We have a rich inheritance in Christ. Jesus Christ had all the riches of the heavenly Father, and then he died on the cross. When a person dies, his last will and testament comes into effect. Jesus’ last will and testament is the New Testament which bestows the riches of the Holy Spirit upon everyone who believes in him. Through Jesus, this heavenly inheritance is ours (Hebrews 9:16-17).
In order to receive an inheritance, it is necessary to know about it. A person may have an inheritance, but if he doesn’t know about it, he won’t receive it. Most people in the world do not avail of the riches of Christ because they don’t know about the Gospel.
To receive an inheritance, one needs a measure of faith. The authorities may contact you, telling you that your uncle in the Bahamas left you a million dollars, but if you don’t believe what they say, you won’t receive it. Many people who have heard the gospel don’t believe it’s true, and therefore they don’t partake of the inheritance of Christ.
The details of our heavenly inheritance are given to us in the word of God. When we believe what God says, then we receive this inheritance.
Part of this inheritance in Christ is physical healing. Our God is a healing God. He heals our souls, and he heals our bodies.
We can be healed through the word of God. God’s word is a medicine to all our flesh (Proverbs 4:20-22).
We can be healed by fearing Godand departing from evil (Proverbs 3:7-8). Sin produces death. When we forsake sin and submit to God, we can be healed.
We can be healed by joy(Proverbs 17:22). A broken spirit can make us sick, but the joy of the Lord is our strength (Nehemiah 8:10).
We can also be healed by miracles.
Jesus healed many people while he walked the earth. He often healed entire cities and villages (Matthew 8:16-17). He healed everyone who came to him. There is no example of someone coming to Jesus asking for physical healing in the New Testament who was not healed.
The apostles healed many people (Matthew 10:1,8). Jesus sent out 70 people to heal (Luke 10:9).
Jesus’ healing ministry fulfilled a prophecy in Isaiah which says that that he took our infirmities and bore our sicknesses (Matthew 8:16-17, Isaiah 53:3-4). Jesus took these things away from all of us.
By his stripes we are healed (1 Peter 2:24; Isaiah 53:5).
Jesus Christ hasn’t changed. He’s the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8).
After going up to heaven and sitting at the right hand of God, Jesus poured out his Holy Spirit on his people. We are the body of Christ in the earth. The same Spirit that empowered Jesus to work miracles and heal the sick is inside of us. Jesus said that we would do the same works he did, and we would do even greater works than what he did (John 14:12).
Jesus promised that those who believe in him would lay hands on the sick and they would recover (Mark 16:17-18).
Throughout the book of Acts many healings happened through God’s people. Healing is to be a normal part of Christianity.
Jesus gives the spiritual gift of healing to some people in the church (1 Corinthians 12:9, 28, 30).
Throughout the New Testament people are healed by prayer. Sometimes individual prayer and sometimes group prayer heals people.
People are healed by casting out demons. Sometimes sickness is the result of a demon (Luke 13:11) – but not always. When demons are cast out, people are often healed.
People are healed by the laying on of hands.
They are healed by the anointing with oil (Mark 6:13; James 5:14-16).
When God heals people, the kingdom of God grows in the earth. God wants his kingdom to expand and take over everything.
God’s people are destroyed for lack of knowledge (Hosea 4:6). We need to know about our inheritance in Christ and then we need to receive it in faith. Physical healing is available to God’s people through Jesus Christ, and it is an important part of our inheritance in Christ.
Why is there is there sickness in the world?
There is sickness in the world because of sin. Before the Fall there was no sickness, but after the Fall people started getting sick.
Sometimes sickness comes because a person commits sin (John 5:14), but this is not necessarily the case (John 9:2). All the sins in the world have compounded together to unleash viruses, bacteria, and other means of decay and corruption into the world. Because of the general corruption that is in the world because of sin, there is sickness.
Jesus went to the cross and dealt with sin, death, Satan, and every evil thing in the world that is a result of sin. He also dealt with sickness on the cross (Isaiah 53:3-5).
If Jesus dealt with sickness on the cross, then why do people still get sick?
Jesus dealt with a lot of things on the cross, especially sin. But people still sin, including Christians. Why? If Jesus dealt with sin on the cross, shouldn’t Christians not sin? Christians sin because they have not yet received the fullness of their inheritance. We’ll get that at the end of the age. Since we have not yet received the fullness of our inheritance on the earth, we still sin, get sick, face problems from Satan, and have other challenges.
Is it God’s will for people to be healed?
John said he wanted Christians to be physically healthy as well as spiritually healthy, above all things (3 John 2).
God told us to pray that his will would be done on earth as it is in heaven. In heaven there is no sickness. This is God’s will. God wants this reality to be upon the earth.
It is God’s will for people to be healed.
This shouldn’t be a controversial statement. It’s actually obvious. Most Christians know this. This is why they try to get well whenever they are sick. They take medicine, go to the doctor, rest, and eat healthy food to get get over their sickness. If a person believed it is God’s will for them to be sick, then they wouldn’t try to get better. They would happily stay sick, for that would be God’s will, and getting better would be rebellion against God. That’s silly. God wants his people to be well, just like you and I want to be well when we are sick.
If God’s will is for people to be healed, why do they still get sick, including Christians?
God’s will is often not happening in this world. That’s why God told us to pray for his will to be done. If God’s will was automatically happening, then we would not have to pray for his will to be done.
Many things happen in the world that are not God’s will. It was not God’s will for Adam to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, but he ate of it anyway. It was not God’s will for Hitler, Stalin, and Mao to kill millions of people; but they did so. It’s not God’s will for anyone to sin, but people still sin, including Christians. Sin is never God’s will. God’s will is for everyone to be saved and know the truth (1 Timothy 2:4), but most people are not saved and reject the truth.
God’s will is often not happening on earth because people have free will. God allows them to make bad choices that are contrary to his will. However, God is so powerful that he can turn all these bad things around to bring good out of them.
God’s will is for people to be healed, stop sinning, and manifest his kingdom everywhere. If everyone stopped sinning and was saved and healed, it would be the end of the age. Satan would be thrown into the lake of fire. But this is not yet happening, so we have to keep pressing forward with the kingdom of God in the earth so that God’s will is done and Satan’s works are destroyed.
At the end of the age, sin and sickness will be thrown out of the earth (Revelation 21:4)
Persistence
We should not give up too easily when we are sick. Healings may not happen immediately. We need to keep pressing forward, trusting God, and praying. Jesus said we should always pray and not give up. Don’t start complaining about God. That’s pointless.
One time Jesus prayed for a blind man. The first time he prayed for him, the man’s eyes got a little better and he saw people blurry, like trees. Then Jesus prayed a second time and he got perfect eyesight (Mark 8:22-25). If Jesus had to pray multiple times for a person to be healed, we also may have to pray multiple times before healing happens.
Increasing Diseases
As we approach the end of the age, Jesus warned us that diseases will increase (Luke 21:11). God’s people will need supernatural healing to recover from these diseases. It’s time to begin availing of this miraculous power now.
How can we be healed?
Read the word of God. It’s a healing medicine.
Be filled with the Spirit.
Be led by the Spirit – maybe God wants you to do something or eat something that will bring healing to you.
Have faith in God – believe that God wants to heal you.
Sometimes we must fast and pray for healing.
Ask others to pray for you and lay hands on you.
Be persistent and don’t give up.
Sometimes we need to be anointed with oil by the elders.
The Lord’s Supper can be healing.
We need the body of Christ. Gather together with other believers and enjoy God’s presence together. Jesus is among us, and he will heal, for he is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
Physical healing is part of our inheritance in Christ. We need to forget false teachings, bad experiences, and anything else that hinders us from partaking of this important aspect of our inheritance in Christ.
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