Healing That Matters

Matthew 9 vs 1 - 8

"And getting into a boat he crossed over and came to his own city. And behold, some people brought to him a paralytic, lying on a bed. And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven.” And behold, some of the scribes said to themselves, “This man is blaspheming.” But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, “Why do you think evil in your hearts? For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he then said to the paralytic—“Rise, pick up your bed and go home.” And he rose and went home. When the crowds saw it, they were afraid, and they glorified God, who had given such authority to men." (ESV)

Here in these verses Jesus heals a paralyzed man but he faces opposition from the scribes who say he was 'blaspheming'. (But thats a whole different story for a different time). I want to focus on what Jesus said about forgiveness and healing.

" For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he then said to the paralytic—“Rise, pick up your bed and go home.” (Matthew 9 vs 5 - 6 ESV)

We must understand that we cannot just recieve healing, we must recieve the healer himself. Jesus asked a simple question, is it easier to forgive sins or say to the man take up your mat and walk? (My Paraphrase).
To recieve healing whether it be physical or emotional or any other way,  Spiritual Healing must come first. I belive that is why Jesus said to the man first his sins are forgiven and then he was healed physically when Jesus said to him 'Take ip your mat and walk'. People should know who the healer is first before they can recieve the healing tbey require.

Being in ministry I've experienced so many people and even christians too who have a hard time believing, they come asking for prayer, but once prayed for, they go back to their old ways without a second thought of who Jesus truly is. It's a sad thought, that they can ask for prayer because deep down they're desperate for healing but not the healer himself. Therefore whatever kind of healing they receive doesnt last long or it can even be a placebo effect. And then they end up worse than where they were before. Just to be clear, it's no fault of God's that they end up in this way. Its their own undoing.

Healing comes in when we understand that its more than just 'healing' we require. When God forgives, it means also that we develop a loving relationship with our saviour. And in knowing Jesus is all the healing we need.

At times we may not recieve our healing immediately or even maybe not at all in the way we expect to be healed. Sometimes our pain is symptomatic of something that is far more sinister in us, and that's our sin. When our sin is forgiven us, it makes healing all the more accessible to us.

When we're forgiven, we're then able to access God because sin no longer alienates us from Him. And it is sin that we need to be healed off first and then bodily healing takes place.

So i want to encourage all that read this that before we engage God for our physical healing, lets consider that we're all sinners from the moment of our conception and we desperately need the forgiveness of Jesus. 

Spiritual healing is a necessity first before anything else comes into play. Let's recognize that we need God first and above all else. All other types of healing we need will come in time but even if it doesn't, Jesus is all we need. He is the great physician for our souls and our bodies. He is all we need.

So, my dear family in Christ, remember God can and will heal us but our souls require healing first.

Come to Christ, ask his forgiveness and let him bring the healing thats required even if it's not the one we're  asking for. He knows us best and gives us whats needed first.

Blessings,

Shane

NB: Don't forget to leave a comment or email us.
thepassionatebeliever@gmail.com