Sunday 21st September 2014 - Because Of What Jesus Has Done - Brian Nish

‘BECAUSE OF WHAT JESUS HAS DONE’ INTRODUCTION Jesus on the Cross conquered the power of sin, sickness, and death, and made it possible for us to be reconciled to Father God, and receive all His benefits (Isa. 53:4-5 AMP; Eph. 1:3; James 1:17). Salvation, healing, blessing, and all other good gifts, are now made freely available to us, because of what Jesus has done. This truly is amazing grace. One definition of grace is 'to receive benefits we do not deserve, because of what Jesus has done'. Therefore, if we do not make every effort to receive these benefits, we are actually ‘undervaluing’ what Jesus has done on the Cross. RECEIVING THE BENEFITS Obviously, gifts and blessings must be received to be of any benefit to us, so how do we receive them? We access God’s grace by faith (Rom. 5:2) and receive whatever we ask for, when we pray (Mark 11:23-24). BENEFITS, NOT ENTITLEMENTS Understanding and appreciating that Father God’s gifts and blessings to us are ‘benefits’ and not ‘entitlements’, brings a humility to our hearts, which makes it easier for us to receive them (James 4:6). Father God wants all of His children to appreciate His love and grace, and to learn to become ‘good receivers’, so He can bless us. On the other hand, if we see Father God’s gifts and blessings as ‘entitlements’, it can lead to a wrong kind of aggressive faith, which insists it is right (1 Cor 13:2;5), and can create a hardness in our hearts. But faith must come out of a right heart, because faith works through love (Gal 5:6). HEALING IN THE GOSPELS God is sovereign In healing, as in every other area, God is sovereign, and no one has all the answers. But as our loving sovereign Father, God wants us to build our lives upon His Word, and not upon someone else's experience, whether good or bad. Living in imperfect conditions Because healing is the outstanding doctrine which can be tested by results, some demand perfect results, as if we are living in perfect conditions. Every doctrine would fall if judged by this standard, including the doctrine of salvation itself. Wholeness, not just physical healing Also, healing includes healing of the spirit, soul, and body, because they are all interconnected and affect one another. As God's children, we are on a journey to wholeness, and not just physical healing. Jesus healed ALL who came to Him In the Gospels Jesus healed ALL who came to Him. He never turned one single person away - or said "It's not your time" - or "Get your life sorted out first", and, many of those who came to Him must have had all kinds of sin, and other serious issues, in their lives. God may, or may not, reveal areas in our lives where we need to change, as part of the healing process. If He does, we should respond accordingly. Dealing with doubt and unbelief What we should be looking to deal with initially is doubt and unbelief, and to build faith, to enable people to receive their healing. Doubt and unbelief are normally present when people have not yet seen or understood that Jesus healed in the Gospels to demonstrate the Father's will (John 5:19), that He is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Heb. 13:8), and that healing is one of the benefits of the Cross. Jesus met people where they were In the Gospels, Jesus met people where they were with the love and grace of God, and most healings appeared to have happened instantly when He prayed. This may be because Jesus was a perfect channel and had the Spirit without measure (John 3:34), whereas we are imperfect channels who only have a measure of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, it may take us longer to get someone completely healed, and this is why ‘soaking prayer’ is so vital in the healing ministry. Although we may not see as many ‘instant healings’ as Jesus, in some ways we can learn so much more through a 'gradual healing', as we journey into wholeness through our relationship with Him. HEALING THROUGH THE CROSS Healing is one of the benefits of the Cross As stated earlier, Jesus conquered the power of sin, sickness, and death, on the Cross (Isa 53:4-5 AMP; Mat. 8:17). Therefore, healing is now available to us, as one of the benefits of the Cross, but like salvation, this gift of grace must be appropriated by faith. Receiving your healing by faith When it comes to receiving healing the following may be helpful, when praying for yourself or another person. Remember afresh 'what Jesus has done', and that healing is now available, as one of the benefits of the Cross. You, or the other person, can then simply speak out the following "Healing belongs to me, because of what Jesus has done - I receive my healing now, in Jesus name"(Mark 11:24). If praying for another person, you should then lay on hands as you pray (Mark 16:18b). Watering the seed After receiving your healing - by faith, when you prayed - if all symptoms do not leave immediately, it is important to do the following: believe that when you received, a seed was planted. You then water that seed, by thanking God that healing is now taking place, by confessing healing scriptures, and by receiving ongoing (soaking) prayer where necessary, until all symptoms leave. Spending time ‘soaking in God’s presence’ can also help with the healing process. When your Doctor prescribes you pills for something, healing begins the moment you take your first pill. You would then normally continue taking the pills until you finish the course. If you are on any form of medication, but believe you have been healed, you should still continue taking the medication, until signed off by your Doctor. Throughout this whole process, it is very important to keep your 'Faith Switch ON' until your healing is complete, especially if you sometimes feel that you are only hanging on by your fingernails! Maintaining a positive confession As part of your current healing confession, or if your healing is complete, but the enemy tries to put the same symptoms back upon you at a later date, you can say the following: “By the stripes of Jesus I am healed, therefore I bless my body to be healed and strong, and I refuse all symptoms, in Jesus name”. Repeat this as often as necessary for your healing to complete. To keep your completed healing, you must continue to walk in it by faith. FATHER GOD'S GRACE AND LOVE Father God so loved the world that He gave us His only Son...(John 3:16). The sacrifice and victory of Jesus on the Cross made it possible for us to be reconciled to Father God, and receive all His benefits. We are now His much loved sons and daughters that He longs to bless, so that we in turn can bless others. Healing is part of this blessing. What imperfect earthly father would not want his children healed if they were sick? How much more does our perfect Heavenly Father want His children healed (Mat. 7:11)? Every good and perfect gift is from above, and comes down to us from God our Father… (James 1:17 NLT). Doctors and medicine are also good gifts, and God can use them as part of our healing. But when He does, it is important to acknowledge that God is still the source. Trusting God with our whole heart Because Father God has made healing possible through the death of His Son on the Cross, He now wants his children to trust Him with their whole heart, and not lean into their own understanding (Prov. 3:5). This is true faith. True faith is humility and trust, and when we humble ourselves before God, grace comes (James 4:6). The enabling power of grace Grace is more than ‘undeserved favour’. It is also an ‘enabling power’ (2 Cor. 12:9), which can be received any time of the day or night (Heb. 4:16). Therefore, when we choose to believe God and His Word we can receive this ‘enabling power’ of grace to strengthen our faith. Because of what Jesus has done Father God, out of His great grace and love, has provided all that we need, to receive this wonderful benefit of healing, in whatever way it comes. Healing, blessing, and all other good gifts, are now available to all, because of what Jesus has done!