Healing Grace: Healing In the Gift of Righteousness

For it’s by God’s grace that you have been saved. You receive it through faith. It was not our plan or our effort. It is God’s gift, pure and simple. You didn’t earn it, not one of us did, so don’t go around bragging that you must have done something amazing. Ephesians 2:8-9 Voice

2 Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers. 3 John 2 NKJV

We've been studying as of late God's healing Grace bestowed upon us. What we have seen is that God our Father is a good God. We've seen that Christ and His blood has made us worthy to receive. Today, I sense the leading to reveal God's healing in His gift of righteousness.

 Understanding righteousness brings with it the knowledge that God is not accounting our sins against us. He honors our prayers as if Jesus Himself were asking. Righteousness gives us open access to Heaven. Let's see how Jesus reveals healing in righteousness.

25 Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years, 26 and had suffered many things from many physicians. She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse. 27 When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment. 28 For she said, “If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well. 29 Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction. 30 And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that power had gone out of Him, turned around in the crowd and said, “Who touched My clothes?” 31 But His disciples said to Him, “You see the multitude thronging You, and You say, ‘Who touched Me?’” 32 And He looked around to see her who had done this thing. 33 But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth. 34 And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction.” Mark 5:25-34 NKJV

 This is the account of the woman with the issue of blood being healed. You may be asking what does this healing have to do with righteousness? Some may be saying I've heard great truths concerning faith and God's anointing in this passage. She reached out with the faith that takes and received her healing. His anointing wrought a great healing in her body. That's true but there is something that some have missed in this healing account.

 This event transpired during Old Covenant times. She was an Israelite living under the Mosaic Law. Do you realize she was breaking God's Law by even being out in public? How could she have the faith to be healed when she was purposefully disregarding the commandments in the Mosaic Law?

25 ‘If a woman has a discharge of blood for many days, other than at the time of her customary impurity, or if it runs beyond her usual time of impurity, all the days of her unclean discharge shall be as the days of her customary impurity. She shall be unclean Leviticus 15:25 NKJV

This woman was considered unclean. Prior verses in this chapter command that the unclean woman must be separated. In short, she was not supposed to be in public, let alone be in a crowd touching others. She was breaking God's commands and yet she still received. How could this be?

 The first clue to understanding this is where Mark's Gospel reveals she heard about Jesus. What do you think she heard about Jesus? Note, she didn't actually hear Jesus teach. She heard others telling her about Jesus. 

 What did she hear about Jesus? She must have heard Jesus is the healer. That Jesus heals the multitude. I can imagine her initial thoughts saying surely He won't heal me, I am unclean, He can't even come near me. There is nothing anyone can do for me. 

 She must have heard, don't think that, because Jesus heals all who come to Him. She had to hear He was healing even those unclean. She had to hear about the healing of the leper. That He touched the leper and he was completely cleansed. This woman realized Jesus wasn't disqualifying people from receiving healing. 

 There is another great truth revealed as to why she touched the hem of His garment. The prayer shawl the rabbis wore had tassels, these were sometimes referred to as the "wings" of the garment. In these wings was a streak of blue that represented God's Grace. Now, what does Malachi prophesy about wings?

But to you who fear My name The Sun of Righteousness shall arise With healing in His wings; Malachi 4:2a NKJV

She saw the glorious righteousness of God in those "wings" and knew if she embraced His righteousness and not her own she would be healed. This is what gave this woman the confidence to come out in public and to receive her healing. She received based upon Christ's righteousness. 

 So many today aren't hearing the good news of Jesus. What we hear today is that Jesus won't heal you if you are in sin. We hear more about how we are disqualified from receiving based upon our current conduct, or if the illness is of our own making. Religion says stay at home until you are clean. 

 Is healing then based upon our own goodness or Christ's goodness? When we understand we are the righteousness of God in Him, we will rest knowing that God isn't withholding any of His goodness based upon our conduct. Look how Paul reveals healing in God's gift of righteousness.

10 If the Anointed One lives within you, even though the body is as good as dead because of the effects of sin, the Spirit is infusing you with life now that you are right with God. 11 If the Spirit of the One who resurrected Jesus from the dead lives inside of you, then you can be sure that He who raised Him will cast the light of life into your mortal bodies through the life-giving power of the Spirit residing in you. Romans 8:10-11 Voice

 Our spirit is alive because of righteousness. Because of us being in right standing with God, His Spirit within us brings to life our mortal bodies. In righteousness, we have complete life and fullness and health. The same Spirit that resurrected Christ abides with us. If He can raise Christ from the dead, surely He can cure a common cold! 

 We have the perfect gift of righteousness in Christ. God isn't looking at ways to disqualify you from receiving. In the Finished Work, He exchanged our old nature with His. He exchanged our unrighteousness with God's perfect righteousness. God is faithful to this Finished Work. He isn't looking to see if we merit or deserve healing. He isn't waiting for us to clean up our act before we can receive. 

 Remember, we are just as righteous as Jesus. If Christ Jesus were to petition God for something, we know God would grant that answer to Him. So why do we struggle to believe God will answer our prayers for healing? Christ is in us. We are just as righteous as He is. Through the Blood of Christ, and by the Finished Work He has perpetually qualified us to receive. 

 Our conduct didn't merit us to receive salvation, therefore our conduct won't hinder us receiving the benefits of salvation. Rest in Christ's perfect righteousness. Freely receive from our Father's hand, He isn't withholding anything from us. 

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