March - the Free Presbyterian church of Scotland

66The Free Presbyterian Magazineto life, we are shown His power to give spiritual life to sinners who are deadin trespasses and sins. As Jesus began, at the well at Sychar, to speak to thewoman of Samaria, we see Him preparing to give spiritual life to someonewho completely lacked that life. Though she did not send for Jesus to lay hishand upon her so that she might live – a fact which highlights her spiritualdeath – He came unasked. In speaking to her, it was as if He laid His handon her soul and gave her spiritual life. As He revealed Himself to her, the HolySpirit regenerated her soul and she believed. At once she thought of the peopleof her city and their need of spiritual life. She went to them and, in effect,told them: Come to the Man who told me all things that ever I did; He canlay His hand on you and you will live.The Lord Jesus is no longer in this world. But from His throne of glory, Heis still able to lay His merciful hand on sinners and give them spiritual life.He has done so on many occasions. We might think of the boy Timothy growingup in biblical times. His godly mother and grandmother, Eunice and Lois,were teaching him from the Scriptures and, without a doubt, praying for himin faith. One cannot say what words they actually used but the substance ofthem was a plea that the Lord Jesus would come and lay His hand in savingmercy on young Timothy so that he might have spiritual life.We might feel it was easy for these women to pray for Timothy – especiallywhen, with hindsight, we can see the evidence of his spiritual life recorded inthe pages of the New Testament. But think of Paul and Silas praying in theinner prison in Philippi. The opinion they had formed of the jailer – who had“made their feet fast in the stocks” – was possibly that here was a hard manwho would be impervious to anything they could say to him. Yet, while wedo not know the content of the prayers they offered up to God at midnight,they may well have included a petition – indeed there may have been manysuch petitions – that the Saviour would come to the prison and lay His handon the hard-hearted jailer and give him spiritual life. This is what did happen;there was a series of events in providence which led up to the jailer asking,“What must I do to be saved?” And Christ gave the Holy Spirit to bring thejailer’s soul alive and enable him to obey the call: “Believe on the LordJesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:31).There may be those reading these words who are under some concernfor their soul and particularly conscious of their inability to look to Christ,because they are spiritually dead. Surely it is altogether appropriate for themto pray that He would come and lay His hand on them so that they may live.Remember the Saviour’s willingness to come with Jairus. Remember howHe encouraged Jairus when news came to him that his daughter had actuallydied; He said, “Be not afraid, only believe” (Mark 5:36).