The paralyzed man in Mark chapter two was forgiven by God, but he was still captive to his affliction. He was relieved of all his sins but still impotent. He knew Christ as a relief but not as a resource!
It is not enough to be forgiven. Christ's part is to clear us before God, but our part is to get up and walk! We must go beyond relief from sins into the freedom of his resources.
What in us attracts the marvelous grace, mercy and pardon of our Savior? Is it beauty, goodness or strength? Is it a unique potential or special gift?
No! It is our great need and utter helplessness that attracts his grace. It is our weakness that attracts his strength. Our helpless condition is exemplified by the man in Mark chapter two: “Then they came to him bringing a paralytic…” (Mark 2:3, NKJV).
“They shall utter the memory of your great goodness, and shall sing of your righteousness” (Psalm 145:7 NKJV).
We cannot deny God’s call to praise him in all his excellencies, but we are especially called to praise him for his goodness.
Note that the Psalmist insisted on an abundance of praise in memory of the Father’s goodness; they sang the Hebrew for abundant utterances, “to gush out like water rushing from a fountain.”
In my devotions some time ago, I came across a portion of a sermon by William Bridge, preached in the 17th century. Today I’d like to share it with you. It portrays a beautiful, intimate moment between the Savior and a woman who felt doomed, consigned to a life of failure and disgrace. It is my hope that your heart will be encouraged by this woman’s story of faith and redemption.
“It is this faith that now I am speaking: believing when all means fail and lie dead before us, that does honor God especially which doth justify the soul: It is the soul-saving faith of all.
In Acts 9, we learn of a man called Saul of Tarsus, one of the most religious men who ever lived. He could boast, “I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day.” What was his story?
We must once and for all understand what Christ did for us at the cross. He forever took away the sin which separated us from God; from here on, we will always have the right to enter his presence without hesitation. We are accepted in God's sight. There is not a single thing in his heart against us!
I believe that ever since the cross, God has had but one great intention for his people, and it will not change until Christ returns in glory. His intention is for us to understand the mystery of the gospel, revealed first to Paul the apostle. “By revelation [God] made known to me the mystery...which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as has now been revealed...by the Spirit…. And to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery...” (Ephesians 3:3-9, NKJV).
There is nothing in the Old Testament quite as strong as the warnings of Paul against affinity with the world.
I believe Jesus is coming soon. We see the Lord moving in astonishing ways around the world, and events are rapidly moving toward the day of his return.
“So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near – at the doors! But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but my Father only” (Matthew 24:33,36, NKJV).
Over 150 years ago, the missionary George Bowen said, “All human experiences of Christians must be put to the test of scripture.”
This is a powerful statement, and it gives us pause to stop and ask ourselves some questions. Do our deepening fears stand the test of scripture? Does our wavering faith stand the test of scripture? Is there any form of doubting that stands the same test?