Proof Positive
Acts 5:12-16
Sickness, disease and death is the result of what we are, sin. Men like to entertain the idea that they are not sinners or that they have grown beyond sin. Just hang around a little while. If your skin wrinkles you know you are a sinner. When your hair falls out then you know you are a sinner. As your body gets sick and fails it is a reminder to us that we are sinners. Death is the wage earned by our sin. No matter how sinners may try to hide from the fact, our bodies surely betray us before God and the whole world, revealing to all that we are indeed nothing but sin in ourselves. But the fact that our Lord Jesus Christ--through the apostles--healed bodily infirmities is proof that he has indeed overcome sin. More of a wonder of his grace than these healings here in our text is the fact that he healed those who were dead in trespasses and in sins. The wonder is not that his apostles were used to heal the physical infirmities of sinners. The amazing thing is that this act is proof positive that our Lord has overcome sin and death, spiritually, for all those for whom he died.