covered with leprosy. When he saw Jesus, he fell with his face to
the ground and begged him, "Lord, if you are willing, you can
make me clean." (Luke 5:12)
How is it that the lame and the blind, the lunatic and leper, the
publican and sinner are helped by Christ? It is because they have a real
desire for the thing they seek. They come to Christ in true faith.
Christ's typical response is, "According to your faith will it be done
to you." This is still Christ's answer today. As our faith is, so it shall be
done. In this we can find the entire reason for falling short of salvation
in Christ. It is because we have no desire for it.
"But," you ask, "don't all Christians desire to have Christ to be
their Savior?" Yes. But here is the catch: many want this only for the
next world. They want Christ to help them into heaven when they die.
This is not wanting Christ to be your Savior. It must be had in this
world. If Christ saves you, it must be done in this life by changing and
altering everything about you. It means a new pattern of thinking and
acting. The change will be a as radical as when the blind see, the lame
walk, and the mute speak.
Being saved is nothing other than being made like Jesus. It is to
gain his humility, meekness, and self-denial. It means to take on his
renunciation of the spirit and honors of this world. It involves his love
of God, his desire of doing God's will, and seeking only God's honor.
To have these attitudes and perspectives born in your heart is to have
salvation from Christ.
If you don't want these things and are not able to plead for them
with the same intensity of the sick who came to Christ, then you are
clearly unwilling to have Christ be your Savior.
William Law, Mystical Writings
Who is William Law? Law was an English cleric, educator, and
theological writer. He was an instructor of John and Charles
Wesley.
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