HEALING, HEALTH AND WHOLENESS THROUGH FAITH IN CHRIST

Matthew 14:14,19-21,36; 3 John 1:2

Tonight, we look at what faith in Christ does for us as individuals, families and groups of people. The crusade is not just for healing, we also get salvation and the power of God forgives and sets free from all the power of sins that tied them down in the past.

He grants us the grace that brings salvation. Grace teaches us to pray and fear the Lord. Grace does not give us the license to keep on sinning, rather it gives us liberty and total deliverance from the sins of the past. “And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick. And besought him that they might only touch the hem of his garment: and as many as touched were made perfectly whole.” (Matthew 14:14,36). Christ’s compassion is towards you and He heals your sicknesses.

Christ Jesus has the power to heal all the diseases of the body, soul and spirit, and He gives us life eternal. The people who were healed by Christ were perfectly and permanently whole, and as we come to the Lord today, he will make us perfectly whole – healing for the total man. As His grace comes into us, we are fully liberated from sin. “Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.” (3 John 1:2). If your body is healed but your soul is not healed and transformed, you don’t have the total blessing of the Lord. You have the transforming power of the grace of God as the Lord gives you wholeness in your body, soul and spirit.

“And his name through faith in his name hath made this man strong, whom ye see and know: yea, the faith which is by him hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all. And a certain man lame from his mother’s womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple; Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk. And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God. And all the people saw him walking and praising God: And they knew that it was he which sat for alms at the Beautiful gate of the temple: and they were filled with wonder and amazement at that which had happened unto him.” (Acts 3:16,2,6-10).

The soundness, healing and wholeness we get from the Lord is through faith in Christ. The faith, reliance and confidence we have in Christ produce perfect soundness. We could have tried other sources for help and they failed us, but as we put our faith in Christ, we will receive what we believe, and we will receive perfect soundness. If you are lame, you will rise up and walk and if you are blind, the Lord will touch your blind eyes, and you will see. Peter and John went to the temple at the hour of prayer, and they met the man who was always at the gate of the temple, and the man’s healing was as near as the pronouncement of the apostle. The name of Jesus takes away all infirmities and produces perfect soundness. Peter knew that the healing had arrived but the lame man did not know, so Peter stretched out his hand to lift the man as a confirmation that he was now healed and he could stand upright as Peter.

The man didn’t need to be carried anymore because a new thing had happened. Everyone saw the miracle and they were filled with wonder and amazement at the great thing that had happened. “And there he found a certain man named Aeneas, which had kept his bed eight years, and was sick of the palsy. And Peter said unto him, Aeneas, Jesus Christ maketh thee whole: arise, and make thy bed. And he arose immediately. And all that dwelt at Lydda and Saron saw him, and turned to the Lord.” (Acts 9:33). The sicknesses of the people defined them, and people called them by their sicknesses – the blind man, the lame man, the paralyzed man the impotent man, and so on. Sicknesses still define men and women today as they are in pain, moody, distressed and in torment but the definition changes as health, joy and happiness replace the sicknesses.

Proclamation and performance are very near, the healing is as close as the proclamation. The healing brought so many people to the Lord. They saw the healed body and they surrendered their souls to the Lord. “Abstain from all appearance of evil. And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.” (1 Thessalonians 5:22-24). Concerning healing, we must abstain from all appearances of idolatry and the worship of Satan. Discard all the materials of idol worship and dissociate from all occultic groups and gangs. As you receive salvation, you receive peace from the God of peace, and the assurance that you will get to heaven after you leave this world.

Our personalities have three parts, body, soul and spirit. The body has ailments like cancer, lameness, and blindness and the soul has illnesses like depression, anxiety, sadness, and stress; if we receive healing for our bodies and we do not get healing for our souls, then the body will be sick because when the soul is sick, the body is sick. The spirit is the center of man, and it is the spirit by which we contact God, if the spirit is not made whole, the body will be affected eventually. So, God gives healing for the body, happiness for the soul and holiness for the spirit. It is the healing, happiness and holiness that gives wholeness.

“But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.” (Philippians 4:19,6-9).

When you cut the link between yourself and the sins of your past life, and come to Christ, you become a child of God, and you can call the Lord, “my God”, and He will supply all your need. Once you come to the Lord, all worry, care and anxiety are taken away. As a child of God, you should not be eaten up by worry, anxiety and fretfulness. All you need to do is to take all your concerns and worries to the Lord and He will answer your prayer. All your restlessness and anxiety are taken away as you lay them at Jesus’ feet. As we connect with the Lord and get reconciled with him, we become honest, just, pure, lovely and praiseworthy.

“But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.” (Deuteronomy 8:18). We don’t do internet fraud to get wealth. We come out of the group of hackers and fraudsters and the grace of God does not give us licence to go ahead in stealing and fraud. It is God that gives us the power to have wealth by commitment to good service and work.

“Neither give place to the devil. Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.” (Ephesians 4:27-29). The Devil comes to tempt us to do evil things but we must not give place to him because we cannot have Jesus and evil in the same heart. Things are different now as Christ lives in our hearts.

Salvation shows the fact of conversion. It is not theoretical but it shows in a practical way. “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12). There is only one Source, Giver and Provider of salvation. There is no other name, system, society, community or man anywhere in the world whereby we can have salvation. People saw the fact of conversion in the disciples.

Peter was a fearful and fidgeting man and he was given to denial but as he stood before the Pharisees and Sadducees, he declared Christ boldly to the council. The courage the apostles had was not of psychology or learnt at college, it was the courage that Christ had given them. As Christ saves you, people will see the fact of your conversion. “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.” (Romans 1:16-17).

You give your heart to the Lord without any shame. We do not need the power of God to remain sinful but as we receive the power of God unto salvation, the tempters and temptresses will not be able to get us. It is the power of God unto salvation that helps us to say ‘no’ to the tempter. As we live by faith, we will not be slaves to fear any more. “How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him.” (Hebrews 2:3). Salvation, soundness, healing, wholeness and abundant supply have come to you in Jesus name.