Dr. Tina Edebor, Publisher
I have struggled with just how to approach this editorial. Being the Mother’s day edition of the Christian Herald, I traditionally write something about mothers. And, to be quite honest, I really wanted to use this editorial to discuss those mother, within our families, who gave to everyone- even those who were not their own biological children. My aunt, the matriarch of the maternal arm of my family, was one such mother. She died last week, and I will definitely miss her.
However, because God has recently given me victory over cancer, I have a strong unction to talk about divine healing. The Bible tells us that God sent “His Word and healed” us (Psalm 107:20). This means that He wants us to be healed. Hence, I want to present a Bible-based line of reasoning that will lead you to a Spirit -filled understanding of the fullness and totality of the atonement of Christ. I therefore implore you to read this with an open mind, and I ask the Holy Spirit to give me the message He needs you to hear.
For years I have believed that God heals me supernaturally. This is so fundamental to who I am that anyone who really knows you will tell you that i do not take medication. I have many examples of divine healing in my own body and I believe that the Word of God is my medicine that truly heals me. However, recently, as i faced a serious challenge to my faith and health, I have been led to a greater understanding of just why my faith in the healing power of the Word actually results in my healing.
First, let’s consider the fact that sickness is a curse! When God created man it was not His desire that we should be separated from Him by sin. Nor was it His desire that we should suffer sickness and disease. These are curses that were the result of Adam’s disobedience. But we are no longer under that curse because, as we know, “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole.” (Gal 3:13.)
The atonement is the name given to the divine actions that were the result of the body and blood of Jesus being offered for us. It started in the Garden of Gethsemane, continued as He was scourged by the Roman soldiers, as his beard was torn from His face and as the crown of thorns was pressed down on His head, piercing his brow. It continued along the road to the Golgotha, continued as they hammered Him to the cross, and for the hours that He hung and finally died on the cross. It culminated with the Lord’s resurrection from the tomb after he had been dead for three days. The atonement was the response of God’s incomprehensible love for each of us. The atonement required the sacrifice of the sinless Son of God; who had infinite power over the elements—even death; who possessed a boundless capacity to suffer the consequences of all our sins and ailments; and who, in fact, descended into hell to take captivity captive , making a public spectacle of satan. The atonement was the mission of the Lord Jesus Christ – it was His Atonement. The atonement overcame physical death, spiritual death caused by Adam and by our sins, sickness, afflictions, infirmities, our weakness, and fleshly imperfections.
On the day that the atonement occurred, Jesus took the time to share a last meal with His disciples. During that meal, He clearly declared that He was giving His body as well as His blood. So I ask, can we believe in one thing but not the other? During the meal, we are told that Jesus took the bread and declared “this is my body, that shall be broken for you!” Isaiah says that “He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities…. and by His stripes we are HEALED”
1Peter 2:24 says “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”
This shows with His body,,Jesus offered paid for our healing at the same time that He paid for our salvation with His blood. So why are we not all healed? I would say it is because we have not accepted it the healing that He provided.
As Christians,we accept salvation by claiming it in Jesus’ name. I would contend, therefore that, in faith, and without doubting, we must accept His healing. It is ours to appropriate, we must receive and accept that was also purchased, ,…AT THE TIME As our SALVATION!
Speak your faith and reject unbelief. “We know that we overcome the flesh, sickness, and the devil by the blood of the Lamb and word of our testimony.” We are already redeemed from the power of sin, and we are already healed by the same atonement. We cannot have one without the other.. We can not logically believe in one without believing in the other!!
When Jesus said “It is finished!” He said it is finished to all our struggles. And I, for one, claim it in totality!!!
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