Healed By His Stripes

“Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our piece was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.” Isaiah 53:4-5 (Luke 4:18)
“It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.” John 6:63

Should the sufferings of Christ have included a profit for the flesh, such as physical healing, and since the benefits of Christ’s sufferings are fully upon all who believe, there would have been no need for Christ to give out additional gifts for healing, as healing would already be a part of the package Christ’s death provides.

“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 (Not can be, or will be, but were). Thus, ye were healed; not “if you get sick, you will be healed by his stripes.”

If we “were healed” physically by Christ’s stripes, this would be healing in advance of any and all sickness. This would mean we would never get sick, because we “were healed” of our sicknesses before they occurred, back when these stripes were laid on Christ. That would mean the changing of the corruption of our flesh into that which is incorruptible.

This “were healed” took place when one received Christ and was made spiritually whole by regeneration. Rather than be subject to the power of sin-sickness (which the flesh is), one is made a new creature, 2 Corinthians 5:17, which is free of sin, John 8:36.

This new creature (John 3:3-6) is made whole, not partially saved: “Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.” 1 John 3:9 Before being born again, one’s nature, born of the flesh, is under sin and subject to sin. But when one is saved, they receive a new sinless nature within by regeneration, that is made free of sin, and has fruit unto holiness and the end everlasting life, Romans 6:22.

Christ’s sufferings and death are provisions for the spiritual salvation of man, and not for deliverance from the corruptible condition of the flesh.

The deliverance from our fleshly corruptions will come when we are raised incorruptible with Christ: “In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.” 1 Corinthians 15:52-54

Yes, God can heal any sickness, over and above the ability of the body to heal itself, if He wills to do so. There have been gifts of healing given by God, as Biblical accounts bear out.

But Christ’s sufferings (stripes, etc.) were His bearing of the punishment we deserve to have inflicted upon us in this life because of our sins. His shed blood, however, is what eternally redeems our souls from the condemnation of sin, and His righteousness alone answers for the demands of God’s law, that we might be justified.

Only those who repent of their sin condition and seek God’s mercy and grace, placing their faith and trust in Christ as God’s provision for salvation, gain the benefits of His sufferings and offering of Himself, for their eternal salvation. “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” Acts 4:12

Those who teach that Christ’s stripes are about affording physical healing, and they incorporate “healing” into their services, identify themselves as being “Full Gospel” (for the flesh and spirit). This teaching right away closes people’s minds to every message or ministry that does not embrace their philosophy. Even though you speak the truth, they will not receive you or your message, because you don’t embrace their philosophy on healing.

Those who have been subjected to this philosophy are also being set up for disappointment, confusion, and bitterness, as they see themselves and their loves ones still getting sick and suffering from infirmities. Delusional “faith” gives one a distorted sense of pretension or a bitter taste concerning their expectations of God.

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Christ, The Fulfillment Of The Old Testament

The secret to seeing the meaning of Old Testament ordinances, services, and settings, is in seeing them as typology, representing Christ, His offering, and what is secured by the mediation of His priesthood. Read Hebrews 9 for an explanation.

For example: the shewbread in the Tabernacle. Bread is the sustenance of life. Thus, the shewbread illustrated that Christ is the sustenance of spiritual life for His people. So Israel’s existence before God was seen to be secured before God through Christ, who is the bread of life. No matter what Israel’s condition was outside in the camp, they were still seen by God and secured with God through the shewbread that was in the sanctuary.

All the covenant promises made to Israel were made to the seed of Abraham, and that seed was Christ, Galatians 3:16. Israel, as a covenant nation, stands before God in Christ. Her existence as a nation, and her inheritance as a nation in the land of Canaan, are secured in Christ, Genesis 15:18 and Leviticus 25:23.

No matter how down trodden and dispersed Israel may have been, yet she remains secure with God as His chosen nation, entitled to her land in Christ. God looks at Christ and sees in Him the reason for her existence.

Only after Israel accepts Christ, as He comes to deliver her from the anti-christ and his armies, will she then come into the fullness of God’s covenant promises, thus enabling her to fully possess all her land.

No matter what Israel’s circumstances are, she cannot and will not pass away, because she is seen to exist, as God beholds Christ, who is the seed unto whom the promises concerning the nation were made. All these promises are secured through the redemption that is in Christ’s shed blood.

This explains why Israel did not pass away, even when she was driven from her land and dispersed throughout the nations of the world. She has had all the covenant promises secured for her by Christ, through His own mediation. Only in and through Christ are the promises of God secured for His people.

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Members Of The Church Body

The church assembly is about functioning together as members of the body of Christ. This is far more than just attending an event, such as being joined together in marriage is.

A body (which the church is the spiritual body of Christ on earth) functions as a unit, “…the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part.” Ephesians 4:15-16

The mind for this togetherness is from Christ, the Head, and the Spirit of the members functioning in and with the body, is of the Holy Spirit, 1 Corinthians 12:1-27. The human body is exampled to set forth how this all works: “For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.” 1 Corinthians 12:12

To be a member of an organization, you don’t even have to attend its meetings. But to be a functioning member of a body, there has to be togetherness with where it is at and what it is doing. All the teachings in the Bible point to the same thing: “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some it; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” Hebrews 10:25

Those joining the body of Christ (from the Church Covenant) “…enter into covenant with one another as one body in Christ. We engage…to walk together…to sustain its worship” (from paragraphs one and two of our Church Covenant).

OUR CHURCH CONSTITUTION AND BY LAWS:
ARTICLE IV. Meetings: SECTION 1. Worship: “The church shall maintain regular services of worship every Sunday morning and evening, mid-week prayer service, and such other services as the Holy Spirit directs in.”
ARTICLE I. Membership: SECTION 2. Obligations: “Members are expected to be faithful in conduct, in home and church relations, including regular attendance of the services of this church, and financial support of the Lord’s work, as set forth in our church covenant and herein recorded.”

It is by an individual’s request and after their consent to our church’s doctrines and church covenant, that one can be received into the church body, as a covenant member. “It is a snare…after vows to make inquiry.” Proverbs 20:25. See also Ecclesiastes 5:4-6

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The Seeing Eye

“Where there is no vision the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.” Proverbs 29:18
“We see not our signs: there is no more any prophet: neither is there among us any that knoweth how long.” Psalm 74:9

A word to the wise: there is a broad gap between real vision and being visionary. Real vision is seeing what really is and taking into account that which relates to reality. Visionary is about something not yet in reality, but is imaginary and more speculative than probable.

We need to be so much about real vision, that we discount being visionary: “…make your calling and election sure” 2 Peter 1:10-11.

We can easily step away from seeing God’s will for our lives with visionary thoughts about how fulfilling our lives can be if we go our own way. Thus, the prodigal son, Luke 15:11-24.

However, as James 4:13-17 tells us, when we make the plans of our lives on our visionary thinking, instead of, “If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this or that”, we can easily forsake doing what we know is the good will of God, unto our differing way being sin.

By being visionary, Naomi’s husband took her and their two sons away from Israel (God’s covenant place for them) unto going to Moab, with thoughts of improving their lives. Since this was a visionary move based on human desire and hopefulness, rather than the vision of proving what the will of the Lord was, even in times of tribulation, it proved out to be, “I went out full, and the Lord hath brought be home again empty.” Ruth 1:21

Satan tempts us to be visionary about life’s choices, rather than clear our vision with the truth of God’s Word: Matthew 4:8-10. Satan shewed Christ the visionary picture that if He would fall down and worship Satan, Jesus could have the glory of all the kingdoms of this world, to which Christ replied with the vision of truth: “Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.”

True vision takes into full account what is, seeing what needs to be done, must be done, as well as seeing what will happen if it is not done.

Disinterest and neglect are the result of no longer seeing the importance of what is real.

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The Folly Of Eluding Accountability

“Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.” Hebrews 4:13

The truth is what makes people free, if they will accept it and own up to it. Otherwise, it will be their judge.

Human nature, being deceitful, is first prone to “not come to the light”, but rather to avoid its manifestations. Being wise in one’s own eyes, leads to using diversion tactics. Rather than accept responsibility and face up to the matter at hand, one considers themselves to be smart if they can throw off on something or someone else.

This was the first recorded practice of deceitfulness on man’s part in the Bible. When God confronted Adam regarding his sin of eating of the forbidden fruit, Adam attempted to shift the issue off himself and onto Eve (Genesis 3:12). When God approached Eve, she blamed the serpent (Genesis 3:13).

But guess what? Even though Adam and Eve could cleverly change the conversation, they could not change their guilt, nor could they escape God judging them for what they had done, nor did their attempts to side step accountability prevent them from losing the blessedness of Eden’s paradise. Their attitude just testified to their guilt and reason for judgment against their obstinacy.

Disobedient King Saul (1 Samuel 15:13-23) first insisted that his intentions were for something better than God’s way. Then he tried shifting the responsibility for what he had done unto the congregation. Then he tried making out like it was all an unintentional mistake. But God judged it all as being stubbornness and rebellion on Saul’s part and “fired” him from being king over Israel.

David tried to divert attention away from his adultery with Bathsheba by using the war to eliminate her husband from the picture and then by giving the desolate widow and her unborn child a place in the royal family. But not only did this not eliminate the guilt or the judgment for his sin, it brought shame and disgrace to his person, as well as gave the lost world reason to denounce the faith in the God that David professed to believe in and serve. God held David accountable, not only for his sin, but also the effects of his sin upon others.

“Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” Galatians 6:7

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