Faith or Belief
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
by Dr. Paul Chappell
"And Jesus arose, and followed him, and so did his disciples. And, behold, a woman, which was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind him, and touched the hem of his garment: For she said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole. But Jesus turned him about, and when he saw her, he said, Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour."
Matthew 9:19-22
Faith is not dependent upon outward circumstances, but on the unchanging truths of God's Word.
I once read of a student demonstration performed in a college science class. The student's presentation was on the principle of the pendulum. The principle states that a pendulum, when released, will fall short of its original release point during the backswing of its arcing motion. To test this, the student attached a string to a child's toy top and secured it to the top of the chalkboard with a push pin. Making a mark of where the toy was released, he released the toy and continued marking the furthest point of the backswing. After the demonstration, it was easy to note that the toy did not reach its original release point, thus verifying the principle of the pendulum. He then asked the class, "Do you believe the principle is true?" A hearty "yes" was uttered by everyone in the room, including the teacher.
Then, to further prove the principle, he walked to the middle of the classroom where he had hung a large metal ball with a sturdy rope tied to a metal beam running along the ceiling of the classroom. He asked the teacher to sit in a chair a few feet away from the giant ball. Swinging the make-shift pendulum back, the student placed the ball at the teacher's nose, then asked, "If the principle of the pendulum is true, this ball will not swing back further than this releasing point, and your nose is safe. Do you still believe this is true?" With beads of sweat running down his face, the professor uneasily muttered, "Yes." The student released the ball and as it began its backswing, the teacher darted from the chair and dove under a nearby desk. The student then asked, "Class, does he really believe in the principle?" "No!" was the overwhelming reply.
This teacher's actions proved that he believed the principle as a fact of science, yet when his belief was tested, he proved he wasn't willing to risk physical pain to prove the principle's validity.
Christians can be compared to this professor. They read the truths of God's Word, maybe even teach them, but when it comes to putting their beliefs to the test, they run and hide as fast as the professor did. They soon learn that stating faith and acting out faith are very different things.
Notice the story in our verses today. Jesus was on His way to see the ruler's daughter who was gravely ill. Yet as they traveled, a sickly woman came to Christ and touched the hem of his robe, knowing that He had power to heal her. The crowd around Jesus was great, as Mark 5:24 tells us, "And Jesus went with him; and much people followed him, and thronged him." I'm sure there were many people around Christ who wanted Him to heal them, minister to their need, or fix their problem; yet why was this woman healed and not others? As the Lord said, "Thy faith hath made thee whole."
Faith is not dependent upon outward circumstances, but on the unchanging truths of God's Word. A person who believes the facts about God's Word may talk about God and serve Him, but when tough times come, he will abandon his beliefs; yet someone with true faith still holds on to the belief that God is good even when things look bleak.
The professor in our story proved that his belief was only a head knowledge and wasn't true faith. Yet the woman with the issue of blood proved that even though she had suffered for many years, spent all she had, and found no rest; she had faith that God had the power to heal her.
Take time right now to evaluate your beliefs. Is what you believe merely head knowledge, or would your faith stand strong even through tough times? Ask God to deepen your faith and secure your beliefs in Him. Remember that difficulties will come, but God is always good.
To learn more about the ministries of Lancaster Baptist Church and Pastor Chappell, please visit lancasterbaptist.org, paulchappell.com, or follow him on twitter.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
by Dr. Paul Chappell
"And Jesus arose, and followed him, and so did his disciples. And, behold, a woman, which was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind him, and touched the hem of his garment: For she said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole. But Jesus turned him about, and when he saw her, he said, Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour."
Matthew 9:19-22
Faith is not dependent upon outward circumstances, but on the unchanging truths of God's Word.
I once read of a student demonstration performed in a college science class. The student's presentation was on the principle of the pendulum. The principle states that a pendulum, when released, will fall short of its original release point during the backswing of its arcing motion. To test this, the student attached a string to a child's toy top and secured it to the top of the chalkboard with a push pin. Making a mark of where the toy was released, he released the toy and continued marking the furthest point of the backswing. After the demonstration, it was easy to note that the toy did not reach its original release point, thus verifying the principle of the pendulum. He then asked the class, "Do you believe the principle is true?" A hearty "yes" was uttered by everyone in the room, including the teacher.
Then, to further prove the principle, he walked to the middle of the classroom where he had hung a large metal ball with a sturdy rope tied to a metal beam running along the ceiling of the classroom. He asked the teacher to sit in a chair a few feet away from the giant ball. Swinging the make-shift pendulum back, the student placed the ball at the teacher's nose, then asked, "If the principle of the pendulum is true, this ball will not swing back further than this releasing point, and your nose is safe. Do you still believe this is true?" With beads of sweat running down his face, the professor uneasily muttered, "Yes." The student released the ball and as it began its backswing, the teacher darted from the chair and dove under a nearby desk. The student then asked, "Class, does he really believe in the principle?" "No!" was the overwhelming reply.
This teacher's actions proved that he believed the principle as a fact of science, yet when his belief was tested, he proved he wasn't willing to risk physical pain to prove the principle's validity.
Christians can be compared to this professor. They read the truths of God's Word, maybe even teach them, but when it comes to putting their beliefs to the test, they run and hide as fast as the professor did. They soon learn that stating faith and acting out faith are very different things.
Notice the story in our verses today. Jesus was on His way to see the ruler's daughter who was gravely ill. Yet as they traveled, a sickly woman came to Christ and touched the hem of his robe, knowing that He had power to heal her. The crowd around Jesus was great, as Mark 5:24 tells us, "And Jesus went with him; and much people followed him, and thronged him." I'm sure there were many people around Christ who wanted Him to heal them, minister to their need, or fix their problem; yet why was this woman healed and not others? As the Lord said, "Thy faith hath made thee whole."
Faith is not dependent upon outward circumstances, but on the unchanging truths of God's Word. A person who believes the facts about God's Word may talk about God and serve Him, but when tough times come, he will abandon his beliefs; yet someone with true faith still holds on to the belief that God is good even when things look bleak.
The professor in our story proved that his belief was only a head knowledge and wasn't true faith. Yet the woman with the issue of blood proved that even though she had suffered for many years, spent all she had, and found no rest; she had faith that God had the power to heal her.
Take time right now to evaluate your beliefs. Is what you believe merely head knowledge, or would your faith stand strong even through tough times? Ask God to deepen your faith and secure your beliefs in Him. Remember that difficulties will come, but God is always good.
To learn more about the ministries of Lancaster Baptist Church and Pastor Chappell, please visit lancasterbaptist.org, paulchappell.com, or follow him on twitter.
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