Tuesday: Healing for the Soul
More important than the healing of the body is the healing of the soul. Our purpose is not, after all, to make people healthier sinners but to point them to the eternal life found in Jesus. Perhaps that is why the only clear reference to healing in the passage for this week is our memory text in James 2:16, which moves away from the hypothetical situations dealt with in verses 13-15. The word for healing in this verse (iaomai) can refer to healing that goes beyond the cure of physical illness (see, for example, Matt. 13:15). Having already in verse 15 hinted at a broader understanding of healing (the resurrection), James makes the connection between illness and sin, the latter being the root cause of all our problems-not that every illness can be traced back to a particular sin but that sickness and death are the results of us all being sinners.
Image © Lars Justinen from GoodSalt.com
Read Mark 2:1-12 (compare Heb. 12:12-13; 1 Pet. 2:24-25). What kind of healing do these passages describe, and what is the basis of this healing?
Faith in Jesus brings healing from spiritual weakness and sin. In a sense, every healing Jesus performed was a parable meant to draw people’s attention to their deeper need of salvation. In the case of the paralyzed man in Mark 2, spiritual healing was actually the man’s uppermost concern, which is why Jesus immediately assured him that his sins were forgiven. Yet, it was not physical restoration he desired so much as relief from the burden of sin. If he could see Jesus, and receive the assurance of forgiveness and peace with Heaven, he would be content to live or die, according to God’s will.
-Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 267. While God’s healers today should employ all available medical means to cure disease, efforts should be made also to heal the whole person, not just for this life but in view of eternity.
Healing includes the healing of relationships, which is why we are exhorted, confess your sins to one another (James 5:16, NRSV), meaning those we have wronged (Matt. 18:15, Matt. 18:21-22). That is, if you have wronged or offended others, confess to them. Then the blessing of the Lord will rest upon you because the process of confession involves a dying to self, and only through that death to self can Christ be formed within you.
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The verse says, "confess our sins one another",,, what is your help for me about this? Because if I share sins I did to someone, he or she spread out that,, you know now days people are all have sins,,
Romans 8:1 tells us that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ,should you confess to a person you have wronged and that person spreads it all over the place that is not on you.You did what you are suppose to, move on.It is the flesh that will want you to feel ashamed,once you have taken the initiative to confess to someone self will be defeated and you will get the victory.
What about you ask for forgiveness to the one you have offended then he/she tells you,l heard your apology but l am not going to forgive you now maybe later. How do you tolerate it?
Additionally to Casper's question, u confess and apologise and the other party accepts yo apology and assures u that all is well but clearly things are not well becos whereas before, they used to also initiate a greeting, now they won't. Are they hurting and we need to give them time and space to come out of it? Or do we keep interacting with them to help them come out of it?
Casper and Nzooma, when we do our part, we are right with God. Whether or not the other person does the right thing is not for us to worry about. It's between that person and God.
It is for us to continue to act in love, and we can do that through the strength that Christ supplies.
Inge Anderson, thank u so much for the guidance on the question raised by Casper and myself on fact that wen we've confessed and apologised, we've done our part and leave it up to God and the individual involved.
Also, thanks for the last part u say "it's for us to continue to act in love" which is not easy becos we tend to want to create an attitude too, as if to hit back at their earlier unwillingness to relate with us. And to that u add "and we can do that thru the strength Christ supplies". So true. In and of ourselves are bound to fail. God help us!! Thanks again
Casper, You have done what God has asked of you, you asked for forgiveness. Now it is up to the other person. You ask "how can you tolerate it?" Through prayer. Go to the Lord in prayer and ask him for guidance. But truly, if you've asked for forgiveness from another, your job is now prayer for that person.
“sickness and death are the results of us all being sinners.” As quoted from the lesson this says much.
Scripture does not leave us with a hint that Jesus ever once fell ill, needed to pray for healing for himself, or called the disciples to form a circle around Him. Perhaps Jesus was preserved and shielded from even the environmental factors that might have compromised His immune system as a mark of honor to the fact that He never consciously violated the natural laws to satisfy His personal taste or obtain selfish pleasure, which would be a sin. The unblemished Lamb was true to the health message and thereby testified that He was fully surrendered to His Father (1 Corinthians 10:31).
The connection between the health message and salvation is often downplayed, at times with the suggestion that one does not affect the other. Sometimes those who conscientiously make an effort to cooperate with God and heed the light given through the Bible, Spirit of Prophecy and scientific studies are ridiculed because they cannot show perfect health for all their effort.
The health message is actually more about salvation than it is about perfect physical health, which is not promised to any on this side of Eden Restored (Paradise). Good physical health is but a side benefit in a body already corrupted when the health message is heeded.
With so much working against us, from defective genes (inherited conditions) to environmental hazards to misinformation (sometimes deliberate) the health message is not to demonstrate that one is healthier than another. Rather it is a call to surrender all to Jesus, including taste, appetite and other lifestyle preferences. It also gives us the best chance to relate rightly to the Creator as the mind is made clearer.
Christ’s healing ministry and any other divinely inspired healing ministry is about getting mankind to a point where God is in control of the whole being.
amen well said
Confess our sins one to another refers to a recognizing your wrong doing to specific people or particular groups of people, and seek their forgiveness. The verse is not asking us to publish our sins to people who have no idea about them. Private sins needs to be confessed privately to the people concerned, while public sins should be confessed publicly. Jesus never advocated for publication of one's sins.
What a lovely message to know that our souls receive healing when we allow others to heal by us apologising to those we have wronged. By not holding a grudge we open the door of our hearts to the holy spirit and become a healing source to others. Let us be the living health message both physically and spiritually in Jesus name amen.
aMEN!
James 5:16
16Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
Confession by one party must be accompanied by prayer by both parties. I must confess my wrongs to my bro or sis I've offended. They in turn must be moved with compassion at my willingness to confess that they must pray or lead both parties to pray for one another. That brings healing to the soul.
When people are able to pray together, it signifies true forgiveness, which no matter how grave the wrong was, forgiveness soothes, heals, covers the multitude of wrongs.
Healing of the soul is important for all of us, healthy or sick, to bring us to where God intended us to be and placed us when His son laid down His life for us - saved by grace!
This healing of the soul is even more for the physically unwell as it relieves the conscience of worry, guilt and depression, negative contributors to physical healing process.
And even if the physically sick should not recover, it is well that their souls are healed, salvation is assured and they can be sure of an everlasting life beyond the grave.
Note: there are sins that may not need public confession tho grave as they might be. It may be for the sake of preserving the name of God. However, public sins must be publicly confessed in order for discipline to ensue and God's name taken out of disrepute.
See excerpts from various commentaries on James 5:16:
Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary
The great thing we should beg of God for ourselves and others in the time of sickness is, the pardon of sin.
To acknowledge our faults to each other, will tend greatly to peace and brotherly love.
Bengel
The sick man, and whoever has committed an offence, is ordered to confess: the injured party, to pray.
The things to be confessed are those which especially burden the conscience:
...he to whom the confession is made, knows better how he ought to pray, and is more stirred up to prayer
Confession may be made to any one who is able to pray
Pulpit Commentary
The form of the expression, "one to another," and the perfectly general term, "a righteous man," forbid us to see in it a direct injunction to confess to the clergy, and to the clergy only.
But on the other hand, it is unfair to lose sight of the fact that it is directly connected with the charge to send for the elders of the Church.
C. Jerdan in Pulpit Commentary Homiletics
A. THE DUTY. (Ver. 16.) It is twofold.
Mutual confession.
The subject here is not confession of sin to God, although that is an essential part of true penitence (Proverbs 28:13; 1 John 1:8-10).
Neither is it auricular confession to a priest; although the Church of Rome bases her doctrine of the necessity of such mainly upon this passage.
The exhortation before us is addressed to the brethren generally, whether presbyters or ordinary members of the congregation.
And it is only some sins which it is proper to confess to our fellow-men.
There are many "secret faults" of impure thought and corrupt desire on which we should keep the lids closely down (confessing them to God alone). But we ought to confess:
(1) Wrongs done to brethren.
(2) Scandalous sins. A scandalous sin is one which, on account of its publicity, is a scandal, and is calculated to bring reproach upon religion.
The discipline of the Church requires that such an offence be confessed openly.
Discipline is an ordinance of Christ, and is intended to conserve the purity of the Church, as well as the spiritual profit of her members.
A good man, therefore, when he has fallen into gross and open sin, should be willing to make public confession before the Church and to his fellow-members.
(3) Sins which deeply wound the conscience.
(May confess) to a pious pastor or to some prudent Christian friend - Capable to give advice
Happy is the man who has such a friend, if any persons in the world should confer with one another about matters of spiritual experience, it is surely husband and wife.
B. Mutual prayer. This is the main advantage to be derived from mutual confession.
We should take our friends into our confidence about our sins, that we may induce them with intelligent sympathy to intercede for us.
To pray for others will help to free us from spiritual selfishness; it will develop within us sympathy for brethren, and thus tend to knit the Church together in love.
A statement of the power of prayer. It "availeth much." He who would intercede successfully must himself have faith in Christ
To fitu.faraimo, there are sins that may not need public confession tho grave as they might be. It may be for the sake of preserving the name of God. These would be private sins which if brought out would cause harm instead of repair and good. However, public sins must be publicly confessed in order for discipline to ensue and God's name taken out of disrepute. Or if you sinned directly against another or offended them, you must confess and appologise
There was an incident in my life where I was deeply wronged by another person. I remember the anger, frustration, more anger, feelings of revenge, sadness, and still more anger. It consumed my whole being to the extent that I was not really thinking properly. I wanted to "curse God and die". I could not sleep and in the middle of the night read a story about a farmer who had had a bad run, his cows had died, the drought had set in and his heart had hardened into a tight knot of despair. He listened to a sermon by a bush pastor, who managed to get through to him the power of forgiveness. It was not only about forgiving others who had wronged you but about forgiving yourself.
It was at that moment I realized that I had to forgive the person who had wronged me before I could expect healing for my soul. I wrote a letter that morning telling this person that I forgave him and said that while it was going to be difficult, it would be a test of our Christianity if we could rebuild the relationship we once had. It marked the turning point in my life as I realized that forgiveness, freely given, was the basis for healing my soul. I had no illusions about it being easy to live that forgiveness, the hurt did not go away in an instant. And at times I had to remind myself that forgiveness was a lot more than just saying the words. But as a basis for healing, the willingness to forgive, is something that Christians should really appreciate. Forgiveness means that you have started to think about others again, and once that happens the process of healing can begin. There is a reason that the Lord's Prayer says, "Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those that trespass against us."
Maurice, this is a bit late but I just read it. The situation that you relate is a type of situation that for what ever reason, I have never had to contend with. I can evaluate from a different perspective than you and offer different opinions of how to deal with it from a philosophical point of view, such as, how important is the wrong that has been done when,as the song says,we all meet together over on the other shore and the roll is called up yonder. What was the request that Jesus made? Luke 23:34, Father forgive them for they know not what they do. Considering what Jesus was enduring that was an unthinkable request from a human stand point.
We all are concerned about things that are prideful. I can imagine that the hurt that the individual caused you was for an unfounded or selfish reason. That is regrettable, and some will remind us that life is not fair, which is of little comfort to those that are experiencing a terribly unfair situation. I am happy for you that forgiveness was able to be extended to that individual and wounds were healed. Even though scars still remain.
I remember watching a Marathon on TV once. The whole stadium packed with screaming fans as their idol athletes prepare to run this long weary race. Everyone was on their feet cheering with mighty roar, their heroes took to the track. The roar grew louder and louder with excitement and anxiety, as their star ran his last lap for the finish line. There were screaming and shouting, singing and clapping as the champ heads for the finish. But just within meters from the finish line, their hero stumbled and fell, hitting his face heavily on the track. In a moment, the whole stadium halted and every shout silenced. No one sat back down while hands covered their mouths in shock and terror, while their champion desperately grasps for air and help. While the crowd watched in shock and sadness, the camera replayed the fall over and over in slow motion the frustrations and pain written all over their champs face the moment he stumbled. While I scouted every faces in the crowd, I was reminded of the writings of Paul; "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfector of faith." (Hebrews 12: 5, 6). Nothing hurts more to God, then when one of His running champs, falls short of the finish line of our race in life. All heavens watched with utmost anticipation, cheering that all runners make it to the finish line. Unlike the Marathon Stadium, our heavenly spectators are not only watching and cheering, they run along with us eager to see us reached that end tape. Even when we stumble and fall, God awaits us to call upon Him so He may carry us through to the final. God is so eager to see us His champs win our race, so nothing will prevent Him from healing us. Many fall short and gives up thinking they are worthless; remember God invested all He has for us and even purchased us in order that He may restore us. Running this race is not about who wins; its about who wants to run. God will not force any to run, rather He laid His Life down for us so we may win. Let us stop looking at how each other runs, let us look at Jesus, who alone is the finisher of our faith.