Tuesday, October 7, 2014

Mark 6: Faith, and Lack of Faith

Can God's power be limited by humans?  The answer to that question is apparently yes, based on vs. 1-6.  Because the hometown crowd found it difficult to put their faith in Mary's boy, Jesus "could do no deed of power there," except for a few healings.

But isn't God omnipotent?  Couldn't the Son of God have exerted His powers to work His will?  Absolutely! (The Calvinists are right on that point.)  But God is also powerful enough to willfully limit His own powers, should He so choose. (The Arminians are right on that point.)

When I used to wrestle around with my young children, there were times when I would let them "pin" me, at least temporarily.  Why?  Didn't I have the strength to throw them across the room?  Sure.  But I'm not a monster.  If I wanted my children to ever approach me again, I couldn't always use my full strength and power.

If God decided, in His wisdom and grace, to let faith be the operating principle of our relationship with Him, even to the point of conveying salvation, He could certainly allow a lack of faith to inhibit His ability to manifest works in a person's life.  The same Jesus who had trouble working miracles in Nazareth had no such difficulties in Gennesaret (v. 53-56).

This should serve as a warning to us.  I am not one who believes that everything we believe or claim in faith is automatically granted, but I am inclined to believe that we should expect nothing from God if we refuse to approach Him in faith.



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