When we are sick, we can take medication at home, if it’s more serious we see our doctor or if it is an emergency we go to the hospital.
What about when our spirit needs healing?
Why would your spirit need healing? Have you ever felt that God was not close to you? This will cause your spirit to suffer being separated from God. Jesus felt this on the cross when he cried out to his Father why have you forsaken him.
Isaiah tells us why our spirit will feel this separation.
Isaiah 59: 2 But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.
Our spirit will begin to suffer when God separates himself because of our sin. Jesus felt this separation because his took upon the world’s sins.
Suffering for sin is not the same as suffering from trials that God gives to discipline us to mature.
James 1: 2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4 Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
Sin is self-inflicted suffering when we refuse to repent from it.
Unrepentant sin will separate us from God. He will hide his face and will not hear us when we call him.
We read this in Malachi 2 where God will not pay attention to an unfaithful husband and in 1 Peter 2 where an inconsiderate and disrespectful husband will hinder God from hearing his prayers.
In Hebrews 12 it says those who God calls his children he will punish for their sinfulness. In the OT the Israelite suffered physically for the unrepentant sin. Today our Father will punish us when we are unrepentant by separating himself from us.
Jesus teaches that sin will always be with us.
Luke 17: 1 Jesus said to his disciples: “Things that cause people to sin are bound to come, but woe to that person through whom they come.
John said you are a liar if you say you do not sin.
1 John 1: 10 If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.
We must always be spiritually aware of sinning and repent quickly or the longer we remain unrepentant the Holy Spirit will separate himself from us. You will no longer hear his counsel and guidance and understand Scripture.
Paul teaches how he dealt with his sin and still remain close to Jesus.
Romans 7: 14 We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. 15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16 And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17 As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18 I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19 For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do--this I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. 21 So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being I delight in God's law; 23 but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? 25 Thanks be to God--through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God's law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.
We do not know what Paul coveted, but his spiritual mind was in constant battle with his sinful nature, making him a prisoner of the law of sin. Paul was assured of his eternal life being thankful to Jesus for rescuing him from death which gave him strength to continue to wage war against his sinful nature.
Repenting is recognizing sin in your life and wage war against it and stand on the hope, we have in Jesus who died for our sins to save us. We know one day we will have complete victory over sin when we receive our new glorified body like Jesus.
Paul confessed his sin to the church because he wanted the church to pray for his healing.
James 5: 16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.
1 John 1: 9 If we confess our sins, Jesus is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
When we confess our sins, Jesus is faithful and just to forgive our unrighteousness which will purify and heal our relationship with our Father and he will draw close to you.
James said to confess your sins to each other, but not everyone in the body of Christ are mature disciples in Christ and do not know how to pray with the understanding and forgiveness of Jesus.
Paul teaches that the spiritually mature should restore those who sin in church.
Galatians 6: 1 Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted.
The spiritually mature battle with their sin to live in the righteousness of Christ. This helps them to be understanding and able to restore with gentle forgiveness of Jesus. Paul warns not to be tempted to condone others sin and fall into sin.
John teaches when we see someone commit a sin that does not lead to death in church we should pray for them.
1 John 5: 16 If anyone sees his brother commit a sin that does not lead to death, he should pray and God will give him life. I refer to those whose sin does not lead to death. There is a sin that leads to death. I am not saying that he should pray about that. 17 All wrongdoing is sin, and there is sin that does not lead to death. 18 We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the one who was born of God keeps him safe, and the evil one cannot harm him.
Sin that does not lead to death is sin we wage war against to repent from. That sin will not lead to death. We are to pray that God will keep them safe and protected from the devil.
Sin that leads to death is unrepentant sin which does not bring about Godly sorrow that would make the sinner to repent and be saved.
2 Corinthians 7: 10 Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.
Worldly sorrow are the sins people crave for and cannot have or cannot have enough.
We all sin and some sins we have repented and overcome because of our love for Jesus, but like Paul there may be a sin you have been waging war with and need to confess so you can receive prayers of healing.
Some believe you can trust confessing your sins to pastors of to a priest because you assume they are spiritually mature in Christ. How do you know if you do not know the fruit they have bear?
Jeremiah 17: 5 This is what the Lord says: "Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who depends on flesh for his strength and whose heart turns away from the Lord.
John 2: 24 But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all men. 25 He did not need man's testimony about man, for he knew what was in a man.God does not want us to but our trust in man.
Someone who is spiritually mature is humble and contrite because they know they are sinners willing to confess their sins like Paul and wage war with their sinful nature to repent and steadfast in their hope in Jesus to purifying them to be with God.
They do not condemn but always forgive and encourage believers to repent, so together they will have life with God.
As the Body of Christ, we all must be spiritually mature so that we know how to pray for healing for those who are battling with sin.
Because we all sin, we must all wage war against it and confess we are sinners. We do not need confess exactly what that sin is but we all should seek for prayers to heal us from it.
Also me mindful that you do not want to be someone who causes someone to sin by your actions or inactions.
Be safe in Jesus, your brother in Christ, Glenn.