Restoration and Healing

Restoration in every dimension of human experience is at the heart of the gospel. It is woven through both OT and NT Scriptures and should be kept at the forefront of the things we communicate. The restoration we have been examining recently is the return of the church (the precious bride of Christ), to the majesty and glory God intended for her. To fully accomplish this, God has begun to release His awesome power without measure ‘to’ and ‘through’ His church. Restoration is already taking place, and His Spirit is being poured out on all flesh. The latter rains have started!

However, restoration is a process. Through a series of distinct actions and diverse operations of the Holy Spirit, God is systematically restoring different aspects of His beloved church. And the restoration that’s taking place is effecting all three spheres of its existence - the spiritual, physical and material. God is busy restoring authority in the church so that His awesome power can manifest through signs and wonders. Furthermore, He plans to meet the needs of mankind through a ‘glorious church’; therefore, true prosperity is being established. But this cannot come about until the fortunes of each individual member have been restored.

In Zechariah 10:6 the Lord says, “I will restore them because I have compassion on them. They will be as though I had never left them; for I am the Lord their God and I will answer them.” God’s compassion compels Him to restore His people.

And remember this, when He restores, there is always increase, multiplication or improvement in order for the latter state to be significantly better that its original state. This applies in the area of healing also. Psalm 41:3 states, “The Lord will sustain him on his sickbed and restore him from his bed of illness.” In Jeremiah 30:17 the Lord declares, “I will restore you to health and heal all your wounds.”

Mark 8 is a good example of compassion leading to restoration. 25 “The man looked up. ‘I see men. They look like walking trees’. So Jesus laid hands on his eyes again. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly.” Jesus didn’t want to leave the man the way He had found him, so He laid hands on the man twice - compassion!

In Luke 6 we find another act of restoration that was driven by the Lord’s compassion. 6 On another Sabbath he went into the synagogue and was teaching, and a man was there whose right hand was shrivelled. 7 The Pharisees and the teachers of the law were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal on the Sabbath. 8 But Jesus knew what they were thinking and said to the man with the shrivelled hand, “Get up and stand in front of everyone.” So he got up and stood there. 9 Then Jesus said to them, “I ask you, which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy it?” 10 He looked around at them all, and then said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He did so, and his hand was completely restored.

The Bible is full of verses that confirm God’s desire to restore His people to perfect soundness and complete wholeness. God wants you healed! And He secured this by sending Jesus to die on the cross for you. Therefore, in the mind of God, you were restored to perfect health the moment His plan of salvation was implemented. In fact, He sees your latter state as being significantly better than your original state. After all, you are a new creation in Christ Jesus!

Healing is a part of God’s divine nature. It is constantly being poured into the hearts and minds of His people (and over their flesh). It is also a vital element of both the covenants that God established with His people. Healing was a part of the Old Covenant under the law and is also a part of the New Covenant under grace that was constituted through the blood of Jesus Christ.

The prophet Isaiah gives us a wonderful glimpse into the life and ministry of the coming Messiah. Isaiah 53 is a prophetic passage concerning the atoning work of Christ, the Messiah. In this prophecy he reveals many things concerning the Messiah’s ministry and all that He would go through on behalf of God’s people, of which we find healing being very much a part of the atoning work of Christ.

There are three very bold affirmative statements in this passage of Scripture and each refer to healing as being a part of the atoning work of Christ:

Verse 4: He has borne our griefs – the word grief’s means sicknesses, weaknesses and diseases.

Verse 5: By His stripes we are healed – this includes emotional and physical healing.

Verse 10: He has put Him to grief – the Amplified version says, “He has put Him to grief and made Him sick.” Jesus was made sick so that we could be made whole – restored!

Matthew 8:16-17 plainly illustrates that Jesus fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah 53 – by healing all who came to Him. Remember this:

    * Jesus was committed to healing all because of the healing covenant.
    * In Jesus’ mind, healing and forgiveness were equal - one and the same.
    * Peter sees healing as something that has already been accomplished. “By His stripes you were healed.”

Hence, healing is simply the salvation of Jesus Christ performing its divine action in a person’s body, the same as it performed its divine action in a person’s soul. “Sozo” (verb) and “Soteria” (noun) are the two Greek words that are used for the term salvation or saved. They can also be translated healed, healing, made whole, preserved or restored. So today, why don’t you let the salvation of Jesus Christ have its divine action in your physical body. Let Him restore you to good health!

Here are a few scriptures to inspire you:

Psalm 91:16 With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation.

Psalm 103:3 Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits--who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases.

Psalm 107:20 He sent forth his word and healed them; He rescued them from the grave.

Psalm 118:17 I will not die but live, and will proclaim what the Lord has done.

Proverbs 4:20-23 My son, pay attention to what I say; listen closely to my words. Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart; for they are life to those who find them and health to a man's whole body.

Isaiah 53:4-5 Surely He took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered Him stricken by God, smitten by Him, and afflicted. But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed.

Matthew 8:2-3 A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man.

“I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” Immediately he was cured of his leprosy.

Matthew 8:17 This was to fulfil what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: “He took up our infirmities and carried our diseases.”

Mark 16:17-18 And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will be restored.”

John 10:10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

Romans 8:11 And if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit, who lives in you.

Galatians 3:13-14 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.” He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.

Philippians 2:13 …for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to His good purpose.

Hebrews 10:23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful.

Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

James 5:14-15 Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven.

I Peter 2:24 He himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by His wounds you have been healed.

Chris Demetriou, 01/06/2008