Borderless Faith (Part One)

Do you have a limit to your faith?

I have come across people who believe God for things that seem “reasonable.” Is that true faith? Faith by its very definition believes for things that are not just possible, but for things that are impossible. If we only believe for things that are possible, then we’re focused on the natural; we’re looking at what can be seen. The Bible tells us to look at what cannot be seen (see 2 Cor. 4:18). Faith believes for things that are totally unreasonable in terms of natural explanations; it believes for things that are “out of bounds” and hopes for things that demand supernatural intervention. As long as I can pull something off myself there’s no need for a divine touch. When I get to the place to where I have no more options then I’m stepping into the realm of faith. It’s when I don’t know what to do, where to turn, or how I’m going to make it that I rejoice the loudest because I’ve just entered the place where my faith is activated.

There’s a story in Mark that demonstrates the need for borderless faith. Jesus was approached by a man named Jairus; he fell at Jesus’ feet (which is the highest place to be) and said, “My little daughter is at the point of death; please come and lay Your hands on her, so that she will get well and live” (Mark 5:23). Whether Jairus came on his own initiative or by the prodding of those in the synagogue that he represented, we don’t know. But there was enough faith elicited in this desperate cry to have Jesus touch Jairus’ sick daughter and bring total healing to her. In the text there’s a story within a story in verses 25 through 34 that personify faith. It’s no accident that this story is wedged within the story of Jairus because Jesus’ closing words in these verses were: “Daughter, your faith has made you well” (Mark 5:34). One woman’s faith exceeded the borders of everyone’s faith in the crowd and she was the only one, who we’re aware of, who put a demand on the anointing that Jesus was hosting. Many people “touched” Jesus that day, but only one woman touched him with unlimited faith and she was made whole. Twelve years of suffering came to an end because one woman refused to allow anything to stand in her way; her tenacious faith pushed her beyond what was reasonable. She pressed beyond the ordinary and therefore she experienced the extraordinary.

As Jesus was speaking to the woman who had been healed, some folks came from Jairus’ house and said to him, “Your daughter has died; why trouble the Teacher anymore” (Mark 5:37)? Listen to the implication of that statement: If your daughter was merely sick Jesus could heal her, but because she is dead, it’s beyond His capacity to do anything. In other words, their faith had limits. They believed for what was reasonable in their minds. They believed for what was possible; namely, that sickness could be healed but nothing could be done about death. Raising the dead was beyond the borders of their faith and therefore in their minds it was now pointless to involve Jesus. Many people stop pressing into Jesus because they’ve agreed with their circumstances. Their reality is no greater than what they see with their natural eyes, so the idea of approaching Jesus with the impossible is outside the parameters of their limited faith. Jesus said, “All things are possible to him who believes” (Mark 9:23). I believe “all things” means all things; nothing is impossible with God, so let’s believe for things beyond the borders of our understanding. I remember prophesying in the ear of a man who was brain dead because of an overdose of drugs. The functions of his body were being sustained by a machine and everything in the natural realm screamed that this man was gone. Yet, God told me to prophesy life over this death-filled man. In twenty-four hours he came out of that traumatic situation and I shared the good news of Jesus with him. I’m learning to live with borderless faith. I’m learning to trust God for what seems unreasonable because when the Son of Man comes I want to be found with faith (see Luke 18:8).

Jesus overheard their statement and said to Jairus, “Do not be afraid any longer, only believe” (Mark 5:36). The word fear (phobeo) means to be in awe of something; to revere it. Fear can actually be a form of idolatry because we revere the circumstance more than we do Jesus. Another expositor said this word phobeo means to flee; to be seized to the point that we run away. In this case Jesus was telling Jairus and those who came with the disparaging news to not run or be scared away because of the situation. Jesus also said “only believe.” The verb tense suggests that Jesus was telling them to “keep on believing.” In other words, Jesus was stating the need to believe beyond borders. He wanted Jairus and his company to remain in faith no matter what the circumstances were and Jesus desires the same for you and me.

What would you like Jesus to do: Redeem prodigals? Deliver someone from additions? Heal a terminal disease? Transform your city? Revive your church? Restore a broken marriage? Reach nations for Christ? I challenge you to ask God to take your faith beyond all borders and keep on believing.

Let’s Pray

Jesus, we repent for agreeing with our circumstances; we repent for revering circumstances more than we do you. We align ourselves with your Word. Take our faith beyond the borders of the natural into the realm of the supernatural. Amen.