He Heals, He Raises

Q: What does the Bible say about healing?

The Bible teaches that physical and spiritual healing comes from Jesus Christ alone. In Acts 9, we see instances of physical healing when Peter declares, 'Jesus Christ maketh thee whole' to Aeneas, who had been bedridden for eight years. This affirms that while Peter was the instrument, it was God who accomplished the healing. Furthermore, Jesus' miracles, such as raising the dead and healing the sick, serve as a testament to His authority and ability to address both physical maladies and spiritual deadness.

Q: Why is spiritual healing important for Christians?

Spiritual healing is crucial as it signifies the transformation and new life given by God through Christ. Spiritual healing is of utmost significance because it represents the divine act of God in raising individuals from spiritual death to life through the new birth. Ephesians 2:1-5 states that we were 'dead in trespasses and sins,' yet God, rich in mercy, has quickened us together with Christ. This transformation is vital for Christians, as it lays the foundation for their faith and their relationship with God, ensuring that they become new creations who can live in accordance with His will.

Q: How do we know that Jesus is the source of our healing?

Jesus's miracles and the promises in Scripture confirm Him as the sole source of healing. The healing miracles of Jesus serve as definitive proof of His power and identity as the Son of God. In John 5, Jesus heals a man who had been impotent for 38 years, demonstrating His authority over physical ailments. Moreover, the promise of spiritual healing is evident in passages like 1 Peter 2:24, which states that by His wounds we are healed. Scripture consistently affirms that it is God's action, through Christ, that provides healing for both spiritual and physical needs.

Good morning and welcome to the services here this morning. We're glad to see everyone. I know none of you have ever done anything foolish, but I did this last week. I had been studying. I needed to do a little ruminating. So I got my metal detector and went down on the Columbia River. I was gonna do a little metal detecting. The wind was heavy and it was cold, and I got this frog out of it. And it's not sore, but it is a little raspy, so forgive me for that. This morning we'd like to turn to the book of Acts chapter nine. Acts chapter nine, and we'd like to start reading with verse 32. Acts chapter nine, verse 32, and the scriptures read this.

And it came to pass, as Peter passed throughout all quarters, he came down also to the saints which dwelt at Lydda. And there he found a certain man named Aeneas, which had kept his bed, or had been bedridden for eight years, and was sick of the palsy. And Peter said unto him, Aeneas, Jesus Christ maketh thee whole, arise and make thy bed. And he arose immediately. And all that dwelt at Lydda and Saron saw him and turned to the Lord.

Now, there was at Joppa a certain disciple named Tabitha, which by interpretation is called Dorcas. This woman was full of good works and alms deeds, which she did. And it came to pass in those days that she was sick and died. whom when they had washed, they laid her in an upper chamber. And for as much as Lydda was nigh to Joppa, and the disciples had heard that Peter was there, they sent unto him two men, desiring him that he would not delay to come to them.

Then Peter arose and went with them. And when he was come, they brought him into the upper chamber, And all the widows stood by him weeping and showing the coats and garments which Dorcas made while she was with them. But Peter put them all forth and kneeled down and prayed and turning him to the body said, Tabitha arise. And she opened her eyes and when she saw Peter, she sat up and he gave her his hand and lifted her up, and when he had called the saints and widows, presented her alive. And it was known throughout all Joppa, and many believed in the Lord. And it came to pass that he tarried many days in Joppa with one Simon a tanner." What a passage of the word of God. What great truths are declared in this short passage.

The first person is incapacitated due to illness, sick of the palsy, and that for eight years. You know, we might assume without damaging the scriptures that this man had done what another ill person has recorded about her in the scriptures. In the book of Mark, would you join me in the book of Mark? We read there about a lady that had a malady, She had an incapacitation for a certain amount of time. Here in the book of Mark, chapter 5, verse 25, the scriptures share this for us. Mark, chapter 5, verse 25, and a certain woman which had an issue of blood 12 years. and had suffered many things of many physicians.

This woman had made every attempt that she could do, and had suffered many things from the physicians, and had spent all that she had, she had spent a lot of time, a lot of effort, on a lot of doctors, and had not grown better, but as it tells us here, and was nothing better, but rather grew worse. I don't think it would be a harm to assume that the man that we're reading about here in the book of Acts, Ananias, he also had, without damage in the scripture, he'd also thought about how much time he had spent, how much time, money he had spent to take care of this problem on his own, and as both of them indicate, neither one could take care of that problem.

The second person recorded in this passage of the Bible is incapacitated due to death. In both of these cases, we find Peter is not the abler. He is only the declarer. He is the one that commands, but he's not the one that does the healing, and he's not the one to raise the dead.

So it is with all things spiritual, the one called of God declares, it is God who enables, who God is the one that heals. And in this passage of the Bible, all the issues are covered in what God does. Everything from old spiritual sickness to spiritual death are covered in this passage of Scripture.

When it comes to ill health, physical or spiritual, we are reminded of the great Bible truths about God in John chapter five. Would you back up a little bit more there in the book of John chapter five and read with me just three verses of scripture. In John chapter five, beginning with verse one, We have these important scriptures left for us in our Bible. John chapter five verse one, after this there was a feast of the Jews and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.

Now there was at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches. And in these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind and halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water. So as the Lord comes up on purpose, by decree, He never went anywhere, He never took a step without having a purpose in doing it. He never went anywhere with just no purpose. He had a purpose that was determined before the foundation of the world, and he is carrying it out. And today, this purpose was to go to the pool at Bethesda, and there look upon all this host of people, a great multitude of people that were ill, that were incapacitated in one way or another.

And yet we find that when he went in there, that there was only one person that his eyes caught, and that was this person that we read about in verse five of John chapter 5, and a certain man was there which had an infirmity 38 years. The rest of them were there. They were observed as the writer of the book of John leaves us. The Holy Spirit inspired John to write this down that there lay a great multitude of folks that were incapacitated, and yet there is a certain man, and how true this is, of our great God, our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, dealing with those he intended to deal with in the time that he had here. He is going to deal with those that were chosen by the Father in Christ before the foundation of the world. Excuse me. A certain man was there that had an infirmity, and his infirmity was for 38 years.

When Jesus saw him lie and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, there's one thing as we think about the Lord Jesus Christ walking up to this certain man, he knew his entire history and may have never laid eyes on him before. He knew where he was born, knew his parents, knew his lineage, knew all about his health, knew what happened, all of those things. As he came up to him, he had perfect knowledge of everybody that was in this room, but he had perfect knowledge of this man in particular, because he's going to heal him. Jesus saw him lie and knew that he had been now a long time in that case.

He saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole? Now in verse 7, the impotent man, the man who has this malady, the man who has this illness, the man who has this impotence, he says this. He didn't hear what Jesus had to say. He said, wilt thou be made whole? Well, unless the Lord speaks to us in that special way, we will never hear what he has to say.

Here we have the man confessing that he's a human being, the child of Adam, and he's depending upon an angel to come down and touch that water and get into that water and be healed. And then he confesses that before he can get down there, there's nobody to help him before he can get down there, Someone else gets into that pool and is healed. But in verse eight, Jesus said unto him, rise, take up thy bed and walk. And immediately the man was made whole and took up his bed and walked. And on the same day was the Sabbath. As we follow this through the scriptures, we find that the Lord knew exactly who he was going to heal, he knew how he was going to heal, he knew the question he was going to ask, he knew the response the man was going to give, and then he gave the command that the man be healed, and that was immediately.

Jesus didn't even ask permission. Many say God can't do anything without your permission. Aren't you glad that's not true? We would not give God permission to do his spiritual work because of our condition, our fallen Adam, unless he did it without our permission. He does something without your permission. He does something without my permission. He does those things according to his grace and mercy. And by the way, who is this God anyway that would do such a thing?

And we read about him in such declarative ways over in the book of Daniel chapter four. Would you turn with me to the book of Daniel chapter four? how blessed this book is as it declares unto us so much about God and so much about his son and so much about what his son was going to accomplish when he came down to this earth at the appropriate, proper, and predestined time. In the book of Daniel, chapter four, verses 34 and 35, we read these things. After Nebuchadnezzar had been turned out for those seven years, Proud King, turned out by the King of Kings. Here we have in verse 34, and at the end of the days, I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted up my eyes unto heaven, and my understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the Most High, and I praised and honored him that liveth forever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom from generation to generation. and all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing.

And he, should be a capital H on that he, God, doeth according to his will in the army of heaven. Did he do that with the man at the pool of Bethesda? Did he do that as he used Peter to raise the man there? And the woman that was dead, was it the great God of heaven that used Peter to do that? He does his will in the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth and none can stay his hand or say unto him, what doest thou? Now the church rejoices in those words.

And only after the Lord saves us by his grace, after he gives us the new birth, after we've been born again, can we truly appreciate who he is and what he has done. It doesn't take us long in religion to hear of many people that feel they can take care of the physical as well as the spiritual illnesses. Many remedies have been promoted by every religion known to man and those yet to be invented. The remedies are so varied and yet they can be summed up like this.

And it sounds like the ads for patent medicine for snake oil. Do this procedure. Do this teaching. Follow this teaching. I think about my own dad. He went to catechism, and at 12 years of age, and he answered the questions correctly, and in the end, he got a certificate, and you know what? That made him saved. He followed the teaching. It's still going on today.

You cannot educate a person into the kingdom of heaven. It is impossible. They must be born into the kingdom of heaven. this special water out of the Jordan, this oil that you can put on yourself, this poultice that you can have, this touch, these ashes, spear them on your forehead.

Send me your dollars and I'll send you a healing handkerchief. Have you heard ads like that? Send me dollars and I'll send you specially blessed water from the Jordan River. Did you know that tobacco smoking was once advertised as good for your health?

Well, that's just about the same quality that we get in all of this stuff with regard to our spiritual healing and spiritual wellbeing. This prayer, pray, prayer wheel, pray for it to happen. Here we find that he arose immediately. This man that Peter called on rose immediately and without money. So it is with the spiritual healing. Everything needed is provided. Yet there is no scam like a religious scam and we can see it through the scriptures as well as in our lives today.

What do we find as we go back to the book there of the book of Acts chapter nine? Let's go over there if you would again and just look at that incident that the apostle Peter was called on to perform when he went over there into the regions there of Lydda, and it tells us there in verse 33 of chapter nine of the book of Acts, there was a certain man named Aeneas, which had kept his bed eight years and was sick of the palsy.

And Peter said unto him, Aeneas, Jesus Christ maketh thee whole. You know, when it comes to our spiritual maladies, those are the only way, that's the only terms that will ever take care of the problem that we have. That is, Jesus Christ maketh thee whole. Arise, make thy bed, and he arose immediately. Spiritual healing. Only one is in charge of physical as well as spiritual healing. We may say a doctor healed me. No, a doctor was used of God to heal us. No, it was the medication.

God gave the wisdom to somebody to invent that It's God that's always, that's where the initial comes from that starts us healing even of our bodies. He's the one that gave doctors the ability to perform open heart surgery, remove and replace lungs, kidneys, knee transplants, elbow transplants, shoulder transplants. All of these things come out of God.

We're thankful for them, and we are thankful for the people that God has permitted to have that happen, to relieve them of some pain and so forth, but never forget where they came from. Spiritual healing. You know, there are four things that I thought about in my own life that I need that constant healing over. that spiritual healing. I'm thankful for God that he healed me, as we find in the scriptures, the Lord Jesus, during his personal ministry, healed many, many different people of many, many different maladies, and they each one had a picture about how he does his business when it comes to salvation. He gave them sight. He gives us spiritual sight. He gave them hearing. He gives us spiritual hearing. He opened their, loosened their tongue. He loosens the tongue so that we can speak the great graces of God.

He's the one that took care of mental cases in the Bible. He's the one that takes care of our mental case so that we can see him spiritually. He took care of people who were all bent over, those who couldn't walk, those hands who wouldn't work, those who were withered, those who had, you know, It would fall into the fire because of having a convulsion. You know, every one of those things point to the work that God does in Christ Jesus for everybody that he ever saves. All of the spiritual problems that we have, he takes care of. Now, after we've been saved, we still have the ability of calling on God to take care of our spiritual maladies. You know, I think about this prayer. How's your prayer life? How's your prayer life? Is it sickly? Well, sometimes I find that mine is just sickly. And what does the Bible teach us about prayer? How is it taken care of?

Well, we can lean upon our brethren there during the time of the Lord Jesus, when they said unto him, teach us to pray as John taught his disciples to pray. And then the Lord gave a model prayer By no means did he ever intend for us just to repeat that prayer over and over and over. It is a model.

Oh, as we start, we find out, it says, our Father which art in heaven. You know, we cannot even pray unless we really have a personal relationship with God that he created when he gave us the new birth. We realize he is our spiritual father. He's the one that caused things to happen so that we could be saved. And then it goes on to tell us, our father which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Oh, just to remember that he is holy, holy, holy.

And then on and on it goes about the things that he has provided for us, even our daily bread. Well, we also find out that when we come to the place that we don't know how to pray as we ought, the Scriptures just bring that subject up so clearly in the Scripture. Have you ever gone over there and just said, thank you, Lord, for what you have done for me? to enable me to pray as I ought, you've made it possible. In the book of Acts chapter, excuse me, the book of Romans chapter eight and verse 26, in the book of Romans chapter eight and verse 26, it says, likewise, the spirit also helpeth our infirmities.

For we know not what we should pray for as we ought. There we are. We have a spiritual malady. We just don't know. We just don't know. God wants us to pray in his will. We just don't know. But he says here, but the Spirit, the Holy Spirit himself, maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Aren't you thankful that we have an intercessor when it comes to our prayer? We have spiritual problems with prayer, and we have the Spirit that takes care of them.

All right, have you ever come to the point that your faith has just been a little shallow? You just wonder, what about this? Well, it's wonderful that the Lord would take care of that, when he said in the scriptures in the book of Hebrews chapter 12 and verse two, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. Oh, to know that very thing, that he is the author of our faith. He's the one that provides our faith, and it isn't up to us.

You know, our faith, our repentance, our wisdom, our righteousness, our redemption of ourselves is so lacking. There's so many holes in it. There is just the human part. We have the Adamic part of all of those things, and God only accepts pure, true righteousness, sanctification, redemption, and wisdom, and all the things that we need, he only accepts what Christ provides. And so when it comes to our faith, it is Christ that is the author and finisher of our faith. And we just roll over on our pillow in the night and say, thank you, Lord, you have given me comfort that you're the one that provides this.

And repentance, how is your repentance? How's your repentance life? You know, repentance is often termed by religious people as our repenting of sin, our repenting of sin. That's not the way that word should be interpreted. That word means a change of heart, a change of mind about God. Oh God. Give me repentance, daily repentance. May I have in my heart and in my mind the right attitude towards you. May I have the biblical view of you.

May I see, as Nebuchadnezzar saw, the great God high and lifted up, the Lord of hosts, this great God that rules in the heavens, the one that has seen the end from the beginning. the One that knows all things about. He has purposed, He has predestined all things to take place.

It is in Him we live and move and have our being. So this great God, this true repentance, and you know we find out as we read in the book of Acts chapter 11 and verse 18, In Acts chapter 11, in verse 18, when they heard these things, they held their peace and glorified God, saying, then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life. We cannot manufacture repentance, but God grants it. And one more time, we just realize that every perfect thing, every perfect gift cometh down from the Father of lights, from the Lord God Almighty.

And he's the one that grants to us a change of view about him. And we just pray that that takes place. Sanctification. How's your sanctification going? I know if you're believing in progressive sanctification, your sanctification is no good. You'll never make it. That's not good enough. We'll not get good enough to change God's mind about us.

Our sanctification is based upon what we find in the Bible, and our sanctification is Christ Jesus the Lord. First Corinthians chapter one, in there verse 30, we find out that Jesus is our wisdom, our righteousness, our sanctification, and our redemption.

He's our sanctification. He's the one that sets us aside. We'll never get better in this life. The old flesh will always be the old flesh, but he has promised eternal life to everyone that he has saved. He has sanctified us. He is our sanctification. And you know what? We will. Everyone that God has purpose to save and saves, he will present them spotless. There will be no unsanctified saint in heaven. They will all be sanctified by Jesus Christ the Lord.

All of the folks, those folks that tell of all they can do for you, about how to be healed and how healing takes place and all the scams that go with it. And then particularly when we get to spiritual things, always something else instead of God taking care of the business. All of those folks, they've offered up their help. But when it comes to the second malady, the second incapacitation over there that we read about, the Apostle Peter was called to go over to Joppa and there deal with a woman that had died. All the people that tell you how much healing they can perform in your life, Not one has ever met anybody at the funeral home to help them with the loss. Not one of them has ever said, I will take care of business. You know why? Because they can't.

And the rest of it is just a charlatan's oppose. In the end, we know God is the only one that can raise the just and the unjust. Now there's gonna be a resurrection in the end, when God wraps this all up, when there's going to be the end, when the last of the lost sheep has been saved by the grace of God, when the message has been brought, wherever it is in the world, at whatever time it is, when that last person that God intends to save, has purpose to save, is saved, this will be wrapped up.

And then the scriptures tell us quite plainly that there will be a resurrection. Turn with me, if you would, to the book of Acts, chapter 24. In the book of Acts, chapter 24, we read about this resurrection. The apostle Paul brings it up and says that the Old Testament prophets taught this. In the book of Acts, chapter 24, and there in verse 15, excuse me, verse 14, Acts chapter 24, verse 14.

But this I confess unto thee, Paul was used to say these words, the Holy Spirit had Luke write them down. I confess unto thee that after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers. Now he used to call this way heresy. and the many religious people still called it heresy, but now he had been saved by the grace of God, and so worship I, the God of my fathers.

It's not heresy, it's the way of God, believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets. To me, it's so interesting as we read these things, particularly as it makes mention of verses like this, of how God, preached, had the gospel preached, not from the New Testament at this time because it wasn't even written, but it was the Old Testament that these great preachers, these declares of the word of God, this is where they were led to go to. And the apostle Paul, believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets, Everything that we read in the New Testament was also taught in the Old Testament. And here we have most of the time, here's the text, and now the New Testament will bring out the message about that text.

Here in verse 15, and have hope toward God, which they themselves also allow. that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust. So the Apostle Paul is bringing out a truth that's gonna take place in the end. When it's finally wrapped up, there's gonna be a resurrection. Doesn't say there's gonna be time in between, doesn't say there's gonna be seven years or a hundred years or a thousand years in between. In fact, if we turn it over to the book of Matthew, we would find that that mention of that there in the book of Matthew was that as a shepherd divideth the sheep from the goats, so it's gonna take place right then. So we're gonna have the just and the unjust. Some are gonna hear, welcome now. faithful to the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world, and to others depart from me. So there's going to be a resurrection, and there's gonna be a resurrection of the just as well as the unjust, and there's gonna be a judgment. Now the judgment of the just has already taken place at the cross. There and then we'll hear, I've taken care of it. I've taken care of it. And to the rest, You are on your own.

I told you, you would die in your sin. I had a young man tell me one time, a preacher say, people go to hell because they reject Jesus. You know what, when that took place, that took place in Adam. Every individual ever born on this earth to natural man rejected Christ in the fall.

And that's not the problem. The problem is sin. If sin is not taken care of by Jesus Christ on the cross, then sin will be taken care of by the individual and will never pay the debt. It cannot be done. Jesus Christ is the only one that could pay the debt of all his people of all time at the same time on the cross. What a Savior is our Savior, the Lord Jesus.

So he brought out that there's gonna be a resurrection of the just as well as the unjust. In the book of John chapter five, going over to the book of John chapter five again, we find this is brought out by the Lord himself. John chapter five and verse 28. John chapter five and verse 28.

I can tell you right up here, right up front, There's not gonna be a time when people get a second chance. This is it. This is our life right now. When we leave this life, there is nothing else except we will face God on the terms that we left him on. If we are in Christ, if he saved us by his grace, if he was a blessing to us and brought us the gospel, we'll face him on his terms and that is welcome thy good and faithful servant.

But my friend, after you die, there will be no time for you to ever, oh, I made a mistake, I made a mistake. I'm sorry, God, I'm sorry. You know, those words are being so overused today by everybody thinking that'll just forgive everything. Well, it won't forgive it with God.

John chapter five, verse 28, we read these beautiful words that the Lord Jesus spoke about here in John chapter five and verse 28. John chapter five, verse 28. The word of God says, marvel not at this, for the hour is coming in the which all that are in the grave shall hear his voice. and shall come forth, and they that have done good unto the resurrection of life, and they that have done evil unto the resurrection of damnation. Exactly at the same time, there will be a resurrection in the end, the just and the unjust. And then if we go back just a little further to the book of Matthew chapter 25, in Matthew chapter 25, The Lord left us these words for us to ponder and to consider, and his grace allows us to believe them. Matthew chapter 25 and verse 46, the scriptures share this.

And these shall go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into life eternal. Same time, there will be a resurrection. There will be a judgment of the lost. They will be condemned to everlasting punishment. The righteous ones, the church, the elect, were judged in Christ on the cross. He took care of their penalty. So there will be a resurrection, just as we saw there, that wonderful outline that the Apostle Peter shares with us.

He went up there, he did not allow that to be observed when he did that. He didn't ask for money when he did that. He didn't get the call up CNN or some other news broadcast, say, we wanna take this and make sure that everybody knows about this. He just took care of business. He put out the widows that were there.

He was alone and he was led by God Almighty. to do that deed, raise people from the dead. Now that's not applicable today, we cannot do that. But we can preach the gospel of God's free and sovereign grace, and by the preaching of the gospel, God is pleased to raise people from the dead. Let's turn, if you would, What about now, this resurrection to life? What about it?

In the book of Revelation, chapter 20, and may I say this at this time, don't be afraid to read the book of Revelation. The opening verses gives us the insight about what this book is about, and right there it says the revelation of Jesus Christ. You just go to the book of Revelation, and there's every time, and it looks like that it's just going to be too much who shows up, who's demonstrated to win every battle, that's our Savior, the Lord. All right, in the book of Revelation, chapter 20, and verse six, we read these words.

Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection. On such the second death hath no power. But they shall be priests of God and of Christ and shall reign with him a thousand years. Now let me say this about the thousand years. That word is also mentioned by the Apostle Peter in his book. And it says there, a day with the Lord is as a thousand years and a thousand years as a day.

Check that and you'll find out it's the same words. It's the same original word. It made an indefinite time. The reign of Christ for us is an indefinite time. Don't ever settle for just 1,000 literal years. The Bible tells us that Christ has been reigning. God has been reigning from eternity and he will reign through eternity. He's never not reigned. He is King of Kings and Lord of Lords. So just believe it. Just trust the Lord in it.

But then, secondly, we look at that, blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection. Well, my goodness, what is that talking about? That's talking about the new birth, when God raises us from the spiritual dead. Blessed and holy is he that has been raised by God. The new birth has been brought to them by the Holy Spirit. Oh, it is the Spirit that quickeneth. It's the Spirit that quickeneth, raises the dead. We need that resurrection from the dead, from the spiritual dead. Once that takes place, we're promised by God to have the resurrection of, in time, the resurrection to life everlasting, to eternal life.

All right? So, blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection, in that time when God raises every one of his lost sheep, quickens them, and you hath he quickened, In the book of Ephesians, would you turn with me to the book of Ephesians chapter two? We find this great truth brought out as the church at Ephesus got a wonderful letter from the apostle Paul that was written or given by the Holy Spirit of God. God the Holy Spirit. Holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. And here in the book of Ephesians chapter two, verse one, it says, and you hath he quickened who were dead in trespasses and sin.

Now hath he quickened is in italics, but we go on to read wherein in time past you walked according to the course of the world. of this world, according to the prince and power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience, among whom also we all had our conversation, our manner of life in times past, and the lusts of our flesh fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. And I'm sure that there are people that have read that, or have had that read to them, and they said, that doesn't apply to me. Amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. You know, a lot of people don't want to admit that that word wretch really means what it means.

Goes on to tell us here in the book of Ephesians chapter two, verse four, but God, who is rich in mercy, For his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ. By grace ye are saved, and hath raised us up together and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. that in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. What a promise he has here for his people. He has quickened us together with Christ. We have been quickened by the Spirit of God. And you have he quickened who were dead in trespasses and sin. That's the thing that we find out so clearly.

We will not agree with God on anything, very little, until he saves us. And then we will admit as his word declares, he quickened me when I was dead in trespasses and sin. I did not have the ability to move a finger. I had no will in this. And yet God came and empowered, overcame us in his grace. In the book of John, as we come to the close of this and we think about what Peter was used to do, he healed a man of a malady that he'd had for eight years. We follow the Lord dealing with people, 38 years with incapacitation. Other times, many years. And yet, he always was the one that took care of the issue. And when it come to resurrection, by the word of the Lord, by the word of God, by God Almighty, that that lady was raised, Dorcas was raised back to health.

It appears that those that were raised in Old Testament as well as New Testament times, from their dead bed, their death bed, not that they were almost dead and then they were brought back. No, they were dead. They all had to die again. It just appears that way.

And yet those he raises to newness of life, never die spiritually again. They're always alive in Christ. All right, John chapter six, verse 63. As we read this verse of scripture, listen to this. It's so clear. It is the spirit that quickeneth. It's the spirit that gives life. It's the spirit that raises the dead. It's the spirit.

The flesh profiteth nothing. I just heard today, a young man was telling me his parents traveled 12 hours to British Columbia so they could witness their grandchild being baptized. 12 hours. The flesh profiteth nothing. There's nothing in there. It is the spirit that quickeneth. John chapter six, verse 63, it's the spirit that quickeneth. The flesh profiteth nothing. We cannot do anything that would profit us towards salvation.

The words I speak unto you, they are spirit and they are life. In the book of John chapter three, It mentions there in John chapter three, as Nicodemus came, Jesus answered and said unto him, verily, verily, I say unto you, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Verse five, verily, verily, I say unto you, except a man be born of water and of the spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.

That which is born of flesh is flesh. That which is born of spirit is spirit, and you cannot cross the line. Marvel not that I said unto you, you must be born again. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth.

So is every one that is born of the Spirit. You know, the other day I typed in how to be born again, and the internet come up with, oh, I think it was 12 or 13 steps of being born again, and it was all based upon what you did. And yet I have to conclude by saying, how much did you have to do with your physical birth? And that's exactly how much you'll have to do with your spiritual birth. It's an act of grace. It's an act of God. So Peter demonstrates here what God does.

He heals spiritually, physically, yes, spiritually for eternity. He heals in a very special way when he raises us from the dead. When he raised people from sicknesses and maladies, he just demonstrated what he had to do in order for us to have an attitude towards God, a good attitude. He had to heal all parts of us spiritually. But the real issue is we're dead in trespasses and sin, and we must be raised to newness of life. Oh, Peter demonstrated that so clearly here as he went and healed a man and as he went and raised a person from the dead. He is just a declarer of what God does for us spiritually. Oh, may we be healed spiritually and may we be raised from the dead spiritually. Well, God bless you. And next time we'll pick this passage up in the book of Acts and we'll spend some more time here.

He Heals, He Raises

Key Quotes

What does the Bible say about healing?

Why is spiritual healing important for Christians?

How do we know that Jesus is the source of our healing?

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He Heals, He Raises

Key Quotes

What does the Bible say about healing?

Why is spiritual healing important for Christians?

How do we know that Jesus is the source of our healing?

Sermon Transcript

Comments

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