Jesus' Provision for Forgiveness and Healing
Author: Hugh H. Morgan
The early church anointed and prayed for the sick that they might be healed. They combined that prayer of faith by declaring that a person's sins would be forgiven.
This is what James wrote in his letter in the New Testament: "Is anyone among you sick? Let him [her] call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him [her], anointing him [her] with oil in the Name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him [her] up. And if he [she] has committed sins, he [she] will be forgiven" (James 5:14-15 NKJV).
The greatest evidence of God's love for us in the fact that Jesus died for us while we were still sinners. The Apostle Paul wrote, "But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Rom 5:8 NIV).
During the earthly ministry of Jesus Matthew tells the story of a paralyzed man who was brought to Jesus by four of his friends. Because they could not get inside the house where Jesus was speaking and healing the sick, they went to the roof and lowered this man to floor in front of Jesus.
Matthew tells it this way:
Mark 2:2-12
So many gathered that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and He preached the Word to them. 3 Some men came, bringing to Him a paralytic, carried by four of them. 4 Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus and, after digging through it, lowered the mat the paralyzed man was lying on. 5 When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven."
6 Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, 7 "Why does this fellow talk like that? He's blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?"
8 Immediately Jesus knew in His spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and He said to them, "Why are you thinking these things? 9 Which is easier: to say to the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up, take your mat and walk'? 10 But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins . . . ." He said to the paralytic, 11 "I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home." 12 He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, "We have never seen anything like this!"
NIV
It is because of Jesus' sacrificial death upon the cross that we, too, can be forgiven of our sins and healed of our sickness or disease.
One of my favorite hymns of the church is "Great is Thy Faithfulness." In the stanza is Biblical theology. The writer penned these beautiful words:
"Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth, Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide, strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow, blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!"
The Psalmist inspired us with these words of hope and healing:
Psalm 103:1-5
Praise the Lord, O my soul;
all my inmost being, praise His holy Name.
2 Praise the Lord, O my soul,
and forget not all His benefits —
3 Who forgives all your sins
and heals all your diseases,
4 Who redeems your life from the pit
and crowns you with love and compassion,
5 Who satisfies your desires with good things
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.
NIV
Jesus is the Great Physician. It is a good thing to come to Him for healing when we are sick, and come to Him when we need to find forgiveness. We read in the Book of Jeremiah these words about healing:
Jeremiah 8:22
22 Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why then is not the health of the daughter of my people restored? [Because Zion no longer enjoyed the presence of the Great Physician!] [Ex 15:26.]
AMP
In the Gospel of Matthew there is a remarkable story of a woman who had a disease for twelve years. It is important to take a look again at what she said within herself concerning a belief that she could be healed by Jesus. She must have spoken these words over and over again when she learned of the healing power of Jesus:
20 And, behold, a woman, which was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind Him, and touched the hem of His garment:
21 For she said within herself, If I may but touch His garment, I shall be whole.
22 But Jesus turned Him about, and when He saw her, He said, Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour.
(Matthew 9:20-22, KJV).
Because of this woman's severe hemorrhage she was ceremonially unclean. However, she did not allow that restriction to keep her from reaching Jesus. The fact that Jesus declared her made whole and that she was a daughter clearly indicates that this miraculous healing included salvation.
She touched Jesus with faith to believe she would be healed and so it was so as well as her salvation when Jesus called her a daughter.
Peter wrote these words about healing as a part of the atonement, "Who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness — by Whose stripes you were healed" (1 Peter 2:24 NKJV).
What a great God and a loving and compassion Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. He continues to provide forgiveness of sins and healing. They go together like twins.
May I offer a prayer for you?
Dear Lord Jesus,
I praise and thank You for all the benefits that You have given me. You have forgiven all my sins and removed them as far as the east is from the west--never to remember them again. You have healed all my diseases. I claim my healing and thank you for forgiving me. I believe and receive Your healing as You have saved me, in Your most holy Name, the Name of Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior. Amen.
Author: Hugh H. Morgan
The early church anointed and prayed for the sick that they might be healed. They combined that prayer of faith by declaring that a person's sins would be forgiven.
This is what James wrote in his letter in the New Testament: "Is anyone among you sick? Let him [her] call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him [her], anointing him [her] with oil in the Name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him [her] up. And if he [she] has committed sins, he [she] will be forgiven" (James 5:14-15 NKJV).
The greatest evidence of God's love for us in the fact that Jesus died for us while we were still sinners. The Apostle Paul wrote, "But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Rom 5:8 NIV).
During the earthly ministry of Jesus Matthew tells the story of a paralyzed man who was brought to Jesus by four of his friends. Because they could not get inside the house where Jesus was speaking and healing the sick, they went to the roof and lowered this man to floor in front of Jesus.
Matthew tells it this way:
Mark 2:2-12
So many gathered that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and He preached the Word to them. 3 Some men came, bringing to Him a paralytic, carried by four of them. 4 Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus and, after digging through it, lowered the mat the paralyzed man was lying on. 5 When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven."
6 Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, 7 "Why does this fellow talk like that? He's blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?"
8 Immediately Jesus knew in His spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and He said to them, "Why are you thinking these things? 9 Which is easier: to say to the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up, take your mat and walk'? 10 But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins . . . ." He said to the paralytic, 11 "I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home." 12 He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, "We have never seen anything like this!"
NIV
It is because of Jesus' sacrificial death upon the cross that we, too, can be forgiven of our sins and healed of our sickness or disease.
One of my favorite hymns of the church is "Great is Thy Faithfulness." In the stanza is Biblical theology. The writer penned these beautiful words:
"Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth, Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide, strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow, blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!"
The Psalmist inspired us with these words of hope and healing:
Psalm 103:1-5
Praise the Lord, O my soul;
all my inmost being, praise His holy Name.
2 Praise the Lord, O my soul,
and forget not all His benefits —
3 Who forgives all your sins
and heals all your diseases,
4 Who redeems your life from the pit
and crowns you with love and compassion,
5 Who satisfies your desires with good things
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.
NIV
Jesus is the Great Physician. It is a good thing to come to Him for healing when we are sick, and come to Him when we need to find forgiveness. We read in the Book of Jeremiah these words about healing:
Jeremiah 8:22
22 Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why then is not the health of the daughter of my people restored? [Because Zion no longer enjoyed the presence of the Great Physician!] [Ex 15:26.]
AMP
In the Gospel of Matthew there is a remarkable story of a woman who had a disease for twelve years. It is important to take a look again at what she said within herself concerning a belief that she could be healed by Jesus. She must have spoken these words over and over again when she learned of the healing power of Jesus:
20 And, behold, a woman, which was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind Him, and touched the hem of His garment:
21 For she said within herself, If I may but touch His garment, I shall be whole.
22 But Jesus turned Him about, and when He saw her, He said, Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour.
(Matthew 9:20-22, KJV).
Because of this woman's severe hemorrhage she was ceremonially unclean. However, she did not allow that restriction to keep her from reaching Jesus. The fact that Jesus declared her made whole and that she was a daughter clearly indicates that this miraculous healing included salvation.
She touched Jesus with faith to believe she would be healed and so it was so as well as her salvation when Jesus called her a daughter.
Peter wrote these words about healing as a part of the atonement, "Who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness — by Whose stripes you were healed" (1 Peter 2:24 NKJV).
What a great God and a loving and compassion Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. He continues to provide forgiveness of sins and healing. They go together like twins.
May I offer a prayer for you?
Dear Lord Jesus,
I praise and thank You for all the benefits that You have given me. You have forgiven all my sins and removed them as far as the east is from the west--never to remember them again. You have healed all my diseases. I claim my healing and thank you for forgiving me. I believe and receive Your healing as You have saved me, in Your most holy Name, the Name of Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior. Amen.