1 John 5:11 And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.
The Lord Jesus came into this world to present mankind with eternal life. It took a whole lot of love to bear the shame of the cross, the immense burden of sin, and temporary separation from the Father, to ensure our salvation.
Now that we have experienced the love of Christ, are we sharing it with people through our actions?
Are we like the people who brought the adulterous woman to Jesus for judgement, or the friends who brought the paralyzed man to Jesus for healing?
The moral policemen of those times dragged an adulterous woman and threw her in front of Jesus. They wanted to stone her to death. But, Jesus forgave her sins and gave her a chance to change her ways. (John 8: 1-11)
On the other hand, a bunch of friends carried a paralysed man on a mat and brought him to Jesus. Seeing that there was no way to enter the house where Jesus preached, they lowered the man from the roof, right in front of Him. When Jesus saw their faith, He said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.” – Luke 5: 20
Jesus healed the paralysed man because of his friends’ faith. It was the love of his friends that got him to Jesus, and it was their faith that healed him. Truly, the paralysed man did very little to receive the miracle. However, we can be certain that as he carried his mat and walked out of that room, his life was completely transformed!
How many friends do we have who are suffering? Not just physically, but mentally or emotionally. Maybe it’s an addiction that’s tormenting them. Would you love that person enough to pray with faith for their freedom?
Everyone needs a friend like the paralysed man – one with more faith & love, and less finger-pointing & judgement. Will you step up and be one, today?
