Jesus Able and Willing

“He did not stagger at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strong in faith, giving glory to God,” (Romans 4:20)

This Scripture is referring to Abraham. Abraham didn’t doubt, didn’t hesitate nor waver from his belief that God would fulfill the promise He made to him even though all the physical evidence said otherwise. We are so conditioned to look at what we see instead of looking at things with the eyes of faith in our God Who is the creator of all things and who doesn’t follow the limited rules of earth. If we believe God can do all things, why can’t we believe for the impossible. As children of God, who have been miraculously changed, it should be normal for us to believe in the impossible because we have a God for which nothing is impossible.

Abraham was strong in faith. What that means is that he was empowered, strengthened and enabled in his faith. Not wavering and not doubting empowered his belief in the promise God had made to him. He was able to glorify God for the fulfillment even though he hadn’t received it yet. When Jesus cursed the fig tree and He and His disciples passed by it later, the disciples were amazed that it was dead from the root up. Jesus spoke to them about having the faith to cast a mountain into the sea. “For truly I say to you that whoever shall say to this mountain, Be moved and be cast into the sea, and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that what he said shall occur, he shall have whatever he said. Therefore, I say to you, All things, whatever you ask, praying, believe that you shall receive them, and it will be to you.” (Mark 11:23-24) Can anyone have this kind of faith? It’s hard for us to overlook what we see in the natural. We live in a world of limits. Casting a mountain into the sea just doesn’t fit in our limited world. Jesus was saying that when you can believe beyond your limited world, not only will you be able to say to the mountain, “be moved and be cast into the sea,” but will not doubt and whatever we ask praying and believing, we will have it. I don’t know about you, but I can say I have that kind of faith, but I cannot “yet” say to that mountain “be moved and be cast into the sea” without doubt.

We don’t realize the faith that Abraham had. Even after he had received the promise, God tested his faith by asking him to sacrifice the promise. His faith was that even if Isaac did die, in his mind, Abraham received him alive figuratively. “By faith Abraham, being tested, offered up Isaac. And he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, of whom it was said that in Isaac your Seed shall be called, concluding that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead, from where he even received him, in a figure.” (Hebrews 11:17-19) We see not only faith in God, faith in God’s promise and faith in God’s faithfulness, but complete trust. Most of our doubt comes not from doubting God, but misplaced faith in ourselves. We are placing faith in ourselves instead of God. And so, we doubt.

When Jesus healed the two blind men, Jesus asks them a very important question. “And when He had come into the house, the blind men came to Him. And Jesus said to them, Do you believe that I am able to do this? They said to Him, Yes, Lord. Then He touched their eyes, saying, According to your faith let it be to you.” (Matthew 9:28-29) Our faith should be on the Lord and not on ourselves. We can do nothing of ourselves. We are not divine. We are flesh and blood. Yes, born again of God, but in this sinful flesh which we fight daily. Jesus is the one doing the healing. The question to ourselves and to those we pray for is “Do you believe Jesus is able to do this?” Not only is He able, but He is willing. That is another question that must be resolved. “Do you believe Jesus is willing?” A leper came to Jesus and boldly said that if He willed, He could heal him. “And behold, a leper came and worshiped him, saying, Lord, if You will, You can make me clean. And Jesus put out His hand and touched him, saying, I will; be clean! And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.” (Matthew 8:2-3) There was no doubt in the leper that Jesus could heal him. His question was if Jesus was willing to do it. Jesus saw that the leper’s doubt was whether Jesus was willing to do it. Jesus responds with “I will...” Jesus is able and willing. These two things must be resolved. Sometimes we know Jesus can heal, but have doubts about if He is willing, so we add, “If it be Your Will” or something to that effect. We must believe that Jesus is able and willing.

To sum up we see that Abraham had faith not only that God was able but willing to fulfill His promise to Him. Concerning healings, we may believe that God can, but don’t really believe sometimes if it’s His will. When we look at Scripture such at 1Peter 2:24, we see that He willed it already. So, we can believe and have faith that healing is possible because God can, and God willed for us to be healed. “He Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that dying to sins, we might live to righteousness; by whose stripes you were healed.” (1Peter 2:24) This promise says it’s a done deal. God did and willed it already.