are
men who have been born of God. These are some of God's elect.
Why could not we cast them out? Because of your unbelief. And then the Lord says, if you
had faith, look back in Matthew 17. For verily I say unto you, if
you have faith as a grain of mustard seed. Now he's talking
about the smallest amount of faith. A mustard seed was the
smallest thing anybody knew of at that time. And so he takes
the smallest object there is. If you had faith as a grain of
mustard seed, THAT SMALL. YOU SHALL SAY TO THIS MOUNTAIN,
AND I HAVE NO DOUBT THAT THIS MOUNTAIN IS THE MOUNTAIN OF UNBELIEF. SOMEBODY SAYS, DO YOU HAVE ANY
MOUNTAINS IN YOUR LIFE? BELIEVE GOD AND THEY'LL BE REMOVED AWAY.
WHAT HE'S TALKING ABOUT IS THIS MOUNTAIN OF UNBELIEF. IF YOU HAD FAITH AS A GRAIN OF
MUSTARD SEED, NOW There are differing degrees of faith in the scriptures.
The Lord speaks of little faith and great faith, doesn't he?
Remember what he said to the Syrophoenician woman, O woman,
great is thy faith. And how many times did he say
to his disciples, O ye of little faith. Matter of fact, once he
said, where is your faith? I don't even see it at all. Where
is your faith? Paul spoke of your faith growing
exceedingly, and the Lord says, the smallest faith, mustard seed
faith only, can say to this mountain, remove hence to yonder place,
and it shall remove, and nothing shall be impossible for you.
Now you take away faith. Now here's, let me talk about
something. You know, somebody says, if you
have faith enough to move this mountain, it'll jump up and move. Is it within the realm of your
ability to stand before God without sin? Perfectly righteous. So that
the holiness of God looks you through and through and sees
nothing but that which is pleasing in his sight. You say, no, that's
impossible. You're right. You're right. But faith apprehends that which
is impossible for men, that's possible for God. You believe
in His ability. Right now, if you're a believer,
you believe in His ability to make you right now holy, unblameable,
and unreprovable in His sight through the gospel. And that's
what the Lord's talking about, this thing of being just before
God. It's faith that comprehends that
through the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. I see. I don't
fully understand it, I realize that. Don't fully understand
anything, but I see how I can be just without sin. before a thrice holy God. And the only thing that comprehends
that is faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Now what is the best
way to show the crookedness of a stick? To put a straight stick beside
it. And what I want to do is set down the straight stick of
faith. And I can't set it down, I realize
that the word of God does. And we'll see just what unbelief
is by seeing what faith is. Now turn with me to Romans chapter
four. Now in chapter three, I'm not
gonna make any comment about this, but I wanna read it because
it sets up chapter four. Beginning in verse 19, now we
know that what things whoever the law saith, it saith to them
who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped and all
the world become guilty before God. Therefore, by the deeds
of the law, there shall no flesh be justified in his sight, for
by the law is the knowledge of sin. But now, The righteousness
of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and
the prophets, even the righteousness which is of God, the righteousness
of God, which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon
all them that, what? Believe. For there's no difference No difference between the most
moral man and the most immoral man in the world in God's sight.
There's no difference. For all have sinned and come
short of the glory of God, being justified freely by his grace
through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God has
set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood. A propitiation is a sin removing
sacrifice through faith in his blood to declare his righteousness
for the remission of sins that are passed through the forbearance
of God. To declare, I say at this time, his righteousness,
that he might be just and the justifier of him which believeth.
in Jesus. Where is boasting? The end is
excluded. It's shut out. By what law of
works? Nay, but by the law of faith.
Therefore, we conclude that a man is justified by faith without
the deeds of the law. Is he the God of the Jews only?
Is not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also. Seeing
it as one God which will justify the circumcision by faith and
uncircumcision through faith, do we make void the law through
faith? God forbid, yea, we establish the law. What shall we say then
that Abraham, our father, as pertaining to the flesh, has
found? Now, Abraham was before the law,
wasn't he? He was before the law. He was before the covenant
of circumcision. When he first believed, he was
not circumcised. He didn't become circumcised
till Genesis chapter 17. He pops up first in Genesis chapter
12. He went many years walking with God, walking by faith without
being circumcised. He didn't have the Mosaic law. How was he saved? Verse two. For if Abraham were justified
by works, He hath whereof to glory, but not before God. Now, let's get a definition of
terms first. If Abraham were justified by
works. Now, what's it mean to be justified? It means to be
without guilt. It means to be without sin. If
you have any sin at all, you can't be justified. God's not
gonna justify somebody with sin, if you're justified. You're sinless,
you're without guilt. Now, how did Abraham reach this
state of justification? If Abraham were justified by
works, by what he did, he'd have whereof to glory. He could say,
I did something that Todd Knobber didn't do. And that's the difference
between me and him. Something I did that he didn't
do. If he's in hell and I'm in heaven,
it's gonna be because of what I did that he did not do. Now, if Abraham were justified
by works, he'd have something he could glory in. I did what
Todd didn't do. I get at least some of the credit.
But the problem is, if you get some of the credit, you get all
the credit. It's an all or nothing proposition. Verse three, what
saith the scripture? Here's the end all, what saith
the scripture? I don't care about anything else,
do you? I don't care about anything else. What saith the scripture? That's the end all. What saith
the scripture? Abraham BELIEVED God, and it was counted to him for
righteousness. Now, what that is a reference
to in Genesis chapter 15, God said to Abraham, See the stars? Can you count them? No. So shall
your seed be. Abraham didn't have any seed.
He didn't have any kids. He had a wife who was an old
woman. He didn't have any evidence that
anything God said would take place except this. God said it. Nothing else is needed. Abraham
BELIEVED God. And it was counted to him for
righteousness. Now, the following verses are
going to show what that means, because a lot of people will
look at that and say, see, faith is a substitute for righteousness.
If you have faith, that faith is counted for righteousness.
No, it's not. No, it's not. And he goes on to explain what
he's meaning in these verses. Now, verse four, to him that
worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. If your works have anything to
do with your salvation, that means God is giving you payment,
not a gift of his grace. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifies
the ungodly, HIS FAITH IS COUNTED FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS. And here's
what that means, verse 6, Even, this is Paul's explanation of
that, Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man unto
whom God imputeth Righteousness without work, saying, Blessed
are they whose iniquities are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed. Oh, how blessed and
happy is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin. Now,
anything I say about myself, anything I think about myself
negatively is true. It's worse than I think. Same
way with you. Here's our hope. God doesn't
charge us with it. He charged it to His Son. His
Son bore that sin. And my hope is not how good I
am. It's that God doesn't charge
me with my sin, but He gives the righteousness of His Son
to me. Now that's what faith beholds. You don't look at your faith
as your righteousness. You think of the righteousness
of Christ as your righteousness, and that's who you believe. Now, verse nine, cometh this
blessedness then upon the circumcision only? Is this just for the Jews,
the nation of Israel, or upon the uncircumcision also, me and
you? For we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness.
How was it reckoned? When he was in circumcision or
in uncircumcision, not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision. Now, there
wasn't the Mosaic Law yet. There was not even circumcision
yet. That didn't take place until Genesis chapter 17. And he received,
verse 11, the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of
the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised, that he might
be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised,
that righteousness might be imputed to them also." Now, I'm circumcised,
and I'm not talking about physical circumcision. We are the circumcision,
Paul said. We're the ones who are truly
circumcised, which worship God in the spirit, Don't you realize
you can't worship God without the Holy Spirit? It's utterly
impossible. You can't worship God unless
God by His Spirit causes you to. And you know what happens
when you worship God? You rejoice in Christ Jesus.
That's worship. You rejoice, you glory, you rest,
you have confidence only in Christ Jesus. You know what happens
when you have glory in Christ? You have no confidence in the
flesh, none, none at all. That's the circumcision. Now,
let's go on reading. Verse 12, He became the father
of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision only,
but also who walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham,
which he had being yet uncircumcised. We believe God. We believe God. I believe God. I know that I won't unless he
gives me the grace to do it, but I believe God. I believe
everything he says. Believing all things which are
written in the law and in the prophets. Every believer can
say this. I believe God. I got no confidence
in flesh. I don't have any confidence in
your flesh. I don't have any confidence in mine, but I believe
God. Verse 13, for the promise that
he should be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to
his seed through the law, through him keeping some law to some
act of obedience on his part, but through the righteousness
of faith. For they which are of the law be heirs, if you're
an heir because of your obedience to any command. What's that mean? Faith is made void and the promise
made of none effect. Because the law worketh wrath. That's all it does. For where
no law is, there's no transgression. Therefore it, salvation, is a
faith. Believing God, relying on what
he said. When the Lord said, I am the
way, the truth, and the life, no man comes to the Father but
by me. You know what? I believe what he said. I really
believe that. I believe He is the way to the
Father and that no man can get to the Father but by Him. That's
what faith is. It's believing what God said. It's a faith for this reason
that it might be by grace to the end that the promise might
be made sure to all the seed, not only that which is of the
law, but to that also, which is of the faith of Abraham, who
is the father of us all, as it is written." There we go again.
As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations.
Do you know when God said that, he still didn't have any kids.
He still said, I have made thee. Not I will make thee, I have
made thee. You see, we're trusting on what's
already been done. Not on what he will do, what
he has done. It is finished. That's what he said. I have made
thee a father of many nations before him, whom he believed,
even God, who quickens, gives life to the dead. and calls those
things which be not as though they were. He calls into existence
that which did not exist. Who? Abraham, who against hope. He was an old man. His wife had
already gone through menopause. Who against hope believed in
hope that he might become the father of many nations according
to that which was spoken. So shall thy seed be. And being
not weak in faith, he considered not his own body, now dead, incapable
of producing life, when he was about 100 years old, neither
yet the deadness of Sarah's womb, he staggered not at the promise
of God through unbelief. Now there's unbelief. He staggered
not at the promise of God through unbelief, failing to believe
what God said, but was strong in faith, giving
glory to God, being fully persuaded. Now, that word persuaded is in
the passive. He didn't persuade himself, somebody
persuaded him. You know who that was? God himself. Being fully persuaded that what
God had promised, he was able also to perform. Let me tell
you something I'm fully persuaded of. I'm fully persuaded that
I can't save myself. And I'm fully persuaded that
he can. That's the gospel. He was strong in faith, giving
glory to God, being fully persuaded that what he had promised, he
was able also to perform. And therefore, it was imputed
to him for righteousness. Now, I don't know exactly how
to say this. I'm gonna give it a shot. There
was something there, righteousness. And he imputed it to him for
righteousness. Somebody says, what's that mean?
I don't know how to explain it, but I know this. There's righteousness
there, and God charges him with righteousness. It's the righteousness
of Christ. It's not some kind of righteousness he worked out.
And it was imputed to him for righteousness. Now it was not
written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him, but for
us also. to whom it shall be imputed if
we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead. We know why he died. He was delivered
for our offenses. And we know why he was raised.
He was raised for our justification. Now that is faith. And that shows
the ugliness of unbelief. Now, one last thought. What about
that prayer and fasting part? What about that prayer and fasting
part? You know, the Lord said, this kind cometh not but by prayer
and fasting. Now, what that lets us know is
faith is not just an intellectual exercise. like the devils who
believe there's one God and tremble. It's not just an intellectual
exercise. It is a great desire where you
pray and you fast. Somebody says, are you supposed
to fast? Well, the Lord said, when you
fast, He didn't say if you do, he said when you fast. Don't
disfigure your faces. Somebody's gonna come up next
week and say, well, I took your advice, I fasted this week. No,
you didn't. No, you didn't. If anybody finds out about it,
you never fasted. But the Lord does say, this kind
cometh not forth but by prayer and fasting. And unbelief cometh
not forth. You rest in Christ. But the Lord
said this for a purpose, didn't he? He said this for a purpose.
Now, unbelief was the cause and the problem. But the Lord did
say, in this thing of faith, there's a great desire for the
Lord. There's a great desire. There's
a great desire to be delivered from yourself, from your unbelief,
from your sin. And there's prayer. And there's
fasting. There's taking the kingdom of
heaven by force. There's a desire. It's not just
an intellectual, OK, I believe. Everything's fine. Done deal,
let's go to the next thing. No, there's prayer and there's
fasting. Those are the words of the Lord. May the Lord give us this faith. And let me tell you something
about heaven. In heaven, there ain't gonna
be any unbelief. Let's pray. Lord, we ask in Christ's name
that we might have this faith in thy son that we read of. That
we might be as Abraham, who staggered not at your promise through unbelief,
but was strong in faith. giving glory to yourself, being
fully persuaded that what you had promised, you were able also
to perform. Lord, give us this simplicity,
this childlike faith to believe your gospel. Bless us for Christ's
sake. Lord, cause this word to bear
fruit according to your will. In Christ's name we pray, amen.