Receiving Healing through the Atonement (3): Sins and Sicknesses

God dealt with SIN and SICKNESS in the same way, because they are connected together. Likewise, FORGIVENESS and HEALING often go together in the Bible, which is consistent in declaring that Jesus bore our sins and our sicknesses on the Cross (Psalm 103:1-3, Isaiah 53:3-5,10-12, 1Peter 2:24). Sin and sickness belong together, because sickness is part of the curse of sin, so Jesus had to deal with them together. Jesus was (1) made sin with our sinfulness, so that we might be made the righteousness of God, and also (2) He was made sick with our sicknesses, so that we might live in Divine Health. Jesus came to give us a full salvation of abundant and eternal life, so on the Cross He did not just pay for our forgiveness, He also paid for our abundant life (which includes health). He had to overcome our sin, and its curse (sickness), if He was to accomplish a perfect work of Atonement on the Cross (Galatians 3:13-14). Sin and sickness are connected together by their very nature, and so there is no remedy for either sin or sickness except for the Cross. When Jesus said on the Cross: “It is finished!” = “Paid in Full” (John 19:30), He declared that He has paid for our forgiveness and our healing. Both Forgiveness and Healing come to us on the same basis - the Atonement of Christ. One application of this is that our ability to receive healing depends on how close we walk with the Lord, which requires us receiving His forgiveness and cleansing (James 5:14-16). To understand the dynamics of how this works, Derek explains the difference between Positional or Relationship Truth, which is unconditional, and Experiential or Fellowship Truth, which is conditional, and operates according to the principle of reciprocity. Derek shares examples in the Bible of forgiveness and healing going together (Luke 5:22-25, Mark 5:34, John 5:14). Finally, he shows that there is one sin above all others that will prevent you from receiving from God - unforgiveness (Mark 11:24-26, Matthew 6:12, 18:34-35). Forgive them from the heart (from your will), that is, make it your quality decision to forgive them (Matthew 18:35). Pull all bitterness out of your heart by its roots!