Where Are We?

by David Gibson

The people of His hometown did not respond positively. Jesus marveled at their unbelief (Mark 6:6).

A Gentile centurion believed Jesus could heal his servant simply by speaking the word—without even coming to his house (Matthew 8:5-13). Jesus marveled at his great faith—greater than He had found in His own nation.

In both cases, Jesus marveled [the same Greek word is used in both passages] for obviously different reasons.

Where we stand

Most of us can probably be found somewhere between the Nazarenes’ unbelief and the Gentile centurion’s strong faith. I can certainly identify with the poor fellow who cried out to Jesus, “I do believe; help my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24 NASB).

Some believe God exists but fail to act on it. And yet “faith without works is dead”—even the demons believe (James 2:14-26). During Jesus’ earthly ministry, certain religious leaders believed in Him but would not admit it for fear of losing the approval of their peers (John 12:42-43). Can unconfessed faith save?

Jesus’ disciples had an active faith. They left all for Him and followed Him closely. But on more than one occasion, He rebuked them: “You of little faith” (Matthew 8:26; 14:31; 16:8). They had some growing to do, but they did grow.

Progress is possible!

One thing is certain: We are not stuck where we are. Unbelievers can become believers if they choose to accept the abundant evidence.

Is our faith small? It can grow. Abraham “did not waver in unbelief, but grew strong in faith . . .” (Romans 4:20). As we read his story in Genesis, we can see him growing.

Gideon needed a lot of help to overcome his doubts, and so did Thomas (Judges 6-7; John 20:24-29). But once they were given the reassurance they needed, they took hold.

God’s word is the source of our faith (Romans 10:17). The more we study it—and act on what we learn—the stronger our faith grows.

If Jesus looks at us and marvels, will it be because of our unbelief or our great faith?