From the simple Bible account
of how Jesus healed the sick, we may learn something about how to believe in Him for the
forgiveness of sins. Let us turn to the story of the paralytic at Bethesda. The poor
sufferer was helpless; he had not used his limbs for thirty-eight years. Yet Jesus bade
him, "Rise, take up thy bed, and walk." The sick man might have said,
"Lord, if Thou wilt make me whole, I will obey Thy word." But, no, he believed
Christ's word, believed that he was made whole, and he made the effort at once; he willed
to walk, and he did walk. He acted on the word of Christ, and God gave the power. He was
made whole.
of how Jesus healed the sick, we may learn something about how to believe in Him for the
forgiveness of sins. Let us turn to the story of the paralytic at Bethesda. The poor
sufferer was helpless; he had not used his limbs for thirty-eight years. Yet Jesus bade
him, "Rise, take up thy bed, and walk." The sick man might have said,
"Lord, if Thou wilt make me whole, I will obey Thy word." But, no, he believed
Christ's word, believed that he was made whole, and he made the effort at once; he willed
to walk, and he did walk. He acted on the word of Christ, and God gave the power. He was
made whole.
Page 51
In like manner you are a
sinner. You cannot atone for your past sins; you cannot change your heart and make
yourself holy. But God promises to do all this for you through Christ. You believe that
promise. You confess your sins and give yourself to God. You will to serve Him. Just as
surely as you do this, God will fulfill His word to you. If you believe the
promise,--believe that you are forgiven and cleansed,--God supplies the fact; you are made
whole, just as Christ gave the paralytic power to walk when the man believed that he was
healed. It is so if you believe it. Do not wait to feel that you are made whole, but say,
"I believe it; it is so, not because I feel it, but because God has promised."
sinner. You cannot atone for your past sins; you cannot change your heart and make
yourself holy. But God promises to do all this for you through Christ. You believe that
promise. You confess your sins and give yourself to God. You will to serve Him. Just as
surely as you do this, God will fulfill His word to you. If you believe the
promise,--believe that you are forgiven and cleansed,--God supplies the fact; you are made
whole, just as Christ gave the paralytic power to walk when the man believed that he was
healed. It is so if you believe it. Do not wait to feel that you are made whole, but say,
"I believe it; it is so, not because I feel it, but because God has promised."
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