38. Divine healing - VI
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!
Let your forbearing spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near.
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
The ministry of healing to the mind, as well as to the body, is very vital today and comes out clearly in this section from Philippians ( verses 8 and 9 also).
1. What is the peace of Christ?
This is the peace, promised by Christ before He left the disciples (Jhn.14: 27). Obviously then, it does not depend on outward conditions; it dismisses all anxiety from the mind , rejoicing to bring this in prayer.
Peace with God comes through believing in the finished work of Christ for our sins (Rom. 5:1-5), but the peace of God depends on our remaining hidden in Him by our obedience (Col. 3: 3). It is a fruit of death to self and life in the Spirit (Gal. 5: 22-24) and will only come when all jealousy and hatred is put out. It is not based on pleasure, achievement, compromise, knowing yourself or even realising your home background and factors in upbringing. Rather it springs from Christ’s forgiveness and healing for past sins and fears through a new creation (2Cor. 5:17) by His finished work on Calvary, and His being Lord of life.
2. How do we enter this peace?
Much of our unrest stems from some experience of not being loved of wanted. When Christ comes into our life and shows us Calvary, we experience His healing love. At that time we may have to let go old resentments and attitudes, but He is able to take away all fear and to bind every (wrong) power in our life.
We are helped by those ministering healing, who show the love of Christ and who allow the Spirit to flow in His gifts to love and faith (1Cor.12). By means of spiritual gifts, like the word of knowledge added to the word of wisdom, the minister brings hidden needs to light (e.g. the woman at the well, Jhn. 4:16-30) and restores the person to love and wholeness. He should also use Bible promises and affirmations e.g. Fear not! (referring to 1Jhn. 4:18), I did not come to judge (Jhn.12: 47), Be reconciled to your brother (Matt. 5: 24) or How much more shall your heavenly Father give (Luke 11:13).
The sick one should be encouraged to learn and respect these promises, after a definite time of prayer in which he (or she) allows the Lord to deal with past problems. In this process:
the minister must be prepared to help the sufferer by extended interviews and prayer, if necessary with authority against any evil spirits involved, binding them and setting the person free! The sufferer must aid in this by prayer of renunciation. Gifts of the Spirit must be used in this work (Is.11: 2, 3), and not merely a psychological process;
the sufferer should be prepared to decide for Christ as Lord of his (her) life; further he or she has to restitute and/or forgive where necessary. He (she) should then stand on healing by putting on the whole armour of God (Eph. 6:10,11) and keep in fellowship with a loving group which may support him (her) over a long period of time (Heb.10: 25). He (she) may also allow the Lord to come with him (her) visually into old memories, and to give a new picture of a loving Father God for worship and fellowship (lack of family love and of a good father may have to be overcome here).
Those with a wounded, hardened or broken heart must allow the Lord to heal affections and attitudes and to give a new heart (Ezk.11:19, 20 , Ps. 51:12). Jesus came to bind up broken hearts (Is. 61:1), and the baptism of the Spirit sheds God’s love around (Rom. 5: 5, 2Cor.1: 22). Do not be ashamed to cry - Christ comes to dwell in our hearts in a deep way (Eph. 3:14-16).