HEALING OF SOUL AND BODY
By E. E. A.
The Sympathetic Touch of Christ in His Gospel—He Rebukes Disease, That He May Reach the Heart and Heal from Sin
"COME unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy-laden, and I will give you rest." Matt. 11: 28. These words of the Saviour constitute a prescription for physical, mental, and spiritual ills. Again Jesus said, "The Son of man is come to save that which was lost." Matt. 18: 11. The gospel is a complete remedy for sin with all its consequences. Whatever was lost in the fall is to be restored in the plan of salvation. The work of restitution begins when the individual surrenders to the Lord, and it is completed at the coming of "the Lord Jesus Christ: who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious body." Phil. 3: 20, 21. "I will behold Thy face in righteousness," said the sweet singer of Israel; "I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with Thy likeness." Ps. 17: 15. Peter speaks of "the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began." When that time comes, the Father will "send Jesus Christ" back to earth, and the earth itself shall be restored to its Edenic beauty. Acts 3: 20, 21. "Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing." "And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away." Isa. 35: 5, 6, 10. When Christ had been baptized, and anointed with the Holy Ghost and with power, He "went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with Him." Acts 10: 38. Everywhere He went, mighty miracles of healing were wrought by Him. DELIVERANCE TO THE CAPTIVES
When He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up, and where He had begun His public labors, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and standing up, He read from the prophet Isaiah, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He hath anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He hath sent Me to heal the broken-hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord." Then "He began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears." Luke 4: 18-21. We do not read of a single soul, however sinful, appealing to the Saviour for physical healing who was ever turned away disappointed. The simple record is given, "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." Matt. 8: 16, 17. "THY SINS BE FORGIVEN THEE"
The same One who said to the suffering one, "Arise, and walk," said also, "Be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee." While the Saviour's heart of love was touched with the infirmities of the people, and He greatly desired to relieve them of their suffering, the chief reason for the manifestation of His power in the healing of disease was that all men might know that He was in truth the Son of the living God, and that He had power on earth to forgive sin. Matt. 9: 1-8. His miracles constituted a sign of His divinity. "I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ," said Paul, "for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth." Rom. 1: 16. Salvation embraces the body as well as the soul. We are exhorted to "cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God." 2 Cor. 7: 1. Again the apostle Paul says, "The very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." 1 Thess. 5: 23. THE MIND FREE FROM EFFECTS OF DISEASE
With the mind we serve the law of God. Rom. 7: 25. Hence to render the best service, the mind should be free from the weakening effects of disease. The desire of God for every person is expressed in the words of the beloved disciple: "I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth." 3 John 2. There is an intimate relation between the healing of the body and the healing of the soul. "If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature"—"new creation," R. V. 2 Cor. 5: 17. "We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works." Eph. 2: 10. In the work of regeneration, God's power is revealed in the creation of a new man in Christ Jesus. So in the healing of disease, God's creative power is seen in the restoration of the afflicted organs. Hence we read, "I am the Lord that healeth thee." Ex. 15: 26. And again, "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." Ps. 103: 2-4. In the transgression of God's moral law, the image of God in man's soul was defaced; and this work of redemption is to restore that image in him by cleansing him from all sin, and writing God's holy law on the heart. In transgressing physical law, the various organs of the body become weakened and the individual becomes a prey to disease. God's healing power delivers the afflicted organs from the power of disease, and restores them to their normal condition. When God delivers the sinner from the power and dominion of sin, He imparts strength to resist its further encroachments, and to enable him to live in obedience to God's holy law. God does not heal the afflicted that they may live in continual transgression of the laws of their being; but instead, He would have them acquaint themselves with those laws, and by obedience to them preserve the health that the Father so graciously gives.