We Never Saw It On This Fashion

The paralyzed man in Mark 2 illustrates the spiritual state of natural man. As he was helpless and hopeless to heal his body all men are helpless and hopeless to render themselves right with God, spiritually awaken themselves out of death and exercise true faith. Nothing but sovereign grace will do. God declared His Elect righteous in His eyes from the cross, by the merit of the righteousness earned and established by Christ. In time and experience God the Holy Spirit awakens and gives faith, thus calling the elect to Christ and the truth. True faith is a gift of God and is dependent on something outside of itself; Christ is the object of that faith.