Let's read a story about a famous Army General
2 Kings:5
Naaman Healed of Leprosy
5 Now Naaman was commander of the army of the king of Aram. He was a great man in the sight of his master and highly regarded, because through him the Lord had given victory to Aram. He was a valiant soldier, but he had leprosy.
2 Now bands of raiders from Aram had gone out and had taken captive a young girl from Israel, and she served Naaman’s wife. 3 She said to her mistress, “If only my master would see the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.”
4 Naaman went to his master and told him what the girl from Israel had said. 5 “By all means, go,” the king of Aram replied. “I will send a letter to the king of Israel.” So Naaman left, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold and ten sets of clothing. 6 The letter that he took to the king of Israel read: “With this letter I am sending my servant Naaman to you so that you may cure him of his leprosy.”
7 As soon as the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his robes and said, “Am I God? Can I kill and bring back to life? Why does this fellow send someone to me to be cured of his leprosy? See how he is trying to pick a quarrel with me!”
8 When Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his robes, he sent him this message: “Why have you torn your robes? Have the man come to me and he will know that there is a prophet in Israel.” 9 So Naaman went with his horses and chariots and stopped at the door of Elisha’s house. 10 Elisha sent a messenger to say to him, “Go, washyourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored and you will be cleansed.”
11 But Naaman went away angry and said, “I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, wave his hand over the spot and cure me of my leprosy. 12 Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Couldn’t I wash in them and be cleansed?” So he turned and went off in a rage.
13 Naaman’s servants went to him and said, “My father, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more, then, when he tells you, ‘Wash and be cleansed’!” 14 So he went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times,as the man of God had told him, and his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy.
There are two very important lessons that we learn from this story.
First one is from the servant girl; she amazes me, and her actions leave me without words.
After being separated from her family, taken to a place that was far from her home, being made a servant, this girl knew God and made the most of her situation. She was a missionary in this new land, she took her God to people that needed Him, people that didn't know Him.
Because she was courageous and and filled with God's love, Naaman was healed phisically, but most important, he was healed spiritualy, he met God and made Him Lord of his life.
The second lesson we learn from this story is, not to complicate Salvation and accept Jesus' sacrifice.
In Galatians 3:1-5, Paul asks them some very important questions that we should ask ourselves today.
- "Who has bewitched you?" Is our belief strong, do we let ourselves to be influenced by others and their beliefs?
- "Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by believing what you heard?" Do we get saved by obeying the law or do we get saved by Jesus and his sacrifice?
- "After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh?" If we are saved through Jesus, if our sin was washed away by the blood of the Lamb, why do we want to go back to the old law?
- "Have you experienced so much in vain?" Wasn't our forgiveness free? Didn't Jesus pay for everything at the cross?
- "Does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you by the works of the law, or by your believing what you heard?" Abraham heard and believed, he was saved through faith, not through something that he has done.
Many times we put the Law before Salvation, we say: "I have to quit this, do that and then I can be saved", but that's not what God does, He wants us to come to Him just as we are, dirty, filthy, and He will make us clean. Can we become clean by ourselves? NO
So now we ask ourselves: If we don't live under the Law of the Old Testament, can we steal, kill, envy....and so on? No, but just by obeying the Law, we won' t get saved. The Law has no power over us, it does not save us, JESUS does. The law was give to guide us, to prepare us.
In Romans 8 we read that the Law tells us what is right and wrong, it tells us that we are sinful and it tells us that it is IMPOSSIBLE to get to God through it.
WE ARE CHILDREN OF GOD BY FAITH!
Romans 10:4 - Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.
Jesus was condemned for us. And by believing that, we are saved and we are made new. The new law comes in our hearts with the Holy Spirit.
So what can we do?
1. Always read and study God's Word so we keep growing stronger and stronger.
2. Don't believe false teaching.
3. Don't try to steal God's glory by thinking you can get saved by your doings.
4. Do now think that it should be more complicated or harder to receive Salvation, like Naaman did.
Jesus covered the costs, He paid for everything already, all we have to do is accept His gift!
( inspired by Harvest Metanoia Sunday Service)
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