What If I Believe But I Don't Believe...

That story about the father of a boy who often put himself in the fire - the father said "I believe, help my unbelief."

1. Is this the same as a double minded man who according to the book of James shouldn't expect anything from the Lord?
2. What causes this half belief/half unbelief?
3. What is really missing from this man's life, and what should be his steps to getting full belief?
 
I would say that belief can be a vague thing. What is meant by that belief?

Does it mean someone believes Jesus was a good man, a prophet, a healer, the Christ, or even the Son of God? Is it only a belief in a fact, or is it faith in a Person? Is it belief that Jesus is able to do something, or that He will do something? Is it belief that Jesus can or will handle a temporal issue (i.e. cast out a demon or heal a disease), or that He will handle an eternal issue (i.e. salvation)? etc.

These are just a few of the different ways "belief" can be meant. As such, you can believe in some ways, and not believe in others.
 
That story about the father of a boy who often put himself in the fire - the father said "I believe, help my unbelief."

1. Is this the same as a double minded man who according to the book of James shouldn't expect anything from the Lord?
2. What causes this half belief/half unbelief?
3. What is really missing from this man's life, and what should be his steps to getting full belief?

Good question-I 'feel' this way myself sometimes. Not sure if there is an easy answer to that. I know that we need to grow in Christ, which means we need spiritual nutrients. If you are not getting the spiritual nutrients you need-growth (faith) is hindered.

So I pose this question in answer to your question: How do we experience 'spiritual growth'?

We love-We love the Lord first-enough to obey and follow even when we are in doubt. We love our parents as children, and we love our spouse. We love our children. We love our Brothers & Sisters in Christ. We love those who hate us and despitefully use us. We love the lost.

In that love God gave us a process for survival: Worship Him, pray, read your Bible and meditate on the Word, fast when necessary, seek good counsel, fellowship with Bible believing Christians and repeat.

But in that process there is something that we will be called to do-SERVE. You will not know the joy of the Lord until you serve others (love others) unconditionally.

I serve my Church family in many ways-and most the the time it is fulfilling-It does not compare to being able to serve someone who is not a Brother or a Sister. I find my joy usually when I am stepping out in my faith-knowingly in the path of danger. I just have to work up the courage to start....

Seek ye first the Kingdom of heaven and the fruits of the spirit....
 
The scripture are clear half believe is not good enough because we make Him equal with the other things we put faith in.

So he expects us to have perfect faith?? Especially in the beginning? No way. I have to believe that Christ honors the faith we do have in Him and grace covers things you and me don't completely understand or grasp.
 
We need to look at the whole story to understand the meaning of the verse, the father first addressed Jesus as master and if you could do anything please help us, clearly showing his lack of understanding of who Jesus was.
Then we see Jesus rebuking the father rather than healing the son, including him in the generation that should of know from the Daniel 9 prophecy it was time for their Messiah to come, after that we see Jesus asking the father a question that was His M.O. to reveal He could read his heart, like he did with Nathaniel and the woman at the well, he indirectly asked the question of how did the boy become demon possessed, knowing it was the father's fault (children are protected from demon possession unless the parents are playing with things they shouldn't be), the father, like Nathanial, the woman and all of us who believe were illuminated and we see the father addressing Jesus as Lord Matt 16:17, then Jesus teaches Him about faith and we come to our verse.

We are all given faith the size of a grain of mustard Eph 2:8 when we believe, after that we are to grow in faith, so there are a couple of ways this verse can be useful to us, first we pray and ask the Lord to increase our faith, so He puts us in situations where we must exercise our faith and second we have faith in God and see Him working in the lives of others, but we don't have the faith He will work in our lives, this is a lesson in the Sovereignty of God and we believing we are the same and equal in His sight as are all of His children and He blesses as He wills, the lesson to be learned is Godliness with containment is great gain, if God blesses us that is great and if He chooses not to then that is great to, He is Sovereign.

Now the subject of faith is very important for us because the Ho;y Spirit inspired Paul to write three commentaries on Hab 2:4, the just live by faith, Romans teaches who are just, Galatians teaches how to live and Hebrews teaches about faith, so why is faith so important, because it is our mode of locomotion for all of eternity, how much faith we have is how far we will be able to travel, take the story of Jesus with the disciples on the road to Emmaus, after revealing Himself to them He disappeared and reappeared in Jerusalem that same night and entered the house through a sold rock wall in His new Heavenly body, just like the ones we will receive at the Rapture, Jesus was giving us a hint of what awaits for us in heaven, ...as we think where we will want to go and by faith be there.

Blessings

Gene
 
Perfect faith is not needed, but exercising it (trust) is. You can have difficulty believing a boat will hold you, but if you step fully into the boat, even with some doubts, you have more faith than someone who says they have complete faith in the boat, but will not step into it. And the boat will carry you in spite of your doubts.
 
Trust and faith go hand in hand no doubt. Consider Peter in his 'boating' exploits: Even though Peter witnessed Christ's power, doubt and unbelief still 'sank' him.

Luke 5, John 21
Matthew 14
 
That story about the father of a boy who often put himself in the fire - the father said "I believe, help my unbelief."
1. Is this the same as a double minded man who according to the book of James shouldn't expect anything from the Lord?
2. What causes this half belief/half unbelief?
3. What is really missing from this man's life, and what should be his steps to getting full belief?
It is belief in Jesus / the true God specifically that people struggle with.

Believing in a god = as simple as looking at our thumb.

Believing Jesus is God who died for us 2000 years ago and His sacrifice being sufficient for our salvation = Lots of faith in and touching Jesus needed.

Jesus says 'if we draw near to Him He will draw near to us'. This verse is the key to our unbelief.
 
How is believing in God as simple as looking at our thumb?

I believe KingJ was making an obscure reference to Romans 1:20

For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:

Proof of God lies within His own creation-earth, space, mankind and the spirit. Whether or not the creation decides to recognize the creator is a whole other issue....

When you look at a building-you know an architect designed it and a tradesman built it and someone inhabits it. Our God is all these.
 
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