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The Ministry of Healing
from the touch of faith. To believe in Christ merely as the Saviour of
the world can never bring healing to the soul. The faith that is unto
salvation is not a mere assent to the truth of the gospel. True faith is
that which receives Christ as a personal Saviour. God gave His only-
begotten Son, that
I,
by believing in Him, “should not perish, but
have everlasting life.”
John 3:16
. When I come to Christ, according
to His word, I am to believe that I receive His saving grace. The life
that I now live, I am to “live by the faith of the Son of God, who
loved
me,
and gave Himself for
me.”
Galatians 2:20
.
Many hold faith as an opinion. Saving faith is a transaction, by
which those who receive Christ join themselves in covenant relation
with God. A living faith means an increase of vigor, a confiding
trust, by which, through the grace of Christ, the soul becomes a
conquering power.
Faith is a mightier conqueror than death. If the sick can be led to
fix their eyes in faith upon the Mighty Healer, we shall see wonderful
results. It will bring life to the body and to the soul.
In working for the victims of evil habits, instead of pointing them
to the despair and ruin toward which they are hastening, turn their
eyes away to Jesus. Fix them upon the glories of the heavenly. This
will do more for the saving of body and soul than will all the terrors
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of the grave when kept before the helpless and apparently hopeless.
“According to His Mercy He Saved Us”
A centurion’s servant was lying sick of the palsy. Among the Ro-
mans the servants were slaves, bought and sold in the market places,
and often treated with abuse and cruelty; but the centurion was ten-
derly attached to his servant, and greatly desired his recovery. He
believed that Jesus could heal him. He had not seen the Saviour, but
the reports he had heard inspired him with faith. Notwithstanding the
formalism of the Jews, this Roman was convinced that their religion
was superior to his own. Already he had broken through the barriers
of national prejudice and hatred that separated the conquerors from
the conquered people. He had manifested respect for the service
of God and had shown kindness to the Jews as His worshipers. In
the teaching of Christ, as it had been reported to him, he found that
which met the need of the soul. All that was spiritual within him