Healing
Jesus Forgives and Heals
Hi Faith-writers, I’m grateful to God once again for allowing me another opportunity to share HIS Word with HIS people. We are going to continue on the topic of The Divine Exchange in the area of Divine Healing. We are going to concentrate our studies in the area of Forgiveness and Healing. These two POWER TWINS work together to bring us the blessings of Almighty God, and Jesus knew how to Minister either or effectively. Something we must learn to do as Ministers of the Gospel. And it’s something we must learn to tap into as Believers of The Word of God.
Jesus either Forgave people and then Healed them, or Jesus Healed people and then Forgave them, and then warned them not to practice the sin which they committed (which got them in the mess to begin with) or else something worst will happened to them (Classic example: The man by the Miracle Pool who Jesus Healed, John 5:1-18 NKJV).
* Some Christian’s believe that it is a sin issue that causes our afflictions (Sicknesses or Diseases) we experienced or are currently experiencing.
* Other Christian’s believe that God won’t hear a sinner’s prayer for healing—because they are currently living in sin.
* Then we have people who are seeking Healing by one method, but Jesus has other Methods of Healing and then HE will Forgive the person who is seeking to be Healed.
* Finally, we have people who think we must get our lives right before we can seek God to heal us.
All of these ideas or concepts of obtaining Healing may be 25%, 50%, or 75% right in the Old Testament. However, in this article, we are going to Biblically remove the hindrances that are blocking the TRUTH of GOD’S Word in the area of Forgiveness and Divine Healing, by considering some New Testament examples of Healing.
Is it sin that caused our affliction?
We may be seeking God right now for Divine Healing and we might be wondering if our affliction is related to our sin. Let’s examine the story of the man that was born blind in John chapter 9;
Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth. (v. 1)
And His disciples asked Him, saying, Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind? (v. 2)
Jesus answered, neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the WORKS OF GOD should be revealed in him. (v. 3)
I must WORK THE WORKS OF HIM (GOD THE FATHER) who sent ME while it is day; (v. 4a) (John 9:1-4a NKJV)
Notice, that in this Healing case, the disciples had a (generational curses) mind-set of observation about this man’s affliction. They tried their best to see the spiritual implications as to why this man is afflicted and concluded that it may be a generational curse situation they are encountering. This is called, “Old Testament thinking and assessment,” of diagnosing this problem with this blind man.
This assessment may sound Biblically correct, if you were to go to the Old Testament and locate the writing of the Law in regards to the consequences of disobedience and how it affects the following generations. (See Exodus 20:4-6 NKJV) However, assuming someone is afflicted by picking any Scripture text, when you really don’t know, can lead many believers to frustration and outright anger against GOD, and they may go as far as to accuse GOD of being unfair and bias. So unless, GOD revealed to us what the problem of the affliction is, it is best to remain silent and not assume the worst or give a Scriptural misdiagnosis.
Jesus said, neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the WORKS OF GOD should be revealed in him. (John 9:3 NKJV). I love the clarity, don’t you? I wish we had clarity in all the Healing cases in Scripture. This way we won’t have all the confusion and different opinions that are floating out there in the Christian world today as to why a person is afflicted.
However, the points we must consider as people who are seeking Healing personally, or if we are just educating ourselves in preparation for being a Healing Minister. We must look at this Healing example optimistically and with Divine Purpose.
1. The Works of God should be revealed to everyone (THIS IS GOD’S WILL). We should pray about this every day. By simply saying, Lord, what is it that YOU will have me do today? Minister Healing, Deliverance, Preach about Salvation? What is today’s agenda, O Lord?
2. In this case, Jesus wanted to make it possible for this man to experience The Works of God.
3. Jesus clarified that it’s HIS Heavenly Father that sent HIM to do the Works that HE is doing. (John 9:4 NKJV)
4. Finally, in this Healing case, we have something that is very Powerful for us to consider, Jesus Healed this man, before HE Ministered to him about topic of Salvation. For example, it was after the man was questioned and re-questioned about the Miracle of Healing that took place in his life by the religious order, then kicked out—when Jesus met up with this man again and led him to experience pre-Salvation (I wrote it this way for Theologians) LOL! Jesus didn’t died and rose from the dead yet, at the time this man was led to Salvation. So Theologians may label me as a false teacher, LOL! ANYWAY!!!
Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when HE had found him, He said to him, “Do you believe in the Son of God?” (John 9:35 NKJV)
He answered and said, “Who is HE, Lord, that I may believe in HIM?” (John 9:36 NKJV)
And Jesus said to him, “You have both seen HIM and it is HE who is talking with you.” (John 9:37 NKJV)
Then he said, “Lord I believe!” And he worshiped Jesus (John 9:38 NKJV)
Notice, that Jesus Healed this man first, then led him to be Saved! I bumped into unlearned Pastors who said, you have to be Saved or Born-again before you are able to receive Divine Healing from God. Ah, NO! Let’s stick to Scripture and avoid ignorant Pastors. Unless you see that a Pastor who wishes to be humble and teachable like Apollos, go ahead and share clear-cut teaching with them. But if they want to argue like the religious leaders who kick this man out of the temple, then avoid them altogether.
Jesus Forgave first and then HE Healed the man
The paralyzed man with his 4 friends who tried to get him to Jesus, is another Healing story that teaches us that, Jesus Forgives and then HE Heals. The opposite of the blind man’s story. (Matthew 9:1-8/ Mark 2:1-12/ Luke 5:17-26 NKJV).
Jesus saw their faith as these 4 men took their paralyzed buddy up on the roof and when they couldn’t get close enough to Jesus, they ripped the roof off and lowered the man before Jesus. Jesus went up to the paralyzed man and said, your sins are forgiven. The religious leaders caught a fit, they were outraged. Jesus knew this so He said, which is easier, to say your sins are forgiven or to say, rise up and walk? But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on the earth to forgive sins—then He said to the paralytic. “Arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.” (Matthew 9:2-6 NKJV)
The point of this Healing story is designed to teach us that Jesus can forgive us for our sins and then Heal us from our affliction. Now, we may be wondering why did Jesus forgive this man first and then Heal him? Jesus was always led by the Holy Spirit to Minister Healing. And in this Healing case, this man needed reassurance that his sins (NOTICE CAREFULLY THAT JESUS SAID, SINS--PLURAL MEANING SEVERAL) is not going to be an obstacle for this man to receive Divine Healing. (THAT IS AWESOME REVELATION HERE!)
How can you make that assumption Manuel? Simple, because the mind-set of the community during Jesus’ earthly Ministry was that sin was the main cause of afflictions, sicknesses and diseases. We saw it with the blind man and the disciples who made their misdiagnosis. Also, in the same chapter the blind man and the religious leaders also commented that God doesn’t hear sinners (John 9:24-34 NKJV)
Therefore, we can be Forgiven and then Healed also! Glory Hallelujah!!!
New Testament Instructions to Receiving Divine Healing
In order to support the point of Divine Healing being available to us even while we may find ourselves sinning, is found in James 5:13-15 NKJV;
The Apostle James (Jesus’ half-brother) wrote, is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms. (v. 13)
Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the Church, and let them pray over him (or her), anointing him (or her) with oil in the name of the Lord Jesus. (v. 14)
And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him (or her) up. And if he (or she) has committed sins, he (or she) will be forgiven. (v. 15) (James 5:13-15 NKJV)
Notice carefully the instructions;
1. If we are sick or afflicted we are to call the elders of the Church, to pray over us and anoint us with oil in the name of Jesus.
2. NOTE OF CAUTION: Obviously, we would need to carefully investigate if the elders in the Church we attend believes in Divine Healing before we approach them seeking Divine Healing. Or else we will become disappointed like the man whose son was demon-possessed and Jesus’ arrogant disciples couldn’t cast the demon out. (Luke 9:37-43 NKJV)
It was a lack of faith, prayer and fasting along with a perverse heart of arrogance that prevented the disciples from operating in the Supernatural to cast out the demon.
Therefore, to assure us that we encounter men and women of God who believes in the Power of God for Divine Healing; we must ask God to Supernaturally lead us to Christian Leaders that are operating in that capacity. So they may help us receive Divine Healing for the affliction we are suffering under.
3. The final point of the article is that we should not allow the enemy (Satan), or ignorant Pastors and Leaders discourage us that we cannot be Healed, because we are sinning. Let’s face it—we are going to sin period! Even the Pastors and Leaders sin also—who are telling us it’s difficult to get Healed, because we are sinning.
4. You see, in some area of our lives we are going to miss it and sin or commit a series of sins. Especially, if we are new Christians who really don’t know the Bible. Because we are all growing in the faith. Until we come to revelation of our sin or sins and allow God to Work HIS Grace in our lives to grow from the practice of those sins, we should not shrink back or fail to seek God for Healing.
5. God instructed us through the Apostle James, to go to mature believers, elders to be prayed over with anointing oil in the name of Jesus to be Healed. And the Prayer of faith shall save the sick and the Lord will raise us up from the affliction.
Therefore, Believe that Jesus can Heal you and then forgive you. Or Believe that Jesus can forgive you and then Heal you. It doesn’t matter either way, because Jesus died on the Cross to Deliver us. Jesus was wounded for our transgressions. Jesus was bruised for our iniquities. Jesus was chastised so we may receive Divine Peace. And BY HIS STRIPES WE ARE HEALED. Glory Hallelujah!!!
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