Needs & Friends

Luke 5:^18-20 “Some men came carrying a paralyzed man… They tried to take him inside to Jesus, but they couldn’t …because of the crowd. So, they went up to the roof and… lowered the sick man …right in front of Jesus. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the man, “… your sins are forgiven.”

Jesus went straight to the heart of this man’s issue, and he said, “…your sins are forgiven.” If you are reading this and you are struggling under the weight and the load of sin, as you have come to God today, your sins are forgiven in the Name of Jesus. Proverbs 14:³⁴ “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people.” (NKJV, emphasis added). You cannot expect to go far in life if you are frolicking with sin. “…any people” means it is not a respecter of persons. When people don’t understand the nature of sin, they struggle. Someone said, “Why would God allow sickness on Earth if He is a good God?” When God made the Heavens and the Earth, He declared it very good, right? Then man sinned.

The sin of man broke the world. The world is broken, people are born into a broken world and very often, a broken body. And that is why we have redemption in Christ—Sõzõ. Jesus alone can say your sins are forgiven, and He has empowered the Church. John 20:²³ “If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” (NKJV). Therefore, we say in the Name of Jesus, everyone reading this today who is labouring under the yoke of sin, your sins are forgiven in the Mighty Name of Jesus. Only through Christ can our sins be wiped away. Jesus demonstrated something powerful in Luke 5:17-26 (please read), that outward healing reflects inner healing.

If you see someone who is healed on the outside, you have seen someone who has been healed on the inside. If you see someone who is sick on the outside, you have seen someone who is sick on the inside. If you see someone who is angry on the outside, you have seen someone who is angry on the inside. If you see someone who is hurtful on the outside, you have seen someone who is hurting on the inside because hurting people hurt people. It starts from inside, so, if your neighbour or your friend is always bitter at this person and bitter at that person, he or she is really a bitter person and is hurting on the inside.

Jesus teaches us to Address Deeper Needs First. Another thing that stands out in Luke 5:17-26 is the need for Real Friends. I pray that God will bless you with real and genuine friends in the Name of Jesus. And I pray that God will make you a real and genuine friend to others. This man’s friends were not only real, but they were also deeply committed to him.

Prayer: Father, empower me to live above reproach and above sin, in the Name of Jesus. Amen!