Who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed.
—1 Peter 2:24 (NKJV)
Jesus bore our sins so that we might be free of sin and filled with His righteousness. Peter writes that by His stripes—by the wounds He took for us—we WERE healed. His death on the Cross not only paid for our sins. It paid for our illnesses. And He paid it all in FULL. We are saved and healed by the finished work of Jesus on the Cross.
I have been on a journey in the last few months, learning what the Word says about healing. And I discovered something that I wanted to explore in-depth. Jesus not only saved me at Calvary. He also healed me. The Scripture very clearly teaches me that Jesus didn’t do a partial work on the Cross. It was a complete work. I am sharing some of my journey with you. I’m not here to tell you what to believe. I’m just sharing what the Word has revealed to me.
“But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5, NKJV). By the beating He took—by the deep gashes in His torn flesh—by the gift of His precious blood, I am healed. I am whole in my spirit, in my mind (aka soul), and in my body.
I can be healed in the spiritual realm, but that healing may not be revealed in my physical body. Just because I feel sick or have an illness doesn’t mean that Jesus hasn’t healed me. To take hold of the Truth that Jesus did a complete healing work for me on the Cross, I choose to believe in His healing just as I once chose to believe in Jesus’ salvation by faith. When I believe the Word about healing, I choose His spiritual Truth over what I feel. His Truth transforms my mind and the way I perceive. I have greater hope. Healing progresses as my faith grows stronger each day to believe that I am whole.
"Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things he does for me. He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases" (Psalm 103:2-3, NLT). Don't we sometimes forget the good things He does for us? The Word says never to forget these good things. We must choose to hold on to His Truth deliberately. And what is the Truth in this Scripture? Not only does He heal all my sins. He heals all my diseases.
"He sent His Word and healed them, snatching them from the door of death" (Psalm 107:20, NLT). God sent His Word and snatched me from the door of death. Yes, this refers to salvation from spiritual death, but I believe that it also refers to deliverance from physical death. Healing is part of Christ's payment for our sins (Isaiah 53:5).
How do we get this kind of faith to believe? “Faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the Word of God” (Romans 10:17, NKJV). Faith is our response to the grace of Jesus. We learn from hearing His Word. Because faith without works is dead, we must act on what we believe. Don’t we want an alive faith? We know that without faith, we can't please God (Hebrews 11:6).
My measure of faith grows stronger by taking in and digesting the Word of God. “My child,” God says, “pay attention to what I say. Listen carefully to my words. Don’t lose sight of them. Let them penetrate deep into your heart, for they bring life to those who find them and healing to their whole body” (Proverbs 4:20-22, NLT). His Words are life, and they bring healing.
“Have faith in God,” Jesus said. “I tell you the truth, you can say to this mountain, ‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen. But you must really believe it will happen and have no doubt in your heart. I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you’ve received it, it will be yours” (Mark 11:22-24, NLT).
What mountain in your life do you wish to throw into the sea? Is it an illness? Is it fear? Have faith in God. You don't throw your mountain into the sea. God does when you speak by faith what you believe. When doubt is conquered by faith, nothing holds back the power of God. You believe. If you believe Jesus said, it will be yours.
“Because you believed,” Jesus told the Roman officer, “it has happened” (Matthew 8:13, NLT). And the officer’s servant was healed within that very hour—because he believed. The woman with the issue of blood was healed by her faith when she touched the hem of Jesus’ garment. We believe by faith. We speak what we believe because Jesus died so we might have life.
I believe by faith in the healing Jesus bought for me with His life. He personally carried my sin to the Cross. Now I am dead to sin and alive in Him. But not only just alive spiritually. By His wounds, I am healed.
“The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life” (John 10:10, NLT). Thank you, Jesus, for loving me with your life. I won’t let the enemy steal the seed of faith you have planted in my heart. I choose your purpose for me—to have a rich and satisfying life.
“Heal me, Lord, and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved, for you are the one I praise” (Jeremiah 17:14, NIV).
©2020 Lynn Lacher
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