Category: The Amazing New Covenant

Healing Part 6 – Understanding, Embracing, and Exercising Delegated Authority

Today many people are quite uncomfortable with having or exercising authority. It is commonplace for adults to ask small children to call them by their first names, choosing to be on familiar terms with the very young instead of teaching them to respect their elders. My opinion is this aversion to being in authority is directly related to a refusal to be under proper authority. We seldom wish to be what we despise.

As Christ’s modern day representatives, we have the privilege of continuing Christ’s ministry on the earth. This will be hindered unless we come to terms with exercising our delegated authority in Christ.

The Roman Centurion, who asked Jesus to heal his servant, grasped the nature of the authority Jesus had.

When Jesus returned to Capernaum, a Roman officer came and pleaded with him, 6  “Lord, my young servant lies in bed, paralyzed and in terrible pain.” 7  Jesus said, “I will come and heal him.” 8  But the officer said, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come into my home. Just say the word from where you are, and my servant will be healed. 9  I know this because I am under the authority of my superior officers, and I have authority over my soldiers. I only need to say, ‘Go,’ and they go, or ‘Come,’ and they come. And if I say to my slaves, ‘Do this,’ they do it.” 10  When Jesus heard this, he was amazed. Turning to those who were following him, he said, “I tell you the truth, I haven’t seen faith like this in all Israel! Matthew 8:5-10 (NLT)

Authority and faith are linked. Faith is able to receive and exercise God’s authority; therefore, understanding the nature and extent of delegated authority is crucial.

The centurion understood that Jesus was on mission from God, and, as his representative, had been given the authority to get the job done. The one having authority is not always required to back up that authority personally. It takes power to enforce authority. The Holy Spirit is God’s enforcer. When Jesus spoke in God’s name, the Holy Spirit made what he said happen. The same is true for us today.

The Spirit of the LORD is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free, Luke 4:18 (NLT)

Jesus was a delegated proclaimer of good news and God’s kingdom. He exercised the authority of that kingdom and was backed up by the Enforcer, the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit is the One who made Jesus’ words and commands effective when it came to healing, casting out evil spirits, and raising the dead.

But if I am casting out demons by the Spirit of God, then the Kingdom of God has arrived among you. Matthew 12:28 (NLT)

We would never ask or beg an evil spirit to leave a person and to cease to oppress him or her, just as a police officer does not beg an offender to please give up. A peace officer must be comfortable using the authority given to him or her in order to be effective, and so must we.

Jesus gave his disciples specific authority, and by extension that includes us and all the disciples who would follow him through the centuries.

Look, I have given you authority over all the power of the enemy, and you can walk among snakes and scorpions and crush them. Nothing will injure you. 20  But don’t rejoice because evil spirits obey you; rejoice because your names are registered in heaven.” Luke 10:19-20 (NLT)

Satan stole the authority God delegated to Adam by deceiving him into submitting to him instead of God. Satan still gives some measure of evil authority to those who serve him, but God’s authority always overrules Satan’s. The evil power released by the exercise of satanic authority is no match for the power of the one true God. (1 John 4:4)

It is our responsibility to release God’s power through exercising the authority we have in Christ.

When Jesus died on the cross and subsequently rose from the dead, he completely defeated Satan and his minions.

In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross. Colossians 2:15 (NLT)

After Jesus’ resurrection, all authority in heaven and on earth was given to him. (Matthew 28:18) Our Lord now sits in heaven on God’s throne waiting until all his enemies have been effectively subjugated by his people who operate in his authority, backed up by the Holy Spirit’s power.

God raised Jesus from the dead, and we are all witnesses of this. 33  Now he is exalted to the place of highest honor in heaven, at God’s right hand. And the Father, as he had promised, gave him the Holy Spirit to pour out upon us, just as you see and hear today. 34  For David himself never ascended into heaven, yet he said, ‘The LORD said to my Lord, “Sit in the place of honor at my right hand 35  until I humble your enemies, making them a footstool under your feet.”’ 36  “So let everyone in Israel know for certain that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, to be both Lord and Messiah!” Acts 2:32-36 (NLT) 

The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. May the grace of our Lord Jesus be with you. Romans 16:20 (NLT)

Satan has been defeated and rendered ineffective to exercise dominion over the church. Nevertheless, God left him in place in this fallen world so that the church could learn to exercise Christ’s authority as representatives of the kingdom of God. We are being prepared to rule and reign with Christ for eternity.

Much of our ministry here on earth is an exercise of Christ’s authority. The gospel is an announcement that all who put their faith and allegiance in Christ will be made right with God. Why do we have the right to say such things? God has given us authority to speak in his name. When we cast out evil spirits, we do so in the name or authority of our Lord. The Holy Spirit will enforce our words. Deliverance is never a power struggle between Christ’s followers and evil spirits. It is an authority issue. We have to know where we stand; otherwise, demons will try to bluff their way into continuing to oppress their hosts.

The same is true when it comes to healing. I do not recall our Lord ever begging his Father to heal someone. Instead he usually commanded people to be healed or simply announced that God had healed them, using the authority he had from God. I will leave you the joy of searching out the scriptures to see if this is so. Christ is our example. His ministry is our pattern.

The early disciples exercised their authority to heal, in obedience to our Lord’s command.

Jesus sent out the twelve apostles with these instructions... 7  Go and announce to them that the Kingdom of Heaven is near. 8  Heal the sick, raise the dead, cure those with leprosy, and cast out demons. Give as freely as you have received! Matthew 10:5-8 (NLT)

Jesus did not instruct them to “ask me to heal the sick.” He told them to heal and otherwise exercise his authority, which had been given to them.

If we are uncomfortable exercising our God given authority, we will be hindered in representing Christ properly in the healing ministry.

It is a little strange when we first start using our authority, just as I imagine it is somewhat uncomfortable for newly graduated police officers to command offenders to submit to their commands. I remember when I first assumed responsibility as the pastor of the church plant in Burlington. I had never before had people honor me as the pastor by calling me by that title. I had to get used to my new role. Likewise, we must become acclimated to exercising Christ’s authority.

Practically speaking, we must move from merely asking God to heal people to commanding them to be healed.

Does that seem like a stretch? If so, it is because we have not yet understood and embraced the authority we have as Christ’s ambassadors. Why not give it a try? We might be surprised at the results. Let’s be willing to take the risk. Let the Spirit be our guide. Learn from experience. Don’t be afraid of making a mistake. Don’t worry about looking foolish. Get out on a limb where God is able to demonstrate how remarkably powerful he is. If we do these things, we will be able to share some amazing testimonies in days to come of how God used us to bless others and glorify himself.

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Healing Part 5 – What can we do to see more healings?

Those who believe that Christ paid the price for our physical healing when he was beaten by Roman soldiers are faced with a challenging question. If the Holy Spirit is still distributing spiritual gifts as the Bible indicates (1 Corinthians 12:11), why do we do not see more healings today? As was covered in the previous article, cessationists “solve” this problem by denying that God still heals. Since that is not an option for us, we must consider other possibilities. This article is dedicated to help us overcome obstacles to healing.

Overcoming Ignorance

One big reason people do not receive more from God is because they do not even know what God has given to us. The Holy Spirit has been given to us to open our understanding through revelation.

And we have received God’s Spirit (not the world’s spirit), so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us. 1 Corinthians 2:12 (NLT)

If we are to overcome the obstacle of ignorance, we must apply ourselves to studying and meditating on what the Bible teaches on the subject. Being apathetic toward God’s marvelous provision for us is sinful.

The Bible teaches us that it is God’s will to heal. It is his very nature, as revealed in Exodus 15:26. Jesus confirmed this truth through his actions and words. When the leper asked Jesus to heal him, if he were willing, our Lord responded: “I am willing.” (Luke 5:12-13) The woman with internal bleeding was healed by touching Jesus’ garment, without his even consciously willing it. When our faith connects with God’s provision, healing flows. Jesus already paid for our healing on the cross. Why should we not expect him to give us what he paid for?

Defeat Unbelief

The Gospel of Matthew reveals that unbelief is a hindrance to our receiving anything from God.

And they were deeply offended and refused to believe in him. Then Jesus told them, “A prophet is honored everywhere except in his own hometown and among his own family.” 58  And so he did only a few miracles there because of their unbelief. Matthew 13:57-58 (NLT)

Jesus often said, “Be it done unto you according to your faith.” In Nazareth the people limited their ability to receive from Jesus because of their unbelief.

Unbelief and pride show that our hearts are hard, which shuts down our ability to understand, believe, and receive (Mark 6:52). Conversely, repentance and humility open our hearts to God and produce fertile soil for faith.

Jesus taught that all things are possible to the person who believes (Mark 9:23).

Overcoming unbelief requires us to confront our doubt regarding God’s promises.

I tell you the truth, you can say to this mountain, ‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen. But you must really believe it will happen and have no doubt in your heart. 24  I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you’ve received it, it will be yours. Mark 11:23-24 (NLT)

James, the Lord’s brother and the leader of the church in Jerusalem, wrote that a “double-minded man,” who wavers between faith and unbelief or doubt, will not receive anything from God (James 1:6-8). One way to overcome unbelief is to act as if we believe. I am not suggesting that we become hypocrites, but obedience to God is more about what we do than anything else. Sometimes we must act the part before our feelings catch up.

If anyone chooses to do God's will, he will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own. John 7:17 (NIV)

I remember once the Lord spoke to my heart when I was feeling down about something. He told me, “Why don’t you just act as if everything is going to be alright?” Instantly my attitude completely flipped because I thought, “Of course! Because it is going to be alright.”

We must act as if we have faith in order to help our thinking change and line up with God’s Word. Actions speak louder than words many times. Faith is as faith does.

The same principle applies to worship. At times we do not feel like worshiping, but if we choose to do so anyway, our feelings will often follow the lead of our actions.

We also know from Scripture that the Lord sometimes overrules our unbelief as we haltingly approach him for help, as he did in the case of the desperate father who pleaded with Jesus to heal his son. The father approached Jesus, saying…

The spirit often throws him into the fire or into water, trying to kill him. Have mercy on us and help us, if you can.” 23  “What do you mean, ‘If I can’?” Jesus asked. “Anything is possible if a person believes.” 24  The father instantly cried out, “I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!” Mark 9:22-24 (NLT)

We must remember that when we come to God for help, we are engaging a person who deeply loves us, not a heavenly slot machine that requires a special coin of the realm to get results. God is not looking for magic formulas, incantations, or confessions to wring a healing out of him.

The Lord responds to those who come to him as spiritual paupers, expecting him to hear their cry for help (Matthew 5:3).

When we get our eyes off of ourselves and on to him, real faith automatically engages with an honesty that is refreshing. The man who pleaded with Jesus in Mark chapter nine had true faith, or else he would not have persisted in his pursuit of Jesus.

Abraham’s wife Sarah conceived a miracle son in her old age after laughing in unbelief when God first announced his plan. When the Lord confronted her about it, she added to her unbelief by lying about it by saying she did not laugh. Nevertheless, her fear and unbelief did not block God’s plan for her and ultimately the entire world. Neither did Gideon’s initial timidity block God from using him to miraculously deliver Israel. Other examples can be given of how God was able to work in and through people who were very much works in progress regarding faith.

The good news is that when God chooses to heal someone, he is not ultimately limited by our faith level; even though faith is extremely important in the process.

Be Courageous

Lack of courage is a big reason we do not see more healings today.

Many of us are more concerned about looking good in front of people than we are about God’s glory.

We are afraid to pray for healings because what if nothing happens? Won’t I look foolish? That is a risk we must take if we are going to be effective representatives of God’s kingdom. It is a good thing to climb out on a limb of faith, so to speak, where, unless God comes through, we will look foolish. When we put ourselves into a position of publicly believing for God to heal someone, we risk looking bad in front of people, but we also risk seeing a miracle.

I have never experienced a person being angry with me for praying for their healing, even when healing did not appear to take place. Almost always they show gratitude that someone cared enough to pray for them. I have also witnessed amazing healings occur when I publicly prayed for someone to be healed. If we care too much about our reputation, we will not be effective for God. Ironically, those who risk losing their reputations for God’s glory may gain respect in the process. As Jesus said,

If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for me, you will find it. Matthew 10:39 (NLT)

God honors faith. He will back up the confidence we have in him. Once we are sure it is God’s will to heal people, nothing should hold us back from aggressively praying for people.

Follow the Leading of the Holy Spirit

Listening to the voice and promptings of the Holy Spirit is a big key to seeing God do more healings through his people. This is a cultivated skill that only develops by our obeying what he tells us. Hearing God speak to us in our hearts can be quite scary, especially when he tells us to do something well outside of our comfort zones.

The Holy Spirit is God’s administrator here on earth. He is a liberator and healer of people and is looking for those who will let him operate through them. (Isaiah 61:1, Luke 4:18, and Acts 10:38)

Jesus taught that his “sheep”, those of us who are born again, have the ability to hear his voice. (John 10:27) It takes faith to step out in obedience to the Spirit’s promptings. This can be developed by those who are willing to take the risk.

It all boils down to having courage and being willing to fail occasionally in order to succeed in the long run.

If you are not yet very accomplished at following the Spirit’s promptings, ask someone who is to help you develop this skill. This is called being a disciple.

Let us not forget that healing people is God’s idea, not ours. He is far more interested in setting people free than we are. We need to get in step with him.

Listening to God’s voice connects us to what some people call the “rhema” word of God. The “logos” word might be considered to be the eternal promises of God, as written in the Bible.

The “rhema” word of God is when the Spirit speaks directly to our hearts.

Of course, the two must agree, but often the “rhema” word is more specific to our need. We always have the “logos” Word of scripture to rely upon. When the Spirit speaks directly to us, it ignites faith at a whole new level that God intends to do what he says.

Embrace the Mystery that Not Everyone Gets Healed

Books have been written on possible reasons for not receiving healing, the premise being that, if we remove every hindrance, healing will be sure to follow in every case. But is this correct? The Bible teaches us that there is a time to be born and a time to die. (Ecclesiastes 3:2) Elijah the prophet, a man through whom God worked miracles, eventually got sick and died. (2 Kings 13:14) My own father was a man of faith who believed God for healing, but eventually he got sick and died at the age of 93. Our pre-resurrection bodies will not live forever.

Paul, a man through whom the Spirit did many miracles and healings and who wrote some of our most important Bible verses about faith, once left behind a friend who was sick. (2 Timothy 4:20) Jesus did not heal every sick person he met either. Of all those sick and crippled people gathered at the pool of Bethesda, he singled out one man to heal (John 5:2-9). It is true, however, that Jesus healed everyone who asked. (James 4:2)

It is important for us to realize that there is a certain mystery surrounding healing and all other operations of the Spirit, who distributes spiritual gifts according to his will, not ours. (Hebrews 2:4)

The scriptures provide us with what some call the “revealed will” of God. Others call this “logos” truth, that is, what we can count on as being doctrinally true. But there is also what some call the “rhema” will or word of God, which is his specific revealed or “spoken” will for us in a given situation. God has given us his logos truth in the Bible, which is always true. We are to make our stand upon his eternal Word. How and when God fulfills the promises in his Word are up to him. Some might call this his “secret” will.

The LORD our God has secrets known to no one. We are not accountable for them, but we and our children are accountable forever for all that he has revealed to us... Deuteronomy 29:29 (NLT)

To put this is plain English, while it is true that Jesus’ suffering purchased our healing, God reserves to himself how he distributes that benefit in specific situations. Our reference point is the revealed will of God found in the Bible (“through his wounds we are healed”).

When we find ourselves confronted by the need for a miraculous healing, we should “stand” upon his written promises and also ask the Holy Spirit for insight into his specific will for that particular situation.

Let me give a practical example. Usually when I pray for a very old person who seemingly has a terminal illness, I ask for healing according to the revealed will of God in the Bible. However, I am also aware that all of us have been assigned a God-given time to die. Therefore, I listen to the voice of the Spirit in my heart for specific directions as to how to pray. I once had a dear friend who was dying of cancer. When I sought the Lord regarding her situation, I believe I clearly heard him say that she was going to die, that her long period of suffering was coming to an end. This was a person whom God had previously healed miraculously at least twice. It was someone for whom I had joined my faith with hers and her husband’s for one of those big miracles. It was not as if we were lacking faith, but this time was different. As her pastor, my ministry toward her changed after hearing from God that this was her time to go be with him. Instead of holding out a false hope of experiencing physical healing once again, I did my best to prepare her to die well in faith as an example to those of us who observed how she handled things. I am happy to say that she died in faith just as she had previously lived and been healed by faith.

Faith’s goal is to bring glory to God, not just to get what we want.

There is a profound mystery to healing. Some receive a miracle. Others do not, and we should not automatically assign the latter in every case to unbelief. Doing so places an intolerable burden on our shoulders to earn our own healing by exercising the required level of faith. God’s often unknowable reasons and purposes are not ours to command.

There is a dynamic tension between surrender to God’s mysterious will and holding on to God’s revealed promises with unbreakable trust.

Perhaps the greatest biblical example of this attitude in action is found in the case of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. These three brave worshipers of the true God in Daniel’s day were faced with the choice of bowing down before Nebuchadnezzar’s idol or being thrown into a roaring furnace. Here is their famous reply to the king.

If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty. 18  But even if he doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.” Daniel 3:17-18 (NLT)

These men demonstrated great faith through their loyalty to God.

Faithfulness or loyalty to God is what trust in God produces.

The way we can apply this to our own lives with regard to healing is by coming to God with a prayer such as this.

God, I thank you that Jesus paid the price for my healing. I am absolutely convinced that it is your will to heal me and you have the power to set me free from this illness. However, I also realize that sometimes you have secret purposes of which I am unaware. I surrender myself to your loving care and will. I ask you to glorify yourself through me in this situation, either by healing me or giving me the faith and courage to joyfully endure. I am yours to command. I trust you completely.

The author of Hebrews talks about faith that continues to resolutely trust God regardless of whether it gets its desire.

All these people died still believing what God had promised them. They did not receive what was promised, but they saw it all from a distance and welcomed it. They agreed that they were foreigners and nomads here on earth. Hebrews 11:13 (NLT)

I have discovered that when we entrust ourselves to God’s loving will, we put ourselves in the best possible position to receive a miracle.

God is not stingy. He is not weak. He is not wishy-washy about fulfilling his promises. Rather, he paid a tremendous price to procure our healing and is predisposed to bless us beyond our wildest dreams. He delights in those who fully trust in him. When we surrender ourselves to God, our ability to hear what the Holy Spirit whispers in our ears is greatly enhanced. When we discern his “rhema” will in a given situation, we have strong confidence.

So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. Romans 10:17 (ESV)

I remember years ago when I was facing surgery for cancer, I did exactly what I laid out above. I told the Lord that whether I lived or died, I belonged to him. (Philippians 1:20-23) I asked him to glorify himself through me. After praying that, I clearly heard God speak to me as I read the Bible that he was going to heal me. I had no difficulty believing without doubt that this was his revealed will from then on, and that is exactly what happened. At the time of this writing I have been cancer free for 15 years. Thank you, Lord!

When the “rhema” spoken word matches the “logos” written word, our faith will be unbreakable. Faith is open to hear whatever God may speak to us, because we are not afraid of him or what he may tell us.

Conclusion

We can experience physical healing in a greater way when we overcome ignorance, unbelief, and timidity. The more we listen to the Spirit and surrender to God’s glorious purposes for our lives, the greater will be our confidence in God’s power to heal. All that remains for us to do is put what we believe into practice.

Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” John 11:40 (ESV)
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Healing Part 4 – Can We Expect God to Heal People Today?

In my first article in this series, I concluded that the rejection of present day healing is a form of isogesis in which we seek to conform the Word of God to our own experience, rather than allowing it to conform us to it. Those who deny that healing is for today either reject miracles in general, have little or no faith in God’s ability, or embrace a position called cessationism, which holds that the nine spiritual gifts in 1 Corinthians 12:7-11 are no longer available since the completion of the New Testament.

The cessationist presupposition is that once the church had in its possession the written New Testament, we no longer need to rely upon the power of the Spirit to work alongside the verbal proclamation of the gospel message. This is a culturally Greek way of thinking that understands faith as being mostly a mental exercise rather than a holistic (spirit, soul, and body) response to the most dynamic and wonderful proclamation ever made. Cessationists are comfortable with limiting the meaning of God’s Word to what we have experienced, which is a form of humanism. The proper approach is to ask God to bring our experience in line with what the Bible teaches. We should never settle for anything less. It is dangerous to discount our need for the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

Jesus announced in Luke 4:18 that he was in partnership with the Holy Spirit during his earthly ministry. It is impossible to imagine how he could have carried out his mission without the Spirit’s power and the spiritual gifts.

If Jesus depended completely on the Spirit to fulfill his ministry, how much more must we!

Jesus later instructed his disciples to wait until they received the baptism in the Spirit before embarking on fulfilling the Great Commission. (Acts 1:8) Paul wrote to the church in Thessalonica that the gospel had come to them in word and the power of the Spirit. (1 Thessalonians 1:5) The first disciples had the written scriptures from the Old Testament; yet, they needed the power of the Spirit working alongside their gospel presentations to convince people of the truth of their message. Today followers of Christ, who have the written scriptures of the New Testament and Old, still need the gifts and power of the Holy Spirit, perhaps more than ever.

The deception that is upon the world has not decreased. Satan has not gone on vacation. People in general are not persuaded by a mere intellectual argument. We need God’s power to work together with the verbal presentation of the gospel!

Jesus is the same today as yesterday. (Hebrews 13:8) The Holy Spirit has not changed either, nor has our need for him diminished. The gifts of the Spirit, including healing, are very much needed today and are still available to us in Christ.

To each person the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the benefit of all. 8  For one person is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, and another the message of knowledge according to the same Spirit, 9  to another faith by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10  to another performance of miracles, to another prophecy, and to another discernment of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, and to another the interpretation of tongues. 11  It is one and the same Spirit, distributing as he decides to each person, who produces all these things. 1 Corinthians 12:7-11 (NET1)

Rather than deny what we have not experienced personally, we should ask God to let his gifts flow through us to other people. That is the purpose of the gifts. Healing is a demonstration of God’s compassion and power. Jesus showed how much God cares about suffering people by healing and delivering them from demonic oppression.

And you know that God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. Then Jesus went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. Acts 10:38 (NLT)

Jesus promised that his followers would do even greater works than he. (John 14:12) Cessationists limit these greater works to helping people experience the new birth through the verbal gospel message, but where does the Bible teach us to limit our expectations?

The early church expected the Spirit to heal people as part of the gospel proclamation. Jesus did not put an expiration date on his miracle power, and neither should we.

Heal the sick, raise the dead, cure those with leprosy, and cast out demons. Give as freely as you have received! Matthew 10:8 (NLT)
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Healing Part 3 – Why Does God Heal People?

If you read Part 1 and Part 2 of this series of articles, hopefully you are convinced that it is God’s will to heal people today. After all, Jesus is the same today (Hebrews 13:8) as he was when he walked the earth, healing all who were oppressed by the devil (Acts 10:38). This article examines what the Bible says about God’s motivation for healing people.

If we want to join our Lord in the ministry of healing, it is important for us to think as he does.

The more our hearts align with his, the better will be our understanding of his ways, and the easier it will be for us to walk in agreement with him.

And we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him. 15  And since we know he hears us when we make our requests, we also know that he will give us what we ask for. 1 John 5:14-15 (NLT)

The first reason why God heals people is that it is part of his essential nature to heal and restore those he loves. One of the Old Testament compound names of God was Jehovah-Rapha, the Lord who heals you.

He said, “If you will listen carefully to the voice of the LORD your God and do what is right in his sight, obeying his commands and keeping all his decrees, then I will not make you suffer any of the diseases I sent on the Egyptians; for I am the LORD who heals you.” Exodus 15:26 (NLT)

God healed those who were faithful to him in the Old Testament. Under the New Covenant, blessings come to us because of the faithfulness of Christ. He is the One who earned our healing for us, and he paid a great deal for it.

But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed. Isaiah 53:5 (NLT)

My first article in this series goes into great detail regarding the proper interpretation of this verse.

Once a bill has been paid, nothing more is owed. We do not have to earn our healing in any way. It is a gift from a very gracious God whose nature is to heal and restore those he loves.

Compassion for those who are suffering was and is a primary motivation for Jesus to heal people. Once when Jesus was tired from ministry to the crowds who thronged him, he tried to get away for some rest and recuperation. Instead, he found large numbers of people waiting for him when his boat reached the shore. Rather than being disappointed or irritable, this is what the Bible says about Jesus’ attitude.

Jesus saw the huge crowd as he stepped from the boat, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick. Matthew 14:14 (NLT)

Sickness and disease are part of the aftermath of Adam’s first sin. Death entered the world, with sickness being an ever present threat to diminish or end our physical lives.

God promises that in the new heaven and earth that is coming, there will be no sickness, death, suffering, pain, or even sorrow! (Revelation 21:4) As we wait for that glorious day, when God will permanently remove the horrible consequences of sin, our Lord is not content to leave us without remedy. It is his compassionate desire to give us relief through gifts of healing. (1 Corinthians 12:9)

Jesus demonstrated God’s heart in this matter very clearly during his short earthly ministry. (Acts 10:38) He instructed his disciples to operate in the same way.

Go and announce to them that the Kingdom of Heaven is near. 8  Heal the sick, raise the dead, cure those with leprosy, and cast out demons. Give as freely as you have received! Matthew 10:7-8 (NLT)

After Jesus’ resurrection and ascension into heaven, the early church continued to demonstrate God’s love to people through preaching the gospel of reconciliation to God and performing compassionate healings. A reading of the Book of Acts confirms this. The disciples understood that Jesus’ mission of demonstrating God’s love to people was ongoing, and, since Jesus never changes, he expects us to keep it going.

This leads us to another powerful reason God continues to heal today. He uses healing and other miracles and signs to confirm the truth of his promises and the gospel.

Jesus urged his hearers to pay attention to the miracles and healings he performed, because these things testified to the truth of his words and his identity of the Messiah.

Just believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me. Or at least believe because of the work you have seen me do. 12  “I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father. 13  You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father. 14  Yes, ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it! John 14:11-14 (NLT)

Knowing how strong our propensity to unbelief is, Jesus graciously performed signs and wonders to release people from their spiritual blindness. It still works today for many.

Notice that the latter part of the passage attests to the fact that healing is still for today. Two times while teaching a series on the Baptism in the Holy Spirit in Honduras, God used significant healings to help the people believe in my message.

I believe healing is part of the God-given arsenal of spiritual weapons given to teachers.

This doesn’t happen here in the USA as much because there tends to be more unbelief. There the people were open to God working through someone they did not know. As Jesus said, a prophet is not esteemed in his own country. Oh that God would release healing in a powerful way to break off the chains of unbelief!

Jesus traveled through all the towns and villages of that area, teaching in the synagogues and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom. And he healed every kind of disease and illness. Matthew 9:35 (NLT)

Jesus said that certain signs, including healing, attest to the reality of the Kingdom of God in our midst.

Heal the sick, and tell them, ‘The Kingdom of God is near you now.’ Luke 10:9 (NLT)

God never expected people to believe solely based upon our words, as important as they are. The gospel was designed to come to people through preaching and the demonstration of the power of the kingdom of God.

For when we brought you the Good News, it was not only with words but also with power, for the Holy Spirit gave you full assurance that what we said was true. And you know of our concern for you from the way we lived when we were with you. 1 Thessalonians 1:5 (NLT)

I believe it is disingenuous to claim that these signs and wonders only continued until the publication of the text of the New Testament. The early disciples also had the Scriptures, although limited to the Old Testament. Nevertheless, the gospel can be fully preached out of the Old Testament scriptures, as shown in the book of Acts.

All Scripture is inspired by God and full of power to change us on the inside (Hebrews 4:12); nevertheless, God backed up those infallible words with tangible demonstrations of the Spirit’s power in the physical realm.

He does the same today. His strategy has not changed. What has changed is the way people interpret God’s Word. Instead of taking it at face value, as the early church did, many try to limit the meaning of the Scriptures to what they have personally experienced or can conceive to be true. This is simply another form of humanism, in which we seek to make ourselves the measure of all things. We must allow God’s word to measure and change us: not the other way around.

Jesus warned that we must know both the Word of God and the power of God in order to avoid error.

Jesus replied, “Your mistake is that you don’t know the Scriptures, and you don’t know the power of God. Mark 12:24 (NLT)

We must repent of this sin of diluting God’s Word and get back to a God-centered interpretation of the Bible that includes the power of God being released through his people by means of the Holy Spirit.

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Healing Part 2 – New Testament Confirmation

In the first article in this series on healing, I showed how Isaiah 53 is the foundation of healing in the Old Testament. Four Hebrew words are very important to our having a proper understanding. The verbs that apply to how Jesus carried our sins also reveal that he carried our sickness and pain. If we believe he carried the former, we must conclude that he did the same for the latter. The logic is inescapable. The question this article addresses is whether there is any corroboration for this view in the New Testament.

The New Testament explains the Old in light of Jesus.

Jesus spent considerable time explaining to his disciples how he fulfilled Old Covenant scriptures.

Then Jesus took them through the writings of Moses and all the prophets, explaining from all the Scriptures the things concerning himself. Luke 24:27 (NLT)

Jesus is the focus of the entire Bible. If we miss him in the Old Covenant, we have missed the point.

It is clear that Matthew understood the implications of Isaiah 53 regarding physical healing. He clearly stated that Jesus fulfilled Isaiah 53:4 when he healed people.

Now when Jesus entered Peter’s house, he saw his mother-in-law lying down, sick with a fever. 15  He touched her hand, and the fever left her. Then she got up and began to serve them. 16  When it was evening, many demon-possessed people were brought to him. He drove out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick. 17  In this way what was spoken by Isaiah the prophet was fulfilled: “He took our weaknesses and carried our diseases.” Matthew 8:14-17 (NET1)

It is always instructive to see how the Bible interprets itself, as it does here.

Matthew leaves absolutely no room to doubt that Isaiah 53 addresses physical healing, no matter how later translators may skew the meaning because of their biases.

Let’s return to the New English translation to see how it honestly renders the passage from Isaiah.

But he lifted up our illnesses, he carried our pain; even though we thought he was being punished, attacked by God, and afflicted for something he had done. 5  He was wounded because of our rebellious deeds, crushed because of our sins; he endured punishment that made us well; because of his wounds we have been healed. Isaiah 53:4-5 (NET1)

Their notes reveal the following insight into their struggle to properly translate this passage.

17 sn Continuing to utilize the imagery of physical illness, the group acknowledges that the servant's willingness to carry their illnesses (v. 4) resulted in their being healed. Healing is a metaphor for forgiveness here.

Even these honest translators feel compelled to weaken the power of physical healing contained in these verses, but Matthew rescues us from this error. These verses cover all forms of healing, to be sure, including the physical aspect.

Peter also cites Isaiah 53 in his first letter.

He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we may cease from sinning and live for righteousness. By his wounds you were healed. 1 Peter 2:24 (NET1)

Those who do not agree that physical healing is for today argue that Peter is here referencing a healing of the soul from the effects of sin and not physical healing.

Healing certainly applies to psychological and spiritual wounds, but it is not limited to them.

God did many signs and wonders through Peter, including remarkable healings. I am sure he understood that this power derived from what Christ suffered during his passion and death, just as did Matthew. They were students of the same teacher and were filled with the same Holy Spirit. God used them both to pen portions of our New Testament.

The Book of Acts reveals what the apostles believed through what they did. Actions speak louder than words. They believed that physical healing is available in Christ. So should we.

In conclusion, we owe a debt of gratitude to Matthew for clearing up this controversy of whether or not Isaiah 53 provides us with a doctrinal foundation for physical healing. Once we know where we stand, it should increase our faith that God still heals today.

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Once for All

 

 

 

 

 

Once for All

For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit; 1 Peter 3:18 (NASB)

How important is the phrase “once for all”? I believe it would be safe to say that EVERYTHING hinges upon it. Does that surprise you? If it does, you have not properly understood the nature of the work which Christ accomplished through His death and resurrection.

In a very real sense, the sin in the garden was a “once for all” sin. Adam’s and Eve’s failure to obey God was a one-time event that doomed the entire human race for all time. What some call the “original sin” resulted in the transmittal of a fallen “sin nature” to every human being who would ever be born the natural way. (Jesus is excluded from this list by reason of the virgin birth.) It set in motion a horrendous sequence of events that is still whirling seemingly out of control today. (However, God is still sovereign over his creation.) The evil we see around us, that sometimes seems to strike the most “innocent” at random, is nothing more or less than the result of that original sin reinforced by the additional sins that each of us have added to the mix and augmented by the malevolent interference of the Devil. Since salvation is God’s means of overcoming the power and effects of sin, it stands to reason that what God would eventually do to rescue mankind would also be a “once for all” event.

God is “Other”. By that I mean that He is very different from you and me, even though we are created in His image. He is not bound by time as we now are in many ways. He sees the end from the beginning and “calls those things which be not as though they were”. (Romans 4:17) This amazing merging of history and eternity is revealed in such verses as the following.

And all the people who belong to this world worshiped the beast. They are the ones whose names were not written in the Book of Life, which belongs to the Lamb who was killed before the world was made. Revelation 13:8 (NLT)

If you are a believer, not only did God choose you before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4), His Son was put to death before history ever began as well. There is an eternal reality to things before they ever show up in what we call “history”. History is the playing out of God’s wonderful plan. As Shakespeare is credited with writing:

All the world’s a stage,
And all the men and women merely players:
They have their exits and their entrances;
And one man in his time plays many parts, (As You Like It)

That which is eternal is what is truly important. It might be said that what we do here in the present (the working out of history) is the outworking of the eternal. It also is part of determining our eternity. God is sovereign and we are responsible agents. That which from God’s perspective was accomplished before the foundation of the earth had to take place at a given point in history as well. In the “fullness of time” (God’s appointed time), Jesus was born, lived, was crucified, and rose again.

When Jesus hung upon the cross, some eternal things were taking place that we must acknowledge and believe if we are to fully appreciate and benefit from what God did.

Romans says that when Jesus died, we died. When He rose, we rose. We were placed “in Christ” so that what He experienced and accomplished is now ours. We were and are identified with Christ.

Identification is one of the most important salvation concepts in the Bible.

We were not given salvation as much as we were provided a Savior. We do not receive grace so much as we are now indwelt by the Gracious One. We have not so much been given life as we are filled with the One who is Life Himself. (John 14:6) All the blessings of God are in a Person, and His name is Jesus. (We experience all this via the indwelling Holy Spirit, God’s most amazing gift.)

By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. 2 Peter 1:3 (NLT)

When Jesus died on that cross, for the believer He took care of every sin that had ever been committed or would ever be committed. Does this sound too good to be true? Think about it: when the crucifixion took place, the sins of every person who would ever live and come to believe the gospel was still in the future. How could those sins be included in what Jesus did on the cross?

God, in His eternal wisdom, placed every future sin of His people on His Son. Jesus carried that heavy burden to His death. He substituted for us by taking our punishment for us. Substitution is another big concept. Jesus was our Substitute by paying the price for our sin, but we are identified with Him in that we too died.

God accomplished two things on the cross. Jesus died for us, and we died with Him.

His death for us released us from guilt and condemnation. Our death with him released us from the power of sin (Romans 6)  and the Law. (Romans 7:4) When He rose again, we rose with Him, which empowers us to live a new life in the Spirit.

Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. 2  Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3  For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4  When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Colossians 3:1-4 (NIV)

But let’s get back to our main topic for today, the once for all nature of what Jesus did. The Greek language has more verb forms than English. The past tense can be expressed as the imperfect, which is used for repeated past actions, and the aorist, which is used to communicate a one-time occurrence. An example of this would be: “Johnny practiced (imperfect) his driving skills every day with his instructor. Eventually he got (aorist) his license.” What Jesus accomplished on the cross is always expressed in the aorist tense. It was done only once, never to be reenacted. (This is why the Catholic doctrine of the reenactment of Christ’s death in the Mass is so unbiblical.) Here is how the author of Hebrews put it.

Nor did he enter heaven to offer himself again and again, like the earthly high priest who enters the Most Holy Place year after year to offer the blood of an animal. 26 If that had been necessary, he would have had to die again and again, ever since the world began. But no! He came once for all time, at the end of the age, to remove the power of sin forever by his sacrificial death for us. Hebrews 9:25-26 (NLT)

In other words, what Jesus did was permanent and eternal. When we confess our sins and ask forgiveness from God, we tap into that once for all past work of grace on the cross. I hope you can see the significance of this important truth.

Since His death was “once for all” and it took care of the power of sin “forever”, then our salvation is also “once for all”.

Once for all time he took blood into that Most Holy Place, but not the blood of goats and calves. He took his own blood, and with it he secured our salvation forever. Hebrews 9:12 (NLT)

God permanently transferred us out of the kingdom of darkness into his kingdom of light and life. (Colossians 1:13-14) He caused us to pass from death to life with the result being we will never ever come under condemnation again.

“I tell you the truth, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life. John 5:24 (NLT)

Christ removed us from the treadmill of needing to “earn” our salvation or right standing with God through our performance and placed us “in Christ,” where the work is finished.

The New Covenant was inaugurated with the death of the substitute covenant breaker, our Lord Jesus, who upfront paid the penalty for our failures. He actually “became” our sins, and, when he rose again, we became the righteousness of God in him.

God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Corinthians 5:21 (NIV)

When he rose again, all forgiven former covenant breakers entered a right relationship with God and passed from death to life and from darkness to light. We participated in his death through identification and in his resurrection, too. It is impossible for us to go back into death and “unbecome” a born-again child of God. Christ’s death and resurrection were “once for all” and so is the resultant new birth and justification. We are now “one spirit” with God. (1 Corinthians 6:17) He lives his life in and through us. (Galatians 2:20) Now God is working in us both to “will and to do” of his good pleasure as we cooperate with his grace. (Philippians 2:12-13) This ought to make us shout for joy!

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How to Use Frustration to Our Advantage

Have you ever wondered why God often chose barren women to become mothers of some of the key people in Jewish history? It cannot be mere coincidence. Our Lord is bound to be teaching us something very important. The recurring theme is for a man to marry a woman he dearly loves only to discover she cannot conceive – Abraham & Sarah, Isaac & Rebecca, Jacob & Rachel,  Elkanah & Hannah. In those days, God allowed men to have more than one wife, which is important to making my point, because it set up a situation in which frustration, jealousy, mocking, and torment came into play. Hagar mocked Sarah, Leah mocked Rachel, and Peninnah did the same to Hannah.

Satan is called the accuser of God’s people. (Revelation 12:10) Our enemy’s weapons against us include lies, intimidation, fear, mockery, and accusation. Since we are all very imperfect people, there is plenty of ammunition for him to use against us. He is not above making up lies to fuel his accusations, too.

In the days when the Old Testament stories were lived out, the ability to have children was supremely important and a measurement of God’s blessing. Conversely, childlessness was viewed with disdain as a sign of God’s judgment. Children are a blessing from the Lord in so many ways. They bring joy and fulfillment to their parents. In Old Testament times, they helped out with the enormous work load around the home and farm. In addition, children were security in old age before there were government programs for the elderly. To be childless was to miss out on all of this. It also opened a couple up to being looked down upon by family, friends, and neighbors. What’s wrong? Why hasn’t God blessed them? Is there sin in their lives?

What made matters worse for many barren women was the presence of another wife who was able to bear children for their husband. The fruitful wife proved the problem did not reside in the husband. It was all the “fault” of the barren wife. This would be difficult enough in itself, but, if the childbearing wife used her own fruitfulness to mock and accuse the barren wife, it could become intolerable, as in the cases of Abraham & Sarah, Jacob & Rachel, and Elkanah & Hannah. Satan is a mocker, and he is always looking for people to speak in his behalf. We should always be alert to the voice of the accuser, no matter who is doing the speaking. Sometimes we even accuse ourselves. Thankfully God is bigger than all of this. (1 John 3:20)

In every case mentioned in this article, the barren wives were dearly beloved by their husbands. This is very important, because fruitlessness is often interpreted as being a sign that God does not love us or has withdrawn his favor from us. Elkanah and Hannah provide the perfect example. Penninah was the fruitful wife. Hannah was the beloved barren wife. Here is what the Bible says about that triangular relationship.

Each year Elkanah would travel to Shiloh to worship and sacrifice to the LORD of Heaven’s Armies at the Tabernacle. The priests of the LORD at that time were the two sons of Eli—Hophni and Phinehas. 4  On the days Elkanah presented his sacrifice, he would give portions of the meat to Peninnah and each of her children. 5  And though he loved Hannah, he would give her only one choice portion because the LORD had given her no children. 6  So Peninnah would taunt Hannah and make fun of her because the LORD had kept her from having children. 7  Year after year it was the same—Peninnah would taunt Hannah as they went to the Tabernacle. Each time, Hannah would be reduced to tears and would not even eat. 8  “Why are you crying, Hannah?” Elkanah would ask. “Why aren’t you eating? Why be downhearted just because you have no children? You have me—isn’t that better than having ten sons?” 1 Samuel 1:3-8 (NLT)

Being her husband’s beloved was not enough for Hannah. She could not say that her husband rejected her because she did not give him children. Nothing could be further from the truth. This is an important point. There any many many childless wives who are dearly loved by their husbands; nevertheless, their fruitlessness still gnaws at their souls.

There is something inside us that longs to be fruitful. This is true in the natural realm and the spiritual one.

Spiritually we bear children when we give birth to people through the gospel. Every time a person hears and believes the good news, a person is born again into God’s kingdom. When God uses us to be part of that miracle by being the one to act as a sort of midwife in the birthing process, it brings us great joy and fulfillment. If we are not able to lead anyone or very many into a new life in Christ, over time it wears on us, especially if we see others having great success. We begin to ask the same questions Hannah asked. What’s wrong with me? Why doesn’t God help me? Has God turned his back on me? What am I doing wrong?

Peninnah made matters infinitely worse by mocking her rival, just as Hagar mocked Sarah and Leah mocked Rachel.

Those who operate by measuring their own success or failures against the failures or successes of others are called legalists.

The Bible tells us not to measure ourselves by any other standard than Christ; yet, there is an inner drive in us to compare ourselves to others in an attempt to feel better about ourselves. Sometimes it boomerangs, making us feel frustrated. Hannah fell into the trap. She was already feeling horrible, but Peninnah’s mockery threw gas on the fire. It got so bad that Hannah was inconsolable. Fortunately, she knew what to do. She took her frustration to God.

After they had eaten and drunk in Shiloh, Hannah rose. Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat beside the doorpost of the temple of the LORD. 10  She was deeply distressed and prayed to the LORD and wept bitterly. 11  And she vowed a vow and said, “O LORD of hosts, if you will indeed look on the affliction of your servant and remember me and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a son, then I will give him to the LORD all the days of his life, and no razor shall touch his head.” 1 Samuel 1:9-11 (ESV)

In every case mentioned earlier, either the wife or the husband used their frustration over childlessness to turn to God for help. Doing this allows us to progress from frustration to faith.

When things come easily to us, we may undervalue them. The more important a promise is to God’s plan, the greater the wait and the battle.

Take, for example, Abraham, had to wait twenty-five years for God to fulfill his promise to give him a son. In the interim, he grew weary of waiting and attempted to “help” God by resorting to a man-made solution. When we do that, we may end up with an “Ishmael,” an ongoing thorn in the side. For another example, consider David, who had to wait about fifteen years to become king. He went through some very dark and lonely places along the way when he was tempted to “throw in the towel”. Consider Joseph, about whom the Bible says:

The LORD'S promise tested him through fiery trials until his prediction came true. Psalm 105:19 (GW)

Those who fought in the American Revolution on the patriot or rebel side also went through some very dark and trying days. When things were extremely bleak and many were ready to give up, Thomas Paine printed a pamphlet that turned the tide, entitled The American Crisis. These memorable words are found in it.

THESE are the times that try men’s souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value. Heaven knows how to put a proper price upon its goods; and it would be strange indeed if so celestial an article as FREEDOM should not be highly rated.

In Abraham’s case, much more was at stake than his having an heir: a nation was being birthed. In Joseph’s situation, his own destiny was not the only thing God had in mind. Rather, the preservation of his chosen people, the line of the Messiah, hung in the balance. And God was going to use Hannah’s frustrated desire to have a son to birth one of the great prophets of Israel, whom God would use to install its first and second kings.

God seems to enjoy bringing his greatest blessings into the world in miraculous ways, against all odds, using very unlikely people whom the world despises and judges to be worthless.

Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that few of you were wise in the world’s eyes or powerful or wealthy when God called you. 27  Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful. 28  God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important. 29  As a result, no one can ever boast in the presence of God. 1 Corinthians 1:26-29 (NLT)

So, if you are frustrated and discouraged that promises God made to you look as if they will never come to pass, don’t listen to the mocker and the accuser. Instead, like Hannah, seek the Lord and ask him to give you what you want so much.

But, like Hannah, be prepared to hold on to the fulfillment very loosely, because God may want to use it for his kingdom. If we give away to God that for which we have waited for a long time, he will make it up to us. Hannah gave her long awaited son Samuel to God’s service, and God gave her more children to call her own. Imagine how proud and fulfilled she was to know her son was such an important man!

The point of this article is that we should never give on God’s promises, even if it is not our lot to experience their fulfillment for ourselves.

All these people died still believing what God had promised them. They did not receive what was promised, but they saw it all from a distance and welcomed it. They agreed that they were foreigners and nomads here on earth. Hebrews 11:13 (NLT)

Sometimes God wants us to be faithful so that the next generation can experience the fulfillment. Moses got Israel through the wilderness, but Joshua led them into the Promised Land. Abraham fathered one son of promise, but that son would become the father of a multitude culminating in the Messiah. God’s promise to Abraham was fulfilled through his descendants. We are in this for the long haul, which may include multiple generations.

We cannot properly measure the value or significance of our lives and ministries. Only God can do that. Ours is to be faithful, possessing a loyalty and steadfastness that comes from being full of faith.

We must not cave to discouragement, frustration, or fear. As Winston Churchill so famously said, “Never, never, never give up!” We must not give up on God’s promises. He is absolutely faithful to his Word. He will never let us down. He prizes faith, especially faith that keeps going when the chips are down. Who knows? God may use us to give birth to another miracle.

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The Cruel Husband

Once there was a very handsome and well-respected man who married a lovely woman with great hopes of having a family. After a few years, the woman was not able to conceive, which made the husband frustrated and angry. He began to accuse his wife of being barren and a great disappointment to him, which hurt her deeply. After several years of childlessness, his frustration turned to bitterness and rage. He began to beat his wife in addition to the verbal abuse and condemnation. She became extremely discouraged and was ready to give up when Jesus paid her a visit. She poured out her heart to him as he patiently listened. When she had finished, he explained that it was not really her fault that she was not able to conceive. Her husband was to blame because he was impotent and had no ability to father a child.

Now the woman was even more distraught. What was she to do? She truly wanted children, but now it seemed that she could never have any. Jesus explained to her that the only way out was through death, since marriage is for life. But her husband was in very good health; so, now she wondered if Jesus wanted her to kill her husband! Then he explained that she was the one who had to die! Well, now she was alarmed and confused. She would rather be alive and childless than dead and childless!

In Romans Chapter 7, Paul used the analogy of marriage to shed light on our relationship with the Law.

Therefore, my brethren, you also were made to die to the Law through the body of Christ, so that you might be joined to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God. Romans 7:4 (NASB)

Before our new birth, we were “married” to the Law. The Law is a demanding  and cruel husband, who is always right in pointing out our fruitlessness, but who has absolutely no ability to help us do better. His continual criticisms make life frustrating and painful.

When it comes to being fruitful toward God, the Law is absolutely impotent.

Because of our inherited sin nature, the Law can never produce anything good in us. It only highlights our sinfulness and actually goads us to become more sinful, because the more we try to be “perfect” by using our own resources, the more we fail. In addition, the more the law condemns us and goads us to try harder, the more discouraged and resentful we become, which propels us in a negative direction.

For while we were in the flesh, the sinful passions, which were aroused by the Law, were at work in the members of our body to bear fruit for death. Romans 7:5 (NASB)

Our relationship with the husband called the Law can only produce frustration, discouragement, and death; yet, the Law continually condemns our fruitlessness toward God. It is like an impotent husband criticizing his wife for not bearing children to him. It simply cannot happen. That is why our heavenly Father united us with his Son in his death.

When Christ died, so did we, which liberated us from our marriage to the Law.

Before his death, our Lord perfectly satisfied the requirements of the Law. His death also satisfied God’s righteous judgment against us for breaking the Law. Since we were included in Christ’s death and resurrection, we benefit from his perfect righteousness and his perfect sacrifice for our sins.

Now that we have died with Christ, we can be spiritually “married” to Christ without violating God’s righteousness.

Jesus is the perfect “husband” through whom we can now bear fruit to God. This is because his Spirit lives in and through us, causing us both to desire and to do God’s will.

Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed--not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence--continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, 13  for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose. Philippians 2:12-13 (NIV)

If we in frustration for our apparent lack of fruit toward God turn back to our own efforts to try to make it happen, we have fallen from grace and returned to an impotent husband. How foolish!

For the law never made anything perfect. But now we have confidence in a better hope, through which we draw near to God. Hebrews 7:19 (NLT)

Our faith-love relationship with our Lord Jesus via the indwelling Holy Spirit is the only way we will ever bear fruit to God. As we learn to fully trust and obey him, we will see what God can do in and through us.

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The Hidden Message in Jacob’s Deception

Most Christians who know anything about the Bible are probably familiar with the account in Genesis when Jacob stole his brother Esau’s blessing by deceiving his father. (Genesis 27 – I recommend you read this chapter to familiarize yourself with the details.) Jacob has always been one of my favorite characters, not because I think he was a great guy, but because, if God can love and use him, there is hope for us all. He was a deceiver, a conniver, and a schemer. He was not overly courageous, nor a man of great faith; yet, God loved him and made him part of the chain that began with Abraham that launched a nation and ushered in the Messiah and the New Covenant.

What can we learn from Jacob’s deception? Most of what happened was anything but recommended behavior. God had previously spoken to Rebecca (Genesis 25:23) that Jacob would rule over his elder brother, Esau, but Isaac loved Esau better for very human reasons and planned to give him the double portion blessing that ordinarily would go to the elder brother. Apparently Isaac did not highly regard the previous prophecy about Jacob having the rule, maybe because women were not regarded as highly then by many, or maybe Rebecca had not told him, or maybe he did not greatly fear the Lord in this matter, if he did know about it. He went with his natural instincts instead. Rebecca, however, did remember what God had said, and she preferred Jacob over Esau. Instead of quietly approaching her husband to remind him of what God had already spoken, she determined to deceive her husband instead. Perhaps she knew that Isaac would not change his mind. We left in the dark. Regardless, nowhere does the Bible suggest that Rebecca illustrated the kind of behavior we should imitate. Rather, what happened serves as a cautionary tale. The results of her actions split the family apart, but it did accomplish God’s will to bless Jacob. (Romans 8:28 – God works all things together for good.)

One can feel the tension in the air as Jacob brought the delicious meal to his father that his mother had prepared. Since Isaac was blind, he had to rely on his senses of smell, touch, and hearing. Apparently he did not rely heavily on spiritual discernment. The voice was Jacob’s but because he was wearing Esau’s clothing, the deception worked. Despite his misgivings, Isaac gave the younger son the elder brother’s blessing. When Esau found out what happened, he was enraged and determined to kill his brother. So Jacob was sent far away to find a bride and his destiny. He never saw his mother again, but his great adventure had begun. He would one day return a humbled, wealthy, and changed man. Esau got over his rage and they were later reconciled. The story ends well.

One of the basic principles for understanding Scripture is that everything points to Jesus. (Luke 24:27) Such a pivotal story as the one we just summarized tells us much about Jesus and how we receive the blessings of the New Covenant. But the beauty is hidden from plain sight. Paul tells us to “clothe” ourselves with Christ. (Romans 13:14, Ephesians 4:24) Isaiah prophesied that the New Covenant would allow us to don “garments of salvation.” (Isaiah 61:10) The New Covenant reveals that when we put our faith and allegiance in Christ, Father God “imputes” or gives Christ’s right relationship with himself to us. This is called justification. The Spirit of the Son (the Holy Spirit) unites with our spirits, giving us the same relationship with Abba that Jesus has, minus the divinity, or course. (Romans 8:15-16)

In other words, the new birth gives us Christ’s clothes, so to speak. To refer back to the Jacob story, we receive the elder brother’s blessing because we are wearing his clothes. But in our case, the Father is not deceived. It was his plan all along, and Jesus is not resentful, as was Esau. He gladly distributes his never ending blessing.

So the next time you read Genesis 27, keep in mind the rest of the story. And if you have never asked the Father to clothe you with Christ’s righteous clothing, do so now. Do not miss out on the blessing.

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An Important Key for Understanding the New Covenant

The New Covenant is often misunderstood, even by those of us who call ourselves Christians. It is such a radical departure from the Old Covenant that it boggles the imagination. We are so conditioned to think in terms of our performance in relation to the Law’s demands that we often fail to grasp the enormity of the shift the New Covenant brought.

An important key to understanding the New Covenant is the new birth. The New Covenant give us a new identity, which is an unseen internal change, rather than something external that is obvious to the observer and easily measurable.

When Jesus told Nicodemus that he must be born again, he wasn’t being poetic. He shared a fundamental truth related to the New Covenant.

Jesus replied, “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. 6  Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life. 7  So don’t be surprised when I say, ‘You must be born again.’ 8  The wind blows wherever it wants. Just as you can hear the wind but can’t tell where it comes from or where it is going, so you can’t explain how people are born of the Spirit.” John 3:5-8 (NLT)

The Old Covenant failed because it was fundamentally flawed. (Hebrews 8:7) The Law is perfect, but we are born into this world under the thumb of sin. It was impossible for humans to attain or maintain a right relationship with God through adequately keeping the Law. It always ended up condemning us before God. The best it could do was point us toward our desperate need for a Savior. (Galatians 3:22-24) God’s solution to the problem of human depravity was to provide the absolutely ingenious New Covenant way to be made right with God. This is called a “new and living way.” (Romans 7:6)

The first real clues about the nature of the New Covenant are found in Jeremiah.

“The day is coming,” says the LORD, “when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and Judah. 32  This covenant will not be like the one I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand and brought them out of the land of Egypt. They broke that covenant, though I loved them as a husband loves his wife,” says the LORD. 33  “But this is the new covenant I will make with the people of Israel on that day,” says the LORD. “I will put my instructions deep within them, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. 34  And they will not need to teach their neighbors, nor will they need to teach their relatives, saying, ‘You should know the LORD.’ For everyone, from the least to the greatest, will know me already,” says the LORD. “And I will forgive their wickedness, and I will never again remember their sins.” Jeremiah 31:31-34 (NLT)

Later Ezekiel added his prophetic insights.

And I will give them singleness of heart and put a new spirit within them. I will take away their stony, stubborn heart and give them a tender, responsive heart, 20  so they will obey my decrees and regulations. Then they will truly be my people, and I will be their God. Ezekiel 11:19-20 (NLT)

Both prophets spoke of God’s doing something altogether new and different in his people that would fundamentally alter their behavior by putting a different spirit and heart within them. How could that be done? When Jesus told Nicodemus about the new birth via the Spirit’s work inside a person, the mechanism for this radical change was clarified.

Paul called it a new creation.

Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NASB)

The new thing God has done is the fusion of our Spirit with the Holy Spirit via what Jesus called the new birth. When we are born of the Spirit, we are joined to the Holy Spirit in a radical and unprecedented move by God. (1 Corinthians 6:17) We become sons of God because the Spirit of his Son lives within us!

But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law. 5  God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children. 6  And because we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, “Abba, Father.” 7  Now you are no longer a slave but God’s own child. And since you are his child, God has made you his heir. Galatians 4:4-7 (NLT)

The innermost part of our being, the spirit, is born anew or recreated in the image of God, being united with God. God’s own life invades ours in the new birth. This is why our hearts now want to do what is right and pleasing to God. Our deepest desires spring from God now. This is a big key to understanding the New Covenant.

At first this may sound too good to be true, and our experience often seems to contradict it. Those of us who have experienced the new birth still battle with sin. How can this be, if our spirits are united with God? Paul dealt with this issue in Romans Chapter 7. After explaining in Chapter 6 that we are now dead to sin due to being united with Christ in his death and resurrection, he goes on to recognize the ongoing problem we still have with sin in the following chapter. The essence of the problem is that, while we have recreated spirits, we also have bodies that are very much part of the sinful old order of things under Adam. These bodies of ours are condemned to die because of the judgment against Adam’s (and our) sin. Jesus will one day resurrect our bodies from the dead and replace them with glorious spiritual bodies that will no longer be subject to sin and death, thus completely ending sin’s reign in our lives.

Until the resurrection, however, we live in the paradox of being dead to sin yet being still pulled by sin. Paul called this the war between the flesh and the spirit.

So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. 17  The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions. 18  But when you are directed by the Spirit, you are not under obligation to the law of Moses. Galatians 5:16-18 (NLT)

Jesus acknowledged this problem when he told his disciples that the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. (Matthew 26:41)

Paul went a little further in his explanation in Romans Chapter 7.

So the trouble is not with the law, for it is spiritual and good. The trouble is with me, for I am all too human, a slave to sin. 15  I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate. 16  But if I know that what I am doing is wrong, this shows that I agree that the law is good. 17  So I am not the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it. Romans 7:14-17 (NLT)

Even the best intentioned God-fearing believers, such as Paul, battle with sin that originates with the “flesh,” that part of us that is still connected to the mortal body in which we live. Our souls are the result of the spirit being “breathed” into our bodies. (Genesis 2:7) The fusion of a born again spirit with a mortal sin-corrupted body makes us conflicted to say the least.

What Paul is saying in the above passage is that we have a decision to make: will we identify with the new creation part of us or with the “flesh”? Paul chose to say that his true identity was the new man in Christ.

Jesus said much the same thing in John Chapter 8.

Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave of sin. 35  A slave is not a permanent member of the family, but a son is part of the family forever. 36  So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free. John 8:34-36 (NLT)

In his typically mysterious way of speaking that requires us to unpack his words, Jesus said the following:

  • Slavery to sin results from our being a child of the devil, an enslaved descendant of the first Adam.
  • Slaves are not God’s children, only those who are born of the Father.
  • When we are born again, we are set free from slavery to sin because we become new creations whose inward motivation derives from God himself.
  • Therefore, all born again children of God are no longer slaves to sin.

This agrees with Paul’s teaching in Romans 6-8 and John’s first letter, where he wrote the following.

Those who have been born into God’s family do not make a practice of sinning, because God’s life is in them. So they can’t keep on sinning, because they are children of God. 1 John 3:9 (NLT)

In other words, if we are born again, we cannot continue to sin without suffering internal conflict of a major sort. It goes against our fundamental nature now to continue to sin. Yet, we all struggle in some area of our lives because we still live in these bodies.

Paul tells us that now we must learn to live above the downward pull of sin by “walking in the Spirit.” (Galatians 5:25)

We are also able to escape the enervating power of condemnation because we realize that sin no longer defines us and the Law does not control us any longer. We have a new identity in Christ that transcends sin’s power to dominate and control and we died to the Law so that it can no longer condemn us. (Romans 7:4)

We are still responsible for the sins we commit, but we are not defined or condemned by them.

God wants us to acknowledge and renounce them without allowing them to tear us down or make us doubt our true identity in Christ. We dare not become careless or flippant about sin, because we have a loving Father who knows how to discipline his wayward children.

The power to rise above the condemning power of the Law is absolutely essential in the process of learning to walk by faith in the Spirit.

So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. 2  And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death. Romans 8:1-2 (NLT)

So the next time you fall for the same old lie and commit some besetting sin, do not beat yourself up or start doubting if you are even saved. If you know that you have put your faith and allegiance in Christ, acknowledge your sin, ask forgiveness, renounce it, and move on, trusting that the Spirit will help us live out of our new identity as God’s child. Claim your God-given freedom from sin by faith. The Bible says that sin will not rule over us. (Romans 6:14) Learn to walk in the freedom and power of the Spirit. Then we will experience all that Christ died to give us, for if the Son sets us free, we are free indeed.

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