HEALING FOR SPIRIT, SOUL & BODY!
By Pastor Max Solbrekken, D.D.
The Greek word SOZO means to protect, deliver, heal, preserve, save and make well. In reality it means the ‘Salvation of God’.
Seven hundred years before Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem, the Prophet Isaiah declared: “Therefore the Lord Himself shall give you a sign; Behold a VIRGIN shall conceive, and bear a Son, and shall call His name Emmanuel.” (Is.7: 14)
The Angel Gabriel appeared to Joseph saying: “…Fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a Son, and thou shalt call His name JESUS for He shall save His people from their sins.
“Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet saying, Behold a virgin shall be with child, and shalt bring forth a Son, and they shall call His name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, GOD WITH US.” (Matt.1: 20-23)
The name of Jesus in Hebrew is Yeshua which mean ‘the Salvation of God’. God’s salvation for mankind is forgiveness, healing, protection, wellness and deliverance from the power of the Devil and His evil work! Jesus came to this earth “to seek and save that which was lost.” (Luke 19:10)
The name of JESUS means: Saviour, the salvation of God; the God who saves, heals, protects, delivers and makes well.
Everywhere our Lord went, he preached the Gospel and confirmed His message by healing the sick and casting out evil spirits from those who were bound: “For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.” (1 John 3: 8)
The Bible states: “How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and power who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed of the devil, for God was with Him.” (Acts 10: 38)
“…Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by Him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know.” (Acts 2: 22)
“How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard Him; God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to His own will.” (Heb.2: 3, 4)
GOD’S WORD says: “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: And the prayer of faith shall SAVE the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.” (James 5: 14, 15)
The word SOZO used here means to heal the sick and make them well, is used interchangeably for forgiveness and healing for body or soul in the following Scriptures: Mark 5:23, Mark 5:34, Mark 6:56, Mark 16:16, Luke 8:36, Luke 17:19, Luke 18:42, Acts 2:21, Acts 14:9, Acts 4:12 and Eph.2:8.
The HOLY RECORD states: “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; Who healeth all thy diseases.” (Ps.103: 2, 3); “He was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peacewas upon Him and with his stripes we are healed.” (Is.53: 4,5)
“And when the even was come, they brought unto Him (JESUS) many that were possessed with devils; and He cast out the spirits with His Word, and healed all that were sick: That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities and bare our sicknesses.” (Matt.8: 16, 17)
“Who His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness; by Whose stripes ye were healed. (1 Peter 2: 24)
The BIBLE says: “He hath sent His Word and healed them and delivered them from their destructions.” (Ps.107: 20): “He brought them forth with silver and with gold; and there was not one feeble person among their tribes.” (Ps.105: 37)
“I am the Lord, the God of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for Me?” (Jer.32: 27); “And ye shall serve the Lord your God, and He shall bless thy bread and thy water, and I will take sickness away from the midst of thee.” (Ex.23: 24, 25)
GOD’S HEALING COVENANT WITH ISRAEL.
In His great love and concern for His people, Israel, Almighty God made a ‘Healing covenant with Moses’ on their behalf. Here it is:
“If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God and wilt do that which is right in His sight, and wilt give ear to His commandments, and keep all His statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians, for I am the Lord that healeth thee.” (Ex.15: 26)
The ten plagues which Jehovah the Covenant God of Israel released upon the gods of Egypt, that finally forced Pharaoh to allow the Hebrew slaves leave their bondage, did not adversely affect God’s people.
The promise of divine healing and health was reserved for the Hebrews and by extension to all who trust in Christ our Great physician, Who fulfilled all the types of the promised Messiah.
“He brought them forth also with silver and gold: and there was not one feeble person among their tribes.” (Ps.105:37); “Then they cried unto the Lord God in their trouble, and He saveth them out of their distresses. He sent His Word and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.” (Ps.107: 20)
“God is a very present help in time of trouble.” (Ps.46:1); “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” (Ps.27:1)
“No good thing will God withhold from them who walk uprightly.” (Ps.84: 11); “There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh unto thy dwelling.” (Ps. 91: 10)
“Delight thyself in the Lord, and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart.” (Ps.37: 4); “Unto you that fear My name shall the Son of righteousness arise with healing in His wings.” (Mal.4: 2)
“No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee shalt thou condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of Me sayeth the Lord.” (Is.54:17)
Divine Healing is promised to those who fast and pray and seek the Lord: “Is not the fast that I have chosen? To lose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?
"Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? When thou seest the naked, that thou cover him, and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?
“Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thy health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee, the glory of the Lord shall be thy rear guard. Then shalt thou call and the Lord shall answer: thou shall cry, and He shall say, Here am I...” (Is.58: 6-8)
THIS IS THE REASON JESUS CAME!
“For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the enemy.” (1 John 3: 8); “The thief (Satan) cometh not but for to steal, kill and destroy. I am come that you might have life and more abundantly.” (John 10: 10)
“Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.” (Eph.3: 20); “And He said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel unto every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
“And these signs shall follow them that believe; In My name shall they cast out devils…they shall lay their hands on the on the sick, and they shall recover.” (Mark 16: 15-20)
Jesus said: “Come unto Me all ye who labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest.” (Matt.11: 28); “All that the Father giveth Me shall come to Me; and him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out.”(John 6: 37)
He invites us to fellowship with Him though prayer, praise and meditation. He said: “Ask and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For everyone that asketh receiveth; he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.” (Matt.7: 7,8)
Then He shared this great analogy: “And what man is there of you, whom if his son asks bread, will he give him a stone?” Something useless! “Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?” Something dangerous!
“If ye then, being evil, know to give good gifts unto your children, HOW MUCH MORE shall your Father in Heaven give good things to them that ask Him? “ (Matt.7: 9-11). He stated: “I will never leave thee nor forsake thee. I will be with thee unto the end of the world.” (Matt.28:20; Heb.13:5)
In this PROMISE our precious Lord Jesus used a double imperative t drive home a very important truth. He actually said: I will never, NO NEVER leave thee. I will never NO NEVER forsake thee, I will be with thee until the end of the world.
Of all the promises our Lord gave us, I think this is the most touching. Jesus was so concerned that we know the truth of His presence and nearness to us at all times!
The Bible says: “For all the promises of God in Him (Christ Jesus) are Yea and in Him Amen, unto the glory of God.” (2 Cor. 1: 20) His promises are always YES … NOT NO.! "If God be FOR US, who then can be against us?” (Romans 8:31); "Greater is He that is IN US that he that is in the world." (1 John 4: 4)
"God hath delivered us from the power of DARKNESS, and hath translated us into the Kingdom of His dear Son, in Whom we have REDEMPTION through His BLOOD." (Col. 1: 13, 14)
When Satan's power was defeated in our lives and we were translated into Christ's KINGDOM, Satan's power to harass us was finished. WE can tell him to remove his sickness and disease from us for we are God's PROPERTY.
We have been purchased by His blood: "Ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your BODY, and in your SPIRIT, which are GOD'S." (2 Cor. 6: 20); “And the very God of Peace sanctify (set apart unto God) wholly (completely); and I pray God your whole spirit, soul and body be preserved blameless (without sin or sickness) unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Thess. 5:23)
The Bible declares: “For the Word of God is quick (alive) and powerful and sharper than any two edged sword, piecing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (Heb.4:12)
In His powerful short commentary of the Word of God, St. Paul holds nothing back. He lays it out as it should be told. Nothing is as powerful as God’s Holy and life giving Word. It is alive and powerful and cuts like a sword. It separates the soul - which is the intellect (mind), emotions and will - from the spirit which is the very heart or eternal part of man! It is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
The Word of God convicts and changes a person’s thoughts from evil to good. Conviction for sin brings repentance and forgiveness and a change in attitude and lifestyle! But what does the Word of God do to our bones and marrow of our bones? There is no sin there, but there may be cancer or arthritis or some other disease.
When our lives change, often our bones become healthy. Hatred, jealousy, envy, fear or grief may dry up our bones and allow disease to enter. The Word of God can get into our bones and the very marrow of our bones and bring us the healing of God through Jesus Christ our Lord!
My Friend: In the NAME of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, and upon the authority of God's Word and by the BLOOD of the everlasting covenant, I command the pain to LEAVE YOUR BODY and the power of Satan to be broken off your entire being!
We can legally say: “SATAN: IT'S OVER! YOU HAVE LOST and WE HAVE WON through CHRIST JESUS OUR LORD! Amen.
