THROUGH THE ROOF

An important story in the Word of God reveals the power of 'vicarious' faith, the idea that believers can profoundly affect the lives of those who need Christ. Allow the following passage from Mark 2:1-12 to be an encouragement as you pray for the souls of lost relatives ... 

And again He entered Capernaum after some days, and it was heard that He was in the house. Immediately many gathered together so that there was no longer room to receive them, not even near the door. And He preached the word to them. 

Then they came to Him, bringing a paralytic who was carried by four men. And when they could not come near Him because of the crowd, they uncovered the roof where He was. So when they had broken through, they let down the bed on which the paralytic was lying.

When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven you.” And some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts, “Why does this Man speak blasphemies like this? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”

But immediately, when Jesus perceived in His spirit that they reasoned thus within themselves, He said to them, “Why do you reason about these things in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Arise, take up your bed and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”. 

He said to the paralytic, “I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house. Immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went out in the presence of them all, so that all were amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!”

Notice that the paralytic received both the forgiveness of his sins and the healing of his body through the faith of the men who brought him. There may have been an element of faith in the man himself, but there is no mention of it. 

Witness 'vicarious faith' in action ... 

1. The men were deeply concerned about their friend.
2. The men had faith that Jesus could and would meet his needs. 
3. The men did not simply pray for him, but put 'feet to their faith'.
4. The men did not permit difficult circumstances to dissuade them.

So ... God acknowledges 'your' faith when you intercede on behalf of someone else. The term vicarious refers to something 'done for' and 'instead of' another; substitutionary by nature. 

The prime example took place on Calvary's cross ... But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)

Don't give up the fight, pilgrim. The Lord sees your desire to bring loved ones to Him.