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Discipleship and unbelief tend to not go together. How can someone be a disciple and fail to believe at the same time? But unbelief, as used in this episode, does not refer to a person who does not believe in the person or the redemptive work of Christ on the cross. Rather, it refers to genuine disciples who at times struggle with their faith.
Just because you are a follower of Christ, and you read your Bible, and you have been born again does not mean you can’t have bouts with unbelief. All of us can find ourselves in that undesirable place at one time or another.
Jesus’ disciples had a more intimate relationship with Him than any of us can. They virtually lived with Him throughout His public ministry. They heard all of His teachings and saw all of His miracles. You would think that if anybody was unshakeable in their faith, it would be them. But that was not the case. Even they were guilty of unbelief at times.
This subject is important because faith is the essence of Christianity. “All things are possible to him who believes” (Mark 9:23, NASB). But being a Christian does not automatically make you vibrant in your faith. Strong faith is not incidental to being a Christian. It does not just happen over time. But you must consistently work at growing in and deepening your faith.
The most powerful thing God has given us for strengthening our faith is His Word. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God (Romans 10:17). Delighting in His Word daily has the power to starve your unbelief and feed your faith.
