Wednesday: “Get Up and Walk”
In Monday’s study, we noted that Jesus said that He hadn’t found anyone in Israel with such great faith. But, during these same hours in Israel, there was a man who had reached a place where his desire for healing of the heart was even greater than for healing of his body.
Read Matthew 9:1-8. What great hope should we take from this for ourselves regarding the promise of forgiveness for our sins, no matter what they have been or the damage that they have done? See also Rom. 4:7, 1 John 1:9, 1 John 2:12.
Image © Rolf Jansson from GoodSalt.com
How fascinating that the first thing Jesus dealt with when the paralytic was brought before Him was the man’s spiritual condition. Jesus, obviously, knew exactly what the real problem was. Despite the man’s wretched physical state, Christ knew that the deeper issue was the man’s guilt over what must have been a very sinful life. Hence, knowing the man’s desire for forgiveness, Jesus utters what would have to be the greatest and most comforting words for anyone who understands the reality and the cost of sin: “Your sins are forgiven you”(Matthew 9:2, NKJV).
Ellen G. White adds: “It was not physical restoration he desired so much as relief from the burden of sin. If he could see Jesus, and receive the assurance of forgiveness and peace with Heaven, he would be content to live or die, according to God’s will.”—The Desire of Ages, p. 267.
A Seventh-day Adventist pastor often preached about having enough faith to not be healed. This is the greatest faith of all: when we look deeper than our physical circumstances and instead focus on our eternal circumstances. So often our prayer requests are about our physical needs, and God does care about these things. But in His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said we are to “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.” Thus, in the end, despite our immediate physical needs, how crucial that we keep eternal things ever before us in a world where so much is only temporal and fleeting.
| Whatever our physical struggles, even in the worst case scenario they will always and only be temporary. Why is it crucial that we never forget this truth? |
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God is really looking for those who are wretched, broken and torned about spritually. He doesn't care what sin we have done but Praise the Lord he is always there to save us from all unrighteousness.
The Promise of Forgiveness for our sins in Wednesday's “Get Up and Walk” is very difficult to hold on to when physical sufferance corrupts our sanity in faith and belief.
How can I discern that my physical suffering (disease, accident, emotional stress, etc.) is due to so past sins I committed?
Here is a tried and proven way to look at this Kenn 'But, during these same hours in Israel, there was a man who had reached a place where his desire for healing of the heart was even greater than for healing of his body'.
Both the man's body and his spirit were paralyzed- he could not walk and he did not know Jesus! So, the man's spiritual state was Jesus first concern. The first words Jesus said to the paralyzed man was, ''I have forgiven your sins''
Spiritual healing comes only from Jesus' healing touch. If God does not heal us or someone we love, we need to remember that physical healing is not only Christ's concern. If we first come to know Christ, we will all be healed in His Second Coming.Confession is supposed to free us to enjoy fellowship with Christ.
The Lesson gives us the answer. If we confess our sin, one to another, He is faithful and just to forgive us of our sin, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 9:1. James also gives us instructions, for the church to deal with such physical and spiritual condition (James 5: 15 & 16).
When the soul is sick it is often accompanied by physical illness. We see this often in the Gospels with the healings of the blind, the epileptics, the deaf and dumb, and paralytics. In each of these healings we hear our Lord Jesus Christ say before the healing, as we heard in today’s Gospel, “your sins are forgiven you.” Thus, before there can be any physical healing there must be a spiritual healing.
In order to receive this spiritual healing the one that suffers must first come to believe in God and trust in Him. We see this need for belief in the healing of the epileptic child when the father says “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief.” (Mark 9:24)
The healing of the body was an evidence of the power that had renewed the heart. Christ bade the paralytic arise and walk, “that ye may know,”He said, “that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins.”
The paralytic found in Christ healing for both the soul and the body. He needed health of soul before he could appreciate health of body. Before the physical malady could be healed, Christ must bring relief to the mind, and cleanse the soul from sin. This lesson should not be overlooked. There are today thousands suffering from physical disease who, like the paralytic, are longing for the message, “Thy sins are forgiven.”The burden of sin, with its unrest and unsatisfied desires, is the foundation of their maladies. They can find no relief until they come to the Healer of the soul. The peace which He alone can impart would restore vigor to the mind and health to the body.—The Ministry of Healing, p. 77.
Christ has the power to to forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness and clothe us with his white garment. When he clothes us we become changed from old state to a new one. our mental,emotional,spiritual and physicals are transformed to his likeness.we should remember that, as we seek for the kingdom and righteousness all other things shall be added.
We have to keep in mind that Hebrews 10:37 For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry. If we focus on our physical condition it is a sign that our minds do not trust completely in the promises of God.
Whatever our physical struggles, even in the worst case scenario they will always and only be temporary.
This is exactly what I needed to hear today. Stress fractures and being in the military is not easy. But knowing that It will be over soon and it's only temporary gives me hope. 🙂
Oftentimes, when the desired or expected outcomes or answers to prayers for the sick are not met, people become discouraged and some Christians even lose faith in God; He understands this entirely human response. It is the plan of the enemy that we blame God for all our ills when things don't go our way and to create distrust and doubt about His character. While it is true that miracles of healing can strengthen the faith of both the recipient and those that pray, physical healing is not of utmost importance.
Jesus' priority was to bring spiritual healing and restoration to the troubled minds and hearts of the souls who were under the heavy burden of the malady of sin. Hence His words "be of good cheer, your sins are forgiven you" (Matt. 9:2), which He often said to those seeking healing. God always knows what is best for He alone can see what lies ahead so we have to trust in His Divine omniscience and omnipotence because He loves and cares for us much more than an earthly father pities his child.
Sometimes physical healing is not what is needed, as we see in king Hezekiah's case. Hezekiah's life was prolonged 15 years, during which he dishonored God by showing off his kingly treasures to the Babylonian envoys on a visit, to learn of the God of Israel and the reason for their prosperity, instead of revealing to them the treasures of serving the true God who had granted him healing. He also begat Manaseh, reputed to be the wickedest king of Judah ever. The lesson for me is to pray for God's will to be done in my life and trust His wisdom, since He knows what is best. The strongest testimony for good, is a life transformed from sin to salvation.
Would you be free from your burden of sin?
There's power in the blood, power in the blood
Would you o'er evil the victory win?
There's wonderful power in the blood
There is power, power, wonder-working power
In the blood of the Lamb
There is power, power, wonder-working power
In the precious blood of the Lamb
God is great fellow Christian .our sins has made us sooooo far from God. what we need is to go back to Him and purify us so that we can inherit His kingdom and walk in righteousness.
God came to us to offer forgiveness. As far as the east is from the west so far has He removed our transgressions. Jesus came and lived with the human race not only as an example but rather a sacrifice covered with shame so that we will be covered with glory!
"A Seventh-day Adventist pastor often preached about having enough faith to not be healed..."
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This reminds me of something.
When we are experiencing trials (physical or emotional, etc.), and pray, "Lord, hold me to the wheel (grinding wheel or polishing wheel). Lord, I know that it is for my GOOD to be going though this".
We should not glory in darkness, but to pray that a trial is NOT REMOVED... to count it a JOY to be passing through a difficult time -- I think it is true -- this takes a special kind of faith.