Assured: Physical or Spiritual Healing?

Series: Context vs. Conjecture

Conjecture: It is God’s intention that Christians not suffer physical illness and He has secured temporal physical healing through wounding His Son Jesus for those who would have sufficient faith.

Context: Jesus on the cross has suffered the wounds that we should have received in punishment for our sin.  Therefore God is satisfied with Jesus’ stripes and no longer holds our sins against us.  Thus healing our sickness… estrangement from God.

Reflection Points

• Have you blamed God or yourself for not being healed or delivered from suffering?  Are your expectations of God correct?
• Do you see how God could use your current suffering to make much of Him?  Does that really matter to you?
• Do you belong to God?  If you are doubting, ask God to help you turn away from yourself and look only to the wounds of Christ.

2 Responses to “Assured: Physical or Spiritual Healing?”

1. Evette Says:
   July 21st, 2009 at 5:10 pm

   Hey Chris,
   Again, a great sermon. I have listened to it at least 4-5 times trying to get it deeper in my head. As I struggle with health issues, the sermon gave clarity to a murky issue. While I knew about the Isaiah 53 & the 1 Peter verses, it was the first time I heard anyone say that you don’t have to make a distinction between physical suffering and suffering. Somehow it has been thought that illness is not the same as suffering for Christ or suffering in life. The statement about trying to bring the glory of the future into the present was so on target. When you are suffering, you want the comfort, the rewards, the relief, the inheritance of redemption now in this present time. Kind of reminds me of wanting heaven on earth.
   Question? In Matt 8:14-17 Jesus heals Peter’s mother-in-law and many others and it says, ” This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah, ” He took our illnesses and bore our diseases.”
   Why did Matthew put link the two?

2. Chris Says:
   August 7th, 2009 at 11:34 am

   This is a really good catch. I did not have time to get into this part, so I’m glad you saw this. Matthew is indeed linking the healing ministry of Jesus to the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy about Jesus and what he would do, did, does, and will do for us. So when Jesus healed people when he was on earth and when he heals people today, and when all of God’s people are healed at the resurrection of the dead, he will be taking our illnesses and bearing our diseases as it says in vs 4. This is completely in line (and encouraging) with vs 5, which is specifically about healing from our real disease, sin, by the wounds of Christ.

   Hope this helps!

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