All across the globe, believers are struggling, striving, working, sweating screaming and shouting, they are doing these things in desperation as they try to receive the blessings and miracles into their lives that they need so much. Every day they try, and every day ends with another disappointment as the sun sets and they still are no better off… all their struggling was in vain. Perhaps you can identify with this scenario. Perhaps you need a miracle in your life right now, whether it is healing, or financial, or even a miracle in your mind or your spirit. Whatever it is, you have been fighting for it, but you just can’t seem to lay hold on the thing that you are reaching for.
That’s why, in this study today we will be examining the truth of the completed work of Jesus Christ, as it applies to receiving the blessings that He has paid for you to have. As you meditate on these scriptural truths, you will be able to receive what is already yours in Christ.
Over the years, I have read a lot of books on healing. I have heard many people speak on healing, many pastors preach on healing. I’ve gone to deliverance meetings where you have to break legal contracts with demons. I’ve gone to charismatic meetings where you have to kind-of work-up the spirit until the healing power is “strong enough” to be able to work. I’ve pretty much heard it all at one point or another. And do you know what all of that got me in the end? It wasn’t healing… It was frustration, it was anger for all the wasted time, it was confusion and resentment, because I went through all this stuff, and I was expending all of this strength and energy and God still wasn’t moving. I became tired; tired of all the lies and falsehoods that led me from one wrong path to another wrong path – all I wanted was the truth! And either nobody knew what the truth was, or they were keeping it to themselves and intentionally holding the people in bondage.
Well, I have experienced divine healing. I was laying flat on my back in the ICU of a hospital waiting to die. And none of those answers given by those people are good enough when you are in a dire situation and desperately need a miracle from God.
Today, I am going to share with you the real truth of how to receive what is already yours in Christ Jesus.
So let’s not waste any time and get right into the scriptures, starting with Isaiah 55:9-12:
“For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, and returns not thither, but waters the earth, and makes it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:
So shall my word be that goes forth out of my mouth: it shall not return to me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.
For you shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.”
Right in verse 9 as we begin, we see that there is a difference between God’s ways and our ways, and a difference between His thoughts and our thoughts. This is important, and an important detail is here: that His ways and His thoughts are not lower then ours, they are higher than ours. You see, many believers actually have this idea deep down on the inside of them, that God’s ways are actually lower than theirs, and that His thoughts are actually lower than theirs. They may never say that or admit to it, but they have that secret idea on the inside anyway.
What does that look like in daily living? Whenever someone thinks that God wants them sick, weak feeble or in need – they are entertaining the idea that God’s thoughts are lower than theirs. And whenever these people try to explain how God put them or led them into such a position, they are likewise entertaining the idea that God’s ways are lower then theirs. Please understand that God can and does work all things together for your good. And He can certainly use every situation – however, I would like to expand your faith by sharing with you the clear fact that God could accomplish the very same good without the need for any of the bad, because His ways are far grater than our limited ways, and His thoughts are also far superior.
I have talked to many people who have told me that they thank God for their terrible illness because they were able to be a light for Jesus in the hospital. Now, again please understand that I am not taking anything away from the fact that God used them to be a witness while they were in the hospital. What I am suggesting is that the person themselves does not need to be made sick to accomplish the same thing! God can simply tell you to go to the hospital and minister. He doesn’t need to place diseases on your flesh that Jesus suffered to free you from! Keep in-mind that sicknesses, diseases and pains are a curse of sin listed in Deuteronomy 28, and their purpose is to destroy you. These are not toys for God to play with or chess pieces for Him to move. They are curses – curses that He paid a high price for you to be free from. Never forget that. So expand your vision of God… His ways are much higher than ours, and so are His thoughts.
Verses 10 and 11, draw an analogy between rainfall and snowfall with the word that proceeds from God’s mouth. How do rain and snow come down? Drop by drop. Why? Because if it came down in one great burst we would not be able to handle it. His wisdom and power would crush us if He gave it to us in one big lump. His ways are much higher than ours and His thoughts are much more grand than we can even imagine, but He feeds us in bite-sized portions that we can handle. However once we receive His word for us, it will never return to Him without accomplishing its purpose and prosper in it.
So what does God want for you? Is it destruction, death, pain or suffering? Look at verse 12:
For you shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands
This is what God’s intentions for you are. That you would go out with joy and be led forth with peace. You start your journey with joy… not trepidation, and you are led forth with peace, not anxiety or uncertainty. If you are anxious or unsure about a thing, well that’s not joy, and if you are feeling uneasy, or something seems to be pulling you one way or the other, that is not peace. No, what God wants for you is for joy and peace to be your constant companions. How can this be? Why is it that you can have joy and peace with you always? It is precisely because of the assurance of the previous two verses: When you actually realize the amazing promise that has just been given by God here, it will change your entire life! Look again at what God is saying in verses 10 and 11…
God sends His word, in bite-sized portions, it waters the earth and makes it bring forth and bud. Well now, that’s results. And He also provides seed to the sower and bread to the eater. These results, some will be for immediate enjoyment and benefit – and others will be to plant and receive a harvest later. God provides both. Then in verse 11 we can see that God says that His word shall not return to Him void. Now we often hear this verse quoted when referring to sharing our faith with unbelievers – but please don’t limit it to only that! God does not limit it to that, so we shouldn’t limit it either! This applies to all of the words that God speaks. We have an amazing statement by God here: that His words, whatever they are and to whomever they are directed, will never return to Him void (empty, without effect) but it shall accomplish what He pleases, and will prosper where He sends it. So God is plainly promising here that whatever word He speaks will never be ineffective but it will always accomplish its purpose and prosper wherever He sends it! That is amazing! And that is why you can rejoice and have joy and peace as mentioned in verse 12.
Now as I mentioned before. I have been to a lot healing and deliverance services, and I have heard a lot of pastors, teachers and leaders speak on the subject. I have read many books on the subject. And one thing that they all have in common is that they all require something first. What I mean by that is you either have to do something or wait for something. There are countless people chasing after men who they think have a special healing anointing. The trouble is, what happens when the person leaves to go to the next city and you go home and get sick again? Now you are stuck!
There are people who are following these books and articles from respected leaders in the Christian community who are telling them all the reasons why they won’t be blessed – that is until they do all of these things first, and it’s as if these people were still under the Old Covenant; as if Jesus never came at all!
There are people waiting for a special movement, or outpouring of the Spirit in order to heal and bless them, failing to recognize that the greatest work of God has already been done and the Spirit has already been poured out. And this is the key.
As we read in Isaiah, the word of God always accomplishes its goal. So let’s see what the word of God has today regarding us, starting with healing. Turn to 1st Peter 2:24:
“Who his own self bore our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live to righteousness: by whose stripes you were healed.”
Many people are trying to obtain the second-half of this verse through their own efforts, striving, crying, working – and they are still coming-up empty because they do not understand the first half of the verse!
The principle is simple! You are not waiting for anything! Nothing else needs to happen!
Jesus Christ has bore your sins in His own body on the tree, that you being dead to sins, should live to righteousness. The words “sin” and “sins” in this verse is hamartia in Greek, the noun form of the word. This is not referring to sinful actions but the very place of sin that you were in. Jesus moved you from the place and status of sin, to the place and status of righteousness; this is a completed work, that does not need to be added to or repeated. The verse is not telling you that you need to make yourself dead to sin… it is telling you that because of what Christ has already done you are dead to sin!
But wait, because this gets even better! The noun hamartia has a very broad definition. It is defined as anything that “misses the mark” – anything that falls short of the perfect glory of God is sin. With that sense of the word, you can see that sin is much more than what we normally think of when we narrowly define it as such sinful actions. Sin is actually all around us; sickness is sin, pain is sin, disease is sin, poverty is sin, worry and fear and doubt is sin, and Jesus before them all for you on the cross!
This is the real beauty and amazing Grace of what John said when he saw Jesus coming in John 1:29:
“The next day John sees Jesus coming to him, and said, Behold the Lamb of God, which takes away the sin of the world.”
That word “sin” there is the same Greek word, hamartia with the same broad definition! Jesus Christ came to take away all of your sin, everything in your life that falls short of God’s perfect glory! Embrace this truth! He has done it! This is why you don’t have to strive for it, or earn it, or beg for it – that’s Old Covenant behavior. In Christ, you can freely receive what Jesus has done. Take a look at Romans 8:32:
“He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?”
Let this truth sink deep into your spirit. Digest this… God, who did not spare His beloved, one and only Son, but delivered Him up for you, how then shall He not, along with Christ, also freely give you all things? For God to give you Christ but withhold something else, would to actually be saying that the other thing is greater than Christ!
Now what does all things mean? It means all things! Do not dare to limit this. This includes wisdom, peace, healing, health, protection, provision and everything else that is Christ’s. And notice what it says: He freely gives! Do you understand this phrase? To freely give something means that you don’t have to pay for it. You don’t have to pay for it with money, effort, or even time. Some people say that they know that their healing is coming and that one day it will be here. That’s just a way for them to back-door themselves earning it through a waiting period, and we covered this in a previous study.
However in 2nd Corinthians 6:2, God says:
“(For he said, I have heard you in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succored you: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)”
Do you see it? Now is the accepted time! Now is the day of salvation! God tells you to Behold it, see it now!
The word salvation here in the Greek is soteria – it is another one of those broadly defined word. You might be surprised that the literal definition of this word is “deliverance from the molestation of enemies.” Now when we think of the word “molestation”, we think of sexual abuse. However the original definition of molestation is anything that bothers, interferes or annoys you. So when God says that now is the day of salvation, He is saying that today you have been delivered from all the molestations of the enemy! And all that is entailed with that!
So what then about delays? Why do delays happen? Many people like to think that it is God’s will to delay in answering… that’s a popular teaching that is going around in Christian circles. Let me show you what the Bible says about it in Daniel 10:12-13:
“Then said he to me, Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that you did set your heart to understand, and to chasten yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I am come for your words.
But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, see, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia.”
Look at what the angel says to Daniel, from the first day… your words were heard and I have come for your words. Does that sound like God delayed in answering? Not at all!
What then did cause the delay? The popular opinion based on the common reading of verse 12, is that Satan and his evil forces caused the delay. That seems to be what the angel is telling Daniel. However I want to draw your attention to a specific detail here… Take a look at the exact time-span that the angel said that he was resisted by the enemy: it is 21 days. This detail is very important because if we look back to verse 2 of this same chapter, what do we find?
“In those days I Daniel was mourning three full weeks.”
Daniel was mourning for three full weeks, 21 days! The delay was the exact amount of time that Daniel was mourning.
Now there is nothing wrong with mourning or lamenting when it is appropriate to do so. However when you are in a continual state of mourning, bewailing and carrying burdens, this will actually give the enemy inroads into your life. This is precisely what 1st Peter 5:7-8 speak of… Cast all your cares upon Jesus, because He cares for you. Yet many of us try to carry our own burdens, we mourn and lament for this heavy burden on our back not realizing that we were never designed to carry them, and the result is that we become food for the enemy to begin to devour.
Look back at what Daniel says in verse 3: He ate no pleasant bread, nor did he anoint himself with oil.
It doesn’t say he didn’t eat… it says he ate nothing pleasant, nor did he anoint himself. This has applications for us today, because when we are in a continual state of mourning, many times we fail to receive the provisions of Christ. We fail to take the peace that He offers, or receiving the anointing that He brings. We stop seeing ourselves in Him, and that is how the enemy begins to gain footholds over us. So if you are experiencing delays today, realize that it is not God causing them. Do not get discouraged, don’t be tempted to see yourself as dirty or think that God is ignoring you. Daniel was busy looking at his problem, and he kept himself in that state for three weeks! He looked more at his problem, than who his God was. Many times, we do the same thing… but let this account from Daniel speak to you and encourage you. Don’t go into mourning. Realize that from the very moment that you prayed, God heard you and sent an answer. Rejoice and receive!
Now in closing today, I want to cover one more aspect of this, which is praying for others. Because many times we get all caught up in measuring ourselves to see if we have enough faith to pray for someone else… or we start measuring the person we are to pray for to see whether they have enough faith. Both of these approaches will actually void faith because it is making the whole thing man-centered instead of Christ-centered, and it is flat out anti-Christ.
I want to shift your perception back to the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and His completed work.
Because we understand now that the work has already been done, and because we see now that Jesus has already defeated the enemy and loosed the bondage of sin, we are to go and proclaim that truth as His ambassadors. Here’s what this means:
You are not healing anyone! Neither are they healing themselves. The truth of the matter is that Jesus has already made full provision for their healing. He has done the work, He has defeated the enemy, He has broken the bondage. You are simply acting as the ambassador and bringing the truth to them! That is all!
You are wiping the dirt off of a gold brick to make it shine forth. The gold brick is already there because of Christ. You are just bringing the water of the Word of God to wash it so that it shines!
So with this truth, you can see how absolutely easy it is to receive what is already yours in Christ. And also how easy it is to share it with others! This is why Jesus says in Matthew 10:8, that you have freely received, therefore freely give.
It’s all a gift, from Jesus to you.
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