The Most Meaningful Healing

1 Peter 2:24 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. KJV

The issue of being healed from diseases of all types is certainly important to any of us if we are afflicted by some illness. I have read or heard so many testimonies of the miraculous intervention of God in the lives of people with terminal cases. The Lord desires to heal the physical hurts and pains of people on this earth and especially His own children. However, the most meaningful healing our Lord wants to administer is that of healing the soul from sin. If the Great Physician (Jesus Christ) were on earth with an office space, it would read on the door Dr. Christ – Soul Specialist and Sin Extractions.

There are so many examples in the gospels where our Lord reveals His primary concern for souls and not the temporal physical body we inhabit. Remember when the 10 lepers saw the Lord coming in their direction and standing afar off they said, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” The Lord compassionately healed all ten of them from the physical disease of leprosy, but when He saw only one of the 10 men turn back to Him to give glory to God, then He was sadden because although they received the physical healing, they had no desire for spiritual healing of their souls. The one man that turned back received not only physical healing, but his sins were forgiven and the Lord said, Arise, go your way. Your faith has made you well.”

The English word well or whole is from the Greek word sozo, which means salvation; to save, deliver or protect; safe. The one man not because he deserved it or earned it but because he simply turned back or turned to God with a grateful repentant heart and he not only got physical healing from leprosy but he received eternal healing. It is the same word our Lord used when referring to the woman with the issue of blood for 12 years in Matthew 9:22. Earlier our Lord answered why He would place Himself in the presence of publicans and sinners by saying, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.” These were not people with leprosy or epilepsy or any physical disease but souls afflicted with the deadliest of all diseases, sin. I don’t find anywhere in the Scripture joy in Heaven or in the presence of the angels of God when a man or woman is healed from cancer, but there is joy in Heaven when any man or woman truly repents and believes the gospel of Jesus Christ.  

“Healing was a miraculous sign gift to be used for special purposes. It was not intended as a permanent way to keep the Christian community in perfect health. Yet today most charismatics teach that God wants every Christian well. If that is true, why does God allow Christians to get sick in the first place?” John MacArthur

“In addition to being completely blasphemous and a deadly form of occultism that deters people from seeking medical help, the healing and prosperity movement spawns ultimate rebellion in the name of God.” T. A. McMahon

“Come, and see the victories of the cross. Christ's wounds are thy healings, His agonies thy repose, His conflicts thy conquests, His groans thy songs, His pains thine ease, His shame thy glory, His death thy life, His sufferings thy salvation.” Matthew Henry

Sincerely in Christ,

Clifford D. Tate, Sr.

Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reader, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…