“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.” I Peter 2:24

Jesus did more for humanity than most are giving him credit for. Nearsighted focus on past and present experiences has worked to dim the vision of so many and blinded them to the clear truth of Scripture. Yes, Jesus provided us life after this one. We have access to Heaven because of the sacrifice of our Savior, but he did more than that. He made a way so we could live healthy while we are here waiting for that day. He is still the “Great Physician” and his desire and ability to get and keep us well—spirit, soul and body—didn’t end at his ascension.

Over the course of this series of articles we have written to you of our better covenant based on better promises because of a better Savior in the day we live in. We’ve thought each time of Jesus’ rightful position in the Universe. The Bible declares that it should be “first place,” yet we don’t see Jesus in first place in many lives, even many Christian lives. What’s the solution?

According to the Scriptures, a key in Jesus being able to ascend to his rightful position in the hearts of humanity is the proclaiming of his gospel. We’ve also asserted that there’s a fulness of the gospel that Paul spoke of in Romans 15:29, and this is a fulness that not many New Testament Christians are enjoying today. It’s a Biblical fact that Jesus died so God could forgive us of our sins and we could have a home in Heaven one day, but according to the same Bible, Jesus died for our sicknesses so we could live this life healthy!

 Healing, physical healing, is a part of our salvation. It’s a part of the fulness of the blessing of the gospel that Jesus and his closest disciples preached and practiced. That’s an undeniable historical fact according to the Bible. Healing was part of the prophesied plan of redemption (See Isaiah and Psalms). It is part of the Atonement and, as such, is part of our New Covenant promises from God. That’s why I Peter 2:24 says what it does and makes complete sense when it correlates forgiveness of sins with healing! The remedy for both sin sickness and physical sickness was provided on the cross.

Now, hearing this, some would argue, “Okay, if that is so, why are so many of us sick and afflicted?” Well, there are reasons varied and numerous, many the same as why Christians don’t enjoy the other promises of God’s Word (like peace of mind or joy of heart). The biggest reason in our time, however, is because most living today just don’t believe Jesus is the healer of the physical body anymore. They think that’s a thing of the past, long lost to another time. They think God has relegated healing of the body to science now. How’s that working out for people? Seems like if that was the case, God made a huge managerial mistake in that delegation, right?

Friends, because of the principle of faith, Jesus can’t be for us what we can’t or don’t believe him to be. Too many in our day have exchanged a belief in Jesus the healer for what God intended to be mercy for unbelievers. We’ve sold our birthright for a pot of porridge in a pill bottle and until we begin to see Jesus as all he is in this area we will struggle to be as healthy as he desires us to be.

Brothers and sisters, I encourage you to look again into the Scriptures and believe in Jesus like the early church did. Jesus has already met all our needs. He truly is as good as you’ve heard; in fact, he’s even better than that!

Greg Crum is the pastor of Calvary Temple in Lovely.