Therefore it is not just the mere addition of “in Jesus name” that delivers the goods to us. We should also ensure our ‘whatsoever‘ truly represents who and what Jesus is.

Now, if we are joint heirs with Christ and Christ is heir over All Things, then we are also heir over all that the Father has. We share equally in Christ’ inheritance. Halleluyah!  We are entitled to God’s money, God’s property, indeed everything that the father has is ours too.

Therefore, if we are ever challenged in health, we know it is not from God, we must resist it.
Question is how do we resist sickness?

Why Christians Still Suffer Sickness and Disease

So far, we’ve said that God is interested in our spiritual and physical wellbeing (Isaiah 53;4-5, 3 John 1:2). We have also seen that Jesus carried our sicknesses, pains and sorrows on Himself (Isaiah 53:4-5). The reason Jesus did it all is so that we do not have to bear, carry or suffer any of these things. We are delivered from sin and its consequences.

Now, if Jesus did all this so that we can enjoy good health then why do Christians still fall ill?

Below, I share 4 possible reasons from scripture why this can be the case……

1. Ignorance about the Word of God on healing

In Hosea 4:6, God states that His people perish because of lack of knowledge.

“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being priest for Me; Because you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children. Hosea 4:6 NKJV

The devil will always cash-in on anyone’s ignorance of their identity, rights and privileges in Christ to keep such a one in bondage (John 10:10, Luke 13:16). If we believe that Jesus already took away our sicknesses and diseases, then He intends for us to be free of them. So God derives no joy in having is ill. But guess who wants us bound and in chains by sickness and diseases? The enemy of our faith! As we see in Luke 13:16, sickness can be a form of bondage by Satan…..

“So ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound—think of it—for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath?” Luke 13:16 NKJV

The devil seeks to steal, kill and destroy, we should not let him succeed. However, we cannot appropriate and enjoy our benefits in Christ if we are unaware of what the Word says they are. In John 8;32, Jesus said it is the person who knows the truth that can be made free….

“And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” John 8:32 NKJV

Give time to the Word of God. Lack of knowledge about the Word of God in any area of life will keep you in bondage.

2. Laziness in Practicing the Word

James 1:22 is a short but very strong verse of scripture…..

“But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” James 1:22 NKJV

If all we do as believers is; listen to the Word, listen to the Word and listen to the Word again but never act in accordance with what we hear from the Word, James 1:22 says we are DECEIVING ourselves. If we never bring ourselves to practicing what we hear from the Word of God, chances are that we may be lazy or we have not fully accepted the Word as true. So in a sense, not acting on the Word can sometimes be like dancing with unbelief.

God wants us living a life of faith and perpetual victory. And that is only possible when we learn to release our faith through our actions, starting with our words. The sword of the Spirit is the Word of God in our mouths.

Today, align your words with God’s Word on healing in order to enjoy your healing benefits in Christ. Remain steadfast with your healing confessions and overtime, you will realize that the Word of God is health to all your flesh, the Word is living, powerful and sharp even as pertains to your health.

3. Making unwise and unhealthy lifestyle choices

Even though we are spirit beings, and dominate our world first in the spiritual realm, our bodies are the means through which we relate directly with our physical world. Our skin, eyes, ears, nose, tongue transmit signals from the world around us to our brains, thus helping us make sense of our world. However, our physical bodies are prone to wear and tear with each day. Therefore not making wise and healthy lifestyle choices can further cause more wear and tear on our bodies.

To fully enjoy our healing benefit in Christ, we must make healthy lifestyle decisions. Eat right (Daniel 1:12-16, Genesis 1:29, 2:16), Exercise right (1 Timothy 4:8), Get enough Sleep/Rest, Maintain good Godly relationships.

4. Not discerning the Lord’s Body

Speaking about the communion, First Corinthians 11:29-30 tells us to recognize that when we partake of the communion, we are actually partaking of the Lord’s Body. And we are that Body! So eating/drinking in a discriminating manner, with hatred and unforgiveness against one another, can make us weak, sick or to die.

“For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep.” I Corinthians 11:29-30 NKJV.

We all sometimes feel angry, offended, betrayed etc, but we must learn to let go of them, we must learn to quickly forgive. We must commit to ourselves to Be More– more in faith, patience, longsuffering, kindness, peace, love (2 Peter 1:5).
And the more we yield to the leading and workings of the Spirit the easier it is to resist the impulses of the flesh (Galatians 5:16). Be led by the Spirit, walk in walk.

Love fulfills all of God’s law (Galatians 5:14‭-‬15). We are born of God, God is love and so we are love. Let us learn to exercise our love nature by making demands on it every time we are tempted to hate or not forgive (Matthew 22:37-39, 1 Corinthians 13:13, Matthew 5:24).

Friends, don’t let the enemy keep you oppressed and depressed. Christ has delivered us from sin, the curse of the law and from the devil’s dominion. He took our pains and sicknesses on Himself and By His Stripes we are healed. So, be knowledgeable about your identity, rights and benefits in Christ, make wise and healthy lifestyle choices and put on the garment of love at all times.

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Blessings & Love Always!

O’ yes, poverty is a part of the curse. And it was overcome through the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. You are as delivered from poverty as you are delivered from sin. You are as delivered from sickness as you are delivered from sin. Halleluyah! If you say you are saved, then know also that you are healed and rich.

If believers are to lay hands on the sick to recover, then there is healing power in a believers hand (when used with the authority in the name of Jesus). But how best to prove this except by acting on it.

As I lay on my bed extremely weak, the Word of God was bubbling in my heart, bubbling, bubbling, however, I wasn’t speaking it out. I didn’t think I had enough strength to speak, and yet I was feeling weaker. Oh! But the moment I summoned courage and simply whispered; ‘I have the life of God in me’ in that very instant,  a light shone over my eyes, and I felt my chest rise (physically). I was both shocked and thrilled. For a moment it seemed like it didn’t happen. So much later, I spoke same words again; and I tell you I had the same experience again. And I started feeling better and better, gradually my strength returned the more I kept confessing the Word. I love God and I love the Word of God- my rock and anchor!

A scale of preference is simply a list of items prepared for purchase and arranged in order of priority or importance. In Matthew 6:25-32, Jesus notes that the unbeliever (pagan) prioritizes his needs above God. So if an unbeliever were to prepare a scale of preference, his needs for food, shelter, clothing, etc would top the list. However, in Matthew 6:31-34 Jesus admonishes us (His followers) to put God first on our list.

“who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed.” I Peter 2:24 NKJV

In Part 1, we answered the following question:

Is 1 Peter 2:24 ‘healing’ just a spiritual healing, a physical healing or both a spiritual/physical one?

Please refer to Monday’s post see the response from scripture.

Today we try to understand the word ‘stripes’ in 1 Peter 2:24.

As used in 1 Peter 2:24, ‘stripes‘ mean; a bruise, a wound from a stripe, to beat to pieces, crush, smite, humble, oppress.

‘Wound’ is an injury to a living tissue caused by a cut, blow, or impart, which typically cuts or breaks the skin.

‘Bruise‘ is an injury that appears as a discolored area of skin on the body.

These descriptions point to a physical, bodily experience. Yes, Jesus definitely felt the spiritual and emotional weight of crucifixion, but also in reality, He was physically tortured. His body was bruised.

The Amplified version reading helps paint a clearer picture of 1 Peter 2:24….

"He personally carried our sins in His body on the cross [willingly offering Himself on it, as on an altar of sacrifice], so that we might die to sin [becoming immune from the penalty and power of sin] and live for righteousness; for by His wounds you [who believe] have been healed.” 1 Peter 2:24 AMP

His body was cut. He was lashed so much that His skin broke. The nails pierced His skin as they passed through His hands, and the spear certainly pierced his skin. He even bore our sins in His own body.

The Stripes were not imaginary, they were real…

"Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.” Isaiah 53:4‭-‬5 NIV

He carried them all (sin and sickness) so that you will not carry them. You have no business with sin, you have no business with sickness.

Agree with God; Believe His Word, Continually confess His Word on healing and it will be health to all your flesh.

By His Stripes I was healed. The Bible says it and I choose to believe the Word of God. I agree with God!

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Reviewed from first published in 10/08/2019.

Not too long ago, I came across a Christian blogsite where a heated argument was going on about the meaning of ‘healed‘ in ‘By His stripes you were  healed‘ of 1 Peter 2:24.  While some persons supported the idea that ‘healed’ as used in this verse referred only to a spiritual healing with no physical manifestation, others thought it was totally a physical experience. Those who felt strongly that it should be purely spiritual, came from the standpoint that healing and salvation came as one package. And so if salvation is spiritual then healing must be too.