Acts 3:8 And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God. Sin has reduced the ,soul to a state of impotence. It has not destroyed the soul's powers, but only disabled them. When a man is saved, therefore, his crippled powers are straightened and strengthened, and his new vocation is to use them. I. WHAT FACULTIES ARE CRIPPLED BY SIN AND RESTORED BY CHRIST? 1. Faith. This exists in every soul, but is dormant or perverted. Christ straightens it out and empowers it as an eye to see, a hand to grasp Him and heavenly things. 2. Love. No man is destitute of this: but it is wrenched away from its highest Object, who is its true life, and rests upon unworthy objects often, on secondary objects at best whom it cannot love fully, because unrecruited by the love of God. "We love (R.V.) because He first loved us." Salvation largely consists in the conversion of the heart, the turning of all the affections to Christ, by whom they are invigorated and sanctified, and made to flow in worthy channels. 3. The will. Paul has given us a graphic picture of what that is in the natural man (Romans 7.) and what Christ makes it (Romans 8. and his own life). 4. The active powers. These again are paralysed for all spiritual purposes, but energetic enough in the cause of evil — the tongue: how silent for God, how glib for self or for folly or sin! the hands, how idle for God, how active in other causes! Christ restores these to their true uses, and consecrates them to the service of God. II. THE RESTORED FACULTIES MUST BE EMPLOYED. Otherwise they will fall into their old decrepitude. Had the lame man returned to his haunt, and neglected to use his limbs, those limbs would soon have become helpless once more. To neglect faith, love, resolution and work for God is to forfeit them. The action of the healed man may illustrate the manner in which our restored faculties are to be employed. 1. With alacrity, "leaping up." 2. Progressively, "walked." 3. In union with the Church, "entered with them into the temple." 4. Thankfully, "praising God." (J. W. Burn.) Parallel Verses KJV: And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God. |
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