HEALING THROUGH THE ATONEMENT.
BY C. S.
While many
believing ones have no questionings regarding the atonement and sacrifice Jesus
made for their sins, they are not able to see how this sacrifice was made complete
in the saving of the physical body as well as the spiritual. Disease is
the effect of sin, as it appears in Luke xiii:16, and therefore cannot be
separated from it in the finished work of Christ. Jesus had no sin, and we have
no evidence that He ever bore the marks of disease in His body; but, while
without sin, He bore our sins on the cross; also without disease or
sickness He bore our sickness. Thus were we saved, soul and body. Looking back to
our conversion, we can see how only through faith in God’s revealed word
and His promises of redemption were we brought into light and freedom for the
soul; so by the same faith must we claim soundness and freedom from
disease of the body. In the process of our conversion we did not wait to see
whether God’s Spirit would be made manifest in our future lives; but our first
acts in coming to Christ were faith and obedience. The same is required
for bodily healing. We shrink from this declaration of our trust, fearing, lest
by our condition, which we cannot hide from others, we shall either show a failure
in our faith, or bring reproach on God’s word. The fear of man is here Satan’s
strongest weapon to keep us from claiming what is our in the finished
work of Christ. Saying by faith we are healed now though this great
sacrifice; we are not to look at our bodies and feelings to prove God’s truth,
but only to Christ, willing to wait His time to give us the evidence that will
how to the world His power over disease, and bring glory to His name. Willing
even to be bound in suffering, if so He is pleased to try and prove our trust
in His word that cannot fail.
Dear ones, let us
not hinder our waiting Lord by presuming to look after His own work; only let
ours be earnest seeking, full believing, ready obedience.
***
THE KING’S GRACE.
Personal
acceptance comes first. We must be “accepted in the Beloved” before we can look
to be answered through the Beloved.
Then comes the
answers! As surely as the prayers go up from the accepted one, so surely will
the blessings come down. When Esther had touched the Golden scepter, “then said
the king unto her, What wilt thou, Queen Esther, and what is thy request? It shall
be even given thee to the half of the kingdom.” But there is no “half” in our
King’s promise. He says “All things” and “whatsoever.” And He does “do
exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think,” and more than fulfills
our little scanty requests. – Frances Havergal.
