Fear No Fear

He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we may cease from sinning and live for righteousness. By his wounds you were healed.
1 Peter 2:24 (emphasis added)

Again and again we see that what is accomplished spiritually follows in the physical. Sometimes there is time separating those two things and sometimes there isn’t. But what HAPPENS in one HAPPENS in the other. “It is the same with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable, what is raised is imperishable. It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. So also it is written, “The first man, Adam, became a living person”; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. However, the spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and then the spiritual. The first man is from the earth, made of dust; the second man is from heaven. Like the one made of dust, so too are those made of dust, and like the one from heaven, so too those who are heavenly. And just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, let us also bear the image of the man of heaven” (1 Corinthians 15:42-49).

When Adam Fell, his offspring were also fallen (made in his image). When we died to flesh and were resurrected into Jesus, we were remade into Jesus (made in His image). Restored spiritually to what we should always have been. Now our PHYSICAL is going to follow our SPIRITUAL and in fact has ALREADY done it in all the ways that matters. We ALREADY have all that we need. Because we have it spiritually and can access it for our physical selves. All it takes is the lifeblood of the Kingdom: FAITH.

Thank the LORD that we have been given the faith of God Himself (Mark 11:22). Jesus tells us to have the faith OF GOD (Yes, it does. Just look at the original Greek and it will be clear. Remember to test all you hear – 1 Thessalonians 5:21). The same faith that God was using to heal and redeem people since the foundation of the world (Revelation 13:8). The faith that Jesus WOULD carry through with the sacrifice of Himself for humanity. And Jesus did – though His flesh REALLY didn’t want to (Matthew 26:38) – because He submitted to the will of the Father (Matthew 26:42-46). Jesus was sorely tempted, but He did NOT fall like Adam did. The last Adam (1 Corinthians 15:45) was triumphant in His desire to be obedient. Jesus overcame the world (John 16:33).

1 Peter 2:24 clearly puts Jesus’ work on the cross in the PAST tense. The healing power Jesus released is in our PAST. We know this because the redemption for sin is in our past. Jesus only died ONCE (Romans 6:10). Jesus finished ALL His work on the cross (John 19:30). It was released. It is active NOW. To make it clear, it is re-iterated in 2 Peter 1:3 “I can pray this because his divine power has bestowed on us everything necessary for life and godliness through the rich knowledge of the one who called us by his own glory and excellence.” EVERYTHING necessary for life. Sickness is NOT necessary for life. Health IS. Sickness has NO PLACE in life.

Sickness is part of death and we have been released from that (Romans 6:21-23). Yes, this is SPIRITUAL, but it is also PHYSICAL because abundant life involves BOTH realms (John 10:10). God has told us that He will provide for our physical needs (Romans 8:32; 1 Corinthians 15:56-57). ALL things means ALL things. Not just a few. Not a couple. Not only part of our lives. ALL our lives. God does NOT ignore the spiritual. The spiritual is HOW we access the physical.

The physical world is what we are stuck with. Adam fell and we lost the spiritual. We became dead spirits. Now we have to let Jesus reverse the process. We have to seek the spiritual FIRST and when we do the rest follows (Matthew 6:33). The spiritual is important because without the fruits of the Spirit operating in us (Galatians 5:22-23) and without being humbly submitted to the Lord God Almighty (Matthew 16:24), we would be focused on things, achievements, and the stuff of this world. When we are dwelling IN Jesus, none of that matters. We can get money or possessions and we can give them up to bless others just as quickly because it is the things of the LORD that are important. We are changed from physical to spiritual beings because the Word in our heart changes us (Romans 12:1-2). Jesus IS the WORD (Proverbs 4:20-21).

We WERE trapped in the purely physical realm but have been RENEWED to the spiritual. First the physical and then the spiritual. Jesus had to die so that we could live (1 Corinthians 15:46-49). Now He takes the spiritual and uses it to renew our physical selves so that we can walk where He walked and have what He had – total victory (John 16:33). This means that our SPIRITUAL health is the barometer for our PHYSICAL health. And more than that, the healthiness of our entire lives. “Dear friend, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, just as it is well with your soul” (3 John 1:2).

In order for us to understand where we can walk (total health – spirit, soul, and body), and to deepen our faith so that we can truly believe in our heart of hearts that it is possible (Mark 9:23), and to deal with ANY and EVERYTHING that is hindering the manifestation of what we are believing for – IF necessary – we NEED the Word in our hearts. “Every scripture is inspired by God and useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the person dedicated to God may be capable and equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

This year, let’s get the Word on healing and total health (spirit, soul, AND body) into our hearts as we get our full selves resting under the wings of He Who Has Healing there (Malachi 4:2).

Daily Affirmation Jesus IS Messiah: Genesis 3:15

“And I will put hostility between you and the woman and between your offspring and her offspring; he will strike your head, and you will strike his heel.” Jesus had to be bruised. The penalty for sin is death (Romans 6:23). He needed to suffer so that WE would NOT have to. “So, since Christ suffered in the flesh, you also arm yourselves with the same attitude because the one who has suffered in the flesh has finished with sin, in that he spends the rest of his time on earth concerned about the will of God and not human desires” (1 Peter 4:1-2). Yet the bruising was not to be FATAL. Yes, Jesus died for us. He ceased to live as a man. No breath. No heartbeat. Stone cold and laid on a slab. But the Father, through the Holy Spirit, raised Jesus from the dead. Not everyone could believe this without proof. “Look at my hands and my feet; it’s me! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones like you see I have.” When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet” (Luke 24:39-40). When He appeared to them He even ATE in front of them because only those who are alive can consume food. They gave Him some broiled fish. And some honeycomb – maybe to make sure it was Him because He liked dessert? (Luke 24:42-45). Whatever their reason, through touch and TWO different types of food they proved to themselves and all who read their witness that Jesus indeed LIVED. He had been bruised, but was NOT defeated (John 16:33). In HIM, YOU TOO can be UNDEFEATED. Messiah brings LIFE and that life ABUNDANTLY (John 10:10).

Your Daily Confession of Jesus/Yeshua’s Identity:

Yeshua is the Christ, the Son of the living God.

Matthew 16:16b