Matthew 8:16-17 (NKJV) “When evening had come, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed. And He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: ‘He Himself took our infirmities and bore our sicknesses.’”
The key to staying resilient when we go through sickness, illness and pain is knowing God and His character. God is never the source of these physical sufferings.
There was no sickness, illness, and pain at the time of creation. They only came about after the fall of mankind. Due to the fall and the sin of man, the earth is now very different, and man, who was supposed to live for eternity, started to experience physical death.
Besides the fall, there are many contributing factors to sickness, illness, and pain, such as sin (though not all sicknesses are due to sin), the food that we eat, the stress of life, our lifestyle, the work of the devil and the earth’s environment. Some factors have to do with the choices that people make in life. For example, certain diseases are proven to be linked to substance abuse, unnatural sex, and multiple sex partners. These are the consequences that mankind bear for their choices; we reap what we sow in life. Heaven is the only place where there are no more tears, suffering, sickness, illness, and pain.
Just as Isaiah prophesied that Jesus would bear all our sins, infirmities, and sicknesses on the cross, Jesus took upon Himself all the curse of the law when He was made a curse for all of us on the cross. He has redeemed us from sin and the wrath of God towards sin. He took the judgement of sin for us once and for all. His blood has cleansed and redeemed us from our sins.
Acts 10:38 (NKJV) “…how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.”
Jesus came to declare God to us, and He went about ministering to all who were sick. The triune God worked together during Jesus’ ministry on earth. God the Father anointed Jesus with the Holy Spirit and He, the Son of God, went about doing the work of the ministry—They are One! Therefore, sickness, illness and pain can’t be from God because of the work of redemption and the ministry of Jesus. In fact, Jesus has taken them away on the cross, so we are to receive in faith His healing for our bodies, whether through medical treatment or supernaturally. We are to look to the cross to be reminded of Jesus’ atonement and redemption, just as the Israelites were asked to look at the bronze serpent to be healed. Healing was part of Jesus’ ministry, and it is still part of God’s work today because Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever!
Sermon Series: Resilience (Part 2)
疾病与疼痛
马太福音8:16－17到了晚上，有人带着许多被鬼附的来到耶稣跟前，他只用一句话就 把鬼都赶出去，并且治好了一切有病的人。这是要应验先知以赛亚的话，说：他代替我们的软弱，担当我们的疾病。
当我们经历疾病、生病和痛苦时，保持韧性的关键是认识上帝和祂的品格。上帝绝不是这些身体受苦的根源。
创世时没有疾病、生病和痛苦。它们是在人类堕落之后才出现的。由于人类的堕落和罪，如今的地球已面目全非，本应永生的人类开始经历肉体的死亡。
除堕落之外，还有许多导致疾病、生病和痛苦的因素，例如罪（虽然不是所有的疾病都是由罪引起的）、我们所吃的食物、生活的压力、我们的生活方式、魔鬼的作为以及地球环境。有些因素与人们在生活中所做的选择有关。例如，某些疾病被证明与药物滥用、不自然的性行为和有多个性伴侣有关。这些是人类为自己的选择而承担的后果；种瓜得瓜，种豆得豆。而天堂是唯一没有眼泪、苦难、疾病、生病和痛苦的地方。
正如以赛亚预言耶稣将在十字架上承担我们所有的罪孽、软弱和疾病一样，当耶稣在十字架上为我们所有人受咒诅时，祂亲身担当了律法的所有咒诅。祂已经将我们从罪恶和上帝对罪恶的愤怒中救赎出来。祂为我们一劳永逸地接受了罪的审判。祂的宝血洗净了我们，将我们从罪中救赎出来。
使徒行传 10：38神怎样以圣灵和能力膏拿撒勒人耶稣，这都是你们知道的。他周流四方，行善事，医好凡被魔鬼压制的人，因为神与他同在。
耶稣来向我们宣告上帝，祂周游四方医治生病的人。耶稣在地上的事工期间三位一体的上帝与祂同工。父神用圣灵膏抹耶稣，而祂，神的儿子，则四处传道—祂们是一体的！因救赎的工作和耶稣的事工，疾病、生病和痛苦不可能来自神。事实上，耶稣已经在十字架上把它们带走了，所以我们要凭着信心领受祂对我们身体的医治，无论是通过医疗还是超自然。我们要仰望十字架，它叫我们记起耶稣的赎罪和拯救，就像以色列人被要求仰望铜蛇以求医治一样。医治是耶稣事工的一部分，今天仍然是神工作的一部分，因为耶稣无论是从古至今至以后祂都始终如一。
讲章系列: 韧性 (第二部分)