By his wounds we were healed7/31/2023 Somewhere, there is a human being suffering disease in any part of the body you may select to study. The problem of sickness, pain, suffering, and death is absolutely pervasive: there is not a single organ, part of the body, or bodily function that is untouched by sickness in the human race. Concerning death, Hebrews 9:27 says it is appointed for us to die, and that is something that the “Word-faith” and “Health-wealth” gospel cannot remove. Revelation 21:4 says, “ He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” The “former things” represents our present order in a sin-cursed world, from which there are only two possible escapes-death and the Second Coming of Christ. This view fails to distinguish between the present age and the age to come. This adds the bitterness of personal spiritual failure to the already great bitterness of the trial itself. A bitter corollary of this false teaching is that any Christian who is not healed (or who does not affect a healing for a loved one) is failing to receive the healing that Christ intends to give for one simple reason: they don’t have enough faith. One of the most common misunderstandings of Isaiah 53 in the Christian church today concerns the healing ministry that flows from the cross: “By His wounds we are healed.” The “Word-Faith” movement, part of a larger trend generally called the “Health and Wealth Gospel,” claims that this prophecy guarantees perfect physical health for every Christian in this present age, if we merely have “enough” faith to claim that healing. So, when Philip asked him, “Do you understand what you are reading?”, the eunuch answered, “How can I unless someone explains it to me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him in his chariot. Even the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts 8 who was reading this majestic prophecy had to have help understanding it. Yet even this clear prophecy has from time to time been misunderstood. ![]() For its clarity on substitutionary atonement, it cannot be surpassed. The prophecy from Isaiah 53 concerning the cross and the empty tomb is one of the greatest of the entire Scripture. So, the cross and the empty tomb are both the Alpha and the Omega of the Christian life. ![]() It would have been merely the tragic end to a promising ministry, and Christianity would have been dead in the cradle. And without the empty tomb, the cross itself would have been emptied of its power to save and give hope. It is the cross and it will always be the cross. We will never “get beyond” the cross, grow out of it, graduate to a “higher level.” There is no higher level than the cross, no greater lesson. “But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.” - Isaiah 53:5Īs we come near to our Easter celebration, we are reminded again of the incredible power of the cross and the empty tomb of Jesus Christ.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply.AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |