April 9

Even So Send I You

I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool. — John 5:7

Are there not many unsaved people in every community who might also say, “I have no man to bring me to Christ”? There are many lost souls for whom no one is caring. It may be answered that the gospel is offered to all, that all could come if they would. Yet Christians must not forget that the unsaved can receive grace only through the saved; that those who are forgiven must carry the news of mercy to the unforgiven. The redemption is divine, none but Jesus can save; but the priesthood is human. God’s ordinary way of finding sinners and bringing them to the Saviour is through the love and pleading of other saved ones. Christ’s commission ran: “As the Father hath sent me, even so send I you.” We are to do for the unsaved just what Christ did when He was here, what He would do now if He were living just where we live, among them, go to them and ask them if they will be made whole.

It is the same in spiritual life. We have no power in ourselves to do Christ’s will, but as we begin to obey the needed grace is given. Young people often say that they are afraid to enter upon a Christian life because they can not do what will be required. In their own strength they cannot. It would be as easy for them to climb to the stars as unaided to live a noble and lovely Christian life. Human strength in itself is inadequate to life’s sore needs. But the young Christian who sets out in obedience to Christ, depending upon Him to open the path of duty, will never fail of needed help at the moment of need.

Are there not lost ones about us who can say at God’s judgment-bar, “The Christians about me would not lead me to the fountain, never even asked me to come to it for cleansing”? This man waiting at the fountain’s edge is a type of many about us, close to the healing waters, with hungry, unsatisfied hearts, needing but the help of a human hand to lead them to the Saviour, yet never getting that help or that sympathy, and sitting there year after year unsaved. Surely we should not allow any unsaved ones about us to perish without trying in every way to lead them to the cleansing, healing waters.

What evidence have we that we are saved ourselves if we are not interested in the salvation of other lost ones? Let us look about us and see if any of our neighbours could say what this poor man at Bethesda said. Then let us go quickly and lead them to the Saviour.