Hidden Causes of Sickness in the Church - Part 2

Many have written us with concerns about lingering symptoms of sickness even after praying. So, we began a series of blogs last week addressing some of the possible causes for this. We saw that Christians have sickness for different reasons than unbelievers, because Christians are redeemed from the curse of the law.

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.  (Galatians 3:13-14 NKJV)

We saw that the curse of the law was three-fold. It includes spiritual death, sickness, and poverty or lack. If Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, then as believers in Jesus Christ, we are redeemed from sickness and disease. So, we began answering the question of why so many believers still have sickness and disease even though we are redeemed from it.

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. As stated in our previous blog, this will not be an exhaustive study. Our goal is to give some insight into various areas that are often overlooked on our journey of faith. If we seek the Lord and find out where a door is open, we can then shut the door just as easily and receive our healing.

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

Two ways we discussed in last week’s blog were refusing to walk in love and losing our peace. I would encourage you to go back and read it if you haven’t yet had a chance. Today, we are going to discuss a third possibility for why symptoms may be lingering in the life of a believer.

3. A lack of gratitude.

Few Christians realize how important it is to have an attitude of gratitude and thanksgiving in life. Those who are not thankful and always complain will not likely walk in health and healing. Most of the people I have known who are always full of disease are also always full of complaining.

Faith has its greatest expression through thankfulness and gratitude toward God for all He has provided. We should also be thankful toward other people. When we fail to be joyful and thankful, we open the door to the enemy.

God warned us in Deuteronomy 28:47-48,

“Because you did not serve the Lord your God with joy and gladness of heart, for the abundance of everything, therefore you shall serve your enemies.”

Sickness is an enemy!

We see a perfect illustration of how the door was opened to the devil by complaining in the Old Testament. The people repeatedly complained against the Lord and against Moses, and it did not end well for them.

And the people spoke against God and against Moses: “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and our soul loathes this worthless bread.” So the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and many of the people of Israel died.  (Numbers 21:5-6)

Serpents always represent Satan. You can open a door to the devil by murmuring, complaining, and griping against God, or even against your pastor. (Moses was really like their pastor.) To complain will cause you to remain in a bad place. Why is complaining an open door? Because complaining is the voice of unbelief! If we were really in faith about something, we would not be complaining about it.

Let’s look at a story about Paul and Silas as an example of the proper response to adverse circumstances.

And when they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to keep them securely. Having received such a charge, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.

But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were loosed.  (Acts 16:23-27)

Naturally speaking, Paul and Silas had every reason to gripe and complain. They landed in a prison for obeying God. But they had the spirit of faith! How do we know this? Praise is the sound of faith! They understood the power of praise, and they also knew the outcome of complaining. They knew the Old Testament stories, and Paul is the one who said they were written for our examples.

Paul said in 1 Corinthians 10:10-11,

nor complain, as some of them also complained, and were destroyed by the destroyer. Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.

Paul and Silas praised their way out of bondage and into freedom. You, too, can praise your way out of sickness and into health!

Hebrew 13:15 tells us,

Therefore, by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.

Praise must be in our mouths continually. Continual praise holds us in continual victory. We are to continually express faith, and not just have moments of faith.

Many are sick today because they are behind in their praise and gratitude. If that describes you, you can change it instantly! Make the decision to give up complaining. Become a praiser. As you praise and worship God continually, you will find that your symptoms will disappear.

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