Putting Faith Into Action

John 5:5-9
⁵ And a certain man was there, who had an infirmity thirty-eight years. ⁶ When Jesus saw him…He said to him, Will you be made whole?  ⁷ The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool… ⁸ Jesus said to him, Rise, take up you bed, and walk.  ⁹ And immediately the man was made whole, took up his bed, and walked.

A man had been ill with a sickness or disease for 38 years. Evidently the disease had handicapped him to the point of needing help getting around. He lived his entire life to that point as a handicapped person, sickly, and looked down upon by Jewish society. When the waters were troubled at the Pool of Bethesda, those first to get in were healed. This invalid man had no one to help him yet he sat there hoping.

I find it most interesting that as Jesus passed by, He turned to the man and asked him a simple question:  do you want to be well? It wasn’t a question to insult the man but to get his attention I think. Jesus’ question went to the core of his problem. Do you want to be well [healed]? It caught the man off guard at first. He knew what he couldn’t do in his own strength and ability.

However, Jesus saw his heart and He didn’t condemn him or dismiss him. He didn’t ask him if he had kept all the commandments, the Law. He only asked him a question but the one question had a caveat to it. There was one thing the man would have to do to be healed. The caveat was for the man to act upon his faith and the Word of Jesus. He had to step out in faith and put his faith into action when Jesus said GET UP, TAKE YOUR BED AND WALK.

He did and he was healed immediately. He wasn’t the handicapped, sick man he had been. He was whole and healthy.

Don’t hesitate to put your faith into action when you read the Word and see what God has promised to do for you through the finished work of Jesus. It will truly transform your life.