The Question
“Why were we not able to cast him out?”
Matthew 17:19
It is a question which arises from truthful hearts; hearts with a quest for substance. While many would accept the outcome and simply move on unaffected and unchallenged by their lack of results, those who desire the reality of His power will embrace these pivotal moments in their pursuit of Him.
Jesus replied with this penetrating answer:
“Because of your unbelief”
Matthew 17:20
To grow in truth, the child of God must receive truth. If we refuse the Words of our Master and the actualities of our faith, we choose a path of excuses and religion. The inability to recognize our need of Him is the dividing line between disciples of Christ and the religious adherent. One desires truth at any cost; the other seeks consolation and comfort. One desires the truth while the other seeks explanations and excuses.
Jesus can deal with the unbelief of His Own who will receive truth regardless of its personal impact. Jesus cannot help those who choose the way of hypocrisy and pretense. Falsehood is not a foundation upon which He will build. Confession without substance and teachings void of the demonstration of His power culminate in an unremarkable and impotent Christian experience.
The desire to know the truth must exceed our desire to not have our own feelings hurt or to hurt the feelings of others. Facing our own inadequacies is essential to our growth and development in Him. True ministry must be able to “speak the truth” to another in the same spirit of grace by which He has confronted our own failings.
Grace and Truth are never separated. Only the pretext of a religious “grace” sacrifices truth upon the altars of humanism, more concerned with the “feelings” of an individual rather than the truth.
“Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry,
but that ye sorrowed to repentance:
for ye were made sorry after a godly manner…”
2 Corinthians 7:9
Godly sorrow is the path to victory, confidence and a true life in Christ. The gift of repentance is the greatest of all gifts and proof of the goodness of God.
“Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?”
Romans 2:4
Brian Troxel
