Jesus is not telling them that their faith is smaller than a mustard seed, He is basically saying, “You do not need more faith you need to understand how
faith works. Faith works like a seed and like a seed unless
you plant it will not produce." Now, with that said, we need to see what seed Jesus is referring to. In Marks gospel Chapter four we see the Parable of the Sower. Jesus shares the Parable and then afterwards He explains the Parable to His disciples, but first, He asks them to important questions, "Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables?" (Mark 4:13) These are two of the most important and challenging
questions that Jesus is expressing. In essence, if the disciples (and all believers) do not understand the depths of this
Parable, they will find it difficult to understand spiritual principles of God
and His Kingdom, which one of these principles is how faith works.
In His explanation of the Parable (Mark 4:14-25) He tells us some important points, observe; the seed is God’s Word; the soil is the heart, (our spirit). Think about this from this perspective. A farmer does not go into a field and sow or plant seed
unless he first prepares the soil. Once the soil is prepared, the farmer then plants the
seed. If a farmer does not sow seed he will not have a harvest, but also, sowing seed does not guarantee a harvest. Once seed is planted, continuous maintenance is required
until there is a harvest. In verses 15-19, although the seed, the Word, was planted, the soil, the heart, was not prepared to receive the seed. Either Satan, ourselves or the world causes the seed not
to take root when sown. However, in verse 20, we see that the soil, the heart, was prepared
to receive the seed, the Word. It also implies that the soil was continuously maintained to
various degrees because the results were fruit for harvest, "some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred."
So, when the disciples asked Jesus to increase their faith, His response was not telling them that their faith was smaller than a mustard seed, but, faith works like a seed, God’s Word. Unless
you plant God’s Word in your heart, the soil, it will not produce. You plant God’s Word by
speaking it. "So then faith comes
by hearing, (and hearing and hearing) and hearing by the word of God." (Romans 10:17) The Apostle James tells us, "Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and
receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls." (James 1:21) God wants His Word to be planted in us, to become one with us. In doing so, "...you can say (speak God's Word) to this mulberry tree, ‘Be
pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you."
The writer of Hebrews tell us, "Let us hold fast the confession of our faith without wavering, for He who promised is faithful." (Hebrews 10:23) Our confession will either make us a conqueror, or it will defeat us. We rise or fa11 to the level of our confession. We must learn to hold fast to our confession in the hard places. The time to make your confession is when Satan attacks you in any area of life such as, when you feel the the symptoms of sickness coming into your body. You command them to leave in the Name of Jesus. The Apostle Paul tells us, "If God is for us, who is against us?" (Romans 8:31) ) Our Heavenly Father is for us! Sickness, disease, poverty, etc. cannot master you. The circumstances of life that try to oppose you cannot master you, because the Father is greater than any circumstances. Jesus said, "My Father is greater than all." (John 10:29)
The secret of faith is the secret of confession, that is, continuously sowing Gods Word. Our confession of God's Word from the lips of faith says, "I have the thing I desire before I actually possesses it." Again, possession comes with confession. Possession stays with continual confession. You confess that you have it, and you thank the Father for it, then realization follows. Confession with thanksgiving always bring realization. So, when the heart and the lips join in joyful confession of God's Word, faith rises to the flood tide and we become the over-comers that God's Word says we are.
Again, this reveals Kingdom principles. We do not need to know how God’s Word produces, but simply that it does. God’s Word does not need our help, it produces crops (results) by itself, if the principle of sowing it is followed. Also, faith takes time to grow, "first the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head" before we can expect a harvest. Finally, "For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life." (Galatians 6:8) Whatever we sow from our mouth will result in the harvest we receive. So let us continuously sow God's Word, "And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart." (Galatians 6:9)
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