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NASB | Mark 9:23 And Jesus said to him, "'If You can?' All things are possible to him who believes." |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Mark 9:23 Jesus said to him, "[You say to Me,] 'If You can?' All things are possible for the one who believes and trusts [in Me]!" |
Subject: What did Jesus mean by this |
Bible Note: I WROTE: The faith that we have comes from us. Then when we believe it comes from Jesus. What about Romans 12:3 "For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith." [KJV] True, but remember first Paul was writing to Christians who had their faith established unto a belief in Christ and were in the proccess of having the faith of Christ established in them. The first part is a gift, i.e., God draws by His Spirit unto salvation those who will receive Him. Faith is imparted because we believed the word we heard preached. After we receive His imputed gift of salvation we can choose to go no further. We can be as the the followers mentioned in Jn 6.66 where they walked away from Him figuring what He was saying about intimacy and becoming was too tough for them, or as the rich young ruler who came to Him but walked away sorriful because He couldn't see his way clear to follow Christ as Christ asked Him. Notice there that Jesus didn't say He had to for his salvation. Jesus ignored that part of it because the young man already had a releationship with God that the blood of Jesus, once shed on the cross, would bless unto his salvation. [Though I'm sure that once in heaven he would have regrets] Now we don't know if the young ruler came back the following week to follow Jesus at this point. Nothing more is said. Be assured, the young man counted the cost. At this point in discussing this I'd like remind ourselves that is by the shed blood of Jesus that we are saved and NOT following Him....Lets continue.. If we choose to go further we are given a nature equal to Jesus Christ to help us on/in 'the way' to becoming like Him. Now if we say we follow Him then the following verses kick in for us: LU. 14.26 If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple. For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it? Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him, Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish. In other words one can't follow Christ half heartedly though this has nothing to do, in my estimation, with being saved but being a disciple. Jesus says as much. As long as the Holy Spirit is in the world drawing people to Christ for salvation, discipleship will always remain the focus of God's attention because it produces "sons" for Him. Just 'saved' people are the most pitiful because they have refused to move on into Christ and be established as His Brother. They are content to live by the rules and dictates of their own old nature and, in my estimation, place the issue of their salvation in jeopardy because they have NO power to live in the abundance of Christ who says you must deny yourself in order that you receive my strength. Enter the nominal and/or YO-YO "Christain experience with regrets following", that doesn't honor God as Father. I hope this makes more sense. |