Hidden Causes of Sickness in the Church - Part 1

So many have written and told us they have become frustrated because they believe they are using their faith, yet still they have symptoms of disease and pain in their bodies. Therefore, I thought it would be helpful to begin a series of blogs that address several reasons why a believer may be struggling with sickness. This will not be exhaustive but will give some insight into areas that are often overlooked on our journey of faith.

I want to begin with a few foundational scriptures that will lay the groundwork for these teachings.

Galatians 3:13-14 says,

Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”), that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

It’s good to know we are redeemed from the curse of the law. However, we must understand what the curse of the law is. Deuteronomy 28:5-68 lists all the curses that would come upon those who failed to obey God’s law. God’s will has always been that His people live under the blessing. That is why He warned His people in Deuteronomy chapter twenty-eight to obey Him.

The curse of the law can be divided into three categories: spiritual death (separation from God), sickness, and poverty. Thank God, Christ has redeemed us from all three! Those who accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior never again have to be separated from God and all that separation represents. They never again have to be separated from health, and never again be separated from provision. On the other hand, unbelievers have no protection from the curse because they are under the lordship of Satan and in rebellion to God’s Word.

Now, if Christians are redeemed from the curse of sickness and disease, why are so many experiencing it in their lives? For a completely different reason than unbelievers! Ephesians 4:27 says, “Neither give place to the devil.”

The devil can no longer take a place in you when you are born again. However, you can open a door and give him a place through different avenues. Sometimes we are fully aware of where we gave place to him, but many times we are not aware. Unfortunately, what we don’t know can actually cause all kinds of problems for us.

Hosea 4:6 says,

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.

In order to get the door closed to the devil, we need information. We need the wisdom of God. Let me clarify that just because you’re facing a trial does not always mean that you are failing or that you have opened a door to the devil. Even when we are in the will of God, the devil will often attack us because he seeks to hinder our progress.

In either case, we can receive wisdom and direction through seeking the Lord. And my prayer today is that you will find answers in this and upcoming blogs. Let’s look at one more foundational scripture.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7C0pEVSkH0

1 Corinthians 11:30 says,

For this reason, many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep.

According to this verse, there is a reason why Christians become weak, sick, or die prematurely. Our responsibility as believers is to seek the Lord and find that reason, and then deal with it so we can receive our healing.  Accordingly, we are going to look at two reasons why some get sick and do not receive healing.

1.     Refusing to walk in love.

Immediately after teaching one of the greatest messages on faith, Jesus also taught us to forgive. There is a major correlation between forgiving and receiving.

Mark 11:24-26 says,

“Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them. And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses.”

Here is my interpretation of this: Forgive everyone of anything, every time! If you allow the least bit of bitterness toward someone in your life, it will hinder your ability to receive healing. Sometimes people have thought if they cut someone off from their life and held their mistakes against them that it will get them back for what they did.  However, all it really does is hurt the one who refuses to forgive! It’s like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die from it.

If you really want to receive healing, this is the first area I would recommend examining. If you have difficulty walking in love, I would suggest you meditate upon 1 Corinthians 13. It gives us the definition of the God kind of love and how it behaves. You will notice that none of the description includes “feelings.” It is all about action. The power to walk in love actually comes from getting those scriptures into your heart in abundance.

2.     Losing your peace.

Worry and fear will cause you to lose your peace faster than anything! Fear is the opposite of faith. So when you are worried or fearful, you are not in faith. Without faith it is impossible to please God, and it is impossible to receive healing. That is because everything we receive from God comes by faith.

There is a penalty for worrying. It keeps the mind in the natural arena instead of focusing on the spiritual arena where healing is found. In my book Untroubled I address this very subject in detail. It might be a great help for you to read it if you struggle in this area.

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, over 60 million adults in the U.S. have some form of mental illness. The majority of it is in the form of anxiety and depression. Medical science teaches us that 80% of all illnesses stem from a poor mental health condition.

If you are worried about your body, your symptoms, and your outcome, you are not in a position to receive your healing. The way to turn that around is to spend your days meditating upon healing scriptures and worshipping God. Fill your heart and mind with the truth of God’s Word. He will not fail to perform His Word for you if you will stop worrying and start trusting Him.

Jesus told the woman with the issue of blood in Mark 5:34,

“Daughter, your faith (your trust and confidence in Me, springing from faith in God) has restored you to health. Go in (into) peace and be continually healed and freed from your [distressing bodily] disease.”

Once we receive our healing, we keep it by maintaining our peace. We maintain our peace by keeping our thoughts on the Word.

You will keep him in perfect peace,

Whose mind is stayed on You,

Because he trusts in You.  (Isaiah 26:3 NKJV)

These are just two areas that can be examined if you are struggling with symptoms. In upcoming blogs, we will look at some other potential areas that could be hindering healing power from flowing in your body. Until then, keep meditating upon God’s Word, keep praying, and keeping worshipping our Healer!

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