I. Sin and Sickness are two fruits from the same tree.
A. Sin and sickness are always grouped together.
1. Psalms 103:2-6 - 2. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: 3. Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; 4. Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; 5. Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s. 6. The LORD executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed. (KJV)
2. James 5:13-20 - 13. Is any among you afflicted? Let him pray. Is any merry? Let him sing psalms. 14. Is any sick among you? Let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: 15. And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. 16. Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. 17. Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. 18. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit. 19. Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him; 20. Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins. (KJV)
a. (#4982 – sozo) a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins. (KJV)
b. # 266 hamartia (ham – ar – tee’ – ah); a sin. (KJV) – offence, sin (-ful).
i. To miss the mark, to err, be mistaken, to miss or wander from the path of uprightness and honor, to do or go wrong to wander from the law of God, to violate Gods law, to sin.
ii. That which is done wrong, sin, an offense, a violation of divine law in thought or in action.
3. #4982 – sozo (sode’-zo); Strongs & Thayers – “safe”; to save, i.e. deliver or protect: KJV – heal, preserve, save (self), do well, be (make) whole, to save, to keep safe and sound, to rescue from danger or destruction, from injury or peril, to save a suffering one, (from perishing), that is, one suffering from disease, to make well, to heal, restore to health, to preserve one from danger of destruction, to save or rescue, to save in the biblical sense;
II. Sin came into the world by man’s (Adam’s) sin. (Gen. 3:1-6)
A. Rom. 5:12 - Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: (KJV)
B. Rom 5:17 - Fore if by one man’s offense death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ. (See also Rom. 5:19-21)
III. Jesus Treated Sin And Sickness The Same. He Removed Them.
A. Sickness/Disease
1. Matt 9:1-8 – 1. And he entered into a ship, and passed over, and came into his own city. 2. And, behold, they brought to him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed: and Jesus seeing their faith said unto the sick of the palsy; Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee. 3. And, behold, certain of the scribes said within themselves, This man blasphemeth. 4.And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts? 5. For whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and walk? 6. But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith he to the sick of the palsy,) Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house. 7. And he arose, and departed to his house. 8. But when the multitudes saw it, they marvelled, and glorified God, which had given such power unto men. (KJV) (See also in Mark 2:1-12 and Luke 5:17-26)
B. Sin - Luke 7:48-50 – 48. And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven. 49. And they that sat at meat with him began to say within themselves, Who is this that forgiveth sins also? 50. And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace. (KJV)
IV. Is Healing In The Atonement?
A. John 3:14-17 – 14. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: 15. That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. 16. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. (KJV)
B. Num 21:4-9 – 4. And they journeyed from mount Hor by the way of the Red sea, to compass the land of Edom: and the soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way. 5. And the people spake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul loatheth this light bread. 6. And the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died. 7. Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD, and against thee; pray unto the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people. 8. And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live. 9. And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived. (KJV)
1. Are these two passages referring to the same event? Answer: Yes.
2. If this is so, we have a stronger scriptural right to preach healing through Jesus’ crucifixion than we do to preach salvation (in it’s common usage of only eternal life).
3. The truth is in the preaching and understanding of the “Whole or Full Gospel”, that God desires to save man from anything and everything that causes sin, sickness, destruction, or death. This proves that “eternal life” consists of more than just “going to heaven”.
a. John 10:10 - “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I have come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” (KJV)
b. Isa. 53:5 - But He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed.
c. 1 Peter 2:24 - Who his own self bare our sins in his body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye are healed. (KJV)
i. The verse here quoted by Peter was originally prophesied by the Prophet Isaiah concerning the Messiah.
ii. The words used for “healed” each time was a word that was only used for physical healing. This was by no mere chance.
iii. These words exactly portray the intent. In Hebrew it was: Rapha’ (raw-faw’); Strongs#7495 (as in Jehovah-Rapha) or raphah; a primitive root; properly, to mend (by stitching), i.e. (figuratively) to cure: KJV cure, (cause to) heal, physician, repair, X thoroughly, make whole.
Always used in reference to physical healing except once- there used in ref. To repairing the temple alter. In Greek it was: Iaomai (ee-ah’-om-ahee); Strong’s #2390
C. How do we know that these two verses were referring to the same thing?
1. Because of Matt. 8:16-17 – 16. When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick: 17. That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses. (KJV)
2. Some have tried to say that since Jesus “fulfilled” this prophecy He is no longer healing the sick. To follow the same reasoning would force us to say that since Jesus saved those who were following Him at the time He went to the cross, He is no longer saving anyone.
V. If Healing is in the Atonement, it is an established fact, it is already DONE.
A. Example: If a person puts up a deposit, the deposit is good for as long as the person that put it up wants it to be good.
B. Jesus made a deposit in His Name, we can draw from that deposit by using His name.
C. God has made us a standing offer of forgiveness AND healing through the crucifixion.
D. Isa. 53:4 - Surely He hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. (KJV)
1. Here we see once again the joining of the Atonement with healing of physical sickness.
2. This is why 1 Peter 2:24 is in the past tense. The deposit or pre-payment for your healing Has been made. “…by whose stripes ye WERE HEALED.”
E. As far as God is concerned, you have been healed; therefore you ARE healed, So act like it. Healing is again connected to the Atonement in Scriptures concerning the “Lord’s Supper” or “Communion” in 1 Cor. 11:23-31.
1. 1 Cor 11:23-31 – 23. For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread: 24. And when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. (Note that Jesus broke bread first just as He was scourged before He died.) 25. After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. 26. For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come. (Note that the two are once again found and bound together) 27. Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. 28. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. 29. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. (Notice it does not say “the Lord’s blood”) 30. For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. 31. For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. (KJV)
2. (Note that many among you (in the church) are weak, sickly, and some are even asleep in the Lord because they did not discern the Lord’s body (not the Lord’s blood, but His body). If one can become sick by partaking communion wrongly, then naturally one can obtain healing by partaking correctly.