Not all Christians exercise the same degree of faith. Some people seem to think their problem is too big for God to solve. Others are sure that God is all-powerful, but they’re not confident that He will do what is best for them. Still others affirm, “I know what God can do, and I trust Him to do what He has promised.” These various attitudes range from a weak and tentative faith to a firm confidence that takes God at His word and believes He is good.
As we study the earthly ministry of Jesus (which is distinct from His heavenly ministry), we see varying degrees of faith in those who came to Him. He cast out a mute spirit from a son whose father wavered between faith and doubt (Mark 9:17-24). He healed a leper who knew He could but was not sure He would (Mark 1:40-45). He healed the servant of a centurion who was so sure of the outcome that he asked Jesus merely to speak the word from afar (Luke 7:1-10).
These examples don’t teach that God always answers according to the strength of our faith. Rather, in His wisdom He responds to any degree of faith. His ultimate goal is to lead us to trust Him completely, so that we may know the fullness of His fellowship. Because of who Jesus is, He can turn the weakest faith into strong faith. God does not have to perform miracles to prove He is God. The miracle of Christ’s resurrection is evidence of His power and existence. Hebrews 11 provides an essay on faith.
