Grace Life: Loved and Forgiven

4 John, To the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is to come and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne, 5 and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, 6 and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. Revelation 1:4-6 MEV

 As Christians, those who've trusted in Christ alone, who've believed in Jesus and received His free gift of salvation, how do we live our lives? Are we to live our lives in the same manner as we did before Christ? Are there any differences or distinctions in how we live now that we are in Christ?

 I am not speaking so much about no longer cussing or engaging in other sins without remorse or care as I am about how we think and believe. I am speaking about our outlook on life. How do we now see God? How do we see ourselves?

 When we heard the Good News Gospel of Jesus and His Grace and freely received Him, something happened inwardly. Yes we received the New Birth, yes we partook of His Redemptive work, and yes we became children of God and joint heirs with Christ. What also happened is we received a new way of thinking and seeing. 

 This is the Grace of God working in our lives. The text I chose reveals this progression of Grace working in our life. First, He loved us;

 ...To Him who loved us...Revelation 1:5b MEV

 Secondly, He forgave us of all our sins;

and washed us from our sins in His own blood Revelation 1:5b MEV

 Lastly, He made us Kings and Priests;

 and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father Revelation 1:6a MEV

 This is how God's Grace worked in our lives. He first loved us and then He forgave us and made us Kings and Priests. This is such a powerful truth. In light of this truth, we are beginning a new study focusing on these works of Grace in our life.

 In Christ, we have a new way of living. Our thinking and speaking change because of the Grace of God we have received. We now walk by Faith, not by sight. Life's circumstances and lies of the enemy are not what moves us but only what God has promised provided and purchased for us in the Finished Work. 

 We now walk in Love. We walk in the Love God has poured out upon us. We walk in His Love living life loved by the Shepherd and Savior. This supply of love cascading from Heaven unto us overflows so we can now love others.

 We now abide in and live under Grace. We aren't under man's tradition or religious rules and regulations. We are no longer under the Old Covenant Law. We live under Grace and not works. We rest in Jesus' work and not our own.

 We have confident hope and Faith because we know God loves us eternally and unconditionally. His Love is eternal and unchanging. He is for us and never against us.

 We also have peace with God knowing that all our sins have been cleansed and washed away. Our sins weren't merely covered but actually cleansed. When something is cleansed and washed away there exists no trace or evidence of it ever again. 

 The believer's sins are completely cleansed and washed away. we are forgiven of all our sins. All means all. All our past and present and future sins are forever forgiven. 

 For those who've been hearing the Grace Gospel for some time, this seems elementary. However, this is such a vital truth and some believers reject the notion all sins are forgiven. They feel they must do something to gain forgiveness for the sins they commit after they received Jesus as their Savior.

 The forgiveness of sins is the Gospel that the Apostles proclaimed in the Book of Acts. When Peter preached to the Gentiles, he spoke of the forgiveness of sins. What was the immediate result? The Holy Spirit fell in His fullness and Cornielus' house was saved and Baptized in the Spirit evidenced by praying in the Holy Ghost. 

 Grace works a mighty work in our lives. He loves us and forgives us of all our sins. What happens to believers who become fully aware of this work? Their thinking changes, and their perception changes. 

 Believers who know they are Loved by the Savior unconditionally and know they are forgiven are infused with a confident boldness. They see God as always for them and never working against them. They quickly recognize God as their Father and not the harsh taskmaster. They experience victory in life no matter the circumstances.

 This leads us to the third work of Grace in our lives. These recipients of His Love and forever forgiveness are then made Kings and priests. This is an important work of Grace concerning our position in Christ, who we are in Christ, and what He made us.

 When we know we are loved and forgiven we can walk in the fullness of Grace in our everyday life. We can then own our identity in Christ. We can walk in the power and authority He procured for us. He made us kings and priests. 

 We are going to study further our authority in Christ. In order to do this we first had to establish how loved we are and how forgiven we are. We must not allow the tradition and religious ideas of men to hinder our understanding of what we have in Christ. 

 In summation, Grace works a mighty work in our life. Grace first loved us eternally. Grace then forgave us of all our sins. There isn't any sin consciousness because we are forever forgiven and cleansed from them for all time. In Christ we can rejoice in this work of Grace in our lives, we are Loved and forgiven! 

 

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Grace Reveals: A Father who Loves us

“Now, brothers, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all who are sanctified. Acts 20:32 MEV

 The revealing of God's Grace to a lost and dying world is a resuscitating force of life, hope, and love. This Grace of God pledged and demonstrated in and through Jesus, who is the person of Grace, is the Good News we've all longed for. It's what we've all been searching for.

 The longer one lives, it should be evident that fulfilling fleshly desires, following philosophies, embracing various religions of man, or accepting atheism, are all futile, pointless, and profitless in the long term. Life, joy, and peace are only realized through a relationship with Jesus Christ. This is why God in His wisdom has revealed His Grace to all mankind.

 Those who've accepted Jesus also need a greater understanding of this Grace of God revealed in Christ. God keeps revealing His Grace to us as we grow in Christ. Peter even exhorted us to continue growing in Grace. 

 With this in mind, I want to begin a new series looking at what Grace has revealed to us in Christ. The first thing His Grace reveals is the great Love of our Father God. God our Father is a kind, compassionate and Faithful Father. His Love for us is a furious and passionate flame that will never fade or be extinguished.

 So many Christians though see God as the harsh taskmaster. They see God as the performance-driven master who places a burdensome workload on His people. He isn't a Father looking for sons and daughters, He is a tyrant looking for dutiful servants and is quick to disown, disavow, and disinherit those who don't measure up. 

 The Christian life then is one of hardships and toil and duty. It becomes a life of striving to earn our place in the master's presence and to be able to receive from Him. Our daily life is one of a checklist to perform and chores to complete. Sadly, this way of living leads to so many thinking, believing, and seeing themselves as never measuring up. 

 This isn't the life the Father intended when He sent us His Son. The Father saw us in our darkness, in our sins, in our spiritually dead, separated, state, and did something about it. He made salvation, new life, and forgiveness available to whosoever would simply respond in Faith believing, and receiving. 

 We have some amazing examples of the Father's Love in the Word. Look at Luke 15, (actually, the whole chapter is a revealing portrait of His Love and purpose realized in Christ), the parable of the prodigal son shows us a loving Father, not a harsh taskmaster. The Father didn't berate or disown his son, he waited for him and ran to him and brought restoration.

 Our Father is a Good Father. Just as in the parable of the prodigal son, our Father picks up His robe, and runs after us, He is the Father who Loves His Children. He is the Father who pursues us with His Love and mercy and goodness. He is the Father who longs for fellowship, friendship, and intimacy with His family, His children. 

 Our Father isn't making a list and checking it twice of all our failures, foul-ups, and flaws. He isn't holding our sins against us or charging or imputing them to our account. He isn't basing His Love for us on whether or not we've been naughty or nice. His Love is who He is, and why He sent Jesus for us.

 Grace reveals to us a loving Father who is for us and never against us. He isn't a tyrant or taskmaster. He isn't placing burdensome demands upon us. He isn't pointing His finger at us declaring you better straighten up or you're going to get it! His arms aren't folded in disappointment with us but rather they are open wide revealing His Love and acceptance and approval of us because of Jesus' once for all sacrifice. 

 In summation, rest in the love of a loving Savior. Grace reveals the Love of the Father for us. This is a love we don't have to strive for. It's a love we can freely receive all because of Grace. Let's freely receive His great Love today and every day. 

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Grace, Foolishness, or Legalism: Too much Goodness?

For if because of one man’s trespass (lapse, offense) death reigned through that one, much more surely will those who receive [God’s] overflowing grace (unmerited favor) and the free gift of righteousness [putting them into right standing with Himself] reign as kings in life through the one Man Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One) Romans 5:17 AMPC

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ...2 Corinthians 8:9a MEV 

 We've been in an ongoing series looking at the life lived abiding under the Grace of our Lord Jesus. We are examining practical aspects of the Christian life. This examination comes in the form of a question. Are we abiding under Jesus' Grace, or foolishness (pseudo grace), or legalism (man's traditions and attempts to earn favor and love)?

 Recently, many churches and ministries have been sounding the alarm concerning ear-tickling, positive, feel-good messaging. The concern is that the Gospel is being too diluted and made too appealing to the lost. This begs the question, does the Gospel of the Grace we proclaim have too much goodness?

 The Gospel is the Good News of the Grace of God pledged in the life, substitutionary death, and triumphant resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. The old gospel hymn perfectly sums up the message of Grace. Living He loved me, dying He saved me, buried He carried all my sins far away, (forgiven forever). Rising He justified ( made those who believe Righteous), freed me forever, one day He is coming back, what a glorious day! 

 Some warn that the message some proclaim is ear-tickling. It makes light of sin and has no conviction. It doesn't proclaim to sinners how wicked and evil their sin is. It doesn't tell them about eternity in Hell. It doesn't command that they repent, turn around and cease their wickedness. 

 I recently read about one of those ear-tickling, "fluff", feel-good, happy preachers. This minister was speaking with a woman whose theology first and foremost was clearly unbiblical. She also had been divorced five times. She was currently living with a man she wasn't even married to. They were living in open sin and rebellion against God's clear command of purity before marriage. 

So did this "preacher" correct her? Did he show her sinful she was, and had broken and violated God's commandments? Did he open the Scripture and line by line reveal to her how sex outside of marriage was clearly sinful and rebellious?

This divorcee and open fornicator, shacking up with a man never even got one word of "conviction" and telling her about Hell, and the need to repent of her sins. All this "preacher" did offer her was eternal life. This feel-good, ear-tickling, happy, preacher is named Jesus Christ. Be sure to watch out for Him and His happy message. Too much Grace is obviously dangerous. We need to make the sinner uncomfortable and show them how wicked and dirty and unacceptable they are before God. 

 This is the account of Jesus and the woman at the well from John 4.  This is a powerful illustration of the Gospel proclamation. Yes her theology was clearly incorrect, Jesus affirmed that. Yes, she was living in sin, Jesus revealed that. Yet in all this, she never felt condemned, she never felt worthless, she never felt unworthy and unwelcome. 

 Grace reveals the truth in love without compromise, but it's not a harsh, condemning proclamation. Grace magnifies what Christ has done, not what our sin has done. The Gospel is the proclamation of the answer to the problem, the antidote for the ailment, the light that reveals the way out of the darkness. It's the heralding of the Good News that God has reconciled lost sinful man. It's the glad news that God isn't mad at you, He is mad about you!

 I trust you're tracking with me that it's the legalist that is sounding alarm bells about a feel-good gospel. The legalist feels that if the lost aren't made to feel unworthy and wretched they won't really be saved even if they do respond to an invitation to trust in Christ. They magnify sin and guilt and minor on God's Love in their messaging.

 When I was a young boy, I remember being raised in church. I heard the gospel regularly, that is the basic message that Jesus came, died and rose again, and is coming back. I simply believed that. I never believed we came from monkeys or evolved by accident. Yes, as I got older I rebelled and sinned. I still believed though, and as I got old enough to fully understand, God revealed to me all are guilty before God that's why Jesus' work was so needed, and why it was so powerful in its working and accomplishment. 

 In all this, I never once felt condemned, unworthy or unwelcome. Legalists can't seem to grasp that we as individuals grow in our understanding of the Gospel and all that Jesus did for us. This includes progressive changing in actions and thinking. We don't need pointed fingers and wagging tongues of condemnation to guide us.

 The Gospel is Good News. It is not a message of shame and guilt. It is not a message of hellfire and wrath and an angry God who wants to punish all. Grace simply reveals the Good News of the Father's Love expressed by the Lord Jesus Christ. Trust in Him alone and receive New Life. Receive His free gift and pass from eternal death to eternal life. 

 The error of the foolish is they, once having been freed from religion, set their eyes again upon the stones they had relinquished. They again clutch these stones in their hands that used to be hurled at the sinful, and now turn them towards the legalists. They foolishly embrace bitterness at the legalist and began throwing stones at them.

 This isn't the Gospel way. The same Grace we now give the vilest sinner is the same Grace available to the most legalistic among us. Grace is gracious and loving to sinners and saints alike. Remember, the legalist may call us their enemy but that doesn't mean we have to count them as our enemy. 

 In summation, the Gospel is a happy, feel-good, positive, and pleasing to the ear proclamation of glad tidings and hope. Grace proclaims the truth in love. Grace isn't denying the existence of future judgment or an eternal hell for those who callously reject the love of God, it's just that this isn't the message of the Gospel. It isn't what we proclaim to the lost. There is no bad news in the Good News, and the Gospel is Good News. 

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Grace, Foolishness, or Legalism: What does it mean to be Saved?

  For if because of one man’s trespass (lapse, offense) death reigned through that one, much more surely will those who receive [God’s] overflowing grace (unmerited favor) and the free gift of righteousness [putting them into right standing with Himself] reign as kings in life through the one Man Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One) Romans 5:17 AMPC

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ...2 Corinthians 8:9a MEV 

 We've been a new series, examining the practical aspects of the Christian life lived with a Grace and Finished Work perspective. We are locating ourselves in our walk with God in the form of a question. Are we actually abiding under Grace, or foolishness, or legalism? 

 We've already looked at many aspects of the Christian life under Grace, such as what about the Law or differing personal convictions. Today, it seems good to look at salvation in Christ. What does it mean to be saved, what are we actually saved from?

  Grace has been revealed to all mankind in the death, burial, resurrection, and ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul informs us in Titus that Grace has appeared to all mankind offering salvation to whosoever will receive it. Grace finds us where we are offering the free gift of New Life in Christ. Upon acceptance, no cleanup on our part is required. Grace sees us where we are in all our sins, depravity, brokenness, and spiritual death and stoops down and brings us out and lifts us up, translating us from death to life.

 What does it mean to be saved? What is a Christian?

16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.  John 3:16 MEV

 24 “Truly, truly I say to you, whoever hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has eternal life and shall not come into condemnation, but has passed from death into life. John 5:24 MEV

 A Christian is simply one who believes and trusts in Christ alone, believing He is arisen and is seated at God's right hand. What does it mean to be saved? It is simply this, one who trusts in Christ alone and therefore has been delivered from spiritual death and now possesses eternal life. 

 Now the foolish cannot answer this question. For they believe that all humanity is already "saved" or righteous apart from any belief, any trust, or any conscious decision to willfully trust Christ alone. Love to them is a divine invasion of the will of all humanity. God knows what's best for all and therefore He forces all to abide with Him regardless if they choose to or not.

 They also can't answer the question of what it means to be saved because they deny that anyone was ever actually lost. Spiritual death or separation is a made-up concept that legalists push on humanity they claim. If no one was ever lost, no human was ever born with the lost Adamic sinful nature, what is there to be saved from? In essence, Jesus didn't even need to die. 

 The foolish's view of mankind's spiritual condition is clearly contradictory to Jesus' words and the words of Paul. So what about the legalist's view of what it means to be saved? How would they outline what it means to be saved?

 Legalists will claim Grace is great. Grace is amazing for it finds lost sinners and offers them salvation. Yet in the grand scheme of things Grace is insufficient in and of itself to save you. 

 Legalism tells the lost to come just as they are, Christ will receive them. Yet, with the passage of a little time, their salvation is unassured. The legalists will claim what it means to be saved is that you have begun living a life that is completely opposite to your old one. In other words, being saved means your performance, your behavior, and your actions are completely morally perfect and flawless. 

 Legalism points to our lives and how we lead them to prove one is saved. They don't to point Jesus' perfect obedience, they point to ours. If we fail to measure up, they will claim it is highly unlikely we were saved to begin with. For if we truly repented when we came to Christ we would be living like Jesus in the here and now. 

 Repentance isn't a change of mind to the legalist. Repentance is a change of lifestyle. A complete change. If we aren't living 100% morally upright it proves we were never made right with God. 

 Grace is so much better than foolishness and legalism. We received new life in Christ by freely trusting in Christ alone. We have been delivered from spiritual death and now possess eternal life. Once we possess this gift of eternal life it is ours forever and cannot be lost. This is what it means to be saved.

 In summation, follow Grace in its fullness and relinquish foolish pseudo-grace and legalism. Don't allow these false ideas of man to take root in your thinking. Instead, stay with the Word, with the Gospel of Grace and the Finished Work of Christ. Grace is amazing and needs no mixture or additives. 

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Grace, Foolishness, or Legalism: What's so Amazing about Grace?

 For if because of one man’s trespass (lapse, offense) death reigned through that one, much more surely will those who receive [God’s] overflowing grace (unmerited favor) and the free gift of righteousness [putting them into right standing with Himself] reign as kings in life through the one Man Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One) Romans 5:17 AMPC

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ...2 Corinthians 8:9a MEV

 We've begun a new series examining the practical Christian life lived under Grace. The practical Christian life is expressed in our thinking, our believing, our words, and our daily actions. We've established there are three basic ways of living in light of Grace; abiding under true Grace, abiding under Grace mixed with legalism, or abiding with a foolish understanding of Grace. 

 Let's look at what's so amazing about Grace. Words cannot always contain and express the wonder of His Grace when received in our hearts. We who once served our Lord Jesus in rigorous toil, hoping we'd be good enough to be accepted and approved on a daily basis, can now rest in His completed work on our behalf. 

 When we receive the free gift of eternal life in Christ, that is a time of rejoicing. Yet afterward, some believers struggle with the shame and pain of their past. Still, others, find themselves struggling with bad habits and attitudes that aren't of Love, and often find themselves laboring under condemnation.  

 Grace is so amazing because He stoops down right where we are and lifts us up to Himself. He doesn't wag His finger at us. His arms aren't crossed in displeasing disappointment. Instead, His arms are open wide receiving and accepting us and approving us to the Father. Not because of any good we've done but because of His Goodness and great Grace.

 Legalism sees Grace as momentarily amazing. This lost sinner with no hope of pardon for his many sins finds help and hope in a loving Holy God. He saves them gloriously. What a time of rejoicing. Then the party concludes and now it is time to get busy earning your place in the Father's house.

 Legalism diminishes Grace in favor of our performance, our achievements, and our disciplines exercised perfectly. Grace got us in but it's our actions and behavior that keep us in. Legalism seeks acceptance and approval on what we do and not on what He did alone.

 Legalism is like getting an invitation to a billionaire king's festive at-home reception. Once you have your invitation and enter the palace, you make merry momentarily that you are there but then you quickly begin straightening up the furniture, go help clean the dishes, prepare hor d'oeuvres, and sweep and mop the floors. After all, you're not a celebrity, you were a nobody before the invite, you best earn your place. Before Christ, we were lost and separated by sin, but His Grace remade us new and now we are accepted and approved all because of Jesus.

 Foolishness states no one was ever lost. No human was ever separated or apart from God because of their sinful condition. Some go so far as to say there never was any sinful condition. We were only separated in our thinking. The enemy lied to us telling us we were lost but in reality, we never were. If this is so why the need for the Cross? If this is true, Jesus' suffering, the stripes He took, and the death He died were a colossal waste of time. 

 The fallacy of the foolish-minded is that they believe they are proclaiming Grace but in reality, they are diminishing the impact of His Love, mercy, and Grace. If no one was an enemy of God, no one was lost, no one was born with a fallen nature, and no one was dead in their trespass and sins, then what is so amazing about Grace? 

 It is of no real consequence to show kindness, mercy, grace, and compassion to a good and decent person. How hard is it to forgive your spouse, your children, and your good friend if they make a minimal mistake? Even a stranger in public who mistakenly bumps into us, we are quick to pardon them and assure them it's ok, we know it was a mistake. 

 If God looks at men the same way, then the foolish's theory and theology unwittingly reveal God's Grace is not that amazing. I can hold no grudge against a friend or loved one. I myself can be merciful to someone who hasn't really wronged me. I myself can show Grace to someone who is a good person. It's clear if you ponder and consider that if one isn't really bad then it's not so amazing, so worthy of awe, so deserving of accolades to simply be kind to them. 

 The foolish relies heavily on human rationale, reasoning, and ratiocination. It draws conclusions, not from the Word of God, not from the Gospel proclaimed by Paul, but from emotional and intellectual reasoning. Allow me to illustrate.

 The Gospel says God is always Good. He is Love and merciful and His Grace is amazing. The foolish then rationalize and reason, God is Good, so He was always Good. Therefore no human was ever born lost or with a sinful nature. God is Love so therefore God could never have any anger or judgment whatsoever. God's Grace is amazing, so everyone must be saved, no one was ever lost either because Grace would never allow that to happen. The enemy must have lied to people to convince them they were. 

 None of these ideas or notions has any confirmation in Scripture. Because of this, the foolish rationalize the passages that proclaim the contrary aren't really true. Those words recorded were by men who didn't have an understanding of God and therefore we can reject them. 

 I trust you can see how the foolish misunderstand Grace and prop up mistaken ideas that are not confirmed with the authority of Scripture. Let's not diminish and dilute Grace by thinking we are preaching Grace by saying no one was lost or born in sin, or an enemy of God in our thinking and actions. 

This includes you who were once far away from God. You were his enemies, separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions. Colossians 1:21 NLT

 We don't make Grace great by diminishing its impact on humanity. By proclaiming no one was ever separated in sin, or in need of a Savior we dilute and decrease the amazing Grace of our Savior. Grace is a free gift offered to all. It reveals our impossibly lost condition and offers a hopeful, freeing, and joyful way out. Grace says your sins may be many, your condition may be spiritual death, but I have a new life, the God kind of Life, that is freely yours if you simply accept and receive it. 

 Allow me to illustrate even further how Grace and legalism and foolishness can be seen using a real-life figure in history. Adolf Hitler, the German Chancellor, systematically brought about genocide, great suffering, and war across Europe during his reign until his death. Now imagine if Hitler had been captured alive and placed before a tribunal judge who had the power to imprison and execute Hitler or simply pardon him. 

 Imagine if you will while Hitler stood before this judge, suddenly a Jewish man entered the court and ask to appear on Hitler's behalf. Imagine if this Jewish man said though this man's sin is heinous, horrendous, and has brought about unspeakable horror, I'd like to take his place. I will take his punishment of death upon myself, he need simply to accept it. The innocent would freely take the place of the guilty. This is true Grace.

 Legalism would look like this, I will take his place either in a prison cell, or an execution chamber, but first I want him to earn this favor. If he promises to not make any more mistakes, not hate anymore, not try to conquer neighboring lands then and only then will I take his place. If he fails more than once, then impose the sentence of death upon him again. 

 Foolishness would look like this, Hitler guilty? What's wrong with you judge? No one can really be that bad. Hitler wasn't really that terrible a person. Surely, we've all made mistakes in life, there is no difference, and all mistakes are the same. I don't think any good judge would hold anyone accountable for their deeds. Any good judge would pardon everyone no matter what. In fact, if you find him guilty, he will be pardoned soon after, for all are pardoned...

 In summation, let's abide under true Grace and relinquish the bonds of legalism and the error of the foolish. Let's continue under Grace. Let's live life loved by our Great Shepherd Jesus Christ.  

 

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Christ our Healer

 for I am the Lord that healeth thee. Exodus 15:26b KJV

Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth. 3 John 2 KJV 

 We are continuing our study of divine healing and wholeness. We are examining five proofs that it is always God's will to heal. When a loved one or we have a need for healing we can have boldness and confident assurance it's God's will to heal every time.

 When we speak of praying for another's healing, and that healing isn't instantaneous, then spiritual-sounding religious tradition attempts to provide a reason. They say things like God is more interested in building that person's character through this illness. Or God has a purpose in the delay so as to build endurance, or to use the person as an example of how to suffer joyfully. 

 That is all religious hogwash based on the powerless, Faithless tradition of men. Jesus never withheld healing from anyone. He never used the Curse to perfect, instruct, mold, produce patience, teach or train anyone. Look at Luke 22. Jesus healed a man who came to incarcerate Him. I'm confident that this fellow probably needed some character development.

 Looking at Jesus brings us to the fourth proof of God's will to Heal. Jesus' actions in His ministry reveal God's heart for healing. Peter sums up what Jesus did in His earthly ministry;

38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. Acts 10:38 MEV

 This passage unveils much of Jesus' work of ministry. This passage reveals what Jesus went about doing, good. How many it's God's will to heal, all, and who the oppressor is, that is, the one bringing sickness and disease, which is the enemy, the devil. 

 Jesus only went about doing good. He declared He only does what He sees His Father doing. Since Jesus only went about doing good and healing and delivering and providing for all, then we can rejoice to know this is who our Father is. God is therefore not the author of evil or torment, poverty or disease, or disaster. God is a Good Father and only does good!

 For I came down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. John 6:38 MEV

 Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you such a long time, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father. So how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? John 14:9 MEV

 Jesus is the express image of Father God. Jesus is the will of God in action. Jesus is perfect theology. Jesus is our clear perfect picture of God's will. He never brought poverty but provision to all who came to Him. He never made anyone sick. He only healed whosoever came to Him. Looking at Jesus how then can anyone conclude healing isn't always God's will?

 The fifth and final proof of God's will to heal is Jesus' redemptive work on the Cross. On the Cross, Jesus not only paid the penalty for our sins, not only paid the price for the complete forgiveness of every sin, not only made Righteousness by Faith possible, but He also bore every sickness and every disease. He purchased our healing at Calvary. 

4 Surely our sicknesses he hath borne, And our pains -- he hath carried them, And we -- we have esteemed him plagued, Smitten of God, and afflicted. 5 And he is pierced for our transgressions, Bruised for our iniquities, The chastisement of our peace [is] on him, And by his bruise there is healing to us. Isaiah 53:4-5 YLT

 Isaiah 53 records Jesus' work of redemption on the Cross. Jesus took your sickness and your disease. Just like salvation is available to whosoever trusts in Christ alone, healing for every sickness and disease is also available for whosoever trusts in Christ alone. In fact, when one places their trust in Christ, all that Christ procured at Calvary is immediately theirs in Him. 

 Tradition rejects this glorious truth of the Gospel. They claim Jesus' bearing all sickness and disease was fulfilled before the Cross. That this prophecy was fulfilled in Jesus' earthly ministry. That Isaiah was only referencing Jesus healing people in Israel to prove He was the promised Messiah. They cite Matthew 8 as proof.

 There is a major issue with this. It's true that Matthew 8:17 declared that it be fulfilled what Isaiah spoke, as Jesus ministered healing to a multitude. However, this doesn't prove that healing is not in the redemptive work of Christ on the Cross. How can I say this? Because I, as a Gentile, a non-Jew, have trusted in Christ and have received new life in Him.

 Matthew goes on to say in the 12th chapter that Jesus healing a multitude, and not wanting it broadcast abroad fulfilled another prophecy of Isaiah. This passage in Matthew 12 destroys this weak argument against healing in redemption. Look closely at this passage;

 that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying:...

 And in His name Gentiles will trust.” Matthew 12:17, 21 NKJV

 This passage tells me salvation being made available to non-Jews was fulfilled before the Cross as well as healing the sick. So because of the way tradition interprets Matthew 8, we have to also conclude that saving non-Jews was only for His earthly ministry too, and not for us today. I hope we can see this is not what these passages are teaching.

 Jesus was simply revealing the Father to mankind. Jesus was giving us a sample of His complete work of Redemption soon to come. Jesus is so Good and merciful He couldn't wait till Calvary to minister help and hope and healing.

 Still another tradition is that Jesus only "healed" us from sin. That Isaiah 53 is speaking of spiritual healing. The problem is we weren't sick with sin. We were dead in sins. Not sure about you but I have yet to see any dead people healed. I know of dead people being raised back to life. That's not healing that's a miracle of resurrection life. 

 On the Cross, Jesus not only made us Righteous and forgiven, but He also made us healed and whole. Look at Jesus' complete work of Redemption. From the garden to the grave, Jesus purchased our total and complete redemption. By His stripe, healing was made ours. He took our curse and gave us the blessing, Redemption from the curse, and complete Righteousness. He became something He never was so we who trust in Him could be something we never were.

 In summation, is healing God's will? Absolutely! His compassion and lovingkindness prove it. His Redemptive name reveals it. His Word confirms it. His ministry and Finished Work of Redemption demonstrated it. Healing is always God's will. Now trust Him for wholeness at all times, trust on the basis of His Goodness and not your own. 

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Bible evidence Healing is always God's will for you.

 for I am the Lord that healeth thee. Exodus 15:26b KJV

Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth. 3 John 2 KJV

 We're continuing in our study of Divine Healing. We've looked at five proofs of God's will to heal all. So often many Christians believe God is able to heal, but they lack confident expectation that He wants to heal them. 

 This study is designed to help bridge that gap from unbelief to positive expectation in the power of a loving Father to supply all their need. So far we've seen two proofs of His willingness to heal. One is His merciful kindness and compassion. Jesus was moved with compassion when He healed. Secondly, we saw He revealed His will to heal in His redemptive name Jehovah Rapha, the Lord who heals.

 The third proof of His will to heal all is God's Word. The Bible is God's Word. Jesus is the Word made flesh. Grace and the Word are inseparable. Grace and Truth came through Jesus Christ. Jesus said the Word is the Truth. Faith comes by hearing the Word, therefore Grace and Faith came through Jesus. As believers, we are to be under Grace, not Law, and walk by Faith. 

 God's Word is the Truth. God's Word is the final authority. Sola Scriptura. God and His Word are one. God's Word is speaking to you and to me. This is why the enemy through religious tradition wants to steal the Word sown in the hearts of anyone who hears it.

 Man-made tradition makes the Word of no effect. Man looking at experience, dogmas, and doctrines of religious orders and institutes from centuries past, giving attention to cessationist leaders ruling Christian media and airwaves, will elevate and exalt the traditions of men over God's declared Word every time. God's will revealed in the Word, will always be lowered to meet and match tradition's view of defeat, disappointment, and disbelief in a deity who neither hears nor answers the prayers and petitions of its followers.

 Throughout the Word, God confirms the Father's will and attitude about healing. The Word reveals the Father's view of sickness and disease. God in Christ decreed "I am willing be cleansed."  God tells us sickness and disease are a curse. 

 Let's look at the Word confirming God's will is your healing;

But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit that lives in you. Romans 8:11 MEV 

Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your spirit, soul, and body be preserved completely whole and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Thessalonians 5:23 Mounce 

 He Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness. “By His wounds you were healed.” 1 Peter 2:24 MEV

 Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth. 3 John 2 KJV

 This is the decreed will of God for all to see. This is the will of God revealed to all mankind. This is God confirming His ways, will, and attitude concerning sickness disease, healing, and health. 

 God is the unchanging One. He is the existing One. His name is above all names. Yet He declared to us He has magnified His Word even above His own name! God's Word is the final authority, it has the final say over all areas of our life.

 God's Word is true and we can have a confident expectation of its reality and fulfillment in every area of our life. He magnified His Word above His name, and He is always the same. His Word is true whether we experience it or not. His Word isn't true because we sense it or experience something. His Word is truth because He declared it. Because it is the truth we, therefore, should experience it in our own life.

 We can build our life on His Word. We can trust it. Walking by Faith is simply being fully persuaded that what He said is the truth regardless of circumstance or what our senses tell us. God's Word is the sure foundation we can build our life upon. Feed upon it consistently and grow stronger and stronger possessing a confident expectation of good from our Good Father. 

 

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What's in a name? God's will to heal revealed in His name

 for I am the Lord that healeth thee. Exodus 15:26b KJV

Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth. 3 John 2 KJV

 We've been in an ongoing study examining the question of God's willingness to heal. Many Christians believe God is able to heal the sick and afflicted. Many believe He has the power to heal. The real question concerns His willingness to actually heal someone when they ask for healing.

  In answering this question, this study series offers five proofs of God's all-the-time willingness to heal. Recall five is the number of Grace. These are Graceful proofs of His provision of healing. The first proof we saw is the Lord's mercy and compassion.

 God is a merciful Father. Jesus is the express image of Father God. Jesus displayed His Father's Love and compassion throughout His ministry. Wherein cold, dead religious traditions of man declare Jesus only healed to prove He was Messiah Yeshua, Jesus Himself revealed He healed because He was moved with compassion. Jesus demonstrated mercy, lovingkindness, and compassion by relieving the afflicted, healing the sick and raising the dead. 

  Today, we want to examine another proof of His all the time Goodness and willingness to heal. God has proven His will to heal by revealing to man His character, His Love, His Goodness in His redemptive names. He revealed Himself to men of that He is Jehovah Rapha, the Lord that heals you.

 In Exodus 15:26 He declared to the children of Israel that He was the God who heals them. This is one of the foundation texts of this study. In revealing who He was in the redemptive name of Jehovah Rapha, He let His people know He was healer. 

 If He is the healer, then He is not the afflictor. Understand, just as Jesus declared, a house divided against itself cannot stand. If God is afflicting people with disease and then also healing them, then His house is divided against itself and will not stand or last. 

 God gave these name to the patriarchs of old to reveals Himself to mankind. In essence, He was providing Abraham, Moses, David, the prophets and children of Israel His "ID card." When a local gov't institution, or business establishment asks for your ID card, it's what proves and confirms who you are. Well God has ID, it's found in His redemptive names.

 Imagine if you will though, if you went to renew your driver's license and you handed the clerk your current ID card and they stated to you, "no that's not you." You surely would show the clerk your ID again, show them the picture and address. You would be confirming that you are who you say you are. Your legal current ID card doesn't lie. The clerk would be mistaken, not you.

 Now with that mental image, think of how religious tradition, the world, the enemy and men's own experience question God's ID. What could I possibly mean? Well, He has revealed His identity through His redemptive name of Jehovah Rapha, the Lord who heals, but men and the enemy declare no that's not who you are. You may have the ID card of Jehovah Rapha, but that's not who you are. 

 Men say God has ceased His healing miracles today. The enemy accuses God in the minds of men declaring He is not Faithful and true to His Word. Some say I asked God to heal me and He didn't, so He isn't who He says He is.

 In all this maligning of God's character, I notice that men have no problem accepting God's other character traits revealed in His redemptive names. In Jeremiah, the Lord reveals who He is to us, the Lord our Righteousness. So why have we not seen religious leaders question this aspect of God?

 Why no questions asked, and concerns raised when God declares He is our Righteousness? God revealed that He is Jehovah Tsidkenu, the Lord our Righteousness. We readily accept this aspect of God's character and nature and revealing of who He is without objection. Yet when this same Jehovah declared He is Jehovah Rapha, religious tradition and man's experience quickly protest. 

 Somehow, those of us who accepted God at His Word, and revealed identity, and God Himself, are actually mistaken. God isn't the Lord who heals. He is either the God who used to heal, or the God who sometimes does and sometimes doesn't. You can never know for certain.  

 When did God reserve the right to dishoner His own Word? When did God declare it's ok to deny my own nature, character and revealed name? God Himself has revealed Himself as Jehovah Rapha, the Lord who heals. He was healer then, when He introduced Himself as healer, and He is healer still today, He is the existing one, the unchanging One, the One who was, and is, and is to come. 

 This name doesn't prove He wants to heal me, some would cry out. That is untrue. He declared He is the Lord who heals. He didn't add a clause or stipulation in this declaration. He said He is healer. If He heals one, He heals all, there is no respect of persons. Again, why is this same objection not lobbed at the revelation of The Lord our Righteousness, and the Lord our Peace? 

 In summation, God has revealed to man who He is through His name. His name is highly exalted. He is who He says He is. Let's take Him at His Word.  

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Good News of the Gospel: Healing is always God's will!

  for I am the Lord that healeth thee. Exodus 15:26b KJV

Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth. 3 John 2 KJV

  

The Gospel of Jesus is Good News. It reveals God's great Love and Grace for you and me, and to whosoever may come and freely receive. What's so unique about the Gospel is that it doesn't just deal with forgiving sins and giving us eternal life. The Gospel includes divine healing and health.

 Anytime healing is mentioned inevitably some believers express concerns, and bring up questions. Sadly some even state their objections to healing. The biggest concerns and questions and objections all center around what God's will is.

 Ascertaining and discerning the will of God has been such a mystery to so many believers. Many elevate and exalt the will of God as being something mysterious, unknowable, and concealed from our understanding. They see God as blinding our eyes to His ways, His plans, and His purposes. This is not the nature of a Good Father.

 John's Epistle sheds some important light on this subject for us;

 14 This is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 15 So if we know that He hears whatever we ask, we know that we have whatever we asked of Him. 1 John 5:14-15 MEV 

 Here John reveals a wonderful truth. If we petition God or ask something of Him that is His will then we will have that petition. So how do many believers ascertain the will of God? 

 Many will simply ask God for something, again mistakenly believing the will of God is a mystery that they can never know, and wish they get a response of yes. They don't receive what they ask? must not have been God's will. That is a fatalistic and truly ignorant way to discern God's will.

 When John reveals this precious promise about answered petition prayer, he gave us insight into the will of God. If God says we must ask according to His will, then that means God has obligated Himself to His children to make His will known to them. How has He done this?

 He revealed to us His will by giving us His Word. God's Word is His will! It's His will revealed to us. Paul confirms this, in his Epistle.

9 making known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure, which He purposed in Himself, Ephesians 1:9 MEV

 We are His and He is ours. He is our Good Father and He has revealed His will to us. Everything that pertains to life and Godliness is found in God's Word. 

 For the sake of this study series, we are focusing on healing. Is healing always God's will? Yes! Absolutely, there are five proofs of His all-the-time willingness to heal. 

The Mercy and compassion of the Lord

 The first proof we can see revealed to us is God's mercy and compassion;

 They shall abundantly declare the fame of Your great goodness and shall sing of Your righteousness. The Lord is gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger, and great in mercy. The Lord is good to all, and His compassion is over all His works. Psalm 145:7-9 MEV

 God is Love. His lovingkindness and tender mercies include divine healing and health. The cold, ritualistic, religious tradition of men, sees God's miracles and healings, as mere mechanical works simply to confirm His identity as the Messiah. Yet when Jesus healed the multitude, often we see the miracles prefaced with the phrase He was moved with compassion. Is He any less compassionate today? 

 God sees sickness and disease as the evil byproduct of sin and the fallen creation. His loving hands only hold healing and health. There is no disease, disability, or debilitating diagnosis in His hands. His hands only bring life, blessings, health, and goodness, never sickness, pain, or poverty. 

 See the mercy of God. Look closely at the Father and His tender mercies and compassion to all. This compassionate Father only wants you well, not suffering sickness and disease. Faith grows exceedingly when we see and understand His great Love for us. Faith works by love, not our love, but His love for us. 

 In summation, we can know God's will. God's will is not a hidden mystery concealed from us. He made known the mystery of His will to usward who believe. We can see His compassion and see His willingness to heal and make us whole. He is a Good Father, and we can trust Him. 

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Is it God's will to Heal everyone, including You?

                 

 for I am the Lord that healeth thee. Exodus 15:26b KJV

“But you—you serve your God and he’ll bless your food and your water. I’ll get rid of the sickness among you; there won’t be any miscarriages nor barren women in your land. I’ll make sure you live full and complete lives. Exodus 23:25 MSG 

 

 

God is a Good God, He is a Good Father. God is the author of life, He's not the author of death. God is the healer, He isn't the creator of sickness and disease. In God dwells no darkness or deeds of evil. He is our Good Father. This is the foundation for Grace, Faith, and trusting Him alone for eternal life. 

 This should be a sure foundation, but sadly it is not even an established truth in the minds of many religious leaders in the Body of Christ. Honestly, it's even considered controversial in some religious traditional circles of the Christian Faith. Some would even dare say it's a heretical point of view.

 I recently witnessed a panel discussion among some religious leaders. They were sounding alarms and red flags concerning  Charismatic ministries in the Church today. One of their greatest concerns was the notion that believers could dare to believe that their Faith in God would cause healing to manifest in the body of the sick and afflicted. 

 In essence, how could mere man have the gall to believe God would actually heal when we ask Him in Faith? Who are we, the created, to dare ask of our creator anything? Don't you know that we are mere worms in the dust, we have no right to ask anything. He is God, the Sovereign One. Just sit still, silent, and satisfied with whatever comes your way in this life. Yours is not to question, just be glad you exist at all. Be thankful He sovereignly chose to even allow you to be saved.

 This mindset is the obstacle that we as Christians must overcome in order to see God as Good. To know Him, as our Father. To trust that He has our good and well-being at heart. 

 These tradition-minded believers, much like the Pharisees and Sadducees of old, think they are "protecting" God and His Word from error. Therefore they view themselves as some form of watchmen. In reality, they are deceived into a subtle form of self-righteousness. 

 They see themselves as watchers on the wall holding back any contrary words to the traditional view they were taught. This deceptive, subtle self-righteousness makes them see themselves as virtuous. They also in their self-righteousness, are unwittingly saying they are more loving than God. 

 These religious leaders would never want their own children to suffer debilitating disease, lingering sickness, and suffering pain and anguish. Had they the power, they would never afflict their children with impoverished conditions, disease, and sickness. Yet, they believe God our Father willingly afflicts His own kids. In essence, they then are more caring, compassionate, and loving than God is.

 This is the twisted theology of religious tradition. They would do anything to help alleviate the suffering of their own children and loved ones, but they don't believe God would do that for His own children. The question then is it really God's will to heal, or is religious tradition right?

Healing is God's will, all the time, in every situation

 God in His infinite wisdom and Love has made a way for us to know His will concerning anything that pertains to life and godliness. Faith begins where the will of God is known. Look at John's promise of answered prayer. According to the standard of the Word, asking according to His will means God obligates Himself to reveal to us His will. 

 He has done just that. He has given us His Word and the life of Jesus to reveal His will to us. God has not left us in the dark concerning His perfect and best for us His children. 

 Faith, trust, and belief can only exist where the will of God is known. If there is any uncertainty or doubt concerning God's will to save you, to totally forgive you, to make you Righteous, to fill you with His Spirit and bestow His Gifts, to secure your salvation, to heal you and make you whole, to protect and deliver you, to increase and prosper you, Faith cannot exist. You will never be fully persuaded wherever there is an if involved in anything you're trusting God for. 

 God can be trusted. He is a Good Father. How can I say with such boldness that it is God's will for you to be healed?

...and He healed them all. Matthew 12:15b NKJV

 And the whole multitude sought to touch Him, for power went out from Him and healed them all. Luke 6:19 NKJV

 God was willing for all to be healed then and He's willing today. He hasn't changed. God wants you well.

 In upcoming studies, I want to give you five proofs of God's all-the-time willingness to heal you. Five is the number of Grace. God in His Grace has made a way for your healing. 

 We will also uncover the root reason many deny it's God's will to heal. If you have concerns or questions about God's will to heal you won't want to miss these studies. 

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