Devotionals
I've always said that salvation is like a multi-faceted diamond in that the very word "Salvation" has many different meanings.
One Greek word for "Saved" is "Sozo" and means, "1) to save, keep safe and sound, to rescue from danger or destruction a) one (from injury or peril) 1) to save a suffering one (from perishing), i.e. one suffering from disease, to make well, heal, restore to health 1) to preserve one who is in danger of destruction, to save or rescue b) to save in the technical biblical sense 1) negatively a) to deliver from the penalties of the Messianic judgment b) to save from the evils which obstruct the reception of the Messianic deliverance."
As you can see salvation can mean to keep safe and sound, to rescue from danger, to preserve and to heal, to make well and to restore to health.
One of the first areas of salvation that God introduced me to personally was that of the healing of the body. Often throughout the New Testament we find that God worked in this way to bring a person to the Truth about their redemption in Christ Jesus, after all, what better way to get someone to listen to your message than through a miraculous healing?
Today many Christians simply do not know that when Christ took away their sins, He also took their sicknesses as well. The prophet Isaiah wrote in Isaiah 53:4,
Surely he hath borne our griefs , and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
Take a closer at these two words, "Griefs" and "Sorrows" and you will find that they are the Hebrew words "Choliy" and "Makob" The Hebrew word "Choliy" means, "sickness" and the word "Makob" means, "1) pain, sorrow a) pain (physical) b) pain (mental)"
In the King James Version "Choliy" is found 24 times throughout the Old Testament and is translated as " sickness" 12 times, "disease" 7 times , " grief" 4 times, and "sick " 1 time. The Hebrew word "Makob" is found 16 times and is translated as " sorrow" 12 times, "pain" 2 times, and " grief" 2 times.
This verse could just as easily read:
"Surely He hath borne our sicknesses and carried away our spiritual, mental and physical pains."
Note that Jesus did not carry His own sicknesses but rather He carried ours, that being the case why then are many Christians still trying to carry what He has already carried away for them?
Dear believer realize you don't have to go around sick, distressed, lacking peace or anything else because God has already provided all your needs through the finished work of Jesus His Son.
This article is an excerpt of Gracespirations Daily Devotion by Paul Rupe.
Paul has served as an associate pastor as well as a number of other positions in his local fellowship. He currently is web administrator for Gracespirations Daily Devotion an outreach of Teleo Ministries.
You can visit Paul online at http://teleoministries.blogspot.com
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Nice to hear from you:) Actually a common misconception is that Paul wasn't healed but if you look a little closer into the text you will find that not only was Paul trying to get what he already had (as many Christians do today) but God told him that his grace was sufficient.
In the aformentioned text it says,
And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.
For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.
And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 2 Corinthians 12:7-9
It's interesting when you look into the Greek text at what you will find that aren't seen clearly through an English translation.
For one...when God says that His grace is sufficient for Paul it's important to understand that God never said anything similar to what many imply today; God never says, "No Paul, I will not heal you."
The Greek word "Sufficient" in this verse is, "Arkeo" and means, "1) to be possessed of unfailing strength a) to be strong, to suffice, to be enough 1) to defend, ward off b) to be satisfied, to be contented"
So God said to Paul, "My grace is unfailing, it is strong, it is enough, it defends you, it wards off this messenger of satan for you."
So completely the opposite of what many suggest, God was saying here that His grace warded off this demon that was trying to oppress Paul.
It's my belief that Paul made the same mistake that many Christians make today - they are trying to get God to do something when, in reality, God has already done something and that something is that He has given us the victory already through our Lord Jesus Christ :)