Doctrine of Healing

Doctrine of Healing

Sin gave birth to sickness in the beginning. It was after satan deceived Eve in eating the forbidden fruit that sin and sickness entered in this world. Genesis 3:1-19 There was no sickness because their was no sin. When Adam and Eve partook of the fruit that God had warned them about they died spiritually. Thank God that He had a back up plan that was better than the original plan. He sent Jesus Christ to give us back what the devil took.

Salvation does not only include deliverance from sin, but also sickness. This is what is clearly shown in scriptures.

“Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.” Isaiah 53:4,5

The word tells us that Jesus bore our “griefs” and carried our “sorrows”. The word griefs in Hebrew means Kholee, which means sicknesses in english. The word sorrows is translated from the Hebrew word makob, which means pains.

So this verse could be quoted as saying, “Surely he (Jesus) hath carried our sicknesses and carried our pain.” The word for sickness, chalah means to be weak, afflicted or sick.

1 Peter 2:24 confirms the above with, “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.”

You can see here that Peter says that Christ bore or carried our sins, and that by His stripes we were healed. Past tense is used here. Isaiah says we are healed, Peter says we were healed. Two thousand years ago Christ took, or carried your sicknesses on his body, that you and I could be healed. There are those that try and teach that the healing spoken of in Isaiah and Peter is spiritual, not physical. Someone must have forgotten to mention that fact to Matthew, because he said in chapter eight verses sixteen and seventeen that, “When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick: That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses.”

Matthew tells us that Jesus healed them all that it might be fulfilled by Esaias the prophet. The reason Jesus healed them all is because healing is in the atonement. Healing was available in the atonement in the old testiment, why would it not be in the new? The old testiment was a shadow of things to come. There are many times in the old testiment that an atonement was made for some one that was sick. Look at Psalms 105:37 "He brought them forth also with silver and gold: and there was not one feeble person among their tribes" Moses made an atonement for the people of Israel when they sinned against the Lord. “Then Moses said to Aaron, "Take your censer and put incense in it, along with fire from the altar, and hurry to the assembly to make atonement for them. Wrath has come out from the LORD; the plague has started." So Aaron did as Moses said, and ran into the midst of the assembly. The plague had already started among the people, but Aaron offered the incense and made atonement for them. He stood between the living and the dead, and the plague stopped. Num. 16:46-48

Another time Moses had to offer an atonement when the people sinned and brought God’s judgment upon them and poisonous snakes came and began biting the people. “And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live. And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.” Numbers 21:8-9 Now the word tells us that just, “as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.” John 3:14,15

Moses even made atonement for leper’s for them to be healed physically. “And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, This shall be the law of the leper in the day of his cleansing: He shall be brought unto the priest:

And the priest shall go forth out of the camp; and the priest shall look, and, behold, if the plague of leprosy be healed in the leper; Then shall the priest command to take for him that is to be cleansed two birds alive and clean, and cedar wood, and scarlet, and hyssop:… And the priest shall offer the sin offering, and make an atonement for him that is to be cleansed from his uncleanness; and afterward he shall kill the burnt offering: And the priest shall offer the burnt offering and the meat offering upon the altar: and the priest shall make an atonement for him, and he shall be clean Lev 14:1-4, 19-20

Now are we to believe that the old covenant is better than the new? To say that healing has past away is to say that the old covenant was better than the new. But this is not true for the word tells us that “God sent his Word and healed us.”

“He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.” Psalms 107:20

We are not to forget any of his benefits. He heals us of all our diseases and forgives all sin. “Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;” Psalms 103:1-4 The word tells us that God never changes. “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.” Heb. 13:8 That means if he healed in the old testiment, he heals in the new. If he healed in the gospels and the book of Acts, he still heals today. When we take communion, we partake of the bread and wine. We take the bread in remembrence, of Jesus broken body, when he was whipped at the wipping post. “By his stripes, ye were healed.” “And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.” 1 Cor. 11:24 We partake of the wine in rememberance of the blood that was shed for us at the cross. “In the same way He took the cup also after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me." 1 Cor. 11:25

Many people have received their healing just by taking communion. Communion is remembering a covenent that was made between God and his son for our redemption.

Jesus healed them all

“And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people. And his fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatick, and those that had the palsy; and he healed them.” Matt.4:23-24 This verse shows very cleary that Jesus healed all the people that were brought to him. So we can see his compassion here. He loves people so much that he wants to set them free. What father would want to see his son injered or deformed? Yet many teachers are teaching that God wants some of us to be sick and in pain. This is not the Jesus shown in these verses, as you will see he heals all. Where faith is in operation, God can do mighty works. Jesus healed everyone that ever came to him in faith.

“But when Jesus knew it, he withdrew himself from thence: and great multitudes followed him, and he healed them all;” Matt.12:15 You will never find in scripture anyplace where Jesus told someone, “ it is my will for you to be sick”. No in each and every case Jesus healed all that came to him in faith.

“And the people, when they knew it, followed him: and he received them, and spake unto them of the kingdom of God, and healed them that had need of healing.” Luke 9:11

Do you have need of healing? Jesus can and will heal all that have need of healing. The only thing missing in this generation to receive is expectancy. “Only believe and you shall see the Glory of God.”

“And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.” Matt. 9:35 Here Jesus heals every, not just a few, but every kind of sickness.
There is no sickness that Jesus has not taken care of. In fact it does not even matter if your sickness is due to an accident. Your answer is older than your problem. Two thousand years ago God healed you through Jesus stripes. If Jesus took care of your sickness that long ago, then your answer is also greater than your problem.

“And great multitudes came unto him, having with them those that were lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many others, and cast them down at Jesus' feet; and he healed them: Insomuch that the multitude wondered, when they saw the dumb to speak, the maimed to be whole, the lame to walk, and the blind to see: and they glorified the God of Israel.” Matt. 15:30,31 Those that are maimed are those that are missing limbs. Jesus will even restore limbs that don’t exist. Why? Because he is the master of matter. He speaks things that are not as though they were. He speaks to the invisible and they become visible. Everything starts out in the spirit realm first, then it grows into the physical as a manifestation.

If God did not want you well, why would you go to a hospital? You would be rebelling against God's perfect will for you, if he wanted you sick. When a doctor says you have cancer do you rest in the sweet will of God? No! You do everything you can to get out of this “will of God” for your life. If we really believed that God gets glory out of us being sick why don’t we just pray for a greater sickness next time your not well. Even nature testifies of the fact that God wants us well by the fact that we all have immune systems. Who do you think gave us our immune system? If God wanted people sick then every hospital would be a house of rebellion. In every case where Jesus healed it says that the people glorified the God of Israel. God was glorified when people were healed, not when they were sick and in pain. How is it that in the old testiment and new testiment that when someone was sick it was because of the devil and when someone was healed it was because God healed them. Now in the twentith centry we have people that say that God is glorified when someone is sick, and if someone is healed we say it’s the work of the devil. How wicked and twisted has this generation become. The word says that Jesus healed them all. All that needed or wanted healing Jesus healed. (see Matt. 4:24, 12:15, 14:14 and Luke 4:40.

Or how about when the disciples could not cast out the devil in the boy. Did the fact that the disciples could not cast out the devil mean that it was not God’s will to heal that boy? No! Jesus said it was because of their unbelief that the boy was not healed.

“And when they were come to the multitude, there came to him a certain man, kneeling down to him, and saying, Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is lunatick, and sore vexed: for ofttimes he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water. And I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure him. Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him hither to me. And Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from that very hour. Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out? And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.” Matthew 17:14-20

Many today think that because they have been prayed for and they see no change that it must be God’s will that they remain sick. But James said we must believe when we pray, not doubting. James 1:5-7 The word is very clear, if someone is sick we are to take them to the elders or mature Christians and get prayer. The prayer of faith will, not maybe, not hopefully, but shall, save the sick.
“Is any sick among you? Let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.” James 5:14,15

In fact some people were healed and they never asked to be healed, and in some cases Jesus did not even know the people that took healing from him. “And whithersoever he entered, into villages, or cities, or country, they laid the sick in the streets, and besought him that they might touch if it were but the border of his garment: and as many as touched him were made whole.” Mark 6:56

“And besought him that they might only touch the hem of his garment: and as many as touched were made perfectly whole.” Matt. 14:36

Here people just reach out and touch him and they are healed. They must have had the mentality of the woman with the issue of blood to press in and get their portion. “And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years, And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse, When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment. For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole. And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague. And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and said, Who touched my clothes? And his disciples said unto him, Thou seest the multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me? And he looked round about to see her that had done this thing. But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth. And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague.” Mark 5:25-34

Did you notice that the woman said to herself “if I may touch his cloths I will be whole.” Who told her that? Faith will always dare to speak what it believes. She new that Jesus cloths had his power in them, just as Elisha had power in his bones. 2 Kings 13:21 When she touched Jesus, He did not even know who had done it. Yet she got her healing. That was the womans contact point. A contact point is where faith meets your knowledge of the word. “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Romans 10:17

We will only rise to the level of our faith. If we believe that God healed us through Christ stripes two thousand years ago we will experience it. Another proof that Jesus wants us healed is to look at what Jesus called sickness. He called it a work of the devil.

“And he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath. And, behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself. And when Jesus saw her, he called her to him, and said unto her, Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity. And he laid his hands on her: and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God. And the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because that Jesus had healed on the sabbath day, and said unto the people, There are six days in which men ought to work: in them therefore come and be healed, and not on the sabbath day. The Lord then answered him, and said, Thou hypocrite, doth not each one of you on the sabbath loose his ox or his ass from the stall, and lead him away to watering? And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day? “ Luke 13:10-16

The word clearly says that the woman had a spirit of infirmity. This spirit was from satan as we can see in verse 16. Jesus said that it was satan that had bound her, not God. The word tells us that Jesus went about doing good healing all that were oppressed by the devil. Acts 10:38 God had given Jesus power through the anointing of the Holy Spirit. This power was God himself in the spirit. The spirit of God is life. This is why people that are dying can come into contact with this power and life will begin to flow where death once was. Life is more powerful than death. The word says that God breathed into Adam and he became a living soul. Gen. 2:7

This explains why people could just touch Jesus cloths and they were healed. Healing vertue was constantly on Him. We can see the same thing in Paul. “So that from his body were brought unto the sick handkerchiefs or aprons, and the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out of them.” Acts 19:12 The same healing power flowed from Paul as from Jesus. Why? Jesus told us that we would do the same things and greater. John 14:12

God was healing people through Peters shadow. “And believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women.) Insomuch that they brought forth the sick into the streets, and laid them on beds and couches, that at the least the shadow of Peter passing by might overshadow some of them. There came also a multitude out of the cities round about unto Jerusalem, bringing sick folks, and them which were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed every one.” Acts 5:14-16 Notice something else here, it says, “they were healed every one.”
Jesus was still healing everyone, even through His disciples. If we could understand that God wants us healed more than we want to be healed. It would cause our faith to rise in expectancy. For we all know God has the power to heal, most are just unsure of His willingness to heal.

Look at Peter he knew it was God’s will to heal the lame man in Acts 3:1-8 “Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour. And a certain man lame from his mother's womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple; Who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked an alms. And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us. And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them. Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk. And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God.” Notice that Peter said, “such as I have” he knew he had the power of God on his life. He knew that when he spoke power would be released. His faith was put in action when he grabed the lame man’s hand and pulled him up, saying “rise up and walk”. He commanded the lame man to walk in Jesus name. He did not pray for him or ask God “if it be your will”. No, he new God’s will based on the Atonement in Christ. We as children of God don’t have to begg God or plead with him. He has given us all things. He has given us power over all the enemy. Luke 10:19 Just as the Spirit of the Lord was upon Christ, so is He on us. For He is in us, and he works through us. It was also after the lame man was healed that he glorified God. So healing glorifies God. Would you deform your child or make him sick to show him how much you love him? Yet so many people think that God has made them sick to show them something or teach them. The bible is clear when it says that sickness is of the devil and healing is of God. Acts 10:38

Let’s look at Paul’s faith. “And there sat a certain man at Lystra, impotent in his feet, being a cripple from his mother's womb, who never had walked: The same heard Paul speak: who stedfastly beholding him, and perceiving that he had faith to be healed, Said with a loud voice, Stand upright on thy feet. And he leaped and walked.” Acts 14:8-10

Paul looks at the crippled man and senses that he has faith to be healed. Once he notices that the man has faith, he speaks the word to him and commands him to be healed and to stand up on his feet. Do you realize that you have the same power and authority as Paul has. You just have to know that what you speak will happen. Jesus tells us that if we speak to this mountain and command It to be removed and do not doubt in our heart but believe what we speak we will have what we say.” Mark 11:23

So when you speak to a disease and command it to be gone and curse the disease it will from that point begin to die and disappear, as long as the person does not speak life into his sickness again by saying he has it still. An example of this would be if you were prayed for, for healing say for cancer, and right after we cursed it and commanded it to leave, you go out and start telling people how bad your cancer is, and how long the doctors say you have to live. You would be undoing everything the preacher just prayed for you. Instead, you should be sharing your testimony that God has healed you and that you are now recovering from that illness. Faith will always believe the word of God over symptoms and feelings. Feelings and symptoms don’t mean anything to the man that walks by faith. He listens only to the word of God and not to his body. If your spirit is strong in faith your body will follow you wherever you go. If you believe that sickness can not touch you, you will get to the point that it won’t.

Even non believers can be healed if ones faith is strong enough. John G. Lake one time ran into an atheist that was on crutches and John G. Lake started talking with the man and as soon as the man was involved in conversation, Lake began to remove the mans crutches one at a time, and the man did not even notice that Lake had taken his crutches. After the conversation ended the man said good by to Lake and started down the hall not even realizing that he had been healed. Lake shouted out to him holding his crutches and asking the man what he wanted him to do with them. The man when he relized what had happened and that he was healed said, “to hell with them”.

Any hindrances to healing come from the enemy, never God. Any disease can be overcome when one realizes that the enemy has no power at all over the Christian.

When one understands the law of the Spirit, one can not help but to know that healing, (if he is baptized in the Spirit) flows continually from his body. This is a law, just as gravity is a law. If you drop something, the law of gravity will bring it to the ground. When God establishes a law He cannot retract it. “So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.” Isaiah 55:11

God’s laws or attributes can be a blessing or a curse, depending on what side you are on. God told the Israelites during the time of Moses that they were not to touch the ark. Not at all! God warned them that if they touch it they would die. Numbers 4:4-6, 15-20

Yet what happened? Uzza tried to steady the ark because he thought it was going to fall, and when he did, he droped dead. That is the last thing Uzza ever did, for God struck him down. 2 Samuel 6:3-8 In the same way God tells us that if we obey him he will keep sickness away from us. “And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee.” Exodus 15:26 But with every promise is a warning. God warns us that if we rebel we are under a curse. Deuteronomy 28:45-68 Yet if we obey, we have God’s protection and blessings.
“Wherefore it shall come to pass, if ye hearken to these judgments, and keep, and do them, that the LORD thy God shall keep unto thee the covenant and the mercy which he sware unto thy fathers: And he will love thee, and bless thee, and multiply thee: he will also bless the fruit of thy womb, and the fruit of thy land, thy corn, and thy wine, and thine oil, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep, in the land which he sware unto thy fathers to give thee. Thou shalt be blessed above all people: there shall not be male or female barren among you, or among your cattle. And the LORD will take away from thee all sickness, and will put none of the evil diseases of Egypt, which thou knowest, upon thee; but will lay them upon all them that hate thee.” Deut. 7:12-15

The exiting news is that Jesus redeemed us from the curse. Galations 3:13 “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:” Now the Lord promised to redeem his people from sickness, that obeyed him in the old testiment. So how much more, seeing that Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law.

Many will point out Pauls thorn in the flesh or Job to justify their sickness as being from God. Let’s look at them.

The Works of the Law

The Works of The Law
This brings me to another point. Many think that the works of the law are the same thing as the works of the flesh. They use the vers: “Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.”Romans 3:20 Paul here is saying that we cannot justify ourselves in the sight of God by trying to be good and obeying God outside of Christ. First of all, anyone that tries to obey God without a regenerated spirit will find his experiance as that of the man Paul refers to in chapter 7 of Romans. He will not have the strength to stay or obey. Second, even if he could, he still has the stain of sin from breaking God’s laws to begin with. This is why no flesh will be justified in God’s sight. For all of us have sinned. The law of God points this out to us, and shows us our guilt before God. But at no point does God ever belittle his commandments or say they don’t apply anymore.
1 Corinthians 7:19 “Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing, but keeping the commandments of God is what matters.”
Matthew 19:17 “And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.” Here was Jesus chance to tell the rich young ruler to just say this little prayer and ask me into your heart. But what did He do? He showed him the commandments. Why? Because they still stand! Jesus said, “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.” Matt. 5:17 What did Jesus come to do? To fulfil the law! How? By making it a part of us. As Jeremiah 31:33 “But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.”
Hebrews 10:16 “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts and in their minds will I write them.”
Hebrews 8:10 “For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people.”
Romans 2:13-15 (For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified. For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves: Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;)
The word tells us that God through faith in Christ has put the law in our hearts. This is what happens to the Christian, he becomes a living epistle read of all men.
2 Cor. 3:2 “Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men:”
The Word tells us that through faith in Christ we will keep the commandments of God.
“Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law. The commandments, “Do not commit adultery,” “Do not murder,” “Do not steal,” “Do not covet,” and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law” Romans 13:8-10
Many people are told that to walk in love, or in the Spirit is to be ligalistic. Paul tells us that if we walk in the Spirit we will not fulfill the lust of the flesh. “This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.” Gal. 5:16
How can people be so blind to the truth? John told us how to tell if someone really knew the Lord. He told us that the man that knows the Lord will keep His commandments. He also said that the man who says he is a Christian or knows the Lord and does not keep them is a lier and the truth (Jesus) is not in him. “And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.” 1 John 2:3,4
Even though the Bible teaches that if we live to the flesh or walk in the flesh we will die. Todays false prophet teachers are telling people “you won’t surely die”. The same lie satan told Eve in the garden. The truth is that Jesus frees us from our sins, not in our sins. Yet many people are being taught that we will continue to practice sin until the day we die.
This is how many pastors in our pulpits are preaching today. One day they tell the people that Christ has set them free from sin. The next day the people are told they are still slaves to it. How confusing. The Word must flow in harmany, never contradicting it’s self.
Works of the Law mentioned in: Gal. 3:5, 2:16, 3:10, 3:2, Romans 3:20, 3:28, 9:32, are not the same as the works or deeds of the flesh, mentioned in: Gal. 5:19, Romans 8:13 The works of the law are in reference to those trying to please God through religious duties and deeds. The works or deeds of the flesh speak of the fallen sinful nature with all of it’s passions and lust. We are not saved by our good deeds anymore than a robber would be foregivin if while in the middle a robbery he stops to help a little old lady across the street. That was a nice deed, but he is still guilty of the robbery and once he is caught, the fact that he helped this little old lady will mean nothing in court. This is what most people don’t understand. Just because they tithe, sing in the choir, feed the hungry or cloth the naked, if they have not turned from their sins and taken and trusted Jesus for their Lord, King and savior they will parish on the day of wrath.
This is what Paul was speaking of in Romans 3:20 “Wherefore by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified before Him: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.” This vers is telling us that nothing good that we do will profit us at all without Christ. In fact the only thing that the law can do for someone outside of Christ is condem them. It shows them thier true colors before God. As the scriptures say “Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.” Gal. 3:24
If the heart is open and broken before God, as D.L. Moody says: “The law can only chase a man to Calvary, no further.” Once a man has truly given his life to Christ, the law goes from the stone, to the heart of the man. It is then, as Paul says in Romans 13:8-10, that the law is fulfilled in us.
“Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.”
Jesus gives us the secret to keeping the 10 comandments. “And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:29-31
Love according to the Word of God will keep all commandments at all times. When a man loves someone, does he envy him when good comes his way? No! He will rejoice with his fellow man and not be
jellous or envious. The Word says that God is love, so to be filled with God, is to be filled with love. Can a man that is filled with love comit adultery on his wife? No! That’s not love that would be lust and covetiousness. If a man is filled with love will he steal from his employer? No! He works hard to help his employer succeed. This is love, helping others.
Jesus died to free us from the power of sin so that we could obey the commandments of God. This is why Jesus said, “If you love me you will keep my commandments.” (John 14:15) So common sence says if we don’t love Christ, we won’t obey Him. Paul tells us that Jesus Christ becomes our salvation if we obey Him. (Heb. 5:9)
Jesus died to free us from the power of sin, and yet by listening to most of the people out their you would think he only died to take them to heaven. First thing we have to ask ourselves is this. Why were we going to hell? Was it just because we did not believe in Christ? Why did Christ come? The bible says that we were by nature children of wrath. Ephesians 2:3
So the problem stems from our nature. We were sinners. We were born with a sinners bloodline. Jesus came to earth to change us, not to change God! Many people have this perverted idea that Jesus came to earth to tone God down a bit and make Him a little more like us. Not so, Jesus makes us like Him! We become new creations in Christ. The sin nature dies, and God’s holy nature takes over.
Now refering to the Works, or deeds of the flesh Paul says:
“Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.” Gal. 19-21
Paul says in this passage that those that do or live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. Notice he did not say unless you are a “christian fornicator”, or a “christian drunkered”. He says that they, meaning anyone that does them will not go to heaven. Revelation 21:8 warns: “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.” Notice here it says that all liars, not sinful liars, not unsaved liars, but all liars will have their part in the lake of fire. The sinful works or deeds of the flesh will damn everything it controls. This is why through the spirit we must put it to death, and not let it rule us.
“For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.” Romans 8:13
“Mortify (or put to death) therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: For which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience: In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them. But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; Colossians 3:5-9
We are to put to death are members or fleshly deeds. We are to set our love and effections on things above, not on this earth. We are to resist the devil and he will flee. Paul is very clear in telling his readers that those that do these things will face God’s wrath. He tells us that we are to put away or to stop doing these things.
Satan has lied to so many people, and told them that they can never stop sinning and the only thing that will bring sin to a stop is their grave. This is like saying the grave is stronger than grace. Whome the Son sets free is free indeed.

“I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” Gal. 5:16-21 NKJ
Paul tells us that if we walk in the Spirit we will not fulfill or do the works of the flesh. Paul goes on to tell us that if we are doing any of the above, that we will not inherit the kingdom of God. Yet we have pastors and teachers telling others that if they sin, they are still ok. Because God has forgiven us all our sins, past, present and future. I will speak more on the once saved always saved doctrine latter.
The real question is if you still have sin controling you who do you belong to?
Slaves to whom ye obey
The Bible is very clear in that it states that to who we yeild to is our master. Wheather we yeild to sin unto death, or to righteousness unto life. The word says,
“Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey - whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness?” Rom. 6:16 NIV.
Jesus also echoed these words in John 8:34 when he said, “...I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.” Hebrews 5:9 also tells us that Jesus is our salvation if we obey him.
The word tells us in Romans that if we obey our sinful nature we will receive the wrath of God.
“But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath,” Romans 2:8
The Darby translation says it this way,
“But to those that are contentious, and are disobedient to the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there shall be wrath and indignation,”
Paul tells us that those who do not believe the truth, but enjoy their sin will be damned.
“That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.” 2 Thessalonians 2:12
What is the truth? Is it just Jesus? Jesus, tells us that it is his words that are truth. “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.” John 17:17 Now if we don’t obey his words, it is the same as if you said, “I don’t believe your warnings Lord.” I mean Jesus warns us to turn from sin and obey him, Matt. 4:17, 7:21-23, 11:21-24, Mark 16:16, Luke 13:3,5, John 8:11, 15:10, 14,
According to Romans we used to be slaves to our sinful passions and lust, but now through Jesus Christ we put to death the old man with his deeds and live a crusified life in Christ. Puting to death our sinful habits, passions and lust to serve the true and living God.
“Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.” Romans 6:11-13
The word very clearly warns us who is of God and who is of satan.
“Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness. And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin. Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him. Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous. He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God. In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother.”
1 John 3:4-10
The word tells us that if we are comiting sins, then we are still not right with God. The true christian is dead to sins. The false christian is dead as the sinner in his sins. You see their is no middle ground we are either dead in our sins or dead to our sins. It is ironic to think that most Americans believe they are free and yet they have hundreds if not thousands of laws to keep people safe, and yet if God has laws He is legalistic. We have laws against murder too, do you here the average American crying out ligalism!! No, because laws like that do not apply to the law abiding citizen. So too the law (commandments) do not apply to the born again Christian they are on his heart. He would not think of breaking God’s laws anymore than a law abiding citizen would willingly break his nations laws. People in the church as a whole for the most part are very ignorant about what true salvation really is.

It is more than just saying a little prayer and asking Jesus in your heart. It is being changed into the likeness of God through Christ.
Those that believe you can never lose your salvation clame that salvation consist of only believing in Christ and nothing more. They use John 3:36 “He that believeth on the son hath everlasting life...” and John 3:16
“For god so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
The only reason they can believe this way is to totaly ignor other scriptures that have conditons or warnings. The bible is to be read in its entiraty. We are not to pick and choose scripture, but take all of them in their proper contex. If your presupisition has a conflict or contradicts other scriptures then you are not interpreting the scriptures correctly. The scriptures do not contradict each other in the slitest way. They flow in perfect harmony. To say that we only have to believe in Jesus and nothing more, is to ignor Jesus other comand in luke 13:3 to “repent” or turn from our sins. James warns proffesors that even the devil believes in God and trembles. James 2:19 And goes on to say that a true believer will show proof of his new birth in Christ by works, or deeds. vs.20
Was James saying that we were saved by our works. No! He was saying the same thing that John said in 1John 2:3, that we would obey God, if we were truly His children. (1 John 3:4-10)
Even Peter warns those professors of faith that turn from serving Christ back to their sins risk being damed. (2 Peter 2:20-22)
Now this is where the once saved always saved (OSAS) will cry out. “But we don’t receive salvation by our works so we can’t keep it by your works! To this I can only say you are right, but you have a perverted understanding of the power of Grace. The only way I can really explain this is through a marriage analogy. A man when he stands at the alter to marry his wife does not say since you had boy friens before I met you and wanted to marry you, then you can have boy friens after I marry you. To marry you with conditions, like be faithful to me, love me, honer me and take care of me would seam ligalistic and restraining. The wife cries out “I did not know this relationship would be filled with a bunch of does and don’ts.” Is this how we picture the blessing of marrige?
Yet this is exactly how many professors act when it comes to becoming a Christian. They come with all their idals, sins and habits and say “here we are Lord, a packaged deal” or “If you don’t wan’t me to have these sins and habits, then you’ll just have to take them from me.”
I heard a pastor once say that next time you tell the Lord that you can’t give something up for Him, change your phrase to I won’t give it up for you. It is then you will relize that the problem actually stems from your love for your sins. The Apostle Paule tells us to: “...Cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” 2 Cor. 7:1
The OSAS stand on Titus 3:5 which states, “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us...” The phras “works of righteousness” has nothing to do with the ten commandments, or God’s moral standerds. But Paul is speaking of trying to impress God through good deeds, like feeding the hungry, clothing the naked and helping the poor. It is also not through religous duties such as cercumcision, abserving holy days and obstaning from meats and all the other things that men try to do to feel religous.
“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the figt of God: Not of works, lest any man shoud boast.” Eph.2:8,9
None of us deserve God’s mercy, yet he offers it to all of us. This mercy is not mercy for a licence to sin. But mercy in that;
1. We don’t deserve to be forgiven, and yet He pardens those that call on
him with a repentant heart through His Son.
2. He gives us space or time to repent or turn from our sins and let loose
of our habits.
God tells us in his word that if we confess our sins He is faithfull and just to forgive us. 1 John 1:9 Also see Ez. 18:21-23
The figt is something you walk in you don’t just say you believe in it. If I was to walk by your house and notice that it is on fore and yell to you and warn you , and you shout back from the second story window “I believe you” Then you turn back to the people inside that you are visiting with and begin to tell them ow you where just saved and yet you make no effort to get oy and your friends out of the house. You and them would end up burning in the flames. Why? Because faith without works or action is dead, it can’t save you. This is what James was talking about in the book of James when he said. “Yea, a man may say, thou hast faith, and I have works: show me thy faith without thy works, and I will show thee my faith by my works... Buty wilt thou know, o vain man, that faith without works is dead?” James 2:18-20
James was speaking of fruit in a believers life. If a man tells you he has an apple tree in his back yard and you go to pick fruit from it and fing that it’s not apples, but prears that are growing on it. You can be pretty certain that the man does not have an apple tree, but a pear tree. In the same way Jesus said we would know them by their fruit.
(Joh 15:1-5) Even John the Baptist warned about people showing proof of their repentance by their fruit.
“And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therfore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hen down, and cast into the fire.” Matt. 3:10
He warned that every one that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and cast in the fire (Hell). Those that teach a man can never lose his salvation once he receives it because they say “it is a gift and not of works” are very ignorant of what works Paul speaks of. When the word speaks of “not of works lest any man should boast” it is not refering to the moral camandments of God, but the written “works of the law” or “works of the torah” or in the greek, ergon nomou. This is an actual text spoken of by Paul that was lost for about two thousand years and was found among the dead Sea Scrolls. Moses spoke of this book also,
“Take this book of the law, and put it in the side of the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, that it may be there for a witness against thee.” Deut. 31:26
How do we know paul was speaking of the sacrificail or ceremonial law and not the 10 commandments?
Because in 1 Cor. 7:19 Paul says, “circumcision is nothing, and uncercumcision is nothing, but keeping of the commandments of God.”
Paul would be contradicting himself in Gal. 3:10 if he were speaking of the works of the law and the 10 commandments as the same thing. But Paul is actualy very clear in what law he is speaking about when he says, “For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.” Paul made it clear that he was refering to a book of laws and not the 10 commandments of God. This was conferemed by archeology by the document known as the “works of the torah” or the “works of the law.” This is a first century Jewish writing that was found in the Dead Sea Scrolls from the Qumran community. The Bible says that it is the saints or true christians that “keep the commandments of God, and have faith in Jesus.” Rev. 14:12
The word says that those who are blessed and that have a right to the tree of life are those that do the Lords commandments. Rev. 22:14
So how can there be so many false preachers that are saying you don’t have to obey God to have salvation when the scriptures are so clear? Heb.5:9 tells us that Jesus is our salvation if we obey him. Jesus ask why we call him lord and do not obey him in Luke 6:46. Jesus also said that those that were his brothers where those that obey him. Luke 8:19-21 Scripture says that Jesus is the first born among many brethren. If Christ is not your brother then your not saved. If we abide in the vine we are saved. If not, we are not part of the vine. How do we know if we are part of the vine? Fruit!
Today when any man or woman of God stand up and begin quoting scriptures, warning the ungodly and disobedient professors of faith that they need to repent, and turn from their sins to be saved, all of a sudden you hear false teachers stand up and yell legalism. “We are saved by grace not obedence or works” they yell. They will tell you that it’s to condeming to preach that way. The Bible says if they don’t know Christ they are condemed already.

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