John 5:14 Afterward Jesus found him in the temple, and said to him, "See, you have been made well. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you.’’
Let’s read this whole passage of Scripture.
John 5:1 After this there was a feast of the Jews; and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 2. Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew, Bethesda, having five porches. 3. In these lay a great multitude of sick people, blind, lame, paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the water. 4. For an angel went down at a certain time into the pool and stirred up the water; then whoever stepped in first, after the stirring of the water, was made well of whatever disease he had. 5. Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years. 6. When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, "Do you want to be made well?’’ 7. The sick man answered Him, "Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me.’’ 8. Jesus said to him, "Rise, take up your bed and walk.’’ 9. And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked. And that day was the Sabbath. 10. The Jews therefore said to him who was cured, "It is the Sabbath; it is not lawful for you to carry your bed.’’ 11. He answered them, "He who made me well said to me, `Take up your bed and walk.’ ’’ 12. Then they asked him, "Who is the Man who said to you, `Take up your bed and walk’?’’ 13. But the one who was healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, a multitude being in that place. 14. Afterward Jesus found him in the temple, and said to him, "See, you have been made well. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you.’’
This is the story of a man who had an infirmity 38 years. Some translations say He was either sick or ill. Whatever his condition, we can see that it must have been very bad and debilitating. It had ruined his life. Jesus saw this man and knew he had been this way a long time. He asked him a very simple question, "Do you want to be made well?’’ We could ask the same question to our generation. You may wonder, what kind of question is that? It is the singular question that Jesus asked this man. He asked him for a reason. He was helping him to reach out. He does the same thing for us today. He will draw us to the point where we will ask for Him. He draws us to salvation this way, and I’ve learned He will draw us into all of His blessings if we will be open to receive them. The point is, many are not open to receive. Many of God’s children do not believe it is God’s will to heal, and say they believe that He is trying to teach them something through their infirmity. However, they turn right around and go to the doctor to try and get well. If they truly believed that it was God’s will for them to be sick or infirmed, then they shouldn’t try to override what they believe God has set in place by going to the doctor. Yet, the singular question that Jesus asked this man is still being asked of us today. Do you want to be made well? The man responded by saying, there is no one to put me in the water. You would think that in 38 years he could have found someone to put him in the water. How bad do we really want the things of God. The more sincerely we desire them, the greater the manifestation. God reveals Himself to those who seek after Him. Jesus had compassion on this man. He didn’t argue with him, He simply told him to, "Rise, take up your bed and walk.’’ And the man was instantly healed. Some say, well that was Jesus.
My question is, has the Lord Jesus changed even a little? Jesus wanted this man healed or He wouldn’t have healed him. You may think that is obvious, but we have to understand that there are things that can hinder us from receiving and keeping God’s blessings. We have a part to play, its not just up to God. Knowing what His blessings are is part of it, as well as knowing that He wants us to receive and walk in these precious blessings. He went to great lengths to give them to us.
Jesus made a point of later coming back and finding this man just to tell him to sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon him. The New English Translation says, ‘Now that you are well again, leave your sinful ways, or you may suffer something worse.’ He wanted him well, and he wanted him to stay that way, glory.
Why did Jesus do this? Jesus healed this man, yet we must remember that sin still has consequences. Jesus wanted him well so He healed him. He wanted him to stay healed so he told him to sin no more. Sin separates us from God and his blessings, and breaks fellowship. Faith can not stand strong with sin on its shoulders. Jesus gave him instruction on how to stay healed. Keeping yourself from the things that can open the door for these type of things is a part of it.
This man did not earn his healing because of his good works, nor was he kept from his healing because of his sin. Wow! Salvation, spirit, soul, and body, doesn’t come from our works, but through the grace of God. Forgiveness and healing both come this way, they are gifts of God, yet we have a part to play in keeping them.
Jesus did not want this man to fail. We must believe that He doesn’t want us to fail either, but to succeed. Have you ever considered that if we are being told not to sin, then there is not only good reason for it, but we can surely succeed in what he has told us to do. We not only can, but we should succeed. We have to make up our mind that failure is not an option. Paul said in…
1 Corinthians 15:56 The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. 57. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
We all know that we have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23).
But that is not the end of what Paul said. Vs. 24 goes on to say … 24 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.
Yes God will forgive us, and yes there can be restoration, but why go through all of this heartache when we can avoid it? My question is this, is it possible to walk sinless? Jesus Himself told this man to go and sin no more. Was He telling him to do something that was impossible? I have learned that you can only walk in the light of what you know, and as well, if you have seen the light in a certain area you will be held accountable in that area. As we learn and receive truth, we can surely walk in the truth we have been given. We can walk sinless to the best of our ability, or in the light of what we have come to know. How can we be held accountable for things we don’t know, or the things we have not received? This is not our get of jail for free card, we have been given the grace and God’s enablement to fulfill the will of God. I hope this sheds some light.
Let us remember that we should continue to grow in grace and truth, it is a process. Growth happens gradually even though the gift of righteousness is perfect and complete, we in our flesh are not perfect and complete. We have to grow and develop in this perfect gift. Things that used to hold us down will seem like a mere nuisance as we grow up in the things of God. Paul said in Ro. 8…
Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. 2. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.
We are no longer under bondage to the law of sin and death There is freedom from sin when we learn to walk in the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus. Paul said later in Romans 5…
Romans 5:12. Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned 13. (For until the law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law. 14. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who had not sinned according to the likeness of the transgression of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come. 15. But the free gift is not like the offense. For if by the one man’s offense many died, much more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many. 16. And the gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned. For the judgment which came from one offense resulted in condemnation, but the free gift which came from many offenses resulted in justification. 17. For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.)
As the Word we just read says, we who have received abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness will reign in this life through Jesus Christ. It didn’t say we are doing it on our own but that through Christ Jesus we will reign. Sin can not dominate those who know who they are in Christ. Thank God the victory has been won! Righteousness is a gift. It is not some unobtainable goal that always seems just out of reach, or just around the next corner, yet it is something we can learn to walk in.
We as children of God have to take the mindset that we truly are the righteousness of God in Christ, even as the Word says we are. It is not natural for us to think this way. We have to reprogram our minds to think in line with God’s Word. When we start this process, we will begin to actually walk in this very righteousness. We have to take sides with God and His Word if we are going to succeed in this. Just because we have been given a gift doesn’t mean we are taking advantage of it does it? This is our decision, and we can take advantage of this awesome gift and begin to walk out our faith, for God has surely given us the ability to do just that. I will leave off with a few Scriptures to meditate on.
1 John 5:4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world our faith.
Amplified Bible -
1 Peter 2:24 He personally bore our sins in his [own] body on the tree [as on an altar and offered Himself on it], that we might die (cease to exist) to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.
Psalms 103:1 Bless the Lord, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name!
2. Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits: 3. Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases,
John 8:11 She said, "No one, Lord.’’ And Jesus said to her, "Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.’’
