Gospel in a Minute
Peter told his hearers that faith in Jesus was the key to the miracle they just witnessed.
And on the basis of faith in His name, it is the name of Jesus which has strengthened this man whom you see and know; and the faith which comes through Him has given him this perfect health in the presence of you all. Acts 3:16 (NASB)
Principle: The Jesus who forgives sin is the same One who heals.
The Bible makes it clear that forgiveness of sins and physical healing are linked. When Jesus was being interrogated by Jewish leaders for having the audacity to declare that a man’s sins were forgiven, he asked the crowd:
"Which is easier, to say, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up, and walk'? 6 "But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins"—then He *said to the paralytic, "Get up, pick up your bed and go home." 7 And he got up and went home. 8 But when the crowds saw this, they were awestruck, and glorified God, who had given such authority to men. Matthew 9:5-8 (NASB)
Rather than accept the challenge to provide the Holy Spirit with an opportunity to demonstrate Jesus’ power to forgive sins by offering to pray for the sick, many sharers of the gospel theologically choose to divorce his authority to forgive sins from his power to provide physical healing, something the Bible does not do. Is this because we are afraid he will not heal?
Jesus understood that to us physical healing seems more difficult, which is why he still uses it to convince people of the truth of the gospel.
The Jesus who forgives sins is the same One who heals.
But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed. Isaiah 53:5 (NASB)
