Faith’s Touch

(Read Mark 5:25-34; Luke 8:43-49).
WE have, dear reader, in this beautiful narrative, a simple, but striking, illustration of the state in which the sinner is, before he comes to Christ, and what the result is of coming to Christ; so that you will see everything turns upon coming to Christ. You may have gone through all sorts of experiences before you come to Him, but they are of no value whatever. Not one of the questions of your heart, though you may have had many, have been answered till you come to Christ; and all are answered the moment you do come to Him.
Look at this woman, with her incurable malady, of twelve years’ standing. Twelve in Scripture is the number of human completeness. Her case was shown as completely incurable. She had sought all kinds of means of being healed, had gone to all sorts of physicians, but at the end she found herself penniless; not better, but worse, and “could not be healed of any.”
This is your state exactly, my unconverted reader. You have an incurable malady, you are a sinner. Perhaps that does not disturb you very much, you may not be very concerned to hear you are a sinner; but, oh what a solemn thing it is, for “the wages of sin is death,” and “after death the judgment,” where you have to meet God about your sins.
Yes, you will have to say to God about the thing that never caused you any anxiety in your life, and that is your sin. You may have settled up everything with man before you die, but you have still to meet God about your sins. Perhaps you have been awakened to the solemn fact that you are a sinner, and have tried to have this matter put right before God; and, like this poor woman, perhaps you have tried every way but the right way of getting this solemn question of your sins settled; and you know it is not settled yet, for you have not yet come to Christ.
People think there is a certain balm and cure for their disease in becoming religious; and there are not wanting many spiritual physicians, who will tell you, You will be healed by “turning over a new leaf,” and becoming religious; but there is nothing in religion to meet your case, — it is not religion, but Christ that will meet it. You have, perhaps, been trying to be religious for years; you may have said many times over, “I believe in the forgiveness of sins,” but, are your sins blotted out yet? No, you reply, I could not say that. Ah! then, you believe in the possibility of the forgiveness of sins; but that is a very different thing from being able to say, “I believe that my sins are forgiven,” which every true believer is entitled to say.
Take this woman as an example. Had you met her on her way up to Christ, she would have told you, “If I can get only near enough to Christ to touch Him, I believe I shall be healed.” “But are you healed?” you say. “No, but I believe I shall be, if only I can touch Him.” Had you met her, however, half-an-hour after she touched Him, and said, “Are you healed?” she would not have said, “I know I can be, or shall be,” but, “Thank God, I am healed.”
Reader, I ask you, are things right with you? Have you peace with God? Have you pardon, forgiveness, the knowledge of acceptance with the Lord? If you have not been to Christ, you must know you are not right with God. Your conscience tells you that you are not right, though the devil knows well how to give you some soothing syrup. But again I ask you, Have you peace with God? Can you look up, and call God Father?
It is a good thing for the soul when it hears that all that is not Christ is utterly valueless. Twelve years of most earnest efforts to be healed had this woman spent. And at the close of twelve years, what does she find? That she is worse than ever, and more, that she “could not be healed of any.” Have you learned this, that all the physicians of your soul are valueless, and all their prescriptions worse than useless? But in her ease, when she was well-nigh in despair, she heard of Jesus. Blessed hearing! Have you heard of Jesus? Oh, you say, I have heard of Him from my infancy. Then I will ask you another question, Have you come to Him yet?
There are six beautiful points in this woman’s history: ― She heard, she came, she touched, she felt, she confessed, and was confirmed.