In last month's issue, we learned about the relationship between sin and sickness. We saw that God instructed His people to live sanctified. When they obeyed, blessings overtook them. We also learned that when they disobeyed that the curse would come in place of the blessing.
We also learned that when they disobeyed that the curse would come in place of the blessing. We saw in John 17:19 that Jesus sanctified himself. We saw in John 17:19 that Jesus sanctified himself. We learned from Isaiah 59:1:
Isaiah 59:1-2 1Behold, the LORD's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: 2But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.
So we see that sin separates us from the blessings that God had intended us to enjoy. And then we looked at some of the gospel records and saw the relationship between sin and sickness. More importantly, we are beginning to see the relationship between sin and healing. Again let me remind you that I am presenting an aspect of healing. If the shoe fits, fine. However if not, don't try to force it. There is a definite pathway between sin and sickness as we can observe in the beginning verses of Deuteronomy 28. Now, I want to show you a remarkable record in God's Word regarding sin, sanctification, and sickness!
2 Chronicles 30:1-8 1And Hezekiah sent to all Israel and Judah, and wrote letters also to Ephraim and Manasseh, that they should come to the house of the LORD at Jerusalem, to keep the passover unto the LORD God of Israel. 2For the king had taken counsel, and his princes, and all the congregation in Jerusalem, to keep the passover in the second month. 3For they could not keep it at that time, because the priests had not sanctified themselves sufficiently, neither had the people gathered themselves together to Jerusalem.4And the thing pleased the king and all the congregation. 5So they established a decree to make proclamation throughout all Israel, from Beer-sheba, even to Dan, that they should come to keep the passover unto the LORD God of Israel at Jerusalem: for they had not done it of a long time in such sort as it was written. 6So the posts went with the letters from the king and his princes throughout all Israel and Judah, and according to the commandment of the king, saying,Ye children of Israel, turn again unto the LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, and he will return to the remnant of you, that are escaped out of the hand of the kings of Assyria. 7And be not ye like your fathers, and like your brethren, which trespassed against the LORD God of their fathers, who therefore gave them up to desolation, as ye see. 8Now be ye not stiffnecked, as your fathers were, but yield yourselves unto the LORD, and enter into his sanctuary, which he hath sanctified forever: and serve the LORD your God, that the fierceness of his wrath may turn away from you.
We are exhorted to do the same in the book of Romans.
Romans 6:16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?II Chronicles 30:9-11 9For if ye turn again unto the LORD, your brethren and your children shall find compassion before them that lead them captive, so that they shall come again into this land: for the LORD your God is gracious and merciful, and will not turn away his face from you, if ye return unto him. 10So the posts passed from city to city through the country of Ephraim and Manasseh even unto Zebulun: but they laughed them to scorn, and mocked them. 11Nevertheless divers of Asher and Manasseh and of Zebulun humbled themselves, and came to Jerusalem.
O, what a day this would be in the sight of God if we the Christian church could humble ourselves and come back to the Word and get along. For the most part, verse 10 aptly describes the majority of the church.
II Chronicles 30:12-14 12Also in Judah the hand of God was to give them one heart to do the commandment of the king and of the princes, by the word of the LORD. 13And there assembled at Jerusalem much people to keep the feast of unleavened bread in the second month, a very great congregation. 14And they arose and took away the altars that were in Jerusalem, and all the altars for incense took they away, and cast them into the brook Kidron.
Here we see the people realized that they were not living sanctified and did something about it. They began to get rid of the junk that represented the kingdom of the world. Again, we can see in the Book of Acts when the Word of God begins to live in a person's heart, they act on the truth.
Acts 19:17-20 17And this was known to all the Jews and Greeks also dwelling at Ephesus; and fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified. 18And many that believed came, and confessed, and showed their deeds. 19Many of them also which used curious arts brought their books together, and burned them before all men: and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver. 20So mightily grew the word of God and prevailed.2 Chronicles 30:15-20 15Then they killed the passover on the fourteenth day of the second month: and the priests and the Levites were ashamed, and sanctified themselves, and brought in the burnt offerings into the house of the LORD. 16And they stood in their place after their manner, according to the law of Moses the man of God: the priests sprinkled the blood, which they received of the hand of the Levites. 17For there were many in the congregation that were not sanctified: therefore the Levites had the charge of the killing of the passovers for every one that was not clean, to sanctify them unto the LORD. 18For a multitude of the people, even many of Ephraim, and Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun, had not cleansed themselves, yet did they eat the passover otherwise than it was written. But Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, The good LORD pardon every one 19That prepareth his heart to seek God, the LORD God of his fathers, though he be not cleansed according to the purification of the sanctuary. 20And the LORD hearkened to Hezekiah, and healed the people.
Look again very carefully at verse 20. "And the LORD hearkened to Hezekiah, and healed the people." You can't heal someone if no one is sick, right? God was able to bring healing to these people because they took responsibility for their actions.
They were living in sin and separation from God and one another. When they repented of this and took action to live sanctified, they placed themselves in a position that they were able to receive healing from God.
Many of our sicknesses are due to separation from our God and the things of God. As we take responsibility for our sins and repent, we can live sanctified and expect our God to heal us.
If God heals us while we are in sin, its only because of His mercy. However, God does not heal people many times because if he healed you when you continue to disobey his Word, He would be establishing evil on this earth. Where do we draw the line, and what then would be the standard for receiving from God.
Look, if you think you can live in sin and break His Word at every turn and then expect healing in place of consequences of disobedience, what's the point of doing the Word. Just do what you want; there is no standard. God will heal you anyway. How much sense does that make?
How can you believe God if you are living in disobedience?
I John 3:21 Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God.
How can we go to God and expect to be healed if we continue to live in sin? Down deep inside, we won't have confidence for the faith we need to receive. I will end this article as I started it. If the shoe fits, then get on the ball and get it straight. If not, let's keep living for and bringing glory to our God by helping one another to live sanctified.ÿ