God Still Heals

"For God so loved the world...

Jim Piper | December 14, 2009 | Comments (0)

Now as Peter went here and there among them all, he came down also to the saints who lived at Lydda. There he found a man… …bedridden for eight years, who was paralyzed. And Peter said to him, "Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you; rise and make your bed." And immediately he rose. And all the residents… …saw him, and they turned to the Lord."

Reading and Commenting on the Book of Acts

Read Acts 9:32-43

The apostles were a unique group empowered by God to do what the rest of us might like to do. They were given resurrection power to continue the revelation of Jesus Christ as God in the flesh. Without a doubt, it was an unusual time in history.

God Heals Purposefully

God still heals today. Peter declared, "Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you..." and this same Jesus is alive and well today. He is caring and relational. Jesus has the power and desire to heal us but his ultimate purpose is eternal, not temporary.

God Heals Relationally

God does not heal the body so that it can die another day. He heals the body to reveal Christ. Notice the last phrase, "And all the residents... ...saw him, and they turned to the Lord." The phrase implies relational and spiritual reconciliation.

God Heals Today

We still seek physical healing. We spend billions of dollars around the world treating disease and invest billions more in medical research. Certainly, this is a worthy cause yet it falls short of holistic healing - the healing of the whole person.

The Bible says that the result of sin is death - physical and spiritual (relationally with God and others).

No matter how much I may want to avoid it, my body will fail me. But I don't have to die spiritually; I can be healed and reunited with my Creator and all those who "turn to the Lord." This is the work that most interests God.

God wants to heal my soul - my central command center. This is the place where I think, feel, and choose. It's the power place. It's not big enough for two rulers, only one. Salvation and healing is about asking the Resurrected Christ to be the ruler of my whole person. The result is healing.