Faith In God
“And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God. For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.” —Mark 11:22-23
Let us begin this article by first defining faith. Hebrews 11:1 tells us: “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” This is the verse most used to define faith, but to me this verse is more of a declaration of the action of faith rather than a definition. The simplest definition of faith is to simply believe—believe God and believe His Word—with the central object of our faith being Christ and Him crucified.
Have Faith In God
This phrase, “Have faith in God,” literally says, “have the faith of God,” with God as the object of our faith. God demands that man accepts everything done for him on the basis of faith, referring to faith in Christ and what Christ has done for us at the cross. We must never separate Christ from the cross, nor the cross from Christ (I Cor. 1:17-18, 23; 2:2; Gal. 6:14; Col. 2:14-15). This doesn’t mean that we see Jesus still on the cross because He isn’t, but the benefits that come to us are all because of Calvary.
Included in believing is not only believing Christ and Calvary but also His Word, for the two—Christ and the Bible—cannot be separated.
Verily I Say Unto You
The phrase, “For verily I say unto you,” was a phrase used many times by the Lord to announce a great truth, and, in this case, faith in God. Now the Lord begins to tell what faith in God will do.
Whosoever
“That whosoever,” puts faith that moves mountains within reach of anyone, literally any child of God can have faith that moves mountains. Whosoever opens up to us that all who truly believe can operate in mountain-moving faith, not just Bible scholars or prophets, but whosoever.
Confession
“Shall say.” These two words tell us the power of proper scriptural confession. The good Lord has given each one of us a tongue, which is guided by the mind and heart. Therefore, whatever we say shows where our faith actually is, and what direction we are heading. Faith is always speaking because faith always has something to say. And what is faith supposed to be speaking? Faith speaks the Word of God and how the Word applies to our particular need, which always incorporates the will of God. Even though faith can move mountains, the Lord will never allow us to use faith in such a way that it will hurt or harm others. So we must make sure we are in the will of God.
Mountains
The text says, “unto this mountain,” using as an object lesson a mountain, something so great as an immovable, fixed object to show us the power of faith. Of course, He was using a tangible fixed object to portray a spiritual truth. The idea is that the problem you need removed is, to you, the same as a mountain blocking your journey. You can’t climb over it; you can’t tunnel through it; and you can’t go around it. The mountain has to move, and it can move through faith. The Lord is telling us, “All things are possible with God.” That mountain—debt, sickness, a broken heart—can be removed.
Remove The Mountain
The text states, “Be ye removed.” This proclaims the word of faith. The word of faith doesn’t ask how, what, when, or where; it just simply says, “Be done,” which is the literal meaning of “shall say.” You can believe the doubters and scoffers, or you can believe the Word of God.
Be Cast Into The Sea
True faith in God and His Word not only moves the mountain, but also puts it in a place where it can’t hurt anyone else. Actually, the idea of being cast into the sea means that it is so removed that it’s as if it never existed.
Doubt
“And shall not doubt in his heart.” In the Greek, the word doubt is diakrino, which means “to judge between two.” To judge whether faith in God can, or whether it cannot. Every fiber of being in the child of God must believe that He can, and He will. True faith says whatever is needed is already done even though it may not be carried out yet.
Believe
“But shall believe.” Not only do we not doubt, but we also believe what Jesus said. Jesus said, “Be thou removed and cast into the sea,” therefore, that’s what we are to believe.
Those Things
“Those things.” This speaks of our particular needs, whatever they may be (mountains being symbolism.) As well, by the use of these words, the Lord is meaning that we are to take everything to the Lord in prayer, no matter how great or small “those things” may be. Also, the idea is that we are not to be asking the Lord for silly things.
Confession
“Which He says.” Once again we are told to say what we want. Actually, this is the second of three times this phrase is used in one way or another. So the Holy Spirit is showing us the importance of a proper confession. Whatever we need, and which we believe the Lord will give to us, must be spoken—we say it; we confess it.
Results
In the Greek text, “Shall come to pass” is in the present tense; therefore, the more accurate translation would be, “comes to pass,” with the idea being that it may not happen instantly, but it will happen. We are not to give up but keep believing. It is what some scholars refer to as a futuristic present. In closing, there is one qualifier that you must understand, and that is, whatever you are believing the Lord for must be in the will of God. If it’s not God’s will, no matter the greatness of your faith, the mountain will not be removed. If it is God’s will, then don’t stop believing God for your miracle!
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August 16, 2016 at 1:01 AMYour teachings make everything easy to understand. I learn a lot from your articles and SBN
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