As
we begin the series on divine health and divine healing, there are some
foundational things we ought to know about sickness and disease:
1. What is sickness? Sickness is an illness or
disease. Illness is a state of bad health. It is an unsound or corrupt condition. The
Hebrew word translated “sickness” refers to being weak.
The sick man by the pool of Bethesda, for example, is described as being
“impotent,” or unable to get around by himself (Jn. 5:7, KJV).
Disease is a
disorder with recognizable signs and often having a known cause. Disease
is something that limits one’s ability to function with strength and vitality. In
terms of an individual, “disease” includes sickness, weakness, and various
disabilities.
2. How does the Bible describe sickness?
The Bible has three names for sickness:
a) Sickness is
called CAPTIVITY. “And the Lord
turned the CAPTIVITY of Job when he prayed...” (Job
42:10).
b) Sickness is
called BONDAGE. “And ought not
this woman, whom Satan had bound these 18 years be loosed from this BOND?” (Lk. 13:16)
c) Sickness is
called OPPRESSION. “How God
anointed Jesus Christ of Nazareth
with Holy Ghost and with power, Who went about doing good healing all that were
OPPRESSED of the devil...” (Acts
10:38).
God calls sickness and disease “satanic
oppression.” When you walk in righteousness God will keep you far from satanic
oppression and terror.
“In
righteousness shalt thou be established: thou shalt be far from oppression;
for thou shalt not fear: and from terror; for it shall not come near
thee” (Isa. 54:14).
3.
Sickness does not distinguish between social classes. Namaan was a great man,
but he was a leper.
2
Kings 5:1 says, “Now Naaman, captain of the host of the king of Syria, was a great
man with his master, and honourable, because by him the Lord had given
deliverance unto Syria: he was also a mighty man in valour, but he was a leper.”
Lazarus
was a beggar, and was full of sores.
Luke
16:20-21 says, “And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his
gate, full of sores, 21 And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from
the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.”
4.
Sickness attacks various areas of a person’s life – physical, emotional,
financial, marital etc. A good example is the case of the woman with the issue
of blood for 12 years (Mk. 5:25-34). This woman was attacked both physically
and financially (Mk. 5:26).
5.
Sickness can tie people down for many many years. An example is the case of the
impotent man by the pool of Bethesda (Jn. 5:1-9). Sickness tied this man down
for 38 years (Jn. 5:5).
6.
Sickness can abort or hinder your dream. You cannot pursue your vision when you
are sick.
7.
Jesus has already redeemed us from every sickness.
Deuteronomy
28:22 says, “The Lord shall smite thee with a consumption, and with a fever, and
with an inflammation, and with an extreme burning, and with the sword, and with
blasting, and with mildew; and they shall pursue thee until thou perish.”
Galatians
3:13-14 says, “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a
curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:
14
That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ;
that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.”
8.
God wants you to live in divine health (3 Jn. 2). And if you happen to get
sick, God is willing to heal you from all kinds of sicknesses.
God’s Word plainly tells us that He has already paid the price for our
healing. In Galatians 3:13-14 the Bible says, “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law,
being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is everyone that hangeth
on the tree (Deut. 21:23): That the blessings of Abraham might come on the
Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit
through faith (Acts 2:33).
“…And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according
to the promise” (Gal. 3:29).
Galatians 3:7 says, “Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the
same are the children of Abraham.”
“Himself took our infirmities, and bore our sicknesses” (Matt.
8:17).
Certainly if God’s people can be healed under
the Old Covenant, we can be healed under a New and better Covenant sealed not
with the blood of bulls and goats, but with the precious blood of Jesus
Christ. The woman in Luke 13 with the
spirit of infirmity was a daughter of Abraham, and so are we if we are in
Christ! And Jesus said, “This woman ought to be loosed” (Lk 13:16). Therefore,
if the devil tries to bind you with sickness or disease, you don’t have to
accept it! You can be healed because it is the will of God for your life.
9.
Jesus can heal you from any type of disease or sickness. He heals ALL sicknesses.
It is written, “Who healeth ALL thy (my) diseases” (Ps.
103:3).
How many diseases? ALL! ALL! ALL! In Matthew 8:16, the
Bible says, “...Jesus healed ALL that were
sick.”
It has been scientifically proven that there are 39
ways through which sicknesses come into the world. In other to make provision
for ALL types of sicknesses, Jesus received 39 stripes, each stripe
representing all the assorted kinds of diseases that can ever afflict man.
The Bible says, “As many were astonied at thee; his visage
was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men” (Isa.
52:14).
Jesus was flogged and disfigured beyond recognition.
In His suffering, the Messiah was so bruised, beaten, marred, disfigured,
mutilated, injured, torn apart, that His outward appearance was awful to
behold. He became so disfigured and destitute of His natural beauty and
handsomeness that men were stricken with amazement, disgusted and heart-sick at
what they saw. Listen to me beloved, sickness disfigures and mutilates you. So
Jesus rather took it upon Himself for us and became our Substitute.
As it is written, “...and by His STRIPES, we are
healed” (Isa 53:5). “..and by whose STRIPES, we were
healed” (1 Pet. 2:24).
Why could Jesus heal ALL diseases? It is written, “For with
God, nothing shall be impossible” (Lk. 1:37).
God said, “Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all
flesh, Is anything too hard for Me to do?” (Jer. 32:27).
“Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly
above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us…” (Eph. 3:20).
10.
Healing is for us today because God promised us healing in His Word (Isa.
53:4-5; Matt. 8:17; 1 Pet. 2:24).
Isaiah
53:4-5 says, “Surely He hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did
esteem Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
5
But He was wounded for our transgressions; He was bruised for our
iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His
stripes we are healed.”
In
Matthew 8:17 Jesus said, “That it might be fulfilled which was spoken
by Isaiah the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our
sicknesses.”
1
Peter 2:24 says, “Who His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree, that we,
being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were
healed.”
In
John 10:10 Jesus said, “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and
to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they
might have it more abundantly.”
His
body was broken so that yours may be put together.
1
Corinthians 11:24 says, “And when He had given thanks, He brake
it, and said, Take, eat: this is My body, which is broken for you: this do
in remembrance of Me.”
In
Matthew 11:28-30 Jesus gave us an open invitation saying, “Come unto Me, all ye that labour
and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
29
Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and
ye shall find rest unto your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy, and My burden is
light.”
In
Luke 4:18-20 Jesus announced His mission statement saying, “The
Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel
to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance
to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them
that are bruised, 19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.”
Acts
10:38 says, “How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with (1) the Holy Ghost and (2) with
power: who went about doing good, and healing ALL that were oppressed
of the devil; for God was with Him.”
Beloved, is any sickness too hard for God to heal?
Certainly no! He is Jehovah Rapha, the Lord that heals you. So, why not respond to His invitation
right now and receive by faith the healing that He, Jehovah Rapha, has already
provided for you? Therefore, rise and be healed, in the name of Jesus.
Watch
out for the next edition of Good News
from the Pulpit!
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