There are two things I want to stress in this chapter that are so vital to one’s relationship with God. Hebrews 11:6 says “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”

In order to have confidence before God and faith in what He wants for you, one must first know their sins are forgiven. Sin is the barrier between God and man; it blocks the relationship. Man is conscious of his sin, and therefore has fear of judgment. Knowing your sins are forgiven is HUGE! This knowledge opens the heart of a man to have faith for God to work in his life. We see this in the story of the lame man who received his healing in Mark chapter 2.

In most of the healings we have previously examined, Jesus always made the point that their faith had made them well. They had a faith response to Him that brought about their healing. Just like when you are saved. You had faith for salvation and then you received it, right? We cannot have faith for more from God if we do not have confidence before Him. I believe this is at least one reason Jesus said this to the paralyzed man before the man received healing. Once the man accepted that his sins were forgiven, his confidence rose, his faith was restored and then his body was restored. The barrier to faith had been removed. His faith could now be released for the healing to take place. Those of us who have received forgiveness of our sins by accepting the fact that Jesus paid the price for them, can easily understand this factor in helping release our faith before God.

Mark 2:1-12 Jesus Forgives and Heals a Paralytic

“And again He entered Capernaum after some days, and it was heard that He was in the house. Immediately many gathered together, so that there was no longer room to receive them, not even near the door. And He preached the word to them. Then they came to Him, bringing a paralytic who was carried by four men. And when they could not come near Him because of the crowd, they uncovered the roof where He was. So when they had broken through, they let down the bed on which the paralytic was lying.

When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven you.”

And some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts, “Why does this Man speak blasphemies like this? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” But immediately, when Jesus perceived in His spirit that they reasoned thus within themselves, He said to them, “Why do you reason about these things in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Arise, take up your bed and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”—He said to the paralytic, “I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.” Immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went out in the presence of them all, so that all were amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!”

Simple as that. Which is easier to say?

See Luke 5:17–26 for another version of this story.

John 20:23  “Whoever’s sins you forgive they are forgiven and whoever’s sins you retain they are retained.”