Evidence of Faith

 DEVOTION

THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

EVIDENCE OF FAITH

Acts 14:8-10

8 In Lystra there sat a man crippled in his feet, who was lame from birth and had never walked. 9 He listened to Paul as he was speaking. Paul looked directly at him, saw that he had faith to be healed 10 and called out, "Stand up on your feet!" At that, the man jumped up and began to walk.

NIV

This is going to turn ugly after what happened regarding the man who was crippled in his feet from birth. However, before the results of this healing, we want to focus on that for a moment. We notice this lame man was listening to Paul as he spoke about the good news of Jesus Christ. That good news must have included the fact that Jesus was the Son of God who came to earth in human form, went to the cross for the forgiveness of sins, was resurrected, and, after his ascension, sent the Holy Spirit to empower believers. We don't know everything Paul said, but it had to include all that and more. The point that this lame man listened and believed so much that he felt he could be healed. His faith was evident to Paul. What was the evidence of this man's faith that he could be healed? Was it a look in his eyes? Was there a glow on his face? Did he appear enlightened, light up, filled with excitement of standing up and walking for the first time in his life? Whatever it was in this crippled man's appearance, Paul saw it and called out, "Stand up on your feet!" At that, the man jumped up and began to walk. He didn't just stand up, he jumped up. The Greek word here carries that meaning of jumping, leaping, springing up. We wonder why we do not see that kind of healing in many of the churches today. Maybe we just do not have that kind of faith to be healed. Could one person have enough faith for someone else to be healed? This narrative tells us that the man's faith caused his healing. It was the same with the woman who knew that if she could just touch the hem of his garment, she would be healed. One by one, we could go through all the healings in scripture, and most of them result from the faith of the one being healed. Some, such as the lame man that Peter and John saw on their way to the temple, it was Peter's faith that led him to tell the man to stand up and walk in the name of Jesus. Still, all healings are for the expressed reason to bring glory to God in the highest. It is good to experience a healing in the name of Jesus. A healing can give relief from some sickness, pain, or infirmity. However, is it possible that we have become comfortable in some sense, being a crippled Christian? Is it possible that we have put too much faith in man's medical profession than in Jesus? We wonder why they call it "practicing medicine." When Jesus never needed to practice healing, he just did. Paul didn't need to practice either; he simply saw the evidence of this crippled man's faith and told him to stand up. Is our faith evident?