Came to give us an abundant life:

John 10:10

10     “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.

     

            This verse tells us who the one that does us evil is. It is not God! He is not a thief. He wants us to have an abundant life … not a just-barely-get-along life. That is why Jesus came. It wasn’t just to bring us into eternal life and then desert us to take care of ourselves. He came to give us a spilling over abundant life. Some people think God puts sickness on them to teach them something. While you can learn something during an illness and can learn to trust Him more, He didn’t put it on you. If you are willing and obedient, He said you would eat the good of the land. Perhaps you haven’t been willing or obedient. If so, then repent, ask His forgiveness, and get on with His abundant life. He teaches us by His Spirit through His Word. He doesn’t need to use sickness or calamity to teach us if we’re willing to follow His guidelines.

If you could hear God speak to you, I believe this is what He would say:

            "My Son did not come just so you could barely get along. He came that you might have an abundant, victorious life. He came to bless you so that you could accomplish many things for Me. The enemy wants you defeated and to feel worthless. He knows that if you do, you won’t be able to accomplish much for My Kingdom. Also, people will not want to belong to My Kingdom if they see there is little or no benefit from belonging. You are to lead the way to My life by example. When people see how well I have blessed you, they will want to become a part of My Kingdom. Anything that brings you down or makes you feel unwanted or unloved is not from Me. I have loved you with an everlasting love. Love does not desire harm to come to its loved ones. It desires only good. That is what I want for you.”

            70. Jesus didn’t come so that I could live on barely-get-along-street. He came that I might have an abundant life. This is an overflowing, never-ending, able to give to others kind of life. This is the kind of life I will experience.

By His wounds (stripes), we were healed:

1 Peter 2:24

24     and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.

    

            What a brilliant plan, the cross! Not only do we gain eternal life, but also we can walk in the righteousness of God in this life and experience healing for our bodies as well. Now some people say this verse is only talking about salvation. Well, I won’t argue with them. However, when one is born again, we don’t say his spirit was healed. We talk about him being an entirely new creation, not just getting fixed up. Why not take all Jesus bought for us? Notice it says that we were – past tense – healed, not going to be. It was over and done with at the cross. We just need to learn how to experience this healing in our lives in the here and now.

If you could hear God speak to you, I believe this is what He would say:

            "Yes, I do want you to walk in My righteousness, and My Son did pay the price for that. He also paid the price for your physical healing. When you are in pain or sickness, it is harder for you to walk in My righteousness. You can do more for Me and through Me when you are in good health. You will live longer and be able to do more for Me and My Kingdom. Do not turn your back on what My Son purchased for you at great price. Do not let anyone talk you out of it. It is yours for the asking.”

            69. By the stripes of Jesus Christ, not only am I dead to sin and alive to righteousness, but also every one of my sicknesses, hurts, and pains have been healed. Through all that He suffered, I gained benefit in my life. I do not have to live with my illnesses. The healing was bought and paid for at Calvary.

Healing:

            Took our infirmities and diseases:

Matthew 8:17

17     This was to fulfill what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet: “He Himself took our infirmities and carried away our diseases.”

            Jesus took our infirmities so that we don’t have to bear them. He also carried away our diseases. Remember … He never does a half-way job. He took them all … every one of them so that we could have healing in our lifetimes. We don’t have to earn the healing. We do have to ask in faith believing, but it is for all of us. It’s not just for the super-spiritual, or those with great faith. Of course, most of us don’t walk in this blessing here on earth. Let’s not get all in a tizzy about why we don’t. Let’s continue to believe He will do what He says. It is His will to heal us. We just need to make the right connection. Persist in His word and in prayer. He will lead you into what you need to do to appropriate this superb gift.

If you could hear God speak to you, I believe this is what He would say:

            "Do you think that I only care about your spiritual well-being? No, I also care about you physically. I want you to walk in My divine health. For when you do, you honor Me and show forth what I desire for My people. You will also feel like doing more things when you are not weighed down by diseases and infirmities. You will have more money to put into the lives of other believers and yourself. You will not feel like you are being weighed down by afflictions and cares of your own and of your family. You will walk in My divine health. My Son paid the price for your healing, so take advantage of it. It wasn’t just for those that He ministered to, but also for those of My children today who have a physical need.”

            68. Every one of my infirmities or diseases, present or future, was taken upon Himself by Jesus. I don’t have to worry that there is something that’s not covered under His medical plan!

Made us alive together with Christ:

Ephesians 2:5

5     even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),

     

Colossians 2:13-14

13     When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions,

     14     having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.

     

            Before Jesus came into our lives, we were dead in our sins. We had no hope for the present or the future. But when we did ask Him to come in, we began experiencing the life He provided for us two thousand years before. We didn’t have to earn anything. There was a certificate of debt against us … an impossible IOU. Only Jesus was able to not violate any of the commands of God. When He was nailed to the tree, the certificate of debt was also nailed with Him. Like the song says, “I owed a debt I could not pay … He paid a debt He did not owe.” Hallelujah! The IOU has been paid.

If you could hear God speak to you, I believe this is what He would say:

            "Once you were dead. You were dead in your sins and were slaves of the devil. But now you are victorious in Christ Jesus. When you believed in Him, you were made alive to Me. You were dead to all My ways, but now you are alive forevermore. You cannot walk in unbelief and expect to be victorious, but you shall reign in life as you trust Me to do in you what I said I would do. There is nothing that you have done in the past that can be held against you once you are Mine. You cannot be accused by the enemy of those things that you once delighted in. But now, you are free from those things and are victorious in Me.”

            67. Even before I knew Christ, He made me alive in Him. I didn’t have to do anything to earn it. He forgave all my transgressions and canceled out the certificate of debt that I owed and could never pay.