Kingdom's Keys Fellowship
Where God's Kingdom Meets Man's Heart.
Lent 14 Healing, the Means to An End
“Be Healed!” is the cry of the TV icon as he lays hands on the bowed figure before him. The eyes of the viewer are then transfixed. Was he or wasn’t he healed? This gift is the most debated, most doubted and most desired of all the gifts. No one is without some issue that pleads for its benefit.
Physical, emotional and spiritual conditions of various kinds plague people and have since Adam and Eve. First, from massive pandemics to simple acne an individual’s sense of temporariness and mortality are intensified. Second, relational unrest carries the cloud of long-term insecurity. Third, multiple religions offer their wares in the market place of the unknown and unseen. Healing being one.
In Jesus Christ these three conditions meet in the Cross. For disciples of Jesus the Cross is where we start. Paul begins and centers all his teaching in the Cross, “2For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. 3I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling. 4My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, 5so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power (1Cor.2:2-5 NIV).” Four things to note in this passage: he comes to them physically in person (vs.2), in emotion (vs.3), in heart (vs.4) and his spirit in the Spirit (vs.4-5). Paul placed each under the power of the Cross, “For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel—not with words of human wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power (1Cor.1:17).” The Cross is the ultimate healing for mankind’s separated condition. It is the beginning of God’s plan of restoration.
What happened before the Cross was a growing separation between man and God. Eternal aloneness and separation of every human from God would result if God had not taken the initiative to correct the devil’s plan beginning with Adam and Eve to disrupt personal faith in God. His goal? To wrest control of creation from God as though such a thing were possible. Aloneness, self-centeredness, pride, fear and evil are the proofs of his sinful nature’s attempt to destroy man’s heart. These are the weaknesses the devil exploits to lure us away from God, the traps that block wholeness and need healing. Healing is part of the restoration of a spiritual relationship with God.
Returning to God through a relationship with His Son is the first step in healing. It is faith at the beginning and faith at the end. So spiritual healing is the first step in His plan because God is Spirit and it starts by restoring the spiritual relationship between His creatures and Him.
Jesus’ healings, miracles and teachings are the ways He restores the minds, hearts and souls of his estranged people. The plan is spiritual first because that is the nature of God, His kingdom and human destiny. The emotional and physical healings that take place as the result of Jesus’ ministry all point to the power of the Spirit and how the physical serves the spiritual. So, whether it is a withered arm, a hurt leg, a non-hearing ear, a blind eye, a skin disease or an interior ailment; all point to a spiritual brokenness that has crippled the ability of the spirit in a person to move spiritually.
To function in the Spirit as God intended He heals some emotionally, some physically to show the power of the Spirit and the presence of His risen Son. But the bottom line in whatever healing takes place is the real point of healing and that is faith. Restoring faith is more important than physical or emotional healing because it is grace through faith that enables us to personally relate to God. Jesus did not heal all infirmities, diseases and brokenness. Those He did were to show that spiritual restoration was not only possible but always available through faith. Healings are faith restorers, faith builders and faith strengtheners. This is the meaning of the following passage, ”But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed (Is.53:5).”
Therefore there are those in the Body who, because of the measure of faith given them, are gifted in a way that, through prayer and the laying on of hands, healing results in one of the three afflictions or blocks to restoration. 1Cor.12:9 tells us that there are ‘gifts of healing.’ Note the plural here indicating healing will occur in mind, body, heart and spirit. Modern medicine, education, technology, psycho-social advances and biblical research have opened up tremendous avenues that can assist in bringing mankind back to God.
The final point the Cross of Jesus makes here is that death is not the end but because of Jesus’ sacrifice it was defeated and therefore becomes an entry to eternal life. The Resurrection of Jesus proves the work of the Cross for our healing. What the devil meant for our destruction God has turned around for our benefit. Through faith, the ultimate healing, we have an everlasting relationship with God in Jesus by the power of the Spirit. The other healings are those that enable us to serve Him in this world and are reminders not only of His presence and power but also of His love for all people. Healing is a means not an end. Faith, hope and love are forever and healing is God’s means to a perfect end in faith. Again, “But it was our sins that did that to him, that ripped and tore and crushed him—our sins! He took the punishment, and that made us whole. Through his bruises we get healed (Is.53:5 The Message Bible).”
More on gifts…stay tuned………
Physical, emotional and spiritual conditions of various kinds plague people and have since Adam and Eve. First, from massive pandemics to simple acne an individual’s sense of temporariness and mortality are intensified. Second, relational unrest carries the cloud of long-term insecurity. Third, multiple religions offer their wares in the market place of the unknown and unseen. Healing being one.
In Jesus Christ these three conditions meet in the Cross. For disciples of Jesus the Cross is where we start. Paul begins and centers all his teaching in the Cross, “2For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. 3I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling. 4My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, 5so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power (1Cor.2:2-5 NIV).” Four things to note in this passage: he comes to them physically in person (vs.2), in emotion (vs.3), in heart (vs.4) and his spirit in the Spirit (vs.4-5). Paul placed each under the power of the Cross, “For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel—not with words of human wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power (1Cor.1:17).” The Cross is the ultimate healing for mankind’s separated condition. It is the beginning of God’s plan of restoration.
What happened before the Cross was a growing separation between man and God. Eternal aloneness and separation of every human from God would result if God had not taken the initiative to correct the devil’s plan beginning with Adam and Eve to disrupt personal faith in God. His goal? To wrest control of creation from God as though such a thing were possible. Aloneness, self-centeredness, pride, fear and evil are the proofs of his sinful nature’s attempt to destroy man’s heart. These are the weaknesses the devil exploits to lure us away from God, the traps that block wholeness and need healing. Healing is part of the restoration of a spiritual relationship with God.
Returning to God through a relationship with His Son is the first step in healing. It is faith at the beginning and faith at the end. So spiritual healing is the first step in His plan because God is Spirit and it starts by restoring the spiritual relationship between His creatures and Him.
Jesus’ healings, miracles and teachings are the ways He restores the minds, hearts and souls of his estranged people. The plan is spiritual first because that is the nature of God, His kingdom and human destiny. The emotional and physical healings that take place as the result of Jesus’ ministry all point to the power of the Spirit and how the physical serves the spiritual. So, whether it is a withered arm, a hurt leg, a non-hearing ear, a blind eye, a skin disease or an interior ailment; all point to a spiritual brokenness that has crippled the ability of the spirit in a person to move spiritually.
To function in the Spirit as God intended He heals some emotionally, some physically to show the power of the Spirit and the presence of His risen Son. But the bottom line in whatever healing takes place is the real point of healing and that is faith. Restoring faith is more important than physical or emotional healing because it is grace through faith that enables us to personally relate to God. Jesus did not heal all infirmities, diseases and brokenness. Those He did were to show that spiritual restoration was not only possible but always available through faith. Healings are faith restorers, faith builders and faith strengtheners. This is the meaning of the following passage, ”But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed (Is.53:5).”
Therefore there are those in the Body who, because of the measure of faith given them, are gifted in a way that, through prayer and the laying on of hands, healing results in one of the three afflictions or blocks to restoration. 1Cor.12:9 tells us that there are ‘gifts of healing.’ Note the plural here indicating healing will occur in mind, body, heart and spirit. Modern medicine, education, technology, psycho-social advances and biblical research have opened up tremendous avenues that can assist in bringing mankind back to God.
The final point the Cross of Jesus makes here is that death is not the end but because of Jesus’ sacrifice it was defeated and therefore becomes an entry to eternal life. The Resurrection of Jesus proves the work of the Cross for our healing. What the devil meant for our destruction God has turned around for our benefit. Through faith, the ultimate healing, we have an everlasting relationship with God in Jesus by the power of the Spirit. The other healings are those that enable us to serve Him in this world and are reminders not only of His presence and power but also of His love for all people. Healing is a means not an end. Faith, hope and love are forever and healing is God’s means to a perfect end in faith. Again, “But it was our sins that did that to him, that ripped and tore and crushed him—our sins! He took the punishment, and that made us whole. Through his bruises we get healed (Is.53:5 The Message Bible).”
More on gifts…stay tuned………
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Comment by jacque Wright on March 15, 2010 at 10:25pm
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Glad you're back and writing. This article on healing was so "right on". The most wonderful healing of all is within our hearts. As we put all of our love and trust in God our Father; there is no end to what God will do for and in us. Healing really does come through our faith in Him. Thank you again for your words of wisdom.
Jacque
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