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How Powerful Is Faith?

Luke 17:5–6 (ESV) – “The apostles said to the Lord, ‘Increase our faith!’ And the Lord said, ‘If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, “Be uprooted and planted in the sea,” and it would obey you.’”

In this Scripture, we will explore three truths about the power of faith:

1. Faith can produce even miracles.

2. Faith can make even human commands authoritative over the natural realm.

3. Faith is effective even in tiny amounts.

1. Faith can produce even miracles

Uprooting a mulberry tree is difficult. AI says: “Mulberry tree roots are known for being extensive and robust, potentially impacting nearby structures. They are characterized by a deep taproot system and wide-spreading lateral roots. While not always deeply rooted, they can extend 2-3 times the width of the canopy, and even further in some cases. This extensive reach allows them to access water and nutrients but can also lead to issues with foundations, sidewalks, and other structures if not carefully managed.”

Is it reasonable to believe that the being who created all things from nothing—that is, God—can do miracles, or what we regard as a miracle?

Of course God can do miracles. Everything that exists is the miracle that God has already done. Was it a miracle to create earth out of nothing? Of course it took supernatural power. Was it a miracle to create the universe from nothing, literally nothing? Of course it was a miracle only God could do.

And God has the same power now to create from what does not exist now, or to change anything from its current state of existence. So for example, God can change a human body that is sick to instantly become a human body that is not sick. God can create from nothing; he can change something from what it is now; he can cause things to live or to die or to move in any way he desires.

So, for example Jesus can walk on water. Jesus can cause withered, emaciated limbs to grow out and become normal. Jesus can command leprosy to leave a human body, and it will instantly disappear. Jesus can command blind eyes to see, and they will open and see. It’s a small thing for God. It is only difficult for our human minds to conceive of.

Your reaction to this article will largely be determined by how much your belief system and worldview are controlled by naturalism, which is the dominant worldview of many people in the West. It is not the worldview of the Bible, and it often takes time for true believers to leave it behind and truly live with a worldview that is biblical and supernatural.

I believe the Bible is God’s Word. It is without error, that is, inerrant. It is not the reflection of superstitious, ignorant, uneducated people. It is rather the inspired Word of God telling us about reality as God has made it to be.

Luke 17:5–6 is a teaching that those who follow the worldview of naturalism would regard as utter superstition. Even some who do believe in God and the possibility of miracles might regard those who believe this verse as unhinged or extreme.

I believe this because Jesus taught it.

Naturalism defined

I asked Google for an AI definition of naturalism in philosophy and received this answer:

“In philosophy, naturalism is the viewpoint that everything in existence is part of the natural world and can be explained by natural causes and laws, rejecting supernatural or transcendental explanations. It emphasizes the methods and findings of science as the primary way to understand reality and human experience.

“Here’s a more detailed breakdown:

“Core Principles:

  • “Rejection of the Supernatural: Naturalism denies the existence or influence of supernatural beings, forces, or realms.
  • “Emphasis on Natural Laws: It posits that the universe operates according to natural laws discoverable through scientific inquiry.
  • “Scientific Method as Primary Tool: Naturalism prioritizes the scientific method – observation, experimentation, and testing – as the best approach to understanding the world.
  • “Materialism (in some forms): Some forms of naturalism, particularly metaphysical naturalism, assert that everything is ultimately material or physical in nature.
  • “Continuity with Science: Naturalism seeks to integrate philosophy with the findings and methods of science, rather than treating them as separate domains.”

<< End of AI-generated definition of naturalism. >>

Naturalism believes that the only thing that exists is matter. Nothing supernatural exists. So, that would exclude believing in God, angels, demons, heaven, hell, and miracles that can occur outside of the natural laws, so to speak, of physics. Obviously that worldview does not agree with the Bible.

When you have been raised all your life with a worldview of naturalism, even if you do believe in God and in the Bible, you may have a hybrid worldview, in which you believe in a spiritual reality but also expect the created world to work as naturalism expects. In this view, God created everything as well as the laws of physics, and he has withdrawn himself from the world and does not intervene in it. That is deism.

However, biblical belief says all matter is created and upheld by God continuously. And that what we call the laws of science or the laws of physics are simply God’s normal way of running the universe.

But these laws can be controverted at any time God wants. For example, when Joshua commanded the sun to stand still. Or when Elisha the prophet made an axe head float. Or when the pagan general Naaman dipped himself seven times in the Jordan river and was healed. Or when Jesus did miracles such as walking on water, raising the dead, feeding 5,000 with a few loaves of bread, and opening blind eyes.

2. Faith can make even human commands authoritative over the natural realm

Luke 17:6 – “The Lord said, ‘If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, “Be uprooted and planted in the sea,” and it would obey you.’”

Certainly naturalism regards this teaching as superstition, but these words of Jesus strain the worldview of even the majority of Christians in America.

Webster’s dictionary defines superstition as “a belief or practice resulting from ignorance, fear of the unknown, trust in magic or chance, or a false conception of causation.”

What naturalism would see as ignorance about the laws of physics, or practicing magic, or having a false conception of causation, Jesus teaches as spiritual, super-natural reality.

If we believe God can do miracles, then it is not a long leap to realize that God can choose to answer any prayer we pray or any command we give to nature. God can choose to back up our words anytime he wants and by his mighty power perform the miracles we have asked or the commands we have spoken to the natural world.

Suppose we go into the parking lot and stand beside my car. I get in the car and put the keys in the ignition and hold on to the keys. But suppose I have chosen not to turn those keys until you give a command for the car to start. You stand outside and speak this command: “I command the engine in Brian Larson’s car to start.” I then turn the keys in the ignition and the car starts. That’s a picture of what happens when we give a command to the natural world, which is fulfilled. We give the command, and God makes it happen. You and I partnered to start the car, and likewise you and God partner to act on the natural world if you give a command that is in agreement with his will.

So it is biblical to command healing specifically (for biblical examples, see Acts 3:1–10 and Acts 9:39-41). If someone has a tumor, it is perfectly biblical for me to speak to that tumor and command it to be gone. “Tumor, dry up and disintegrate.” If someone has the flu, we can say, “Flu, be gone. Be healed.”

3. Faith is effective even in tiny amounts

Luke 17:5–6 (ESV) “The apostles said to the Lord, ‘Increase our faith!’ And the Lord said, ‘If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, “Be uprooted and planted in the sea,” and it would obey you.’”

Jesus seems to be saying, use the faith that you have. Most people do not have even mustard-seed-size faith, but that is not true of most Christians. Most Christians have faith as big as a mustard seed.

So, refuse to doubt. Keep praying and asking God to do what you desire. Persevere in faith. Keep meditating on and quoting God’s promises. Declare God’s promises aloud. Never give up. Command in the name of Jesus the natural world to align itself with what you desire. Pray more. Command more. Keep believing as best you can. Believe that God has already decreed it, that it is already God’s will and already been decreed for you by God, and now it is just a matter of time for it to manifest.

Even a tiny amount of faith can do wonders! We do not need great faith to see amazing things happen. Faith that can move mulberry trees is within reach of everyone. We need to use the faith we have, reject doubt, and persevere.

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How to Get Answers to Your Questions about the Bible

To understand the Bible, we need God’s wisdom

In October of 2023 I began preaching a series of sermons and writing in this blog on the marks of a true disciple of Jesus. The series resulted from my devotional reading of the four Gospels, in particular the Gospel of Luke. I was struck by how many times Jesus says certain qualities must be found in those who want to be saved by him and how high he raised the bar. Eventually, compelled by what I felt Jesus required, I developed a list of 15 marks of a true disciple of Jesus.

Around this time I also read two books that refined my theology and deepened my confidence in my understanding of the nature of faith and works: What Is Saving Faith? Reflections on Receiving Christ as a Treasure, by John Piper, and Free Grace Theology: 5 Ways It Diminishes the Gospel, by Wayne Grudem. Both authors taught that true faith in Christ necessarily results in a changed heart and life. These changes do not save us; only the righteousness of Christ received as a gift of God’s grace through faith in Christ can do that. But true faith always results in the necessary works Jesus requires of us. As Martin Luther famously said, “We are saved by faith alone, but the faith that saves is never alone.”

I concluded that unless these marks are present in the life of a believer, he or she is not a true Christian. In other words, if you are not a disciple of Jesus, you are not a Christian, no matter what you call yourself. Certainly no one is a perfect disciple, and every believer sins. We begin the Christian life as a babe in Christ, with many things to learn, many thoughts that need to be renewed, and many evil habits to outgrow. True Christians mature at different rates over the entire course of their lives. Some true Christians will stumble and fail in serious ways. Nevertheless to some degree these 15 marks of a true disciple, as taught by Jesus, will appear in the lives of those who have true, living faith in Jesus.

Second thoughts

I taught that series with conviction in our church for four months, and wrote on it in this blog over the same period. However, sometime after finishing that series I began to question myself. Many pastors and theologians would disagree with what I taught in that series. Was I raising the bar too high? In effect was I preaching a gospel of salvation by works?

The more I thought about it the more concerned I became. To preach salvation by works is to preach a false gospel and to become a false teacher. That is serious, deadly business, as the Book of Galatians makes clear. I presented my series to a respected pastor and asked him to read it and evaluate my theology. To my relief, he gave his stamp of approval.

Still, wanting further reassurance, I soon put the question on my list of prayer requests for wisdom, writing, “Does my teaching about the marks of a true disciple agree with the true gospel, or is it a false gospel? Is it a false gospel to say that a believer is not saved unless he is a true disciple?”

Questions answered

A few months later I received what I now regard as the definitive answer to my request for wisdom. On February 21st, 2025, I was fasting and praying in my office, and for some reason my eyes settled on a book that I have owned for at least 13 years but had only partially read: Magnifying God in Christ, a New Testament theology by Thomas R. Schreiner. Over the years my respect for Schreiner as a theologian has grown, and for some reason I pulled the book off the shelf. I opened to the table of contents and read. I saw that chapter 10 was titled Faith and Obedience, and it occurred to me this might say something pertaining to my burning question.

As I read, it felt as though the chapter was written directly to my question and that it affirmed my conclusions. Schreiner’s book felt like a God-send. (Caveat: I do not know if Schreiner, Piper, or Grudem would affirm my conclusions as I worded them, or my list of 15 marks, but I understand their writing to support what I wrote.)

Praying for wisdom about theological questions and biblical interpretation has become one of my most cherished categories for inquiring of God. I believe this was one more example of God’s answering my prayers for wisdom. When I pray for wisdom, God leads me to answers in providential ways, as he led Moses to the burning bush.

Learn to pray for wisdom in all things from my book, Know, available on Amazon.
praying for wisdom