If sinfulness is exemplified in the leprous man, powerlessness is shown forth in the palsied man. Put the two cases together, and you get a very full idea of what a sinner is. His sinfulness exposes him to the judgment of God; his powerlessness shuts him up entirely to His mercy, for he has no resource in himself
How wonderfully the need is met! Suppose God stopped short at the forgiveness of sins, what a horrible plight the forgiven one would still be in. Strip the crab apples off a crab-apple tree, it is as much a crab-apple tree as ever, and not all the skill in the world can make it produce other than crab apples, save by the introduction of new life. Forgive a man his sins, and go no further, and he is still a sinner, his nature unchanged, without any ability but to give effect to his sinful nature. In the case before us, both sinful Simon and the man full of leprosy are represented, when the Lord said to the palsied man, "Thy sins are forgiven thee." But in this incident we get a big stride forward, for two things were prominent, (1) sins forgiven, (2) power communicated. And it is this second thing that is so important. It is intensely interesting to see how it came out. The Scribes murmured, "Who is this which speaketh blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone? "The Lord answered them in so many words by enunciating a very important principle, viz:-that He demonstrates His ability to forgive sins, by His ability to free the sinner from the consequences of his sin. I don't mean the physical consequences of sin, but the moral consequence, which is absolute powerlessness to walk for God. No man can see that another has got his sins forgiven, but the demonstration of it-ability to walk for God-can be seen. How often this is borne witnessed to by an unbeliever, when he says that he believes so-and-so is converted, because his life is altered.
So the Lord said to the palsied man, "Arise, and take up thy couch, and go into thine house." Immediately the man rose. Not only is his need met, but power is given. "He... took up that whereon he lay, and departed to his own house, glorifying God." In other words, that which carried him, he carried. What a demonstration of power!
This is an illustration of the fact that the only power the believer 'has lies in the Holy Ghost. Without the Spirit of God the Christian would be without power. And when he grieves the Spirit and walks in the flesh, in that proportion he falls into the power of the enemy. But blessed be God, "Greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world" (1 John 4:44Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. (1 John 4:4)).
Thank God, our sins before God are met at the Cross, and our state there condemned and set aside, and our powerlessness is met by the gift of the Holy Ghost, thus setting us free from ourselves, and enabling us to walk for God. Oh! the joy when all this is learned in the soul. Free from sin's penalty by the work of Christ on the Cross, free from sin's power by the indwelling of the Spirit of God, and free from sin's presence when the Lord comes.
There is always an answer on the part of the Spirit of God to the work of Christ. The work in us by the 'Spirit always answers to the work for us on the Cross. For instance, are we justified? Then " the free gift came upon [literally, toward (N.T.)] all men unto justification of life" (Rom. 5:1818Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. (Romans 5:18)). Did we once yield our members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity? Then we are exhorted to "yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness" (Rom. 6:1919I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness. (Romans 6:19)). Was the palsied man forgiven? Then "he took up that whereon he lay, and departed to his own house, glorifying God."
I remember a young lady coming to me in great distress. She was a Christian, and had tried hard to follow the Lord, but it always ended in bitter failure and disappointment. She confessed she had an irritable temper, and there were many other things, which made her very miserable and. dissatisfied with herself. She had tried to improve, but all was in vain.
"Now, Miss Moore," I said, "if you could thoroughly control your temper, and get all the other troubles right, would you then be satisfied with yourself?"
With face brightening up at the prospect she replied that she would. I then told her that her present condition was infinitely more desirable than that. She was dissatisfied WITH SELF-that was far better than being SELF-satisfied. She would have been satisfied with an improved Miss Moore, but that would never do for God.
Flesh will be flesh, be it cultivated or otherwise. "Of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes" (Luke 6:4444For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes. (Luke 6:44)). I told her the mistake lay in looking for self-improvement and self-satisfaction, and that God wanted her eye off self altogether and on Christ, and that He wanted Christ to come out of her in her walk and ways.
Yes, we want an object outside ourselves, and it is by being occupied with Christ that we are enabled to walk straight down here. Do you think that the plowman would ever make a straight furrow if he kept his eye on his own feet, or on the plow, or even on the horses? No, he must have an object, say a tree, at the end of the field. Keeping his eye steadily fixed on it, a straight furrow will be the result. And the power-the Holy Ghost-is given to set us free from ourselves by engaging us with Christ, and thus Christianity becomes a very simple and blessed thing to our souls.
Now we come to the two words I wish to draw your special attention to:- "follow Me."