E-12. WHAT DOES BEING SAVED TRULY MEAN?

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY THAT BEING SAVED MEANS?

As I was saying in the closing of the study entitled “HOW CAN I BE SAVED” that everything we receive from God requires the same A-B-C “formula”, so to speak, which dictates to all of mankind the three essential steps to RECEIVE the SALVATION that God has ALREADY provided for ALL of mankind. If you have not read this study on “How can I be saved”, then I encourage you to do so because what I taught in that study carries over to this study. You will find that nearly all of these studies BUILD upon each other much like the principles of math build from the simple arithmetic to the more complex in-depth mathematics. Now if you have read the previous studies on God’s love and how to be saved, then you will remember that the three steps of RECEIVING from God what he has already provided for us to receive are as follows.

You first hear the word of God preached and then you do these three steps.

Step 1. Accept it as being the truth in your mind or in your reasoning. You then move to step two.

Step 2. Believe with all your heart regardless of what the circumstances are telling you.

Step 3. Confess what you believe in your heart as the truth of God’s word, until the END.

That is to say, you continually and consistently CONFESS the word of God UNTIL you receive your SALVATION, which has already been provided for you. In other words, you remain unwavering in your confession of faith, UNTIL whatever God says in his word, which you are BELIEVING him for, is manifested in your life, or comes into being. Whether it be FORGIVENESS of sins, HEALING for your body, DELIVERANCE, PROTECTION, or the PROVIDING of any need.

Romans 10:8-10 says it this way.

“But what says it? The word is nigh you, even in your mouth, and in your HEART: that is the word of FAITH, which we preach; 

9. That IF you shall CONFESS with your mouth the Lord Jesus and shall BELIEVE in your HEART that God raised him from the dead, you shall be SAVED. 

10. For with the HEART man BELIEVES and with the mouth CONFESSION is made unto SALVATION.”

This is what SALVATION or being SAVED means when speaking of the END result. To be saved means RECEIVING the NEED that you have need of from God which God has ALREADY provided for YOU through the promises in his word. In other words, TRUE salvation is always based upon God's word alone. Or more precisely true salvation is based upon God's word ABOVE everything else. To say this another way, if something you hear contradicts what the WHOLE word of God teaches us then we are to reject what we hear and believe only what the WHOLE word of God is teaching us.

It must always be the WHOLE word of God that we base our faith upon or we may be deceived. I will speak more on this subject later but for now, let us continue with WHAT does being saved mean? In other words, what does the Bible say concerning all that God has already provided for us under the umbrella of salvation? What are some of the benefits of being saved?

If you are a sinner or a non-believer in Jesus then you need is to be SET FREE from sin. Being saved is not just merely forgiven of your sins. Believers in Jesus are set free from the bondage and the dominion of sin which means that we can live free from any and all sin if we BELIEVE in the promise of God.

If you are sick then you need is to be SET FREE from sickness and disease. And being saved is not just merely healed from a certain sickness or disease but rather being set free from the bondage and dominion the oppression of Satan in all areas of our lives.

If you are depressed then you need is to be SET FREE from depression. And being saved is not merely being encouraged and given hope for that moment but rather being set free from depression every moment of our lives.

If you are overwhelmed with financial burdens then you need is to be SET FREE from debt. And being saved is not just merely having your debts paid off so you can get right back into debt again and again. Being saved is having all your NEEDS met by God as you BELIEVE.

And the list goes on in each and every area of our lives that we need to be saved or rescued. 

For you see, the word translated as SAVED in the New Testament of the Bible is the Greek word “SOZO” which not only means saved, but also means HEALED, delivered, protected, made whole, rescued, and to be in RIGHT RELATIONSHIP with God. 

I want you to notice that I have emphasized the words “HEALED and to be in RIGHT RELATIONSHIP with God” in the definition of the word SOZO. I did this in order to show you that it is ALWAYS God’s WILL for you to be healed just the SAME as it is ALWAYS God’s will for all of mankind to come to the knowledge of truth and not perish.

So if you are not well, that is to say, if you are not healed and in good health in your physical body then you are NOT in the PERFECT WILL of God. These are strong words I know, but clearly, God's desire is that you be in RIGHT RELATIONSHIP with him which means for you not only to be freed from sin but to be saved or more precisely SOZO which also means healed in your physical body. And not only just healed but also to be made whole and to be in perfect health always.

Now some have asked me after reading that being sick is not the PERFECT will of God, “Does this mean I am not in the will of God if I am sick?” When some Christians think of not being in the WILL of God then they think that this means that they are not going to heaven. But this is not the case when it comes to sickness, disease or believing God to meet your needs. You have to know and understand that God desires you to be healed and in perfect health even MORE so, than you yourself desire to be healed and out of pain. 

Can you not see that Jesus did not bare those brutal stripes upon his body in VAIN? No my dear brothers and sisters in the Lord, Jesus bore those stripes upon his body for our PHYSICAL HEALING. So, do not let what Jesus has done for YOU to be in VAIN. Take AUTHORITY over the sickness in your body in the name of Jesus and resist the devil and he WILL FLEE from you.

The Bible clearly teaches that the attitude of God, his feelings toward ALL of mankind, is that he desires ALL men be SAVED or “SOZO” and that no man should perish. I want you to ALWAYS remember the definition of the word SOZO whenever you see the word saved in the Bible. For in God’s eyes being saved or being “SOZO” includes the WHOLE man, spirit, soul, AND body.

The word of God says in 2 Peter 3:9 this,

“The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some count slackness: but is longsuffering to us-ward, NOT WILLING that ANY should perish, but that ALL should come to repentance (Or come to the knowledge of truth to believe and repent).”

It is not God’s will that any man, woman, or child on earth should perish, but that ALL MEN should be saved.

Look at 1Timothy 2:4.

“For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior; Who will have ALL MEN (Or ALL of mankind) to be saved  (Or to be SOZO. Remember the definition of what is written in the ORIGINAL text which is to be healed, delivered, set free, rescued, made whole, and placed back into a right relationship with God. So it is God’s WILL that we receive the healing for our bodies which he has already provided for us by the STRIPES that his Son Jesus bore for us, as in, WHOSOEVER BELIEVES), and come unto the knowledge of the truth.”

So in other words, “For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior; Who will have ALL MEN or mankind to be HEALED, delivered, set free, rescued and MADE WHOLE.” Now there are many more scriptures that emphatically point to the fact that salvation is readily made available to ALL of mankind.

The Bible assures us that God is no respecter of persons.

Acts 10:34 says,

“…Of a truth, I perceive that God is NO respecter of persons.”

Then in Romans 2:11 we read,

“For there is NO respect of persons with God.”

And again in Ephesians 6:9 we read,

“…neither is there respect of persons with him.”

There is no favoritism with God. We are told in Romans chapter 10, verses 12 and 13 and in other verses in the Bible that there is no difference between the Jews and the Gentiles or between male and female or between the rich and the poor.

Romans 10:12,13.

“For there is NO difference between the Jew and the Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich unto ALL that call upon him.

13. For WHOSOEVER shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be SAVED.”

Or whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be SOZO which means, to be healed,  to be set free, to be delivered, to be made whole, and to be placed in a RIGHT RELATIONSHIP with God. So when we are first saved we are forgiven of all our past sins in order to be placed into a RIGHT RELATIONSHIP with Almighty God so that he can give us an earnest of his Holy Spirit to come and DWELL IN us. The Holy Spirit then empowers us to overcome sin in our lives as we learn to follow and obey the leading of the Holy Spirit. 

Also, verse 12 teaches us that neither is there any prejudice with God. According to Galatians 3:28 and Colossians 3:11, it does not matter if you are Greek or Jew, bond or free, male or female, circumcision or uncircumcision, ALL of mankind must come to God in the SAME way, and that is by FAITH.

Remember that the scriptures say that WHOSOEVER BELIEVES shall be saved or “SOZO”. Whosoever means YOU! Always remember that any time in God’s word you see the word saved you can interchange it for the word HEALED, made whole, delivered, set free, protected, safety, rescued, or being in right relationship with God.

So in other words, whosoever believes shall be HEALED, whosoever believes shall be made whole, whosoever BELIEVES shall be delivered, whosoever believes shall be protected, and WHOSOEVER BELIEVES shall be SET FREE never again to be brought back into the bondage from which you were set free. IF you BELIEVE in Jesus and in his teachings, then you can be SAVED or “SOZO” in all these areas of your life.

Do not ever forget the meaning of this Greek word SOZO that is in the original text. The translators of the Bible into English chose to use the word “saved” in most cases but the TRUE meaning of the word SOZO which God chose to use literally means to be healed, delivered, protected, rescued, made whole, safety, placed back in a right relationship with God, and SET FREE. This is the true meaning of salvation which in turn is to be in RIGHT RELATIONSHIP with God and in God's perfect WILL. But being in God’s PERFECT will is not a requirement for receiving eternal life in the world to come. 

Before we can fully understand the attitude of God in the way that God views us and his feelings toward mankind then we must continue to look at what it means to be saved. Let's start at the beginning of God’s gift of SALVATION to ALL of mankind by looking at Luke 2:10-14.

 In Luke 2:10-14 we read,

“And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for behold I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to ALL people.

11. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a SAVIOR, which is Christ the Lord.

12. And this shall be a sign unto you: You shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

13. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

14. Glory to God in the highest and ON EARTH, PEACE GOODWILL TOWARD MEN .”

Or GOODWILL toward all of MANKIND. What I would like to focus on in this study is God’s ATTITUDE toward all of mankind. God’s INTENDED glory is God’s PERFECT will for every human being. You will notice in the above scripture and in other scriptures throughout this study that I have emphasized certain words by underlining, CAPITALIZING, and or putting words in bold letters. In the above scripture reference, I have emphasized the words a SAVIOR, to ALL people, ON EARTH, PEACE, and GOODWILL TOWARD MEN.

The first thing I want you to notice is that God sent his Son whose name is Jesus. You can look up Luke 1:31; Luke 2:21 and Matthew 1:21 on your own to see that God gave his Son Jesus to be a SAVIOR to ALL people. The Bible says in the gospel of John, chapter 3, verses 16 and 17 that God loves the whole WORLD.

John 2:16-18.

“For God so loved the WORLD (Speaking of all of mankind), that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him (Speaking of whosoever of any human being in the whole world who BELIEVES in his Son Jesus) should not perish, but have everlasting life.

17. For God sent NOT his Son into the world to condemn the world: BUT that the world THROUGH him might be SAVED. (SOZO)

18, He that BELIEVES on him is NOT condemned: but he that believes NOT is condemned already, BECAUSE he has NOT believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. ” 

Again, notice the words that I have underlined. They are the words whosoever, believes, not condemned, but, through, and saved. These are all very important keywords that reveal God’s attitude toward all of mankind. We have already taken a look at the fact that salvation is to ALL men, to WHOSOEVER believes. But the word that some Christians overlook is the word MIGHT be saved.

God has PROVIDED a WAY for ALL humans to be saved and has given us all a free will to choose his so great a salvation or to reject his so great a salvation. So all men MIGHT be saved but only those of us who BELIEVE unto the end shall be saved.

Now I want to briefly draw your attention to the phrase found in Luke 2:14 “ON EARTH.” Many Christians have been deceived into putting off “being saved” until they die and go to heaven, when in reality, they should be enjoying the blessings and benefits of salvation right now, right here on the earth. 

Jesus said in Luke 18:29,30.

“…Verily I say unto you, There is no man that has left houses, or parents, or brethren, or wife, or children, for the kingdom of God’s sake.

30. Who shall not receive manifold more in this PRESENT TIME, AND in the world to come life everlasting.”

Then over in Philippians 2:15 we read,

“That you may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God without rebuke in the MIDST of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom you shine as lights in the world.”

 It is God’s will for us to enjoy the many benefits of our FULL salvation right now on the earth and not someday in the future when we die and go to be with the Lord. Eternal life is the only part of our salvation that we have to wait upon but unfortunately, eternal life is what many Christians believe to be the only thing being saved means.

To fully understand what I mean by enjoying our salvation “NOW” you have to come to the knowledge of truth and know what BEING saved truly means. For you see, there are many BENEFITS that come under the umbrella of our salvation. Many Christians do not fully realize that they are no longer OF this world. They do not totally understand that we, as Christians, have been translated into another kingdom, the kingdom of light, the kingdom of his dear Son. Many of us do not fully understand what it means to have been made joint-heirs with Jesus Christ. And in order to understand what all of this truly means you must fully know what it means to be SAVED.

Again, you must fix permanently in your head and in your heart that God chose to use the word “SOZO” and that this word SOZO that translators chose to say means to be saved, ALSO means to be rescued, to be SET FREE, to be delivered, to be protected, to be HEALED, to be made whole, to be whole as in continually, to be in right relationship with God. 

 I want you to notice that I have again emphasized the word “to be HEALED” in the definition of SOZO because, at this point in teaching you the word of God, I want to focus upon the healing of your physical body.

By using this word “SOZO” Jesus positively reveals the attitude of God toward all of mankind concerning sin and sickness in that there is no difference in God's eyes. God wants us to be free from BOTH sin and sickness. Clearly, God’s attitude is that he desires all men to be FREE from sin and to be FREE from sickness and moreover to be in perfect health and walk free from sin just as Jesus walked. It is God’s WILL for all men to be completely free from all sin. 

And just as well it is God’s WILL that you be completely free from all sickness and all disease. It is plain to see for most Christians that if you are living in sin, then you are NOT in the right relationship with God. But I want you to see clearly that likewise if you are sick, then you are NOT in right relationship with God as he so desires you to be. Again, this does not mean that you are not going to heaven, but rather means that you are not enjoying God BEST for you in this present life.

The attitude of God toward sickness and disease is the SAME as his attitude toward sin! God hates sickness and disease just as much as he hates sin. The only difference is if you die with sin in your life you will NOT inherit eternal life. However, if you die with sickness or disease in your life you will still inherit eternal life but you missed out on being free from sickness and disease NOW in this life here while you are still ON earth.

Take another look at the meaning of the word “SOZO”. Remember it means to be in right relationship with God, to be saved, to be healed, to be made whole, to be delivered and to be rescued and protected. Jesus showed NO difference between being saved or “Sozo” from sin or being healed “Sozo” from sickness and disease.

The Bible is very clear on God’s attitude toward sickness as being the SAME as his attitude toward sin, but as with everything else, the clarity of this truth comes only through the eyes of FAITH. Faith comes by hearing and hearing (that is understanding, TRUE understanding only) comes by the word of God. There is much I desire to say about faith and I will in another study entitled “BIBLE MEANING OF FAITH”. But for now, I only want to point out that the scriptures will speak for themselves. What I mean by this is that whether or not you choose to believe the word of God does not change the fact that is the truth. 

Romans 3:3,4 says it like this,

“For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect? 

4. God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; …”

 It seems at times that Christians tend to form certain opinions based on experiences, rather than to build their faith upon the immovable foundation of God’s word. And then there are others who form their beliefs based on only PART of the word of God and NOT the WHOLE word of God. From the wisdom of Proverbs, we glean an important truth that we all need to heed. 

Proverbs 18:13 says,

“He that answers a matter before he hears it (Or hears and understands the WHOLE matter), it is folly and shame to him.”

 For the moment, I would ask that you try to lay aside any preconceived ideas that you may have on the subject of divine healing. Jesus told us to take heed WHAT we hear as well as to take heed HOW we hear.

 I am sure that we all, at one time or another, are guilty of saying something like, “Oh, I have heard that before… etc, etc.” By having this type of attitude when we hear preaching or read a teaching on the word of God we are not obeying the words of Jesus when he said take heed HOW you hear. By having this type of attitude one will develop an unteachable spirit which will result in that person not being able to receive the promises of God. 

Look at Hebrews 4:3 which says,

“For unto us was the gospel (The word of God in the New Testament) preached, as well as unto them, BUT the word preached did NOT profit them, not being mixed with FAITH in them that heard it (God’s word whether reading or heard).”

In other words, if you were to hear or read the word of God that says, “with his (Jesus') stripes you were healed,” and you choose not to believe it, then the word of God will NOT profit you when your adversary, the devil, oppresses you with sickness. The reason being is that you have said in your heart something like, “so and so believed that “faith stuff” and they were not healed”, or “I have tried that before and it did not work for me”. First of all, you do not truly know another person’s heart and hoping or “trying” to see if God’s word works are not the same as having FAITH. Don’t base your faith on others, on past experiences, or on what you see and feel. Base your faith only upon the word of God.

To begin building our faith upon God’s word let’s start by looking at what Jesus said and did in the four gospels beginning with Luke 18:35-43 which says.

 Luke 18:35-43,

“And it came to pass, that as he came nigh unto Jericho, a certain blind man sat by the wayside begging:

36. And hearing the multitude pass by, he asked what it meant,

37. And they told him that Jesus of Nazareth passes by.

38. And he cried, saying, Jesus, you Son of David, have mercy on me.

39. And they, which went before rebuked him that he should hold his peace: but he cried so much the more. Son of David, have mercy on me.

40. And Jesus stood and commanded him to be brought unto him: and when he came near he asked him,

41. Saying, What will that I do unto you? And he said, Lord, that I may receive my sight.

42. And Jesus (Without hesitation) said unto him, Receive your sight: YOUR faith has SAVED (SOZO) you. (Or your faith has healed you and has made you whole AND all your sins are forgiven you.)

43. And immediately he received his sight, and followed him glorifying God: and all the people when they saw it gave praise unto God.”

 Notice that Jesus said, “YOUR faith hath SAVED (Or Sozo, or healed) you”, and the blind man received his SIGHT. In other words, this man was HEALED of the blindness that he suffered by his faith in Jesus but yet Jesus said YOUR faith has SAVED you, rather than saying, your faith has HEALED you.

 I want you to notice that the Greek word “Sozo” was translated as saved and not as your faith has healed you, or as your faith has made you whole. Jesus placed being saved on the same level as being healed by using the Greek word SOZO. To Jesus there was no difference between being saved from sin or being healed from sickness and disease for BOTH are the WORKS of Satan the Devil.

 Look at Matthew 9: 2-8 which says,

“And, behold, they brought to him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed: and Jesus seeing their faith said unto the sick of the palsy; Son, be of good cheer; YOUR SINS be forgiven you.

3. And, behold, certain of the scribes said within themselves, This man blasphemes.

4. And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, Wherefore think you evil in your hearts?

5. For whether is easier, to say, YOUR sins be FORGIVEN you; or to say, Arise and walk? (Or in other words, arise and be you HEALED)

6. But that you may know that the Son of man has power on earth to forgive sin, then says he to the SICK of the palsy, Arise, take up your bed and go unto your house.

7. And he arose and departed to his house.

8. But when the multitude saw it, they marveled and glorified God, which had given power unto men.”

Again, we see that Jesus made NO distinction between sickness and sin. In fact, Jesus went out of his way by purposely saying to the sick man with palsy your sins are forgiven you when he healed the man to show us that the healing of our physical bodies is directly connected to the forgiving of our sins.

Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil, ALL the devil's works, which includes sin, sickness, poverty, doubt, depression, and fear. According to this scripture you just read, sin and sickness are identified as being one and the same. 

Look closely at these verses again after reading the following paraphrased version of Matthew 9:6 which I have written in my own words.

“So that you may know that the Son of man has power on earth to forgive sin is the reason I said to the sick of the palsy, Son, be of good cheer, your sins are forgiven you. For you see, it does not matter if I say your sins be forgiven you or arise and walk, because either way I say it, the sick of the palsy or for that matter anyone who is sick with any kind of sickness or disease will be delivered from both his (Or her) sickness and his or her sin. So I ask you, is one easier to say than the other? None the less, because of your evil hearts I will say to the sick of the palsy, arise (Be healed and) take up your bed and go to your house.”

So you see, Jesus saved or “SOZO” this man from this sickness of the palsy and his sins. Jesus delivered or “SOZO” this man from both his sins and this sickness of palsy. This man was healed or “SOZO” of his sins and this sickness of palsy. This man was set free or “SOZO” of his sickness and his sins. This man was placed back into or “SOZO” a right relationship with God.

Now skip down to Matthew 9:10-12.

“And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples.

11. And when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto his disciples, Why does your Master eat with publicans and SINNERS?

12. But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a PHYSICIAN, but they that are SICK.”

Once again Jesus places sickness in the same category as sin. Jesus considered SINNERS to have need of HEALING. The sinners that Jesus ate with needed a physician because they needed to be healed, set free, delivered, or saved. Both sickness and sin are the work of the devil that Jesus came to destroy. 

Take a close look at James 5:14-16.

“Is any SICK among you? Let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.

15. And the prayer of FAITH shall SAVE (Sozo or HEAL) the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up (In other words HEAL him): and IF he has committed sins; they shall be forgiven him. (Or in other words, saved or set free from sin) 

16. Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that you may be healed.” 

Or that you may be cured of physical sickness. You see the prayer of faith shall SAVE or “Sozo” the sick. The sick will be SAVED. In other words, they are healed of their sickness and their sins are forgiven them IF they have sinned all in the SAME prayer of faith. Again, sin and sickness are placed in the SAME category.

 In John 5:1-14 Jesus healed a man who was bedfast and could not walk. He said unto him to be MADE WHOLE which is more than being healed.

 John 4:14.

“Afterward Jesus finds him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, you are made whole (Sozo): SIN no more, lest (Or for fear that) a worse thing come unto you.”

What does this scripture say to you? I know what it says to me. It says to me that sin and sickness are BOTH the work of the devil, and are very closely related. In fact, they are so closely related that in some instances sickness and disease is the direct result or consequence of sin. Jesus said sin no more. But WHY? Why did Jesus say to go and sin NO MORE? FOR FEAR THAT a worse thing come upon you which leads me to believe that sin opens the door for the adversary to bring sickness and disease into our lives.

 I am not saying that in every instance the reason people suffer sickness and disease is that they have sin in their life, and that sin is the cause or reason for sickness and disease every time, but it is the place I start to look when sickness comes knocking at my door.

 In Mark 5:25-34 we are given the account of the woman diseased with the issue of blood, which could not be cured by physicians, but was healed immediately by Jesus. Verse 34 says your faith has made you WHOLE.

Mark 5:34.

“…Daughter YOUR faith has made you WHOLE (Or Sozo), go in peace, and be WHOLE (Or Sozo) of your PLAGUE.”

The phrases “made you whole” and “be whole” here are again the same Greek word SOZO that Jesus used to say, “your faith has saved you.” Plain and simple if you are saved, then you are healed, or more precisely healing belongs to you as one of your benefits of salvation, but it is YOUR faith that is required to obtain it. Some sickness after a person is healed leave scars but when a person is made whole there remains no evidence in the body that they ever had sickness or disease. Being made whole also means being forgiven of all your sin IF the one who has been made whole had any sins.

The very reason Jesus came into the earth was that we might be SOZO, saved, healed, delivered, made whole, rescued, set free, protected, and be in right relationship with God. This is what the Bible clearly teaches. Jesus came to destroy sin, sickness, disease, and death. The last enemy to be destroyed is death. 

So if you are blaming God for sickness and disease in your life you are being deceived by the enemy. Let this teaching on God's word sink deep into your spirit and resist sickness the same as you resist sin, do not let either one in your life, because Jesus came to destroy both and set you free from both so that you would not be entangled back again with either one.

Look at what the Bible says in 1 John 3:8.

“For this PURPOSE the Son of God was manifested, that he might DESTROY the WORKS of the devil”.

The word “destroy” here means to loosen, untie, put off, break up, dissolve, release, and destroy. And the word destroy carries the meaning of not being able to be rebuilt. Let’s read this verse from two other translations. 

The Phillips Modern English of 1 John 2:8 reads.

“Now the Son of God came to the earth with the EXPRESS PURPOSE of undoing the devil’s work.”

The Revised Standard Version of 1 John 3:8.

“The REASON the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.”

Therefore the underlying explicit reason or express purpose that Jesus came into the earth as the Son of man was to put off, undo, and utterly destroy the works of the devil, which is every sin, sickness, disease, pain, sorrow, poverty, and even death itself.

Now the last enemy to be destroyed is death. However, raising the dead is also made available to those who BELIEVE. If you can believe, all things are possible to those that believe, including raising the dead. Jesus said these works that I do shall you do also and greater works than these.  In other words, all the works that Jesus did we can do and should be doing also, but it requires FAITH on our part to be saved, to be healed, and to do the works of Jesus. It is NOT that God is withholding healing from us as some falsely teach.

The word of God says this in John 10:10.

“The thief (Satan, the devil) comes not, but for to steal, kill, and destroy: I (Jesus, the Son of God) am come that they (Whosoever believes) might have life, and that they (Speaking of you and me, WHOSOEVER believes) might have it (Speaking of life in this present world and in the world to come to have life) more abundantly.”

God’s attitude toward us is to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or can even think according to the power that works in us. 

Please see Ephesians 3:20.

“Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,” 

 Remember the phrase that I emphasized in Luke 2:14 “Goodwill toward men.” That is exactly God’s attitude toward ALL of mankind, goodwill. God only desires the best for us. James 1:17 tells us that every GOOD gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from God the Father. 

Always remember James 1:16,17.

“Do not err, my beloved brethren. 

17.  Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.”

 GOOD COMES FROM GOD THE FATHER

and

EVIL or BAD comes from the enemy, Satan.

The Bible tells us this in Acts 10:38.

“How God (The Father) anointed Jesus of Nazareth (His Son) with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about DOING GOOD (Or showing goodwill toward men) and HEALING ALL that were oppressed of the DEVIL: for God was with him.”

You see God never oppresses mankind with sickness and disease. This type of teaching is a deception of the enemy and those who teach such things do not base their teaching upon the WHOLE word of God, but only use a few isolated scriptures. God is for us and NOT against us. 

Read in Romans 8:31 which says.

“What shall I say to these things? If God be for us, then who can be against us.”

God the Father is with us just as he was with Jesus his Son. God is with us in the presence of the Holy Spirit within us.

Jesus was doing the WILL of the Father when he HEALED the sick. So the attitude of Jesus is the same as the attitude of God the Father. Jesus went about doing GOOD or showing goodwill toward men by undoing, putting off, and destroying the work of the DEVIL each time he healed the sick.

Also, take note that Jesus never once was not willing to heal the sick. Only ONE time is it ever recorded that Jesus COULD not heal the people and the REASON Jesus gave them was because of THEIR own UNBELIEF. And again, please take note that the word of God says could not and does NOT say would not. Jesus was WILLING, but because of THEIR unbelief, he COULD not heal them.

It is vitally important that you take note and keep in your remembrance always that it was SATAN that oppressed the people, NOT God. The attitude of God is goodwill, doing good and healing ALL that are oppressed by the devil. Sickness and disease is an oppression of the devil. God is always for us and the devil is always against us. Never forget this for it is the TRUTH of God's word.

Look at Luke 13:10-16.

“And he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath.

11. And, behold, there was a woman, which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, was bowed together, and could in no wise (Or in no way could she) lift up herself. (Sounds a lot like crippling arthritis, doesn’t it? In fact one could just as easily say she had an evil spirit of arthritis that bound her so she could not lift up.)

12. And when Jesus saw her he called her to him, and said unto her, Woman, you are LOOSED from your infirmity.

13. And he laid his hands on her; and immediately she was made straight, and GLORIFIED God.

14. And the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because that Jesus healed on the Sabbath day. And said unto the people, There are six days in which men ought to work: in them therefore come and be healed, and not on the Sabbath day.

15. The Lord answered him and said, You hypocrite, do not each one of you on the Sabbath loose his ox or his ass from the stall, and lead him to watering?

16. And OUGHT not this woman being a daughter of Abraham whom SATAN has bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed on the Sabbath day?”

You must settle in your mind once and for all that SATAN is the one who oppresses and binds people with sickness and disease, NOT God.

Do NOT be deceived!

God does not use sickness as “a teaching tool” to teach his children faith or anything else. People who don’t receive their healing will oftentimes wrongly believe the devil’s lie that God sent sickness upon them to teach them something. Then others often quote the book of Job as their excuse for not receiving their healing. However, it was Satan who smote Job with the boils, and took all of what was dear to him and NOT God. The book of Job was written for our benefit to show us clearly that Satan is the one who oppresses people, while God still gets the blame. 

 Look at Job 2:7, which says.

“So went SATAN from the presence of the Lord, and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown.”

This verse clearly shows that SATAN is the one who smote Job with the boils, but Job doesn't know this because the book of Job was not written as yet, so Job blames God for all his trouble.

 Look at Job 2:9,10.

“Then said his wife unto him, do you still retain your integrity? Curse God and die. 

10. But he said unto her, you speak as one of the foolish women speak. What? Shall we receive GOOD at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? (Also by the hand of God which was what Job sincerely believed was from God. But Job did not see who truly smote him as we can) In all this Job did not sin with his lips.”

 You see accusing God falsely in your ignorance is not sin but if you know to do right and do not that which is right then to you it is sin. This last part of this verse is not teaching us that Job was CORRECT in all that he said with his lips but rather that Job did not SIN with his lips. 

 Then in Job 13:15 we read.

“Though he (God in Job’s mind and understanding) slay me, yet will I trust him...”

You see Job blamed God again in his ignorance for the sickness, disease, and trouble in his life because he truly believed that all these evil things were caused by God's hand. Job did not know about God's enemy Satan, who is our enemy as well. But you, my dear brothers and sisters in the Lord, are not ignorant about the devil. So stop blaming God and RESIST the devil and he will flee from you.

Then there are yet still some not willing to accept this TRUTH of God's word that I offer to them who will harden their heart and say to this, “Well, Satan may have done the dirty work, but God removed the hedge that was protecting Job so that Satan could oppress him.” NO! Again this is only a half-truth. Job’s FEAR is what actually caused the removing of the hedge of protection that God had placed around him. 

Look at Job 3:25 which says.

“For the thing which I GREATLY FEARED is come upon me and that which I was AFRAID OF has come unto me.”

The literal Hebrew of this verse reads, “I feared a fear, and it came upon me.” FEAR is one of the most effective weapons of Satan, but the Bible says that we are not ignorant of his devices. I will say more on this subject of fear in another section of this study on the attitude of God entitled “WEAPONS OF OUR ENEMY”. For now, be assured that you do not have to fear sickness and disease of any kind.

 The Bible says this in 2 Timothy 1:7.

“God has NOT given us the Spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”

Remember the words from Luke 2:14 “PEACE, goodwill toward men” God’s attitude toward man is PEACE, not fear. 

Jesus said in John 14:2.

“PEACE I leave with you, my PEACE I give unto you, not as the world gives, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be AFRAID.”

 Isaiah 26:3 says it this way.

“You will keep him in perfect PEACE, whose mind is stayed on you: because he trusts in you.”

Remember the thief comes not but for to steal your peace, and bring you to fear. Satan the devil is the thief, not God. However, the word of God clearly teaches us that we are not to fear. And certainly, we are not to fear sickness and disease, but rather to take AUTHORITY over it and put off the works of the devil in the name of Jesus and the word of God by the confession of our FAITH. Now let’s go back to Luke 13:16 and take a closer look.

Luke 13:16.

“And OUGHT not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound, lo these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath day.”

What I am going to say next is powerful, so get a hold of this revelation. The word “ought” here in the Greek means it is a MUST, it is necessary. The American Heritage Dictionary defines the word “must” as a requirement, an obligation, an inevitability or a certainty, and an unavoidable responsibility, something that WITHOUT FAIL should be done.

In other words, Jesus was saying that this woman MUST be healed without fail. But WHY? For or because she is a daughter of Abraham. The American heritage dictionary defines the word “necessary” as needed, essential, indispensable, unavoidable, and required by obligation.

This is exactly God’s ATTITUDE toward sickness. God is faithful and bound by honor to perform his word. Now get a hold of this truth. God sees healing those that are oppressed of the devil with sickness and disease as his unavoidable obligation and responsibility. To God, healing those who are bound with sickness is something that without fail should be done.

You see, if God had his way, his WILL on earth as it is in heaven, it would be an inevitability or a certainty that ALL those who were sick would be healed, but God is honor-bound to his word which says, to whosoever BELIEVES. The Bible says it is IMPOSSIBLE to please God without FAITH. We must BELIEVE God's word first, then he will confirm his word with signs following.

The truth of the matter is that God desires you to be healed more than you desire yourself to be healed! However, God will not go back on his word. So OUGHT not you be healed? Yes, absolutely without fail you should be healed! However, it must be on the grounds of YOUR FAITH that you are healed. In other words, if faith is absent or not present, then healing will not be manifested in your physical body. For a deeper understanding of what faith is and how to use your faith please refer to the study entitled “BIBLE MEANING OF FAITH”.

For now, look at the next phase in this verse “being a daughter of Abraham”. The very reason that this woman was a child of Abraham made it the unavoidable responsibility of Jesus to loosen or undo the work of Satan that had her bound. The word of God has clearly identified the source of sickness as being Satan. This verse undeniably states that it was Satan who bound this woman with the spirit of infirmity.

Again I want to say to you, “Do not be DECEIVED”; God does not use sickness as a teaching tool. If you truly believe that God sends sickness upon his children to teach them something, then the next time Satan oppresses YOU with sickness like the flue, then do not go to the doctor to have this so-called “valuable teaching tool” removed. After all, if you truly believe that God sent the sickness upon you, then you must also agree that it is God’s will for you to be sick and suffer through the sickness until you learn your lesson. Therefore to seek healing from a doctor would be defying and rebelling against Almighty God IF you truly believe that God is the cause of sickness and disease. Again, this is of course IF this type of reasoning that God sends sickness upon his children was the truth.

Don’t you see how ridiculous this sounds in the light of God’s word? All this ridiculous talk is just man's way of trying to lay the blame on God for not being healed, rather than accepting that the reason for not being healed is their own LACK of faith.

It is no shame to say, “I am not strong enough in my faith to receive my healing”, but nonetheless this is no excuse to remain weak in your faith. Get into God’s word and seek his wisdom on healing and faith, and study to show yourself approved of God rightly dividing the word of truth, a workman that needs not to be ashamed. Read this study over and over and other studies like it to get the TRUTH of God's WHOLE word down in your heart. Surround yourself with Christians who believe without a doubt in healing. Become thoroughly persuaded in your heart that sickness is from the enemy and not God.

No! A thousand times no! God does NOT send sickness upon his children. God desires not only his children to be healed, but for all men to be healed. However, being a child of God gives us authority over the work of the devil that the world does not have. Only a believer can use the name of Jesus over the enemy without fear of the enemy.

The Bible refers to healing as the children’s bread, but at times is manifested to those who have not accepted Jesus as their savior. When a Canaanite woman sought Jesus to deliver her daughter who was grievously vexed of the devil, Jesus at first ignored her, but when she persistently asked, Jesus told her that he was sent only to God’s people. He said that it was not meant to take the children’s bread and cast it to the dogs. She responded to Jesus by saying the following. Read Matthew 15:22-28 for the whole context.

Here is Matthew 15:27-28.

“Truth, Lord, yet the dogs eat of the crumbs, which fall from their master’s table. 

28. Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O Woman GREAT is YOUR faith; be it unto you EVEN as YOU WILL, And her daughter was made whole (Or Sozo) from that very hour.” 

Healing BELONGS to the child of God, but it is still available to all mankind. A mere crumb from the Master’s table was all that it took for this Canaanite woman or a non-Christian to us, in our day, to receive healing for her daughter. She was not saved, as we would say, but she still had FAITH to be healed. All she needed to know was that Jesus was willing to heal her daughter.

Sometimes Christians believe that God is able to heal, but they are not sure IF he will heal them. While other Christians believe that God will heal them but they don’t know when God will heal them.

Let me try and explain this by something you already know. Suppose you are in the process of leading someone to the Lord, and he or she would say to you, “I know God is able to save me, but I do not know for sure that God will save me.” what would you do next?

Obviously, you would go straight to the Bible and show them that without a doubt that it is God’s WILL to save them. You want their faith to be based solely upon God's word. Then you would share with them verses that show things like the shed blood of Jesus was the price of the redemption for all of mankind. The price of redemption for every man, woman, and child ever born has been paid in full by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ the Son of God. And that the sacrifice has ALREADY been made once and for all.

Likewise, I am showing you from the word of God that the stripes on Jesus’ back have ALREADY been borne. And WHY did Jesus bear those stripes? Jesus bore those stripes for your HEALING and for my healing and for as many who BELIEVE healing. It is a done deal. No power on earth can keep you from being saved. You only need to BELIEVE.

Likewise, no power on earth can keep you from being healed. All that is required of you to be healed or saved is that you just BELIEVE in your heart and unwaveringly confess with your mouth that you are healed unto the END, that is to say, believe and continually confess that you are healed UNTIL you possess the manifestation of healing or whatever you are believing to receive from God. Use your FAITH, and don’t WAIVER.

Remember it only took a “crumb” of God’s word for the Canaanite woman to receive healing for her daughter. Jesus said if you had the faith as a grain of mustard seed.

Jesus said in nearly every one of the accounts of healing recorded in the gospels, “YOUR FAITH has made you whole.” In other words, it is going to require YOUR faith to be exercised in order for you to receive the healing that has ALREADY been provided for you.

 1 Peter 2:24 says.

“Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we being dead to sins, should live unto righteous: by whose stripes you WERE healed.”

Notice that the Scripture says, WERE healed. That is past tense, and not going to be healed someday. Healing belongs to you just as much as forgiveness of your sins belongs to you. However, just because forgiveness belongs to everyone on earth does not mean everyone has received this salvation that has been ALREADY provided for them. You see you have to use your FAITH to receive salvation, the forgiveness of your sins, and your FAITH to receive salvation, the healing of your physical body. 

Ephesians 2:8 says.

“For by grace you are saved (Or SOZO) THROUGH FAITH”

Again you have to use YOUR faith to receive your healing, for without FAITH it is impossible to please God. These are not my words, but they are the very words of God found in Hebrews 11:16. These are his rules, his design, and his way of doing things. I am just telling you how it is. I am just a messenger of his word. I have much more to say on this topic of faith, but due to the vastness of the subject of faith I have devoted an entire study just on the topic of faith entitled “BIBLE MEANING OF FAITH”     Please take the time to read it as it will greatly arm you with weapons to defeat the enemy. 

Next time Satan tries to oppress you with sickness or disease have this mindset firmly fixed in you.

Consider yourself as no longer the sick trying to receive healing,

BUT RATHER

You are the healed already and you are just merely RESISTING the symptoms of sickness.

You see, in reality, you are only merely RESISTING the sickness or disease that the enemy, Satan, is trying to bind upon you, so don't agree with the devil and accept the symptoms of sickness as they come upon your body. But rather say to those LYING symptoms, NO you are NOT allowed in my body. I resist you, then name the symptoms, in the name of Jesus and COMMAND you, naming the symptoms of sickness or the name of the disease, to leave my body NOW in the name of Jesus. 

You see, in God's eyes the price for your healing is ALREADY paid for in full, but God has required by his word for us to stand in our AUTHORITY and to BELIEVE with our HEARTS and CONFESS with our mouth what he has provided for us UNTIL we RECEIVE that which God has ALREADY provided for us. 

The Bible says in Romans 6:14 that sin shall NOT have dominion over you. Likewise, sickness has no more dominion over you. Be healed in the name of Jesus of Nazareth. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Resist the temptation to sin and the temptation will leave you. Likewise, RESIST sickness and disease and don’t allow it in your life, KNOW that sickness and disease have no right to be there, and it will flee from you because it is the work of the enemy.

The TRUTH of the matter is all in HOW we PERCEIVE God’s attitude or nature toward us that will ultimately determine HOW we believe or use our faith. How do you see God? Do you view him sitting on a throne just waiting for you to make a mistake so that he can chastise you with some sickness or disease, or perhaps some type of tragedy?

If you perceive God in this manner you will never be able to use your faith to receive the healing that has ALREADY been provided for you. For you see, there will always be that little bit of doubt in your mind that God may be using this sickness or disease to teach you something. And just that little bit of wavering will be enough to keep you in just enough unbelief to keep you from receiving your healing. The book of James says let not the man that WAVERS in his faith to think he shall receive anything of the Lord. Remember WITHOUT FAITH it is IMPOSSIBLE to please God. It takes COMPLETE faith without wavering to receive from God.

Now don't be discouraged by this statement. Don’t give up, because there are many hindrances to our faith and simply just by merely rectifying one little thing sometimes is all that is needed. The truth of the matter is that God wants us to GROW in our faith, and the trying of our faith is the only way to make this happen. Please read the next study here on my site at AMatterOfTruth.com titled “BIBLE MEANING OF FAITH” in order to learn more about faith and how to use your faith. May the Lord bless you richly as you grow in the knowledge of his word.

Your brother in our Lord Christ Jesus,

Brother Mark.

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