An Unshakable Foundation: Our Cornerstone to Bold Faith

A Journey of Transformation and Healing

Looking back at my teenage years and early college days, a turbulent time that could have easily been a subplot in the movie 'Dazed & Confused,’ just when things seemed to be spiraling out of control, God, in His boundless mercy, intervened. He didn't just flip the script; He transformed my life into something completely different, resembling the inspiring narrative of 'Jesus Revolution.' Now, if you haven't yet seen this film, consider this your call to action. It's a must-watch!

In an unexpected turn of events, just as I was finding my path back to the Lord, I was involved in a head-on collision that could have been much worse, but still left me with neck and back injuries. Fast forward a few months, and I moved across the country to attend school in Denver, CO. Here, I crossed paths with people who embraced the healing power of God. Their prayers led to my instant healing, propelling me onto a newfound curiosity to explore the healing nature of God more deeply.

At that moment, the thought struck me: everyone needs to encounter God's love the way I did that day. The divine power that coursed down my spine, healing my neck and back, ignited a spiritual awakening within me that refused to go away.

Healing Should Follow Believers: A Biblical Perspective

The Bible, a mesmerizing collection of God’s story is packed with events of Jesus healing the sick, restoring sight to the blind, and healing the brokenhearted. However, as we delve into Mark 16: 17, 18, it asserts, “these signs will follow those who believe,” and among these signs, it affirms, “they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.” Suddenly, it dawns on us – it’s not solely Jesus, but all believers who are destined to minister God's miraculous healing power into people's lives.

So, if we, as believers, are called to heal the sick, it's utterly crucial that we build a foundation based on the cornerstone of our faith - the atonement. The death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus anchor our confidence when we step out in faith to pray for someone.

The revelation of the atonement speaks volumes to us that not only is it God's will to heal, just as it is His will to rescue us from our sin, but that through His suffering and His blood, Jesus has completely paid the price, paving the way for us to receive the full provision of healing. His sacrifice enables us to tap into the benefits of His blood. It is this very foundation that emboldens us, fuels our confidence to pray for the sick, and instills in us the belief that the symptoms must bow down to the powerful name of Jesus.

Pursuing the Call Amidst Challenges

Let’s get real for a moment…

Is it true that when we pray for people, that they don't always get healed?  Yes.  There have been many times I’ve prayed for people and walked away sick to my stomach, because it seemed like nothing happened.  There have been other times when I was believing God for healing in my own body, and I had to walk it out over a period of time that I wished had been much shorter, but I didn’t stop in the middle of the process. In these times we can be tempted to lose heart, get discouraged, and even change our “theology” to something that doesn’t even reflect the nature of God as revealed in scripture.  Any way we look at the atonement - the blood paid it all in full, and healing was part of it.

There is some mystery in our walk that we have to come to grips with, if we are to stay steadfast in our pursuit of His call to lay hands on the sick, and see them recover.  One thing I refuse to do is let my circumstances or even my experiences shape my belief about God.  Circumstances change and experiences are inconsistent at best, but God’s word and His nature are unchanging.  When my experiences don't match up with His truth, I don't lose heart; Instead, I continue to seek Him.

When it comes to ministering the healing power of God in a way that can bring people into true healing, I'm convinced that it's a skill we can nurture, improving our proficiency much like other skills we spend time developing. One thing I did when I began my pursuit into the healing side of Jesus was highlight all of the places throughout the gospels and the book of Acts where people were healed through the life of Jesus or His followers, and I revisited the stories frequently in prayer.

BTW - I have a FREE eBook that I created for that very purpose. It gives scriptural foundation for healing in the atonement, lists the miracles of Jesus, the apostles, and other believers throughout the gospels and the book of Acts with links to the YouVersion BibleApp. You can get it for FREE right here: Journey Into Healing: 40 Days of Meditations from Scripture

In this blog post, we're going to dive headfirst into scriptures, unearthing valuable insights about the foundation for receiving healing through the atonement. Get ready as we embark on this journey together!

Understanding the Power of Healing Through Atonement

If we, as believers, are called to lay hands on the sick and see them recover, then it's important to know how the power of healing through the atonement works and what the Bible says about this topic so that we can approach the ministry of healing with confidence and boldness.

Isaiah 53:4-5 paints a vivid picture of Jesus' sacrifice: “Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.” These verses reveal the profound extent to which Jesus carried our burdens - our sicknesses, our physical and mental pain - to bring us peace and healing.

Delving into the Depth of Scripture

The Hebrew language used in these scriptures helps us grasp their depth. The word translated as "borne" implies being lifted, carried away, and endured. The term "griefs" is better understood as 'sickness,' and "sorrows" refers to physical or mental pain. Jesus bore all our sickness and pain on the cross, freeing us from these burdens and offering us healing.

Carrying Burdens No More: An Illustration

Consider this scenario: you've returned from a family trip late at night, the kids are asleep, and there's a lot of luggage to be carried inside. Most parents have been in this situation. Imagine if, while your spouse takes care of the children, you manage to bring all the luggage inside. When your spouse finishes tending to the kids, will they need to go outside and bring in their luggage? No, because you've already carried it.

In the same vein, if Jesus has already carried our sickness and pain, we no longer have to bear these burdens. If we find ourselves still carrying them, we need to recognize two truths. First, these burdens are separate from us - they are not part of who we are. Second, we don't have to carry them; it's merely the enemy trying to convince us that they are ours to bear.

Embracing the Fullness of Healing

Recognizing these truths allows us to access the complete healing and deliverance promised in the work of the cross. We can confidently lay down our burdens, knowing that Jesus has already carried them. We can stand firm against any attempts of the enemy to make us pick them back up. Through faith in the finished work of the cross, we can embrace the fullness of healing that Jesus has secured for us.

The Assurance of Healing in the New Testament

In the light of these revelations from Isaiah, we find a reassuring echo in the New Testament. The apostle Peter, in his first epistle, emphasizes the same point that Jesus not only bore our sins but also secured our healing. He writes, "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).

Peter uses the past tense, "healed," which resoundingly affirms the finished work of Christ. This isn't something that's going to happen or might happen. It's already done. Jesus has already paid the price, and the healing is ours to receive. We don't need to strive or struggle; we simply need to accept the gift that's already been given.

Empowering Ourselves Through Understanding

Imagine you're at a restaurant, and after a satisfying meal, when the bill arrives, you discover that someone has already paid it for you. You don't have to labor over the bill or worry about how you're going to pay. All you need to do is accept that someone else has borne the cost. In the same way, Jesus has already paid for our healing.

Understanding this truth doesn't just change our perspective; it empowers us. When we are fully aware that the price for healing has already been paid, it gives us boldness and confidence to pray for others. We can step out in faith, knowing that we're not asking God for something He has yet to give. Instead, we're praying for people to receive what has already been provided for them through the sacrifice of Jesus.

Emulating the Compassion of Jesus

As we read through the Gospels, we see how Jesus healed people without discrimination or hesitation. He healed the blind, the lame, the lepers, and even raised people from the dead. Jesus saw their need and was moved with compassion to heal them. Today, as we pray for healing, let us remember that we're looking manifest God’s compassion and love.

The Finality of Jesus' Mission:  “It is Finished”

In the Gospel of John, chapter 19 verse 30, Jesus utters a profound statement on the cross: "It is finished." This declaration isn't one of defeat or despair; instead, it's a victorious proclamation that His work – our salvation and healing – is complete. There's no more to be done, no additional sacrifice to be made. In this statement, Jesus affirms the finality of His mission on earth.

The implications of this truth are enormous for us as believers. We can confidently assert that anyone who places their faith in Him can receive not only salvation but also healing through His finished work on the cross. It should not be a matter of 'if' but 'when,' because Christ's work is finished, perfect, and complete.

Dr. T.L. Osborn on the Comprehensive Nature of Christ’s Saving Grace

One of my favorite preachers that I’ve gleaned so much from throughout the years is Dr. T.L. Osborn, has gone to be with the Lord, but he captured this idea beautifully. He preached, "Wherever and whenever Jesus Christ is proclaimed as our sacrifice for SIN and SICKNESS, physical healing as well as spiritual salvation WILL result." Dr. Osborn would preach his revelation of the powerful, comprehensive, finished work of the cross in all of his crusades, declaring that it was the same blood and suffering that paid for every issue at the same time, and therefore gave the hearers the right to accept Him as all of the above (savior, healer, and deliverer) all at once.  The result was that hundreds of thousands of people were saved, healed, and delivered in his crusades.  This belief underscores the comprehensive nature of Christ's saving grace – it extends beyond the spiritual realm to touch every aspect of our lives, including our physical health.

Agents of God’s Healing Power

In conclusion, as believers in the divine power of God and the healing that flows from Christ's atonement, we are called to be agents of this ministry of healing. The understanding we've gained from diving deep into the Scriptures should inspire confidence and boldness as we step out. It's not merely about knowing that healing is part of the atonement; it's about living out this reality in our everyday lives. The assurance that the price for healing has been fully paid, just as it was for our sins, empowers us to be bold in our faith and pray for healing for anyone we encounter.

Our Call to Action

So, let’s rise to the occasion and answer the call. Let’s step out in the full assurance of faith, confident in God's will to heal, and bold in our commission to minister healing. Let’s keep our eyes opened on a daily basis, looking for opportunities to lay hands on the sick, to pray for them, to stand with them in faith, knowing that the work of the atonement has settled it. God's will is to heal our sicknesses and diseases as much as it’s His will to save us from the power of sin, and all was paid for by the same blood that He poured out on the cross.  Not only that, but that we, as believers, truly are His chosen instruments to carry healing to the world.