Sunday Words of Encouragement April 17, 2016

We had a good Sunday School, and lovely worship service today. We missed last week’s Sunday School teaching but our teacher summed it up with comments this week. Apparently the lesson was on the text “by His stripes, we are healed” and the argument of divine healing. Teacher expressed that the word for “healing” applies to both spiritual and physical healing.

Sickness in man is the result of sin that came upon man after the fall at the Garden of Eden. Man’s body is under curse due to disobedience. Romans 5:19. Christ’s death provides the hope and promise that, one day, we will put off our perishable bodies and receive an imperishable body. 1 Corinthians 15:54. Our hope is in the next life; not in the blip that is our earthly existence.

Healing power is a gift which wouldn’t be needed if our faith was enough to heal us.
God does not always heal but He may use the illness or the healing for His own purposes. Healing is for a testimony.

Our teacher explained how he had to put his father in nursing home this week. His physical vehicle is wearing out. Human bodies may have been messed up by genetics. Environment adds to degeneration through external and internal pollutions. When we are born again we do not get a new vehicle, but a new spirit that will allow us one day to move into the promised abundant life. All people, in spirit, will life forever but will they live with God or separated and in hell?

Our teacher’s father is longing to go "home"; not to his house on earth but to his heavenly home where there will be no longer a broken vehicle but a whole, joyful, abundant life. Paul wanted heaven too but realized he had to stay and endure. He learned to be content in all circumstances. Philippians 4:11. There are benefits of being a follower of Christ but guaranteed healing isn’t one of them. Our acceptance and faith give us hope in a future and strength, peace, joy, and assurance in our current life.

Jesus came to give us the abundant life of heaven. We can have spiritual well-being but we do not get divine health in the physical.

This is an older hymn that speaks to the assurance we have!

Verse for Today:
1 Corinthians 15:54 NIV
When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory."

I thank you, Lord, for the divine healing of my soul and the promise of imperishable life in glory.