Expository Thoughts On Mark - Mark 11:22-26
J.C. Ryle emphasizes the vital role of faith in the believer's life, illustrating how true faith empowers prayer and enables overcoming great obstacles in accordance with God's will.
In this expository sermon on Mark 11:22-26, J.C. Ryle explores the profound importance of faith in the Christian life. He explains how faith empowers believers to pray effectively and overcome great challenges, while also distinguishing this faith from the faith that justifies. Ryle encourages believers to trust confidently in God’s promises and align their prayers with His will, offering practical spiritual insight for growing in faith.
Text
Let us learn from these words of our Lord Jesus Christ, the immense importance of faith.
This is a lesson which our Lord teaches first by a proverbial saying. Faith shall enable a man to accomplish works, and overcome difficulties, as great and formidable as the "removing of a mountain, and casting it into the sea." Afterwards the lesson is impressed upon us still further, by a general exhortation to exercise faith when we pray. "What things soever you desire, when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you shall have them." This promise must of course be taken with a reasonable qualification. It assumes that a believer will ask things which are not sinful, and which are in accordance with the will of God. When He asks such things, he may confidently believe that his prayer will be answered. To use the words of James, "Let him ask in faith, nothing wavering." (James 1:6.)
The faith here commended must be distinguished from that faith which is essential to justification. In principle undoubtedly all true faith is one and the same. It is always trust or belief. But in the object and operations of faith, there are diversities, which it is useful to understand. Justifying faith is that act of the soul by which a man lays hold on Christ, and has peace with God. Its special object is the atonement for sin which Jesus made on the cross. The faith spoken of in the passage now before us is a grace of more general signification, the fruit and companion of justifying faith, but still not to be confounded with it. It is rather a general confidence in God\
Sermon Outline
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I
- The power of faith illustrated by removing a mountain
- Faith enables believers to overcome great difficulties
- Faith must be exercised in prayer with confidence
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II
- The promise of answered prayer based on faith
- Conditions for receiving what is asked in prayer
- The necessity of aligning requests with God's will
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III
- Distinction between justifying faith and the faith spoken of here
- Justifying faith focuses on Christ's atonement
- The faith in Mark 11 is a general confidence in God
Key Quotes
“Faith shall enable a man to accomplish works, and overcome difficulties, as great and formidable as the "removing of a mountain, and casting it into the sea.” — J.C. Ryle
“What things soever you desire, when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you shall have them.” — J.C. Ryle
“The faith here commended must be distinguished from that faith which is essential to justification.” — J.C. Ryle
Application Points
- Exercise faith confidently in prayer, trusting that God hears and answers according to His will.
- Distinguish between saving faith and the ongoing faith that empowers daily Christian living.
- Align your requests in prayer with God's will to receive His blessings.
Frequently Asked Questions
What kind of faith does Jesus teach in Mark 11:22-26?
Jesus teaches a faith that enables believers to accomplish great works and to pray with confident expectation that God will answer, provided their requests align with His will.
Is this faith the same as justifying faith?
No, justifying faith is the act of trusting Christ for salvation, while the faith in this passage is a broader confidence in God that accompanies and flows from justifying faith.
What conditions must be met for prayer to be answered according to this sermon?
The believer must ask in faith without wavering, and the requests must not be sinful but in accordance with God's will.
Why is faith compared to removing a mountain?
The metaphor illustrates the immense power and effectiveness of faith in overcoming seemingly impossible obstacles.
How should believers apply this teaching on faith in their daily lives?
Believers should cultivate a confident trust in God, pray persistently with faith, and align their desires with God's will.