GOSPEL GEM: Will You Be Made Whole?

John 5:2-15

Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool,

which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda,

having five porches.

In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk,

of blind, halt, withered,

waiting for the moving of the water.

For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool,

and troubled the water:

whosoever then first after the troubling of the water

stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had.

And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years.

When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case,

he saith unto him,

Wilt thou be made whole?

The impotent man answered him,

Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool:

but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me.

Jesus saith unto him,

Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.

And immediately the man was made whole,

and took up his bed, and walked:

and on the same day was the Sabbath.

The Jews therefore said unto him that was cured,

It is the sabbath day: it is not lawful for thee to carry thy bed.

He answered them, He that made me whole, the same said unto me, Take up thy bed, and walk.

Then asked they him,

What man is that which said unto thee,

Take up thy bed, and walk?

And he that was healed wist not who it was:

for Jesus had conveyed himself away, a multitude being in that place.

Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him,

Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.

The man departed, and told the Jews that it was Jesus, which had made him whole.

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Joel Adds - And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he is gracious and merciful, Joel 2:13
"You cannot atone for your past sins; you cannot change your heart and make yourself holy. But God promises to do all this for you through Christ. You believe that promise. You confess your sins and

give yourself to God. You will to serve Him. Just as surely as you do this, God will fulfill His word to you. If you believe the promise,--believe that you are forgiven and cleansed,--God supplies the fact; you are made whole, just as Christ gave the paralytic power to walk when the man believed that he was healed. It is so if you believe it.
Do not wait to feel that you are made whole, but say, "I believe it; it is so, not because I feel it, but because God has promised."
Steps to Christ p.33 E.G.W.