Bringing Men to Christ

In his book of devotional readings, the 19th century Presbyterian J.R. Miller writing on John 5:7 notes:

“I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me in the pool.”

Are there not many unsaved people in every community who might also say, “I have no man to bring me to Christ” ? There are many lost souls for whom no one is caring. It may be answered that the Gospel is offered to all, that all could come if they would. Yet Christians must not forget that the unsaved can receive grace only through the saved; that those who are forgiven must carry the news of mercy to the unforgiven. The redemption is divine,–none but Jesus can save; but the priesthood is human. God’s ordinary way of finding sinners and bringing them to the Savior is through the love and pleading of other saved ones. Christ’s commission ran: “As the Father sent Me, even so send I you.” We are to do for the unsaved just what Christ did when he was here, what He would do now if He were living where we live, among them,–go to them and ask them if they would be made whole.

Are there not lost ones about us who can say at God’s judgment bar, “The Christians about me would not lead me to the fountain, never even asked me to come to it for cleansing”? The man waiting at the fountains edge is a type of many about us,–close to the healing waters, with hungry, unsatisfied hears, needing but the help of a human hand to lead them to the Saviour, yet never getting that help or that sympathy, and sitting there year after year unsaved. Surely we should not allow any unsaved ones about us to perish without trying in every way to lead them to the cleansing, healing waters. What evidence have we that we are saved ourselves if we are not interested in the salvation of other lost ones? Let us look about us and see if any of our neighbors could say what this poor man at Bethesda said. Then let us go quickly and lead them to the Saviour.