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.”(Luke 5:18-20-NLT)
Paralyzed: To make powerless or ineffective. To bring to an end: prevent, destroy. (Webster’s Dictionary)
How many times do we look at our sins, our faults, our failures, our weaknesses, our past, etc. and allow them to paralyze us from moving forward into the abundant life that God has promised us?
We have to be aware that the enemy of our soul – the accuser of the brethren – desires to make us powerless and ineffective in the world which we live. He wants to destroy and prevent any chances we have to live the abundant life God has offered us. He doesn’t want us walking in freedom and in power! As long as he can keep us “paralyzed on our sleeping mat” then we will never experience all that God has for us.
After they lowered the man into the crowd, the very first thing Jesus says to the paralyzed man is “Young man, your sins are forgiven you!” Out of every word Jesus could have said to the man He wanted this man to know that his sins are forgiven! I believe this man needed to know this Truth before he could receive the next thing Jesus was about to say….“Then Jesus turned to the paralyzed man and said, ‘Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!’” So the man jumps up, picks up his mat and praises God all the way home! (Luke 5:24-NLT)
I have some great news today! If you have asked the Lord to come and live in your heart and to forgive you of your sins, then He wants YOU to know YOUR SINS ARE FORGIVEN! Period. So let’s stand up, pick up our mat and walk in the freedom that our sins are forgiven so we can receive all that the Lord has for us.