HEALING FOR THE WITHERED
\nMark 3: 1-8
\nClay Curtis <\/p>\n\n\n\n
While the Lord Jesus Christ walked this earth the enemies of our Lord never\nhindered Christ from doing the will of his Father for the glory of God and the\nwelfare of the needy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Christ Entered the Synagogue<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Lord has promised to meet with his people in the place where he has\nrecorded his name. (Mk 3: 1; Ex 20: 24) As surely as God the Holy Spirit dwells\nin each particular believer, likewise, in whatever place the Lord has placed\nhis name and assembled his saints for public worship, God promises to dwell in\nour midst: to bless his word for our growth, comfort, and establishment. (Php\n2: 13) It is not the synagogue that is the house of the Lord it is his people.\n(1 Cor 3:16; Mt 18: 20) Having this assurance, let us never forsake assembling\nwith the Lord\u2019s people. (He 10: 23-25)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Two Kinds of People Present<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There was a man with a need and those with no need. (Mk 3: 1-2) The man with\nthe withered hand represents the truly needy sinner. Needy sinners are disabled\nfrom working for our salvation due to our total ruin in sin like as this man\nwas disabled from working for his natural living by his withered hand (Is 1:\n5-6) The Pharisees represent the hatred of the unregenerate heart toward God.\nThey watched for something to use to accuse. The law was a letter to these men\nlike as the Sabbath was only a day to them. They had no understanding that\nChrist is the end of the law for righteousness to the believer. He is Lord of\nthe Sabbath and the Sabbath Rest of his people. (Mk 2: 27-28.) The Lord God\nrested after creating the heavens and the earth, because there remained nothing\nelse to be done. That is what the believer finds in Christ. Believers keep the\nSabbath, like we keep the rest of the law, by faith in Christ. (Mt 11:28; He 4:\n9) Brethren, the enemies of our Lord did not hinder his work in the least nor\nshall they hinder ours. The Lord said the self-righteous will not be satisfied\nwith the gospel (Mt 11: 17-19; Ps 69: 10-11.) Instead, continue trusting the\nLord and let none turn you from Christ Jesus the Lord (Col 3: 1-25.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
An Example of the Power of the Gospel<\/p>\n\n\n\n
First, all heard the word of the Lord as he taught but then the Lord singled\nout this man with the withered hand telling him to stand forth. (Mk 3:3)\nRemember, the Pharisee\u2019s had just openly asked the Lord the question whether or\nnot it was lawful to heal on the Sabbath day. They watched that they might\naccuse. The man with the withered hand heard it all yet he came forth at the\nMaster\u2019s command. No matter who opposes, when the quickening grace of the\nSpirit comes into the heart, the sinner is given boldness to be identified with\nthe Saviour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Secondly, through his gospel the Lord Jesus silences those who would prevent\nus from approaching the Lord just as he did the Pharisees. (Mk 3: 4-5) Remember\nthat the Lord alone is able to silence our enemies and he does so by his word.\n(Is 44: 24-25)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thirdly, Christ gives strength through the gospel to do what sinners cannot\ndo of ourselves. He told the man to stretch forth his withered hand and the man\ndid. (Mk 3: 5) By his power he gives the sinner life, ears to hear his word,\nfaith to believe on him and strength to cast all into Christ\u2019s hand to heal.\n\u201cOf God Christ is made unto us Power and Wisdom\u201d As long as something else is\nour strength such as we ourselves, our law-keeping, or things temporal then we\nwill find it impossible to enter into the blessing our Lord has promised. As\nlong as our power lies in what we perceive we have the ability to do then we\ncannot do anything for then all is reduced to complete inability. But when our\nPower and Wisdom is Christ, not us, then we have true strength and true wisdom.\n(Php 4: 13)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Fourthly, we see that Christ\u2019s cures are not half cures. The man\u2019s hand was\nrestored whole. (Mk 3: 5) Christ fully \u201cput away sin by the sacrifice of\nhimself\u201d. By Christ Jesus the believer is wholly “justified from all\nthings.” By his grace all who born of his Spirit are fully adopted,\n“Now are we the sons of God.” Christ entirely, forever pardons,\n“having forgiven you all trespasses.” When the Spirit of God enters\nin he makes a man altogether whole in the inward man. (1 Jn 3: 9; Jn 6: 63; Eph\n4: 24; Col 3: 10)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Two Responses to Grace<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The first response to grace we see in those whom the Lord left alone. They\nwent forth right away and took counsel with men whom they had nothing in common\nwith how they might destroy the Prince of Life. (Mk 3: 6) Before a\nself-righteous sinner will bow to the Lord and repent from a form of religion\nthey will sooner lock arms with those whose doctrine they claim to oppose.\nSelf-made men are merely looking for grounds on which they imagine they justify\ntheir rebellion against the Prince of Life! Another verse says they were\n\u201cfilled with madness\u201d\u2014that truly is madness. Note that Christ withdrew himself\nfrom those who hated him. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The second response to grace is exemplified in those who followed Christ (Mk\n3: 7-8). When sinners are truly made to know our need and made to hear the\ngreat things Christ has done, they follow him. Peter said, \u201cTo whom shall we\ngo!\u201d These two things happen when sinners encounter the presence of the Lord Jesus\nChrist: the self-righteous are infuriated and depart while the needy follow\nChrist in hope. Contact with the Lord Jesus makes men either better or worse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
FAITH\n<\/strong>This\nis the great and momentous word in Scripture, which hath given rise to endless\ndisputes, and employed the minds of men in all ages to explain; and yet to\nthousands still remains as obscure as ever. But notwithstanding: all that the\nbewildered and erroneous mind of man may say on faith, the scriptural account\nof faith is the simplest and plainest thing in the world. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Faith\nis no more than the sincere and hearty assent and consent of the mind to the\nbelief of the being and promises of God, as especially revealed to the church\nin the person and redemption, work of the Lord Jesus Christ. JEHOVAH, in his\nthreefold character of person, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, hath mercifully\nbeen pleased to reveal himself as “forgiving iniquity, transgression, and\nsin,” and giving eternal life to the church in Christ Jesus. And these\nblessings are all declared to be in the person, and procured to the church by\nthe sole undertaking of the Lord Jesus Christ, as the glorious Head of his body\nthe church, the fulness of him “that filleth all in all.” <\/p>\n\n\n\n The\nhearty, cordial, and sincere belief in these blessed truths of God is called\nfaith, because it is giving credit to the testimony of God, and relying upon\nhis faithfulness for the fulfilment of them. The apostle John, in his first\nEpistle, fifth chapter, and ninth and following verses, puts this doctrine in\nso clear a point of view, that, under divine teaching, if attended to, it would\nbe impossible to mistake it. “If we receive (saith John) the witness of\nmen, the witness of God is greater; for this is the witness of God which he\nhath testified of his Son. He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness\nin himself. He that believeth not God, hath made him a liar, because he\nbelieveth not the record that God gave of his Son. And this is the record that\nGod hath given to us, eternal life; and this life is in his Son. He that hath\nthe Son, hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God, hath not life.”\nNo form of words could have been more happily chosen to state what is the act\nof faith, and to put it in a clear and full light. Immense and unspeakable\nblessings are promised by God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\nis not the greatness of the blessings which demands our faith, but the\ngreatness of the Being promising. Indeed, the greater the blessings are, the\ngreater would be the difficulty of believing, unless some other warrant and\nauthority become the foundation for belief. The bottom, therefore, of all faith\nis, that what we are called upon to is that cannot lie; JEHOVAH that will\nnot lie. An Almighty Promiser that never can out-promise himself. Hence, when\nMoses at the bush desired a confirmation of the truth, the Lord gave him to\ndeliver to Israel, by knowing his name, and having such assurances to make to\nthem as might silence every doubt. “Behold, (said he,) when I come to the\nchildren of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent\nme unto you, and they shall say unto me, What is his name? what shall I say\nunto them? And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM.” That is, I AM a being\nselfexisting, and eternal; and which, therefore, gives a being to all my\npromises. <\/p>\n\n\n\n So\nthat this is the sure ground of faith. Not the greatness and blessedness of the\npromise; but the greatness, blessedness, and faithfulness of the Promiser. And\nto believe in the almighty Promiser in his assurances in Christ, is faith. I\nonly add, however, under this article, that though faith is the simplest and\nplainest act of the mind, yet both the possession and the exercise of it is the\ngift of God. “Unto you, (saith an apostle,) it is given to believe.”\n(Phil. i. 29.) And hence every truly awakened and regenerated believer finds\ndaily reason, to cry out, as the apostle did to Christ, \u201cLord in crease our\nfaith Luke 17:5<\/p>\n\n\n\n Romans 10: 16: But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith,\nLord, who hath believed our report? First, the gospel is a command due to the nature of our relationship to God.\nGod is the Creator, we are his creation; God is the Ruler, we are subservient\nto God. Therefore, God has always commanded us. (Ge 2:17; 3:11; 6:22; 7:16; 1\nJn 3:23-24).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Secondly, the gospel is a command so that we know we are obligated to obey.\nIf I invite you to my home then you are not obligated. Invitations say things\nlike \u201cwe humbly request your presence if you will kindly accept our\ninvitation.\u201d But if you are commanded then you are obligated. Worship of God\u2019s\nSon is a command from God the Father, not an option. God commands all men to\nrepent and believe on his Son. (Acts 17: 30) We are obligated to do so.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Thirdly, the gospel is a command to honor Christ as Prophet, Priest and\nKing. When God first ordained prophets they were esteemed higher than kings.\nThey ruled God\u2019s nation. It exalted Christ our Prophet. By Christ, the gospel\ncomes into the hearts of those he redeemed effectually so that his people are\nmade willing to give Christ all glory for our obedience. The gospel command\nhonors Christ our High Priest. During the Levitical priesthood, all obeyed the\npriest because he told Israel how they could come to God. Christ transferred\nthe sins of his people to himself, Christ made the sacrifice to God, Christ\nentered the holiest with his blood, Christ made atonement and represents his\npeople to God. The gospel is a command to honor Christ our High Priest. The\ngospel is a command to honor Christ our King. Servants in a kingdom are not\noffered the invitation to obey a sovereign king; they are commanded. Christ our\nKing is sovereign over heaven, earth and hell. The gospel is a feast to which we\nare obligated to attend, else we incur the King\u2019s displeasure (Luke 14: 16-24).<\/p>\n\n\n\n By calling the gospel an offer preacher\u2019s take away the authority of God and\nexalt the sinner. They tone down the sinner\u2019s disobedience. God does not humbly\nrequest your presence before his throne if you will accept his offer. He\ncommands you kiss the feet of his Son lest he be angry and ye be cast out! If\nwe hear a preacher call the gospel an offer, it should alert us that he will\nmost likely misrepresent Christ and his accomplished redemption of God\u2019s elect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n FIVE\nCHARACTERISTICS OF TRUE FAITH <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Almost all men have faith of one\nkind or another. In this country almost everyone professes faith in Christ. But\nit is evident that the faith produced by modern day evangelism is not true\nsaving faith, because it does not produce the same characteristics as that\nfaith taught and exemplified in the Word of God. That faith which is produced\nby the power and grace of God the Holy Spirit through the preaching of the\ngospel will always be distinguished from false faith by at least five things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1. TRUE FAITH PRODUCES A HEART\nTRULY BROKEN BEFORE GOD OVER SIN<\/strong> (Ps. 51:1-5,17). Whenever a man sees\nhimself in the light of God’s glory shining upon him through the cross of\nChrist, he will cry out with the publican, “God be merciful to me a\nsinner!” This is where repentance begins. Christ revealed in the heart\nbreaks the heart (Zech. 12:10).<\/p>\n\n\n\n 2. \nTRUE FAITH CAUSES THE HEART TO WILLINGLY BOW TO CHRIST’S ABSOLUTE\nSOVEREIGNTY AND LORDSHIP IN ALL THINGS<\/strong> (Luke 14:25-33). <\/p>\n\n\n\n The believer’s submission to\nChrist is far from perfect; but it is a sincere, willing surrender of the heart\nto Christ. In our inmost being we voluntarily commit ourselves and all things\nto the disposal of our gracious sovereign.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 3. TRUE FAITH LOOKS TO CHRIST\nALONE FOR ALL THINGS.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n True faith trusts Christ alone.\nFaith has two hands. With one hand she strips away all the filthy rags of her\nown righteousness; and with the other she puts on the righteousness of Christ.\nFaith sees “Jesus only”. Faith wraps itself up in Christ. –(I Cor.\n1:30).<\/p>\n\n\n\n 4. TRUE FAITH WILL PERSEVERE\nAND CONTINUE TO BELIEVE REGARDLESS OF CIRCUMSTANCES<\/strong> (Heb. 11:13). False\nfaith fluctuates. True faith is steady, continual, and relentless. The rougher\nthe storm, the firmer faith clings to Christ. True faith just never quits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 5. TRUE FAITH PRODUCES A HEART\nOF SINCERE LOVE FOR THE PEOPLE OF THE PEOPLE OF GOD (I John 4:8; 5:1). <\/strong>False\nfaith strives to produce love, and pretends to love. But love is natural to\ntrue faith. Love for the brethren flows as naturally from the believing heart\nas water flows from the spring.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" HEALING FOR THE WITHERED Mark 3: 1-8 Clay Curtis While the Lord Jesus Christ walked this earth the enemies of our Lord never hindered Christ from doing the will of his Father for the glory of God and the welfare of the needy. Christ Entered the Synagogue The Lord has promised to meet with his […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5402","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-bulletin-editions"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5402","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=5402"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5402\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5403,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5402\/revisions\/5403"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=5402"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=5402"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=5402"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nClay Curtis <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nNotice the words \u201cobeyed the gospel.\u201d Do we obey an offer? No, we obey a\ncommand. Men and women in military, did you have \u201coffering officers\u201d or\n\u201ccommanding officers?\u201d When you got off the bus at bootcamp did your drill\nsergeant \u201coffer\u201d you opportunity to do a million a push-ups or \u201ccommand\u201d you?\nThe gospel is not an offer, it is a command from God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n