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The Sources of Issues, Health Issues Physical Emotional Mental This lesson
builds upon these lessons: Comprehensive overview
of God's provision of healing, health, and wellness Scriptural
Validity of Divine Healing and Health Old Testament Cases
of Health Issues and Healing New Testament Cases
of Health Issues and Healing Health
Issues and the Atonement What the Bible Teaches About Health Issues,
Healing, Health, and Wellness Understand the "Mind-Body
Connection" Be reminded that
this world changed kingdoms—from God’s kingdom to Satan’s kingdom (Gen. 3;
Lk. 4; 2 Cor. 4:4; Eph. 2:2; “Cursed is
the earth because of you…”
(Genesis 3:17‑19; Proverbs
26:2). Corruption,
dis-ease, and death now reigned on the earth (Romans Our health &
wellness are opposed because of that twisted kingdom. Death obviously reigns
and usually it’s the result of progressive issues or dis-ease. This perverse
system is what we were raised in—it is “normal” for us. This mindset is
deeply ingrained in each of us. It even operates beyond the conscious level.
And because of this cursed world system, fear (stress) is now “normal.” But Isaiah 9:6
promised this about Jesus the Christ (Y’shua Messiah): “Unto us a child is
born, unto us a son is given. And
the government shall rest upon his shoulder… an ever
expanding, peaceful, never ending, fair, and just…kingdom.”
GOOD NEWS! Healing, Health, Wellness,
Peace, and Wholeness—Already Paid For in Full Divine healing and health is a definite act of God through faith in Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit, the Word of God, and the precious blood of Christ, whereby the human body is cured, healed, repaired, delivered from health issues and their power, and made whole, sound, and healthy.
And God’s government healthcare plan is already paid for; Jesus the Christ paid the price in full! “Deliver and Heal …” The Bible teaches
that God sent Jesus into the world to save people from all sin (Matt. 1:21;
Eph.1:7; 1 John 1:7-9; Rev. 1:5), to
deliver from demons and heal of all dis-eases (Matt.
8:16-17; Acts 10:38; 1 Pet. 2:24; 1 Jn. 3-8), and to answer all prayers for
anything that one desires that are covered by the promises of God (Matt.
7:7-11; 18:19-20; 17:20; 21:21-22; Mark 11:22-24; John 14:12-15; 15: 7; 16:
23-26; 1 John 5:15-15). The following is
not meant to condemn but to help you access everything that our loving God
already has for you, including healing. If you are a follower of Jesus the
Christ, you have been justified (acquitted) by His life, death, and
resurrection (Romans The Bible teaches that ultimately Satan and demons are the source of and the influence behind the issues of humankind. That is, they propagate dis-ease and control the law of sin and death in the human race (Matt. 4:23-24; 8:16-17; 10:1-7; Luke 10:1-20; 13:16; John 10:10; Acts 10:38; Rom. 7:7—8:13; 1 John 3:8; Heb. 2:14-15). The Reality of Satan, and Devils This cursed world system, led by Satan,
is diametrically opposed to the kingdom and rule of God. Satan’s kingdom is
by nature deceptive, very often masquerading as a place of light, happiness,
health, and healing. 2 Corinthians 11:14-15 informs us that, “…Satan himself transforms
himself into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform
themselves into ministers of righteousness…”
The
basic plan of Satan’s kingdom is to make the things of Satan appear to be
something different than what they really are. Thank
God, we may recognize (Heb. More than Thirty Proofs that Issues are Satan's Work Nearly all issues are the result of sin and are the effect of the perverse cursed world system. The many passages in the New Testament Cases of Health Issues and Healing proved this fact. (See also Matt. 12:22-28; Luke 13:14; John 10:10; Acts 10:38; Rom. 6:12-16, 7:20—8:13; Eph. 2:1-3; 6:12; Heb. 2:14-15; 1 John 3:8; the study below entitled The Mind-Body Connection.) Please note that an accurate New Testament definition of sin is shortcoming continued (1 John 3:20; 2 Cor. 3:6-16; Heb. 7:22; 8:6; 1 Pet. 4:8; Rom. 3:23; 6:13; 14:23; 1 John 5:17). Please
also note that denial is the
primary characteristic of sin. (Please see Gen. 3:12-13; 2 Cor. 11:14,15;
Rom. 1:18-22; 2:1, 21-23; 7:11; Heb. 3:13; 1 Jn. 1:8; Mt. 23:24-28; Mk.
6:4-5; Lk. 6:41-42; 19:42; Jn. 9:41; 11:47-53; Jas. 3:14; Tit. 1:16; Rev.
3:1,17). And
the Pharisees are pictured in the New Testament as religious people who saw
themselves as respectable and righteous. And yet Jesus pointed repeatedly to
their repressed sins and the danger of not facing themselves (Lk. 1. Satan smote Job with "sore boils" (Job 2:7) Original Hebrew word: shechiyn (Strong’s OT
word #7822), to burn; inflammation. It is translated boil
(Job 2:7; Exodus 9:9-11; Leviticus 2. God "turned the captivity of Job" [God liberated Job, healed him, and restored twice as much as he had possessed before the trial.] (Job 42:10) 3. “…They brought to Him [Jesus]
many who were with devils, He cast out the spirits with His word and healed
all who were sick. This fulfilled the word of the Lord through Isaiah, who
said, ‘He took our sicknesses and removed our diseases [emotional, mental, and physical health
issues].’" (Matthew 8:16-17; Isaiah 53:4). 4. "God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good, and healing all who were oppressed of the devil, for God was with Him" (Acts 10:38) 5. “Behold, I [Jesus] cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow...” (Luke 13:32) 6. A maniac of Gergesa
“…with devils” (Matt. 7. A dumb man “…with a devil" (Matt. 8. A blind and dumb man "…with a devil" (Matt. 9. A woman’s daughter "…grievously vexed with a
devil" (Matt. 10. A man’s son “Jesus rebuked the devil …and the child was cured
immediately” (Matt. 11. A maniac of Gadera “…who had devils…” (Mark 5:1-21; Luke 8:26-39). 12. An epileptic boy “…who has a dumb
spirit” (Mark 13. A man “…with an unclean
spirit” (Mark 1:23-28; Luke 4:33-35). 14. Mary Magdalene, certain women, and many others “…who had been healed of evil spirits
and infirmities” (Luke 15. A man’s son “…Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit
and healed the child” (Luke 16. After
Jesus “cast out the dumb devil,” the dumb man spoke (Luke 17.
A woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years “…whom Satan had bound”
(Luke 18. Paul
was grieved by a woman “…with a spirit of python [divination]” (Acts 19. Innumerable Cases of Healing by
Christ (Matt.
4:23-24; 8:16-17; 9:35-36; 11:5; 12:15; 14:14, 33-36; 15:30-31; 19:2; 21:14;
Mark 1:32-34, 39; 3:10-12; 6:5, 55-56; Luke 4:40-41; 6:17-19; 7:21-23; 9:11;
John 2:23; 20:30-31; 21:25)
(Twenty-three times it is stated He healed "them all" and
"every one.") Cause: the devil and demons (Acts 10:38; 1
John 3:8; Mark 5; 16:17-20; Luke 13:14) 20. Innumerable Cases of Healing by
Believers Before Pentecost (Matt. 10:1-7; Mark 6:7-13; 9:38; Luke
9:1-6; 10:1-20) Cause: the devil and demons (Matt. 10:1-7;
Luke 10:1-20; Acts 21. Innumerable Cases of Healing by
Believers After Pentecost (Mark 16:17-20; Acts 2:43; 5:12-16;
6:8; 8:7-13; 11:19-22; 14:3, 27; 15:4, 12; 19:11-12; 28:9; Rom. 15:18-19, 29;
1 Cor. 16:10; Heb. 2:3-4) Cause: Satan,
the devil and demons (Mark 22. Regarding an unrepentant immoral man, Paul said he would "deliver such a one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh [affliction of his body]” (1 Cor. 5:5). 23. Jesus called Paul to turn people "from the power of Satan unto God" (Acts 26:18). 24. When Jesus sent the twelve disciples out by two, "they cast out many devils and anointed with oil many who were sick and healed them" (Mark 6:7-13). 25. Jesus commissioned the seventy to "heal the sick", they returned with joy saying, "Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through Your name" (Luke 10:9,17). 26. "The
thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come
that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly"
(John 27. God may grant gentle correction, repentance, and
leading to the acknowledging of the truth to followers “so that they
may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive
by him at his [the devil’s] will…” (2 Tim. 2:25-26). 28. Jesus
partook of flesh and blood, "that only by dying could he break the power
of the devil, who had the power of death" (Hebrews 29. We are instructed to “…Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” (James 4:7). 30. "For
this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works
of the devil" (1 John 3:8). The works of the devil include demons
causing emotional, mental, and physical health issues (Acts 31.
“And they [the brethren] overcame him [Satan] by the
blood of the Lamb [Jesus], and by the word of their testimony [confessing
what God’s Word says what the blood of Jesus does], and they loved not their
lives unto the death” (Revelation The Reality of Satan, Demons, and Devils There are
demon spirits behind the chronic issues, unholy traits, and doctrinal errors
known among humankind (Genesis
3; Matt. 8:16-17; Luke 4; 2 Corinthians 4:4; Ephesians 2:2; 6:12; 2 Timothy 2:26; 1 John
5:19; Revelation
12:9-12; 20:10). These hidden evil
forces must be dealt with in order to get relief from them (Matt. 10:8; Mk. Disease germs, which are closely allied with unclean spirits, are really living forms of corruption which come into the bodies of people bringing them to death. Just as refuse breeds maggots, so mankind in his fallen perverse state of corruption breeds germs through unclean living and through contact with corruptions in the cursed world. Disease germs are agents of Satan, corrupting the bodies of his victims through unclean spirits that work invisibly in people. Satan and his perverse kingdom agents, not God, propagate birth defects, accidents, and alike, and therefore the afflictions that result. Please don’t read this as every person's health issue is a direct result of some personal sin, for this is not true (John 9:1-4; 11:4). What about the
man born blind? The Rest of the Story Again, the Bible teaches that ultimately Satan and
demons are the source of and the influence behind the issues of humankind. And repeating, this is not meant to condemn but to
help you access everything that our loving God has for you, including
healing. If you are a follower of Jesus the Christ, you have been justified
(acquitted) by His life, death, and resurrection (Romans Essentially, the causes of issues and dis-ease are the fall of
humankind (effects of the perverse cursed
world governing system), sin, the work of
Satan and demons, and the execution of the law of sowing and reaping. God the Lawmaker (Isaiah 33:22; James When we refer to the God the lawmaker or law,
we are not referring
to the law of Moses, as it is fulfilled by Jesus (Romans They are much like the invisible, unbreakable
physical law of lift that allows airplanes to fly. On the other
hand, there is an invisible, unbreakable physical law of gravity. We
cannot break the invisible law of gravity, we can only break ourselves
against the invisible law of gravity. We reap what we sow (Galatians 6:7; 5:19-25; Matt. 5:7; 7:17-19;
26:24; Mark 4:20; Luke 6:38; John 4:36; Acts 1:25; Romans 1:18-32; 6:22-23; 1
Corinthians 3:8; James 3:18; Hebrews 2:1-3; 2 Peter 2:10-22; Proverbs 1:31;
11:17; Psalm 34:9-10; 84:11; 103:17-18; 107:1-22; Hosea 10:12-13). Some examples of steadfast principles of how God
works (His invisible spiritual laws) would be Eph. 6:3—our longevity can be
affected by whether or not we honor our parents (“If you honor your father
and mother, ‘you will live a long life, full of blessing’"). Another
example would be at Matt. 6:15: “If you refuse to forgive others, your
heavenly Father will not forgive your sins.” (See also Matt. 6:12-14; Mk.
11:25-26; Lk. 6:37; Col. 3:13.) Continuing in understanding the causes of issues
and dis-ease, God is not the direct cause of either sin or health issues. He
never wills any person to have sin or health issues in their life. He has
made abundant provision through the gospel to cleanse from all sin and to
heal all issues. He did make it a law in the beginning that a person must
reap what they sow (Proverbs When the Bible says that God puts issues and
disease upon people, as in the following Scriptures, it simply means that His
law of sowing and reaping is being executed by the proper agencies to enforce
this principle (Ex. 15:26; Deut. 7:15; 28:1-68; 1 Cor. 5:5). In these
passages it is stated that issues are the result of sowing sin. If there had
been no sin there would have been no dis-ease. In many places where it speaks of God taking a
certain action, in reality He used proper agents actually to bring it to
pass. It is said that God sent Joseph into Satan has permission to afflict God’s people when
they go astray (Ps. 38; 103:3; 107:1-22;
119:67, 72, 75;
Prv. 26:2; Num. 12:13-16; 21:1-9; 1 Cor. 5:5; Gal. 6:7). Please
review this important illustration and brief explanation Repeating, the New Testament tells
Christians, “All things are for your sakes” (2 Cor. 4:15; see also Gen.
50:20; Judges 3:1-2; Ps.
51:1-12;
119:67,72,75; Jer.
29:11; John 15:1-2; Rom. 5:3; 8:28; 1 Cor. 11:32; 1 Thess. 5:18; Heb. 12:5-7;
James 1:2-5, 12; 1 Pet. 1:6-7). It is necessary for us to grasp that.
God’s laws and purposes — they are all for us. They’re all working out that
which is good for us and they control the universe. Many other factors may
seem to enter in, but ultimately its God’s laws and our associated choices
that settle our destiny. His
spiritual laws and purposes are for us to turn us back from something, to bring us out of the dark and
bring us back under His covering — a life of continual yielding to His
instruction (John 14:15; 8:31; 1 John 5:2-3). See also Psalm
119:67,72,75. (Be strongly encouraged
to review this inspired
illustration.) That’s good news! Colossians Satan cannot touch God's people without attaining
permission; so if we will walk in truth as we receive it, there will be no
permission attained (1 Cor.
11:23-32; 1 John 1:7; Ps. 91). We are promised that "no good thing
will He withhold from them who walk uprightly" (Ps. 84:11). If God's
people earnestly desire to live clean, obedient, holy lives, we can enjoy
long life without the health or wellness concerns (Ps. 91; 3 John 2; 1 John
1:7, 9; Eph. 6:2; 1 Peter And
repeating, those who are not followers of Jesus the Christ remain in a
cursed, impotent, wicked government system—Satan’s kingdom—where issues,
dis-ease, and death originated (Rom. Satan the Law-executor In many Scriptures we have the fact stated that Satan is the direct power in executing the law of sin,
emotional, mental, and physical health issues, and death. Review the More than Thirty Proofs that Issues
are Satan's Work above. Nearly all issues are the result of sin
and one of the effects of the perverse cursed world system. The many passages
in the New Testament
Cases of Illness and Healing prove this fact. (See also Matt. 12:22-28;
Mk. 2:3-12; Luke 13:14; John 5:14; 10:10; Acts 10:38; Rom. 8:2; Eph. 2:1-3;
6:12; Heb. 2:14-15; 1 John 3:8.) Humankind the
Law-breaker Humankind is the great law-breaker, and we must
reap what we sow. Humankind is responsible in the first place for yielding to
sin and Satan and submitting to demon powers who take advantage of our sinful
state and cause all kinds of failures and sufferings in our lives. Humankind
is responsible for breaking God's laws (principles); for living in
lusts and uncleanness which breeds issues and dis-ease; for accidents
due to careless living; for lack of power from God to defeat Satan;
for failure to keep the body in a clean, healthy state; for overwork
and intemperance in eating, in drinking, and in proper care of the body;
for the wrong use of our faculties which cause worry and fear that tear down
natural and spiritual resistance to illness; for certain conditions
that pass on from one generation to another; and for failure to
appropriate the benefits for which Jesus died so that we can be healed and
delivered from satanic powers. Psalm 107:20-22: “Fools [God’s people], because
of their transgression, and because of their iniquities, were afflicted. Their appetites were gone, and death was near. Then
they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and He saved them out of their
distresses. He sent His Word and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.” In the Old and New Testament
Cases of Health Issues and Healing it can be seen the many personal cases
of issues. Sins of all kinds, rebellion, misuse of the tongue, hardness of
heart, fleshly lusts, pride, unbelief, and many other personal acts on our
part have caused us to break the laws of God—steadfast principles of how God
works—and give the agents of sin, disease, and death the opportunity to bring
about health issues in our lives. This vulnerability does not mean that
demons always take advantage at once, for sometimes it is to their advantage
not to use their powers to bring issues upon us law-breakers. But eventually
those of us who sow will have to reap. Christ and the apostles dealt with issues as they
would deal with sin (Matt. 9:1-12; Mark 2:1-11; John 5:14; Jas. 5:14-16).
They dealt with issues by casting out demons who cause them (Matt. 10:1-8;
Mark 6:7-13; Repeating, disease germs, which are so closely
allied to the work of demons, are living forms of corruption which have come
into the bodies of people bringing them to death. Just as refuse breeds
maggots, so people in our fallen unclean state of sin breeds germs through
unclean living and by contact with contagion in the perverse cursed world.
They are really material agents of Satan corrupting the bodies of his
victims. No remedy has ever been found that can cure diseases outside of the
blood of Jesus Christ. No drug can cure a single disease. Any honest
physician will admit that there is no healing power in medicines. Dr. S. Weir Mitchell, one of the greatest physicians that has ever lived, said, "Back of each disease there is a cause that no drug [or human remedy] can reach." “Now a certain woman had a flow of
blood [a health condition] for twelve years, and had suffered many things
from many physicians [health practitioners]. She had spent all that she had
and was no better, but rather grew worse… When she had heard of Jesus … she
touched His garment believing and saying that she shall be whole [healed].
And immediately … she was healed. …And
Jesus said unto her, ‘Daughter, your faith has made you whole; go in peace,
and be healed of your affliction.’” – Mark
Christ atoned on the cross for sin and for issues, and God is as willing to heal as He is to forgive of sins. If Christ came to take away sin, He certainly came to take away also issues, the fruit of sin. The only hindrance in accessing the full benefits of Jesus’ atonement is unbelief and lack of appropriation (taking possession) of the blessings which Christ died to give to all people (Isa. 53:4-5; Matt. 8:16-17; 1 Pet. 2:24; Jas. 5:14-16). God's method is to get rid of the cause of disease, sin, while humankind's method is to cover up sin and deal with the outgrowth of it. If we would submit to God and correct the source, there would be no outgrowth of sin. Please be reminded that an accurate New Testament definition of ‘sin’ is, “shortcoming continued” (1 John 3:20; 2 Cor. 3:6-16; Heb. 7:22; 8:6; 1 Pet. 4:8; Rom. 3:23; 6:13; 14:23; 1 John 5:17). The Mind-Body Connection and Case Histories Now that you have
quite an understanding of health, wellness, and the sources of dis-ease,
let’s look closely at what our 2,000 year-old New Testament teaches about
what twenty-first century neuroscience is now calling “the mind-body
connection.” Again, the
following is certainly not meant to condemn but to help us access everything
that our loving God has for us, including healing, health, and wellness. First, let's begin with Romans 8:11 where
we're graciously informed of the single most important factor in our healing,
health, and wellness—already paid for in-full by Jesus the Christ: "And if the Spirit of Him [God] 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 because of His Spirit who lives in
you." And let's look at that truth in its context.
We’ll look first at its context comprehensively. And then we’ll drill down to
make sure we don’t miss the practical message and application. Beginning with the Holy Spirit through the
apostle Paul starting at Romans 6:10: "The death He [Jesus] died, He died to
sin once for all; but the life He lives, He lives to God. In the same way,
count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do
not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its [sin’s] evil desires.
Do not let any part of your body become an
instrument of evil to serve sin. The original Greek word translated
“instrument” is “weapon.” Make no mistake we are in a battle. “Instead, give yourselves completely to God. For sin shall no longer be your master,
because you are not under the [Mosaic] law, but under grace. “What
then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law but under grace? By no
means! Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which
leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness?” (Romans
6:10—16, emphasis added) And now continuing the proper context from
the apostle Paul recorded at Romans 7:20 — 8:13: "...If I do what I do not want to do,
it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. So I
find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with
me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin
at work within me. …So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but
in my flesh a slave to the law of sin. “…Thanks be to God, who delivers me through
Jesus Christ our Lord! …There is now no condemnation for those who are in
Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives
life has set you free from the law of sin and death. For what the [Mosaic]
law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by
sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh [human-kind] to be a sin
offering. And so He condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous
requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live
according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. “Those who live according to the flesh have
their minds set on
what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have
their minds set on
what the Spirit desires. For to be fleshly minded is death, but to
be spiritually minded is life and peace. The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to
God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those who are in the
realm of the flesh cannot please God. “You, however, are not in the realm of the
flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives
in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong
to Christ. But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to
death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. 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 because of His Spirit who lives in you. “Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an
obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. For if you
live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to
death the misdeeds of the body, you will live." (Rom. 7:20 - 8:13, emphasis added) And regarding the health & wellness of
our mortal bodies in the proper context and application of Paul’s instruction
to the Romans is, in a real sense, concluded at Romans 12:1-2: “…I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view
of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living
sacrifice, holy and
pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform
to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind..." ·
“…We
demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the
knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought
to make it obedient to Christ [the Word]…” (2 Corinthians 10:5) ·
“…Be made new in the spirit of your mind…” (Ephesians
4:23) ·
“…Set your mind on things above, not on earthly
things…” (Colossians 3:2) ·
“…For as a person thinks in his
heart, so is he…” (Proverbs 23:7) ·
“…You [God] will keep in
perfect peace all who trust in
You, whose thoughts are fixed on
You!” (Isaiah 26:3) See also Philippians 4:8; 1 Peter 4:1 Important Foundational Notes Before we move on to the really practical
application of this study, let’s briefly establish a couple important and
lovely foundations. Romans 8:4 states, “And so He [Jesus]
condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the
law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but
according to the Spirit.” God had to undertake man's deliverance from
sin so that humankind could be liberated to fulfill the righteousness that
the law required. By the walk of Christ in real humankind and yet without
sin, He condemned sin in all humankind and made a way whereby no human had to
continue in sin (Rom. 6:1-23; 8:1-13; 2 Cor. 5:17-18; 10:4-6; Gal. 5:16-26).
That is good news! The ’Righteous Requirement’ What is the “righteous requirement of the
law” that is to be fulfilled in us (Rom. 8:4)?
Love; agape love—benevolent love. See Matt. 22:35-40; Rom. 5:5; 13:8-10;
Gal. 5:6, 13, 14; 1 Tim. 1:5-7. Why So Many ‘Laws?’ Just in this New Testament study, we see
four laws at work: The “law of the mind” (Rom. 7:21, 23), the “law of sin”
(Rom. 8:2), the “law of God” (Rom. 7:22, 25), and the "law of the Spirit
of life” (Rom. 8:2). The reason for “laws” is because there are
two kingdoms in-place: God’s kingdom (Matt. 6:33), and
the devil’s kingdom (Matt. 12:26). Be reminded kingdoms are government
systems and government systems operate through laws. So when we’re dealing with “laws of God,”
for example, we’re dealing with invisible, spiritual laws, or the steadfast
principles of how God works. Much like the invisible, unbreakable
physical law of lift that allows airplanes to fly. On the other
hand, there is an invisible, unbreakable physical law of gravity. We
cannot break the invisible law of gravity, we can only break ourselves against the invisible law of
gravity. These laws are not “rules”
to follow and they are not “personal;”
they’re unbreakable, invisible, spiritual laws. The Greatest Single Contributor to Our Health & Wellness At Romans 8:11, we're graciously informed of
the single most important factor in our healing, health, and wellness—already
paid for in-full by Jesus the Christ: "And if the Spirit of Him [God] 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 because of His Spirit who lives in
you." Apostle Paul at the time was writing to the
Romans—living followers of Jesus. He explains here, “…He who raised Christ
from the dead will also give [healing] life to your mortal bodies...”
As you may already see, there is no other reason for God to “give life
to the mortal bodies” of saved followers of Jesus who are already living but to provide the healing life that Jesus paid for in-full on the
cross (Is. 53:4-5; Matt. 8:17; Jas. 5:14-16; 1 Pet. 2:24). Moving forward now into the really practical
“mind-body” application of this New Testament Bible study—how issues develop
in our mortal bodies. Drilling Down Deeper Ground Zero: The Battlefield of the Mind The original Greek word phronema is translated mind in Romans 8:6: “For
to be fleshly minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.” The original
Greek phronema means:
“(mental) inclination or purpose.” Romans 8:5 states, “For those who are after
the flesh [deceptive temptation] do mind the things of the flesh; but those who are
after the Spirit [benevolent love] the things of the [Holy] Spirit.” The
original Greek word translated mind in this verse 5
is phroneo, meaning: “set
affections on.” Notice that we humans can be “spiritually
minded” and we humans can be “fleshly minded.” (See also Romans 6:16.) Stage I: ‘The Flesh’ Only for the ease of reading through the
above passages, the following definition of the flesh was boiled down to, “deceptive temptation.” But the apostle Paul graciously defines the flesh for us at Ephesians 2:1-3, following: "Once you were [spiritually] dead
because of your disobedience and your many sins. You used to live in sin,
just like the rest of the [cursed] world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen
world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who are disobedient to God. All of us
used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of the flesh. Following its cravings and thoughts,
we were subject
to God’s anger, just like everyone else..." And based on the Bible’s New Testament
definition, it is important to realize the good news that the flesh is not you, and you are not the flesh. Rather, it is ‘the spirit
at work in the hearts of those
in disobedience; the passionate desires and inclinations of the flesh; its cravings and thoughts that excite to sin.’ Who is “the spirit at work in the hearts of those in disobedience?” It
is not you and it is not a
“what”—it is the “the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world” and his disciples. It
does not originate as part of our own psychology. According to Ephesians
6:12, we do not wrestle against “flesh & blood” (human beings;
ourselves), but against organized, unseen evil spirit
forces—the devil and his disciples. See
also 2 Timothy 2:26. The original Greek word in Eph. 6:12
translated, “wrestle” means “to displace.” At the time of apostle Paul’s
writing, the winner of a wrestling match in the Greek sport of wrestling did
not “pin” his opponent as in our contemporary sport of wrestling. Rather, the
winner actually “displaced” his opponent. Please also be reminded 2 Corinthians
11:14-15 graciously informs us that, “…Satan himself transforms himself into
an angel of light.” The flesh
is a fixed principle operated by the devil and his disciples who we are to
victoriously displace. The apostle Paul at Romans 8:13 (recorded
above) is instructing followers of Jesus: “For if you live
according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the [Holy] Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body [sin, the outworking of the flesh], you will live." The goal of the flesh for us to commit
sin—“misdeeds”—which gives the devil legal permission to eventually “kill,
steal, and destroy” (John 10:10). As you may know, we're graciously instructed to
"crucify the flesh" (Gal. 5:24). Being "dead to
sin" (Rom. 6:2), "crucified with Him" (Rom. 6:6), "dead
with Christ" (Rom. 6:8), "dead to the law" (Rom. 7:4), “put to
death the misdeeds of the body” (Rom. 8:13), and like expressions
are common among Hebrews, Greeks, Latins, and other people. To die to a thing or person, is to have nothing to do with and to be
totally separated from it or them. To live to a person or a thing
is to be wholly given up to and to have intimate connection with that person
or thing. Putting to death the misdeeds
of the body means that one has no
further dealings with sin. We put to
death the practices of the flesh by the Holy Spirit—by saying, “Yes” to Him—and
live the abundant life Jesus paid for in full (Rom. 8:12-13; Gal. 5:16-26;
Col. 3:5-10; Jn. 10:10). Be reminded the flesh is “the
spirit at work in the hearts of those in disobedience; the passionate desires
and inclinations of the flesh; its cravings and thoughts that excite to sin.” It is important to note that thoughts produce feelings. The thoughts from the flesh are toxic,
as they “excite to sin,” and their feelings are toxic as well. We must not live in the sins of the flesh or
we shall die. But if we will put to death the practices of the flesh by the
Holy Spirit, we shall live (Rom. 8:12-13; Gal. 5:16-26; Col. 3:5-10). It is important to realize the flesh can be active in one area of
our lives and ‘dead’ in another area. And what happens if we ignore or reject that
instruction of putting to death—have no further dealings with—the misdeeds of the body? Stage II: Sin The “passionate desires and inclinations of
the flesh; its cravings and thoughts
that excite to sin” are open
doors for the devil’s activity. According to the Bible, he and his disciples
look for those whom they may devour (1 Peter 5:8). Once the
flesh comes into operation, the demonic “strongholds” move in.
At Romans 8:7-8, it is the mind of the flesh that is sinful
because of being controlled by sin (Eph. 2:3). Those who mind the
things of the flesh of Galatians 5:19-21; 1 Corinthians 6:9-11;
Colossians 3:5-10; Romans 1:29-32; Mark 7:19-21 will
naturally fulfill them and such will be in sin (James 1:13-15; Rom. 6:12, 16;
8:12-13). “Therefore do not let sin [work or] reign in your
mortal body so that
you obey its [sin’s] evil desires …” (Rom. 6:12) (Those who set their minds on the things
of the Holy Spirit of Gal. 5:22-23; 1 Cor. 12:4-11; Col.
3:12-14 will naturally fulfill them and such will not continue in sin.) Again, “Therefore do not let
sin [work or] reign in your mortal body…”
(Rom. 6:12) “Do not let sin work or reign in the mortal
body;” give sin no place
or grounds for working in your being. Sin does not rule or ruin; sin rules and ruins. In whatever area of our
lives sin is, sin will have more or less dominion. And continuing with Romans 6:12, “…so that
you obey its [sin’s v. 13] evil
desires…” Here sin continues to be exposed as a
tyrant, who has the soul passions, spirit faculties, and physical members of
mankind under control, dominating his life. This verse is one of many proofs
that sin is a real spirit-being ruling the life. Like the flesh, inbred sin is also a fixed principle operated by the
devil and his minions. Be strongly encouraged to grasp the important good
news that inbred sin is something entirely separate from you and me. See Section III (beginning on page 5) of The Bible
Doctrine of Sin. Sin itself has evil desires—lusts—other than
the lusts of humankind. The lusts of sin are in reality the lusts of the
devil (Jn. 8:44; Eph. 2:2-3; 2 Tim. 2:26; 1 Jn. 2:17; 3:8). The lusts of humankind are his own creative
powers desecrated and corrupt (Jas. 1:14; 4:1, 3; 2 Tim. 4:3; 1 Pet. 4:2).
They make up the basic “Adamic nature.” And, the same faculties that yield to sin
can likewise yield to God and commit holy acts (Rom. 6:13, 16, 18-20, 22;
8:1-13; Col. 3:5-10). Understand more about the “Adamic nature” in Section III (beginning on page 5) of The Bible
Doctrine of Sin. Romans 6:13 instructs, “Do not let any part
of your body become an instrument [weapon] of evil to serve sin…” It is not sin to be tempted; the sin is in
yielding (Jas. 1:13-15; Rom. 6:16; 8:12-13). While sin exists as demonic
solicitation, it is the devil's lust and sin, not ours (2 Tim. 2:26). When we
yield, we make the devil's sin our own—“misdeeds.” The one tempted should
obey God (Jas. 4:7; 1 Pet. 5:8-9; Eph. 4:27; Deut. 28:1-61). When we refuse temptation, regardless of how
strong it is, no sin is possible (1 Jn. 3:4; Jas. 1:13-15). Romans 6:16 states, "Don’t you know
that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you
obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to
obedience, which leads to righteousness?" As Christ died completely, so those who
profess Christianity must be completely separated and saved from sin having no more connection with it than
a dead body has with the departed spirit (Rom. 6:3-5; Jas. 2:26). Millions today have not learned these simple
facts—that we cannot be a servant of sin and the devil and a servant of
righteousness and Christ at the same time. And that if we continue in sin we are a
servant of sin and the devil (Jn. 8:34; 1 Jn. 3:8) and not a Christian. And
that if we continue in sin, the devil is our master and not Christ and that
sin is the service of the devil and righteousness is the service of God. ·
“Jesus
answered them, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave
of sin.’” (John 8:34) God
is not obsessed with sin (1 John 2:1).
And yet it is a profound matter (Rom. 6:12—8:13; Gal. 6:7-8). ·
“If your
hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed
than with two hands to go into hell, where the fire never goes out. And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it
off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than to have two feet and be
thrown into hell.” (Mark 9:44-45) ·
“Later Jesus found him [the man at the Pool of Bethesda who Jesus
healed of an infirmity of thirty-eight years] at the temple and said to him,
‘See, you have been made well. Stop
sinning so that a worse thing does not come upon you.’" (John 5:14) ·
“[God’s people] were fools—afflicted because of their transgression [sin], and
because of their iniquities [sin]. Their appetites were gone, and
death was near. …He [God] sent His
word and healed them…” (Psalm
107:17-20) ·
“…Jesus
said, ‘Take heart, son, your sins are forgiven.’ …Which is
easier to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven;’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk?’ …So He said to the paralyzed man, ‘Get up,
take your mat and go home.’ Then the man got up and went home.” (Matthew 9:2-7) ·
“Awake to
righteousness, and do not sin … I speak this to your shame.”
(1 Corinthians 15:34) It
is vital to realize it is no coincidence that both sin and dis-ease have a definable
onset, symptoms, and a predictable outcome (Jas. 1:14-15; Deut. 28:15-61;
31:24-30; 32:15-43; Rom. 1:16-32; 6:12—8:13). Sin also operates like the disease of
addiction as it is denied, progressive and demands more. See also John 8:34. And
please also note that denial is indeed the primary
characteristic of sin (Gen. 3:12-13; 2 Cor. 11:14,15; Rom. 1:18-22; 2:1,
21-23; 7:11; Heb. 3:13; 1 Jn. 1:8; Mt. 23:24-28; Mk. 6:4-5; Lk. 6:41-42;
19:42; Jn. 9:41; 11:47-53; Jas. 3:14; Tit. 1:16; Rev. 3:1,17). The
Pharisees are pictured in the New Testament as religious people who saw
themselves as respectable and righteous. And yet Jesus pointed repeatedly to
their repressed sins and the danger of not facing themselves (Lk. “Death” to
sin and “resurrection” from sin mean walking like Christ (Rom. 6:5; 1 Pet.
2:21-22; 1 Jn. 2:6; 4:6, 17). Be reminded sin can be active in one area of
our lives and “dead” in another area. Stage III: The Body; the Mortal
Body "σῶμα" the original Greek word translated "body"
means: "The body (as a sound whole), used in a very wide application,
literally or figuratively: - bodily, body, slave." Romans 6:12 states, “Therefore do not let
sin reign in your mortal body...” Romans 6:13 states, “Do not let any part of
your body become an instrument [weapon] of evil to
serve sin…” Romans 6:16 states, "Don’t you know
that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you
obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to
obedience, which leads to
righteousness?" Note that the
mortal body does not commit sin. In a real sense, there’s nothing wrong with
our mortal body. Apostle Paul at 1 Corinthians 6:18-20 states, “Flee sexual
immorality. Every sin that a person does
is outside the body…” (See also Matt. 15:16-20; Mark 7:18-23.) And 1 Corinthians
6:18-20 continues to state that, “the person who commits sexual immorality sins against their
own body [entire constitution—their mortal body, soul and spirit]. …You were
bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and your spirit, which
are God’s.” And as the slave is the sole property of his master, so we, having been bought by the
precious blood of Christ, are not our own (1 Cor. 6:19-20; 7:23; 1 Pet.
1:18-23). Simple Slavery Note that our mortal body can be a slave to
the deceptive tempting thoughts of the
flesh (our physical
body can be an expression of the outworking of the flesh, sin) (see 1 Cor. 9:27; Col. 3:5-10; Rom. 6:16, 8:12-13; John 5:14). And our mortal body can be a slave to
the Holy Spirit (our
physical body can be an expression of the outworking of the Holy Spirit) (see Rom. 6:16, 8:11-13; Gal. 5:22-23; 1
Cor. 12:4-11; Col. 3:12-14; 1 Thess. 5:22, 23). The apostle Paul graciously informs us at 1
Corinthians 9:27: “But I [figuratively] strike a blow to my body, and make it my slave [bring it into
subjection], so that … I myself will not be disqualified.” Figuratively speaking, Paul was beating his mortal body black and
blue to bring it into slavery so that he should not become disqualified.
He considered his body an enemy with which he must contend in mortal combat
to keep it under control by self-denial, abstinence, and severe mortification
(Rom. 8:12-13; Col. 3:5-10). Be reminded, "σῶμα," the original Greek word translated
"body" means: "The body (as a sound whole), used in a very wide application,
literally or figuratively: - bodily, body, slave." Paul constantly acted to
keep the body as a slave to the soul, not permitting the soul to be the slave
of the body. Fourteen Commands about the Mortal Body 1.
Yield it
to God (Rom. 11:1; 6:13-20). 2.
Make it
living sacrifice (Rom. 12:1). 3.
Make it
holy (Rom. 12:1; 1 Cor. 3:17). 4.
Make it
accepted of God (Rom. 12:1). 5.
Make it
full of light (Matt. 6:22). 6.
Reckon it
dead to sin (have nothing to
do with sin; Rom.
6:11). 7.
Reckon it
alive to God (be wholly given up to
and have intimate connection with God; Rom. 6:11). 8.
Refuse its
slavery to sin (Rom. 6:12). 9.
Mortify
its deeds (Rom. 8:13). 10.
Refuse to
defile it (1 Cor. 3:17). 11.
Make it a
fit temple of Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 3:16-17; 1 Cor. 6:13-20). 12.
Make it
free from fornication and only for the Lord (1 Cor. 6:13-20). 13.
Glorify
God in it (1 Cor. 6:20). 14.
Keep it
in-control (1 Cor. 9:27). “Therefore do not let sin reign in your
mortal body ... Do not let
any part of your body become an instrument [weapon] of evil to
serve sin…” (Romans 6:12, 13) "Don’t you know that when you offer
yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you
obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to
obedience, which leads to
righteousness?" (Romans 6:16) Stage
IV: Dis-ease; Ailments; Affliction; Unhealth; Issues Psalm 119:67,72,75 contains a lesson about ailments and the purpose of affliction and why issues come in our lives and how we Christians should respond to it. Repeating, once the flesh comes into operation, the demonic moves in. Recorded
at Romans 8:7-8, it is the mind of the flesh that
is sinful because of being controlled by sin (Eph. 2:3). Those who mind the things of the
flesh of Galatians 5:19-21; 1 Corinthians 6:9-11; Colossians 3:5-10; Romans
1:29-32; Mark 7:19-21 will naturally fulfill them and such will be in sin (James 1:13-15; Rom. 6:12, 16;
8:12-13). “Therefore do not let sin [work or] reign in your
mortal body so that
you obey its [sin’s] evil desires …” (Rom. 6:12) (Those who set their minds on the things
of the Holy Spirit of Gal. 5:22-23; 1 Cor. 12:4-11; Col.
3:12-14 will naturally fulfill them and such will not continue in sin.) We must not live in the sins of the flesh or we shall die. (But if we will put to
death the practices of the flesh by the Holy Spirit, we shall live (Rom.
8:12-13; Gal. 5:16-26; Col. 3:5-10; John 5:14)) Repeating,
God is not obsessed with sin (1 John 2:1).
And yet it is a profound matter (Rom. 6:12—8:13; Gal. 6:7-8). According to Romans chapters 6, 7, 8, and
12, our mortal body can be a slave to the sins of the
flesh; the condition of our mortal body can
be the outworking of the sins of the
flesh (see 1 Cor. 9:27; Gal. 5:19-21; Col. 3:5-10; Rom. 6:16, 8:12-13; John 5:14). This is none other than dis-ease;
the vast majority of humankind’s emotional, mental, and physical issues expressed
in our mortal bodies. Please don’t read this as every person's issue is a direct result of some personal sin, for this is not true (John 9:1-4; 11:4). Christ atoned on the cross for sin and for dis-ease, and God is as willing to heal as He is to forgive of sins. (See also Psalm 103:3; 2 Pet. 2:24) Christ and the
apostles dealt with unhealth as they would deal with sin (Matt. 9:1-12; Mark
2:1-11; John 5:14; Jas. 5:14-16). And God is obligated to move within His own spiritual laws (principles) and they are constrained because of belief in lies instead of truth; lies that begin with deceptive tempting thoughts of the flesh and progress to sin reigning in our mortal bodies (Rom. 6:12; 7:20—8:13). God works upon the principles of faith and truth, and He is not partial to any person (Heb. 11:6; Jas. 1:5-9; John 8:21-32). The vast majority of our dis-ease, ailments, affliction, or issues is actually a warning of our moving away from God’s protection and blessings. Be strongly encouraged to view this important picture and brief explanation. Repeating, Psalm 119:67,72,75 contains a lesson about ailments and the purpose of affliction and why issues come in our lives and how we Christians should respond to it. If Christ came to take away sin, He certainly came also to take away unhealth, the fruit of sin. The only hindrance in accessing the full benefits of Jesus’ atonement is unbelief and lack of appropriation (taking possession) of the blessings which Christ died to give to all people (Isa. 53:4-5; Matt. 8:16-17; 1 Pet. 2:24; Jas. 5:14-16). God's method is to get rid of the cause of issues, sin, while humankind's method is to cover up sin and deal with the outgrowth of it. If we would submit to God and correct the source, there would be no outgrowth of sin. Please be reminded that an accurate New Testament definition of ‘sin’ is, “shortcoming continued” (1 John 3:20; 2 Cor. 3:6-16; Heb. 7:22; 8:6; 1 Pet. 4:8; Rom. 3:23; 6:13; 14:23; 1 John 5:17). What the Latest Neuroscience
Reports The
medical community states “the etiology of 80
percent of our health problems are unknown,” which means physicians have no clue how
they originated; they seem to
come out of nowhere. And the National Institutes of Health
has reported to us that “75 – 90% of visits to the doctor are related to
stress.” Note that “stress” is a modern term for “fear.” Since this
21st century, the leading neuroscientists like Marion Diamond,
Norman Doidge, Joe Dispenza, Jeffrey Schwartz, Henry Markram, Bruce Lipton,
Allen Jones, and Caroline Leaf to name just a few, have shown that by our
thinking and choosing, our physical brain—“a ‘member’ of our mortal body”—is
actually changing moment by moment. This latest research shows 75 to 98 percent of mental, behavioral, and
physical issues comes from one’s thought life—what we set
our mind on. This staggering and eye-opening statistic
means only 2 to 25 percent of mental, emotional, and physical issues
come from the environment and genes. —The Biology of Belief by Dr. Bruce Lipton Taking this to a deeper level, neuroscience research has now
shown that DNA actually changes
according to our thoughts. Our thought life changes our DNA and
subsequent genetic expression, which then changes our physical brains, other
organs and the systems of our mortal bodies. According to leading neuroscientist, Dr. H. F. Nijhout, genes
control biology and not the other way around. See also Switch
on Your Brain by Dr. Caroline
Leaf. This 21st
century neuroscientific research may
help us affirm the New Testament at Romans 6:10-16, 7:20—8:13, 12:1-2.
The vast
majority of our emotional, mental, and physical health issues are the direct
result of reaping what we have sown in
thought—what we set our mind on—our thought life that is not
aligned with God’s Word. These issues include and not limited to addiction,
allergies, food intolerances or allergies, ADD, ADHD, anorexia, arthritic
problems, autoimmune conditions, back problems, high or low blood pressure,
chronic bowel issues, breathing issues, bulimia, cancer, cholesterol
problems, circulation issues, compulsions, chronic constipation, Crohn’s,
diabetes & hypoglycemia, digestion issues, dementia, fibromyalgia,
problems involving glands, gut issues, heart disease, headaches, migraines,
hypersensitivities to chemicals, fragrance, smells, or mold, hormone issues,
infertility & sterility problems, immune system problems, chronic
inflammatory issues, insomnia, kidney stones, failure, and conditions, leukemia,
metabolic & weight problems, miscarriages, neurological problems, OCD,
obesity, obsessions, osteoporosis, chronic pain, PTSD, Parkinson’s, phobias,
prostate problems, respiratory issues, self-abuse/ self-injuring, sinus
issues, skin conditions, sleep problems, stomach problems, stroke, thyroid
issues, tumors & cysts, ulcers, “also every bodily health issue which is
not written in this book” (Deuteronomy 28:61). “Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an
obligation—but it is not to the flesh [deceptive tempting
thoughts], to live
according to it. For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Holy Spirit
you put to death [separate from; no further dealings with] the misdeeds of the body, you will live. “…Therefore I urge you, brothers and
sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your [mortal] bodies as a living
sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and
proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind..." (Romans 7:20 — 8:13, 12:1-2) ·
“…We
demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the
knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to
Christ [the Word]…” (2
Corinthians 10:5) ·
“…Be made new in the spirit of your mind…” (Ephesians
4:23) ·
“…Set your mind on things above, not on earthly
things…” (Colossians 3:2) ·
“…For as a person thinks in his
heart, so is he…” (Proverbs 23:7) ·
“…You [God] will keep in
perfect peace all who trust in
You, whose thoughts are fixed on
You!” (Isaiah 26:3) See also Philippians 4:8; 1 Peter 4:1 Healing,
Health, and Wellness—Stage I God has provision for every problem. Hopefully we can agree that it’s
crucial for us to first meet God’s conditions in His New Testament
Covenant of Healing recorded at James 5:14-16: "Is any among you with sickness
[unhealth]? They should call for the elders of the church; and let them
pray over them, anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord. And their
prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make them well. And if they have committed sins, they shall be forgiven. [So] confess your sins and pray for
one another that you may be healed."
(James 5:14-16) Healing,
Health, and Wellness Just Happens—Stage II God has
complete provision for every problem. Hopefully we can also agree that it’s vital that we engage in the practical application of the gospel—God’s “prescription” of renewing our mind, recorded at Romans 8:5-13,
12:1-2: “Therefore, we have an
obligation—but it is not to
the flesh [deceptive tempting
thoughts], to live according to it. For if we live according to the flesh, he will die; but if by the Holy Spirit we put to death
the misdeeds of the body, we will live." (Rom. 8:12, 13) “Therefore I urge you, in view of God’s
mercy, to offer your mortal body as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to
God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern
of this world, but be transformed
by the renewing of your mind..."
(Romans 12:1-2;
see also 2 Cor. 10:5; Eph. 4:23; Col.
32: Philippians 4:8; 1 Peter 4:1; Proverbs
23:7; Isaiah 26:3) The owner/editor of this website ventures
this paraphrase: “Therefore, offer your healed, healthy, holy, mortal
body for God’s service alone. Your mortal body is simply a slave of your
mind. So be transformed—be healed—by the renewing of your mind.” (See also 1 Thess. 5:23; consider reviewing this simplified
picture lesson.) Can we now see more clearly that some so‑called
sciences in the world today offer us lots of fancy, complicated names, but
the root problem remains the same: sin? We’re unable to deal effectively with
our life-problems until we have faced the reality of that root problem of
life. The Bible teaches that God sent Jesus into the world to save people
from all sin (Matt. 1:21; Eph.1:7; 1 John 1:7-9; Rev. 1:5), heal of all
dis-eases (Ps. 103:3; 107:20; Is. 53:4-5, Matt. 8:16-17; Acts 10:38;
28:9; 1 Pet. 2:24; 1 Jn. 3-8), and to answer all prayers for anything that
one desires that are covered by the promises of God (Matt. 7:7-11; 18:19-20;
17:20; 21:21-22; Mark 11:22-24; John 14:12-15; 15: 7; 16: 23-26). Healing,
Health, Wellness, and Blessing Others—Stage III Among other scriptures, Romans 8:28 informs
us that God works all things
together for good…” The person who has
accessed God’s healing, health, and wellness now has His permission—an anointing—to
help others access their healing. The healed is now a living, breathing
blessing of God in this area (see also 2 Cor. 1:3-4, 8-9; Philippians 1:12). A Revealing Case in Point The Holy
Scriptures provides us with yet another one of many remarkable insights into
issues, affliction, dis-ease, and therefore healing, health, and wellness: Proverbs 14:30
graciously informs us of the root cause of Osteoporosis: “…Envy is the rottenness [decay] of the bones.” Osteoporosis is not contagious but is a progressive
decrease in the density of bones that weakens them and makes them more likely
to fracture. And it
is shown in the Bible to have a non-physical origin. Allow me to explain.
Perhaps you already see it. Let’s let Noah Webster define envy:
“To feel uneasiness, mortification or discontent at the
sight of superior excellence, reputation or happiness enjoyed by another; to
repine at another's prosperity; to fret or grieve one's self at the real or supposed superiority of
another, and to hate him or her on that account; to grudge;
to withhold maliciously. Jealousy is nearly allied to envy,
for jealousy, before a good is lost by ourselves, is converted into envy,
after it is obtained by others. Jealousy is awakened by whatever may exalt
others, or give them pleasures and advantages which we desire for ourselves.” It
is important to be reminded that thoughts
come with feelings. The
thoughts from the opposing kingdom are toxic, as they “excite to sin,” or are
in fact sin, and their feelings are
toxic as well. And can we agree
that continued envy,
discontentment, fretting, grieving one’s self, hatred, holding a grudge, or
malice is sin? To help make this
study crystal clear, let’s say that a Christian by the name of Ishmaely has been diagnosed with Osteoporosis. Now, what
does this New Testament Bible study say to Ishmaely? Again, let’s begin with one of God’s many
promises, recorded in our study at Romans 8:11: "And if the Spirit of Him [God] who
raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, Ishmaely, He who raised Christ
from the dead will also give [healing] life to your mortal body, including
your bones because of
His Spirit who lives in you." Romans 6:12: "Ishmaely, do not let
the sin of envy reign in your mortal body so that you obey its [sin’s] evil desires. Do not let any part of your body become an instrument
[weapon] of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourself completely to God. For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the [Mosaic] law,
but under grace. “What then, Ishmaely? Shall
you sin because you’re are not under the law but under grace? By no means!
Don’t you know that when you offer yourself to someone as an obedient
slave, you are a slave of the one
you obey—whether you are a slave to sin, which leads to death, or to
obedience, which leads to righteousness?” (Romans 6:12—16) Romans 7:20 — 8:13: "If Ishmaely does
what he does not want to do, it is no longer Ishmaely who does it, but it is
sin, envy, living in him who does it. So Ishmaely finds this law at work:
Although he wants to do good, evil, envy, is right there with him. For in his
inner being Ishmaely delights in God’s law; but he sees another law at work in his bones, waging war against the law of his mind and making him a prisoner
of the law of sin at work within him. …So then, Ishmaely in his mind is a slave to God’s law, but in his bones a slave to the law of sin. “…Thanks be to God, who delivers Ishmaely
through Jesus Christ our Lord! …There is now no condemnation for those who
are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the [Holy]
Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. For
what the [Mosaic] law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the
flesh [deceptive tempting thoughts], God did by sending His own Son in the
likeness of sinful flesh [human kind] to be a sin offering. And so He
condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the
law [benevolent love] might be fully met in Ishmaely, who does not live according to the
flesh [deceptive tempting thoughts] but according to the [Holy] Spirit.
“Those who live according to the flesh [deceptive
tempting thoughts] have
their minds set on
what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the [Holy]
Spirit [benevolent love] have their minds set on what the [Holy] Spirit desires. For
to be fleshly minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life
and peace. The mind governed by the flesh [deceptive tempting thoughts] is hostile
to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those who are in
the realm of the flesh cannot please God. “Ishmaely, you, however, are not in the
realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit
of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they
do not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you, then even
though your [mortal] body is subject to death
because of sin, the [Holy] Spirit gives
healing life because of righteousness. And if the [Holy] Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead is
living in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give [healing] life to your mortal body because of His Spirit who lives in you. “Therefore, Ishmaely, [out of righteousness], you have an
obligation—but it is not to
the flesh [deceptive tempting
thoughts of envy], to live according to it. (As a committed follower of Jesus, Ishmaely
is to enjoy the righteousness of Jesus, as well as its outworking (see 2
Corinthians 5:21; Colossians 1:22; Philippians 3:9-16.)) “For if you live
according to the flesh [deceptive
tempting thoughts], you
will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live." (Romans 7:20 - 8:13) Ishmaely, please be reminded that once the flesh comes into operation, the
demonic moves in. And be reminded 2 Corinthians 11:14-15 graciously informs
you that, “…Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light.” At Romans 8:7-8, it is the mind of the flesh that is sinful
because of being controlled by sin (Eph. 2:3). Ishmaely, as you mind the things of the
flesh of Galatians
5:19-21; 1 Corinthians 6:9-11; Colossians 3:5-10; Romans 1:29-32; Mark
7:19-21, you will naturally fulfill
them, and be in sin (James
1:13-15; Rom. 6:12, 16; 8:12-13). And then the additional practical
application of the gospel to Ishmaely at Romans 12:1-2: “…Therefore I urge you, Ishmaely, in view of
God’s mercy, to offer your [mortal] body as a living
sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and
proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind..." ·
“Ishmaely,
demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the
knowledge of God, and take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ [the Word of God]…” (2 Corinthians 10:5) ·
“Ishmaely, be made new in the spirit of your mind…” (Ephesians 4:23) ·
“Ishmaely, set your mind on things above, not on earthly
things…” (Colossians 3:2) ·
“…For Ishmaely, as you think in
your heart, so are you…”
(Proverbs 23:7) ·
“…You [God] will keep Ishmaely in perfect
peace as he trusts in
You, as his thoughts are fixed on
You!” (Isaiah 26:3) See also Philippians 4:8; 1 Peter 4:1 Knowing what envy
is, would you concur that Ishmaely’s agreement with envy over time would
qualify as sin (shortcoming continued), moving Ishmaely away
from God’s protection and blessings? ·
Can we
agree “envy” continued is not fulfilling the righteous requirement of the
law—benevolent love? (Rom. 8:4) With osteoporosis,
Ishmaely has essentially the biological manifestation of thought agreement
with envy. Those of us who God has healed would compassionately help
Ishmaely understand that his best thinking got him in his condition. And more importantly, that
God has a promise and a provision for every problem. Please consider
reviewing a glimpse of the
personal case history of the editor/ owner of this web site. See also an
actual osteoporosis healing case history below entitled, “Osteoporosis
Healing Actual Case History.” ·
“…For as a person thinks in his
heart, so is he…” (Proverbs 23:7) “Therefore … conform to the pattern of this world no longer, but
be transformed by the renewing of your mind..." (Rom. 12:1-2; see also 2 Cor. 10:5; Eph. 4:23; Col. 3:2; Isa. 26:3; Philip. 4:8; 1
Peter 4:1.) Christ and the
apostles dealt with issues as they would deal with sin (Matt. 9:1-12; Mark
2:1-11; John 5:14; Jas. 5:14-16). Can you now see
more clearly that some so‑called sciences in the world today offer us
lots of fancy, complicated names, but the root problem remains the same: sin?
We’re unable to deal effectively with our life-problems until we have faced
the reality of that root problem of life. The Bible teaches that God sent
Jesus into the world to save people from all sin (Matt. 1:21; Eph.1:7; 1 John
1:7-9; Rev. 1:5), heal of all dis-eases (Ps. 103:3; 107:20; Is. 53:4-5, Matt. 8:16-17; Acts
10:38; 28:9; 1 Pet. 2:24; 1 Jn. 3-8), and to answer all prayers for anything
that one desires that are covered by the promises of God (Matt. 7:7-11;
18:19-20; 17:20; 21:21-22; Mark 11:22-24; John 14:12-15; 15: 7; 16: 23-26). Healing,
Health, and Wellness—Stage I God has provision for every problem. Hopefully you can agree that it’s
crucial for Ishmaely to first meet God’s conditions in His New Testament
Covenant of Healing recorded at James 5:14-16: "Is Ishmaely in dis-ease? He
should call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him,
anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And their prayer offered in
faith will heal Ishmaely, and the Lord will make him well. And Ishmaely’s sin of envy (including discontentment,
self-grieving, hate, grudge, and maliciously withholding (part of envy’s aforementioned definition)) shall be forgiven. So
Ishmaely, confess your agreement with envy (and its underlings of discontent,
self-grieving, hate, grudge, and maliciously withholding) as sin, and pray for one another that you may be healed." Healing,
Health, and Wellness Just Happens—Stage II God has
complete provision for every problem. Hopefully you can also agree that it’s vital that Ishmaely engage in the practical application of the gospel—God’s “prescription” of renewing his mind, recorded at Romans 8:5-13,
12:1-2: “Therefore, Ishmaely has
an obligation—but it is
not to the flesh [deceptive
tempting thoughts], to live according to it. For if Ishmaely lives according
to the flesh, he will die; but if by the Holy Spirit Ishmaely puts to
death the misdeeds of the body, he will live." (Rom. 8:12, 13) “Therefore I urge you, Ishmaely, in view of
God’s mercy, to offer your mortal body as a living
sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and
proper worship. Ishmaely, do not conform to the pattern of this world,
but be transformed by
the renewing of your mind..." (Romans 12:1-2; see also 2 Cor. 10:5; Eph. 4:23; Col. 3:2; Philippians
4:8; 1 Peter 4:1; Proverbs 23:7;
Isaiah 26:3) The owner/editor of this website ventures
this paraphrase: “Therefore Ishmaely, offer your healed, healthy, holy,
mortal body for God’s service alone. Your mortal body is simply a slave of
your mind. So be transformed—be healed—by the renewing of your mind.” (1 Thess. 5:23; consider reviewing this simplified
picture lesson.) Healing,
Health, Wellness, and Blessing Others—Stage III Besides Genesis 50:20 and Ps. 119:67-75,
Romans 8:28 informs us that God works all
things together for good…” Can we
agree that Ishmaely now has God’s permission—an anointing—to help others
access their healing, including their healing from osteoporosis? Ishmaely is
now a living, breathing blessing of God in this area (see also 2 Cor. 1:3-4, 8-9; Philippians 1:12). Osteoporosis Healing Actual Case History The owner & editor of this web site
knows a woman who had been diagnosed with osteoporosis at approximately
30-years of age. At 60-years old she applied the above New Testament
instruction to her life and her healing was loosed into this cursed,
fraudulent world “as it is in heaven.” At 60 years of age, her long-time
doctor documented that she no longer has osteoporosis. Her doctor’s testing
reported that, in 90-days, this woman experienced bone density increase of 15
- 18%. And although her doctor could not understand it, he reported that she
now has the bone density of a 30-year-old woman. My Personal Allergies Case
History In my personal healing case history
referenced above, I mentioned my
history of being an evangelistic health, nutrition, and fitness freak for 18-years,
actively providing herbal and nutritional (human) remedies to others. Approximately
9-years into that, I went through a heart-breaking romantic relationship experience.
And about a year-and-a-half later, I experienced severe allergies to pollen
and cats for the first time in my life. This happened in the early 1990’s. I
successfully treated ‘my allergies’ with an ongoing nutritional remedy. My
clients with allergies also experienced the same success from the nutritional
remedy I provided. Here's
what I have learned since, what is happening when we experience an allergic
reaction: It is a result of excessive B cell activity in our immune systems.
Excessive B cell activity is a result of T cells in our immune system being
destroyed because of something called a “cortisol drip.” Cortisol is released
in a “fight or flight” response and is a normal body function. But when
we are in fight or flight for a long period of time (weeks, months, years)
this steady cortisol drip destroys our T cells and creates excessive B cell
activity. This is what weakens the immune system and causes an “allergic
reaction.” I learned the real problem behind allergies is chronic fear, not
the environment. I actually wasn't allergic to anything. After I
earnestly repented for my agreement with fear God delivered me from it. My
immune system healed and all “allergic reactions” completely ceased for good.
Since 2004, I’ve had no reason to continue the former allergies remedy
because my allergic reactions are all gone. (Be reminded that 'stress' is a
modern term for 'fear;' see also 2 Tim. 1:7; Job 3:25; 4:14-16; Eph. 6:12; 1
Jn. 4:18.) And be reminded that God cannot have any
favorites—what He does for one He'll do for another (Rom. 2:11; Jas. 5:14-16;
1 Pet. 2:24). Modern
neuroscience is calling this ‘the mind-body connection.’ However, the Bible
teaches ‘the spirit–soul–mind–body sanctification.’ And be reminded that it is not God’s plan
for us to suffer dis-ease; emotional, mental, or physical unhealth. “Beloved,
I pray above all things that you may prosper and be in
health, even as your soul prospers (3 John 2; see also Deut. 28:15-61).”
“Jesus personally carried away our sins in His
body to the cross that we, having died to sins might live the right way; by Jesus
Christ’s stripes [wounds] you were healed” (1 Peter 2:24). "Is any among you with
sickness [unhealth]? They should call for the elders of the church; and
let them pray over them, anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord. And
their prayer offered in faith will heal
the sick, and the Lord will make them well. And if they have
committed sins, they shall be forgiven. So confess your sins and pray for one
another that you may be healed." (James 5:14-16) This is good news! And we will continue this aspect
of ‘root cause and effect’ when we discuss how to specifically access
emotional, mental, and physical healing and health from God. Our Need to
Appropriate What God Has Provided What does the Bible's New
Testament teach about diet or nutrition? What does the Bible's New Testament say about exercise? What about the man born blind? The Rest of the Story How To Access
Healing From God and Keep It even when the issue is genetic or inherited What Divine
Healing and Health is Not It is not healing and health by natural remedies, imagination, will power, personal magnetism, metaphysics, spiritualism, immunity from death, presumption, insubordination to God's will, mind over matter, denial of the plain facts of sin, health issues, and disease, or natural healing by inherent laws and creative powers in humankind's body (i.e. our God-given immune systems, endocrine systems, ‘lymph systems, limbic systems, etc.) “I AM Jehovah-Raphah – your ‘Physician.’” —God at Exodus 15:26 The
(false) suspicion that we can somehow be separated from God’s love is the
root of every form of fear, stress, or anxiety, and the cure for it is knowing that nothing can tear us from God’s love, ever. What Divine
Healing and Health is Not It is not healing and health by natural remedies, imagination, will power, personal magnetism, metaphysics, spiritualism, immunity from death, presumption, insubordination to God's will, mind over matter, denial of the plain facts of sin, health issues, and disease, or natural healing by inherent laws and creative powers in humankind's body (i.e. our God-given immune systems, endocrine systems, lymph systems, limbic systems, etc.) The plan of God is to end evil and
suffering forever (Exodus 20:5-6; 34:6-7; Numbers 14:18-20;
Deuteronomy 5:9-10; Jeremiah 32:18; Psalm 34:15-16; Proverbs 1:24-33; Ezekiel
18:21-23; Matthew 5:44; John 3:16, 17; Romans 6:16-23; 8:12-13; 11:11-29;
12:14; 1 Corinthians 6:9-11; 15:24-28; 2 Corinthians 3:16-17; 6:9-11;
Galatians 5:16-24; 6:7-8; Hebrews 6:4-9; 10:26-29; 2 Peter 2:9, 20-21;
Revelation 21-22).
The ultimate purpose of God in all His present dealings
with man is to bring him back to the place where he was before the fall
(beloved fellowship) and free him of all possibility of failing in the
future. “The object and purpose of our instruction and charge is that all
believers would be filled with love that comes from a pure heart, and a clear conscience, and
genuine trust (faith).” —1 Timothy
1:5
Thank you Finis Jennings
Dake, Dake
Publishing, and their extraordinary book entitled God’s Plan for Man Thank you Derek Prince Ministries and his book God’s Word Heals © 2017-18 Copyright protected gotchoices.net Publishing. All rights reserved
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