Healing
Will you be made whole?
John 5:1-24
With every fibre of my being I believe the word of God is so powerful that it can transform any and every life; there is sufficient power in God's word to make that which does not appear to appear (Hebrews 11:3) There is liberating power in every word that proceeds from His lips, the psalmist tells us, ‘He sent His word and healed them’ (Psalm. 107:20)
Gods word has never changed we have, we start in simple faith in God, we trust him for salvation and then end up with a complicated faith that’s dead and without power because its based on man's theology or doctrine.
The psalmist David put it this ways, ‘Before I was afflicted I went astray; but now have I kept your word. And again, ‘It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn your statutes (Psalm. 119:67-71).
If afflictions will bring us to the place where we finally see that we cannot live by bread alone, but must partake of every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God (Luke 4:4) they will have served a good purpose.
We need to realize that there is a life of purity, a life made clean through the word He has spoken. There is a place were he draws us where through faith we can glorify God with a body that is free from sickness, as well as with a spirit set free from the bondage of Satan.
At the pool of Bethesda they lay, a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, around the pool, waiting for the moving of the water. Did Jesus heal everybody? We are not told either way but I am sure there were many who had their eyes on the pool and who had no eyes for Jesus. Things do not change much do they for there are many today who have their confidence in things they can see? Oh; if they would only get their eyes on God instead of on natural things, how quickly they would be helped.
So here they were around the pool; and this man had been there a long time. His infirmity was of thirty eight years standing. Now and again an opportunity would come, as the angel stirred the waters, but his heart would drop and his hope would be dashed as he saw another step in and be healed before him.
But one day Jesus was passing that way, and seeing him lying there in that sad condition, enquired, ‘Will you be made whole?
Listen; Jesus said it then and His word is from everlasting to everlasting so this is His word to you today, if your sick, tried and tested. You may say, like this poor impotent man, ‘I have missed every opportunity up till now’ Listen, ever mind the past events and past disappointment for Christ enquires today ‘Will you be made whole?
See this poor, helpless man at the pool. ‘Will you be made whole? He is asked but there is a difficulty in the way for like so many the man has one eye on the pool and one on Jesus. Things don’t change much from one generation to another do they for even Christians have one eye on the doctor and one on Jesus?
Listen now; if you will only look to Christ and put both your eyes on Him you can be made every bit whole, spirit, soul and body. It is the word of the living God that they that believe should be justified, made free from all things and he whom the Son sets free is free indeed.
What are your eyes fixed on?
The bible promises that ‘He will keep us in perfect ‘peace’ whose mind is stayed on Him’ Isaiah 26:3
The word peace here is ‘shalom’ which means health, safety, well being, favour, wholeness, prosperity and of course peace of mind. However it will never be ours when we have one eye on the pool of doctor’s advice or on the pool of theology and the foolish half trusts so often spun from pulpits.
God’s peace comes to us when both eyes are totally fixed on Christ, when our whole being agrees with what he says and disregards the lies of the enemy.
Someone said to me recently ‘Jesus never healed all those at the pool of Bethesda’ I asked her what Jesus had for breakfast that day? To which she rightly replied ‘I don’ know the bible doesn’t say’
I said ‘that’s right but neither does it say Jesus never healed anyone else that day’
One thing for sure they had the opportunity, all they had to do was to take their eyes off the pool and to ask Christ to make them free and as always he would have healed them.
Jesus meant this man at the pool to be a testimony forever. When the man finally had both eyes on Jesus, He said to him, ‘Rise, take up thy bed, and walk’ And so this impotent man when he heard the word and as he began to rise he found the power of God moving within him, he simply gathered up his bed and began to walk off.
Regretfully it was the Sabbath day, and there were some of those folks around who think much more of a day than they do of the Lord; and they began to upset to say the least, the crippled man did not say wait until tomorrow it’s the Sabbath, no; he looked to Christ who is our Sabbath rest and got healed.
When the power of God is in manifestation, a protest will always come from some religious people, they don’t mind you preaching the word but well dare you demonstrate what you believe... Later Jesus met the man again; and this time He said to him, ‘See, you are made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto you.
The question arises, is salvation and healing for all?
Yes it is, it’s for all who will press right in and are determined to get their portion. Remember the case of the Syrophenician woman? (Matthew 15:22-28) She wanted the devil cast out of her daughter. Jesus said to her, ‘let the children first be filled’ for it is not right to take the children's bread, and to cast it unto the dogs’
See here that healing and deliverance are here spoken of by the Lord as ‘the children's bread’; so, if you are a child of God, you can surely press in for your portion of divinely purchased health. It does not take a great deal of faith; a crumb not a whole loaf was enough to set this woman’s daughter free so why wait? Simply be bold and ask…
This concerned mother was determined to get from the Lord what she was after, and she said, ‘Yes, Lord: yet the dogs under the table eat of the children's crumbs’
Jesus was amazed by her faith and He told her, ‘For this saying go thy way; the devil is gone out of thy daughter’
The Syrophenician woman (an outcast as far as Gods chosen people the Jews were concerned) went home and found that the devil had indeed gone out of her daughter.
It never ceases to amaze me how Gods elect, his redeemed can fill their minds with so much doubt while the worldly simply believe and receive from Him, can it be that we believe the devils lies quicker than the word of truth that Jesus said would make us free? (John 8:32)
One man I visited some years ago said of his affliction ‘I've come to the conclusion that I like the Apostle Paul have a thorn in the flesh’ I replied, ‘What great degree of righteousness have you gained that you have to have a thorn in the flesh? Have you had such an abundance of divine revelations that there is danger of your being exalted above measure?"
He replied defensively, ‘I believe it is the Lord who is causing me to suffer’ I said, If you believe it is the Lord's will for you to suffer, why then are you taking medicine are you trying to rob this God of yours? I told him to forget the idea that he was so holy that God would afflict him, and told him that sin and self righteousness was the cause of his sickness and not righteousness. ‘Disease is not caused by righteousness, but by sin’
Of course there is a close relationship between sin and sickness. How many know that their sickness is a direct result of sin? But if you will obey God and repent of your sin and quit it, God will meet you, and neither your sickness nor your sin will remain. ‘The prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he has committed sins, they shall be forgiven him’ (James 5:14-16)
‘Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you’ The Lord does not heal so that you can continue to sin. He heals you for His glory and that from the moment He touches you your life should glorify Him.
Today there are many children of God refusing their blood bought health in Christ and are throwing it away because of wrong teaching and thus lack of faith, they do so while sinners are pressing through and picking it up from under the table, as it were, and are finding the cure not only for their bodies, but for their spirits and souls as well. Today there is still the bread of life, and there is health for every child of God through God’s all-powerful Word never changing word.
The Word of God can drive every disease away from your body, it is your portion in Christ, it is your inheritance, it is your divine blood bought gift from Him who is our bread of life not death, our life, our health, our strength, our all in all.
One deluded brother tried to say sickness is part of life because we are in a fallen world and he is somewhat right, however since Calvary there is an answer to all sin, you may be deep in sin but because of the blood of Christ you can come to Him in repentance, and He will forgive, cleanse and heal you. You may live in a fallen world but you don’t have to fall, Christ has redeemed you, he has justified you and made you his own.
Gods words are spirit and life to those who will receive them for there is a promise in the last verse in Joel, ‘I will cleanse their blood that I have not cleansed’ here he says He will provide new life within, a life which will lead to forgiveness, and liberty.
We may be in the world but we are not of the world and as such the devil and sickness has no power over us, we are of God who in Christ has made us new creatures. (2 Corinthians 5:17) Christ removed the curse of the law for it is written ‘Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, cursed is everyone who hangs upon a tree’ that the blessing that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the gentiles (you and I) through Jesus Christ. (Galatians 3:13-14)
Abraham lived a long and fruitful life, he didn’t die of cancer or some sickness he died in his sleep he wasn’t a penniless beggar either because God blessed him with abundance. That’s the blessing God has for us to live in not some get me through today and it will be enough, but a vibrant God serving, dynamic, nation changing life.
In Proverbs 4:22 we read ‘My words are life to those to those that find them and health to all their flesh’ not the word of some theologian or the word of any man, rather it’s the word of the living God that brings life and health. Notice too that Gods word brings health to ‘all our flesh’ not just some parts but to all parts that are painful and diseased, complete wholeness of mind, soul and body.
The life of Jesus Christ, God's Son, the ‘word of God’ which became flesh (John 1:14) can so purify men's hearts and minds that they become entirely transformed, spirit, soul and body.
There is healing through the blood of Christ and deliverance for every captive. God never intended any of His children to live in misery because of some affliction that comes directly from the devil, Calvary’s atonement was a perfect and finished work, and nothing needed to be added to it.
With all that’s within me I believe that Jesus bore my sins, and I am free from them all. I am justified from all things because I dare to believe and take God at his word. Christ Him self took our infirmities and bare our sicknesses; (Matthew 8:17) and because I dare believe, I can live in divinely purchased health.
You may say like the man at the pool of Bethesda, ‘Oh, if I only could believe!’ Listen Christ understands, Jesus knew the crippled man had been a long time in that condition, he knew the man had little hope of winning the Bethesda healing lottery. Christ is not some stone statue, He is full of compassion, He knows your trouble, He knows your pain, and He knows your suffering, for He himself took our infirmities and carried our sicknesses (Matthew 8:17)
He only desires to encourage you to believe Him. Christ Him self took our infirmities and bare our sicknesses; (Matthew 8:17) and because I dare believe, I can live in divinely purchased health.
Dare to believe that Jesus was wounded for your transgressions, dare to believe that he was bruised for your iniquities, dare to believe that he was chastised that you might have peace, dare to believe that by His stripes there is healing for you right here and now.
God has not failed you anymore than one of his good promises could fail; you have failed your self because you have not believed Him. Cry out to Him even now, ‘Lord, I believe, help my unbelief’
Oh, if we only truly knew Jesus! One touch of His power mends every crooked, broken thing, every wounded soul and every hurting body. The difficulty heaven faces is to get people to fully believe in Him and in His word, we act like he is a carpenters son and not the Son of God and in doing so never receive from Him. The simplicity of God’s salvation is wonderful, one touch of living faith in Christ is all that is required, and wholeness is assured.
‘All of Gods promises are in Christ yes and in him amen to the glory of God.’ (2 Corinthians 1:20) ‘All things are possible to him that believes’ (Mark 9:23) what an awesome name the name of Jesus is for there is enough power in that name to save and to heal the whole world.
Adams sin created a dreadful and fallen world but God is the great redeemer! We read that, when God brought forth His people from Egypt, ‘there was not one feeble person among their tribes’ (Ps. 105:37). No disease! All healed, all kept safe by the power of God! This same God is the same unchanging saviour today in our lives and I believe that God wants his people to be healthy today. Feebleness and sickness is not of God!!
Faith is the open door through which the Lord comes to heal and to save, simply believe, and the virtue of Christ flows, the same virtue that flowed into the body of the woman with the issue of blood (Mark 5:34) will flow through anyone who presses through in determined faith. Healing is for the glory of God; sickness and infirmities do nothing to bring God glory indeed the only one who revels in it is its author, Satan.
The man at the pool of Bethesda may not have demonstrated much faith but he revealed his need, took his eyes off the pool and his condition and Christ healed him, the Syrophenician woman and the woman with the issue of blood had such faith Christ commended them for their ‘great faith’ You see; determined faith does not take no for an answer, it pushes through every obstacle and jumps every hurdle to get to Christ the mighty to save, the great physician and Lord of all.
The Lord would so cleanse the motive and desires of our hearts that we will seek but one thing only, and that is, His glory. The power of God is just the same today as of old, surely we need who call Him Lord need to be taken back to straight paths, to the simple bible believing faith, to believe God's Word and every ‘Thus says the Lord’.
The Spirit of the Lord is moving in these days, its time to arise from sleep and to walk in his truth and power to walk away from deceit and half truths and into all the benefits of a forgiving, healing God. (Psalm 103:2-3)
‘Will you be made whole? What a question, it awaits an answer for it is Jesus who asks it, give Him your answer for He will hear, and He will answer and meet your need today.
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