ART:  You see pride is when you think higher of yourself than you ought to. But what often happens is we say no, no, no that couldn’t be true of me. You know I could never do anything like Jesus. And really what you’re doing is you’re exalting your opinion above God’s opinion and that’s called pride. But when Jesus says you’ll do greater works and you agree yes, I will do greater works you’re submitting your opinion to God’s opinion and that’s called humility. Fair?

 

AUDIENCE:  Amen, amen.

 

ART;  So don’t worry. Like Romans 12 says don’t think of yourselves more highly than you ought to. That doesn’t mean don’t think of yourselves highly. Don’t think of yourselves more highly than you ought. Fair? Okay. You’re children of the king. You’re a royal priesthood and a holy nation. You see? A people belonging to God. So don’t back off on who He’s made you to be. Now and the last one that it works. You know in James 2, we’re shown that it’s possible, I’m sorry, it’s NOT possible to have faith without action accompanying it. Verse 26 says in James 2: “Faith without works is dead.” So again it has to work. There’s going to be something there. So let’s look at some healing theology that matches these four things. All right? Number One, let’s start with a concept that agrees 100% with the entire Bible. In Isaiah 53:5 the prophet said this about Jesus. “He was pierced for our transgressions. He was crushed for our iniquities. The punishment that brought us peace was upon Him and by His wounds we’re healed.” Now first of all I want to say something that doesn’t quite apply to this but it does apply to that passage. Some of you are thinking I’ve got my condition because of some sin that I committed and I deserve to have this. Maybe it’s a sexually transmitted disease. Maybe you’ve got lung cancer cause you smoked all your life. Maybe, I don’t know what it is, but you think that your condition is because did something sinful. And that may be true. Maybe you do deserve it. But I’ll actually tell you the truth. You deserve worse because the Bible says the wages of sin is what?

 

AUDIENCE:  Death.

 

ART:  Death. So yeah, you deserve worse than sickness. It’s by God’s grace you’re not dead. So here’s the good news. By His stripes we’re healed but even before that it says He was wounded for our transgressions. There is no wounding that you need for your transgressions if you will submit that to Jesus.

 

AUDIENCE:  Amen. Amen.

 

ART:  There is no bruising you need for your iniquities if you will submit that to Jesus.

 

AUDIENCE:  Amen.

 

ART:  Every bit of His sacrifice pays the price for every bit of your wholeness. Body, soul and spirit complete wholeness. He paid to save your spirit. He paid to save your body. He paid to save your soul. He wants you completely whole. And that’s what the Greek word for salvation, “soteria,” means. It can be translated “salvation.” It can also be translated “health.” It’s what the Greek word for saved, “Sozo,” it means “saved.” It can be translated “heal.” Even the Hebrew word “Rapha” in fact the first descriptive name of God in scripture, remember we said one of the litmus tests it has to  agree a 100% with the nature of God. God revealed His nature through His name. Fair? So when He’s called “Jehovah Tsidkenu,” the Lord our righteousness” God is righteous. In fact it’s His identity. Like you can’t, it’s not even like an aspect of Him. It’s who He is. You can’t separate it from Him. There’s never a time when God is not righteous. But the first descriptive Yahweh or Jehovah name of God was simply this: “The Lord our healer.” “Jehovah Rapha.” Wow. That was the first way He revealed Himself descriptively in scripture to Moses and it was specifically referencing physical healing but interestingly the Hebrew word “Rapha” can be translated also to mean forgiveness. And there’s several places in scripture where it is. Most often, I think it’s about 35 times, it’s translated specifically regarding physical healing. Sometimes it’s figurative. Sometimes it’s forgiveness. So Jesus paid for your complete wholeness. Now that agrees with the 100% of the Bible. Jesus purchased healing for everyone. When we pray for healing, we’re commanded in the name of Jesus is probably a better phrase. We’re simply asking for something that was already paid for. Right? It’s not even like we have to convince God to make a new decision. It’s the same thing with salvation. When you come to Him and you say Lord, would you forgive me for all the sins I’ve committed. Wash me clean. Make me a new creation. He’s not sitting up there stroking His beard, His long godly beard saying I’m not sure if I want to do that, you know and deliberating and walking through. No. He decided 2000 years ago when He sent Jesus to the cross He wants to forgive you. So when you come to Him and ask He’s already paid the bill. It’s already done. He’s like here you go, freely you’ve received, now freely give. Now you get to go out and do the same thing for others. In fact Jesus commissioned His disciples in John 20 you go and tell people they’re forgiven. If you forgive them they’re forgiven. If you don’t forgive them they’re not forgiven. This is our responsibility to carry and He also commissioned us to heal the sick. Now let’s see something that agrees 100% with the example of Jesus. Now first we have to be clear that Jesus although he was 100% God, He humbly came to earth as a man. All right? Philippians 2: 6 through 8 is clear that Jesus gave up everything about Himself that could be considered God and humbled Himself to become completely human and die a human death, even a criminal’s death on a cross even though He was innocent. So Jesus stepped out of that place so that He could walk among us. Even though He’s still 100% God, he set that aside to be an example for you. That’s why in John 5 He was able to say the Son can do nothing by Himself. He only does what He sees the Father doing. Jesus said I can do nothing by Myself. That’s how much He had set aside His Godhood to set an example for you. And then told you yeah, even though I’m the son of God, you can become sons of God. Even ladies, you are sons, by position. Like I have to be the bride of Christ so you can be, you know, you can be sons.

 

AUDIENCE:  (LAUGHTER)

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