Luke 5:18-26 NLT
Some men came carrying a paralyzed man on a sleeping mat. They tried to take him inside to Jesus, but they couldn’t reach him because of the crowd. So they went up to the roof and took off some tiles. Then they lowered the sick man on his mat down into the crowd, right in front of Jesus. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the man, “Young man, your sins are forgiven.” But the Pharisees and teachers of religious law said to themselves, “Who does he think he is? That’s blasphemy! Only God can forgive sins!” Jesus knew what they were thinking, so he asked them, “Why do you question this in your hearts? Is it easier to say ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or ‘Stand up and walk’? So I will prove to you that the Son of Man has the authority on earth to forgive sins.” Then Jesus turned to the paralyzed man and said, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!” And immediately, as everyone watched, the man jumped up, picked up his mat, and went home praising God. Everyone was gripped with great wonder and awe, and they praised God, exclaiming, “We have seen amazing things today!”
Our witness for Jesus Christ will be met with different kinds of people and result in different responses.
1. There will be those who seek us out due to the change that Jesus Christ is doing in us.
This will be the most effective and fruitful witness because the heart is seeking change and will be influenced by our hope.
If others are not being drawn to us, we will want to bring this to Jesus. Our lives should stand in stark contrast to the world around us.
If we simply blend in, we may be seeking more approval from the world than from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Matthew 6:33 NLT
Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.
Our focus should be fixed on God’s will over our desires.
2. Our witness will be met by scoffers. People who will stand in direct opposition to what we have to say.
How do we handle this?
We pray for the salvation of their souls.
We continue to live in God’s will, not giving them any reason to call us out for hypocrisy.
We walk the talk.
3. We will also meet those who don’t react one way or the other.
For these people, we pray that God will soften their hearts to want to get to know God and to seek after His saving grace.
God is responsible for the results in all of these situations; we are responsible for continually seeking to live in the light of His Will.
Praying for those around us and living as an example of what a life saved by God’s grace looks like.
Heavenly Father, I pray for the souls of those around me. I know that You are at work and Your will, will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Let my life be an example of what a changed life looks like.
I pray that my life helps to draw others in and that my attitude, my thoughts, my words, and actions do not stand in the way of others to Your glory.
In the Holy name of Jesus Christ, I pray, Amen !! 🙏❤️
