1 THESSALONIANS 5:23-24Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.  I was led to reconsider* these verses from 1 Thessalonians because I have been reading a brilliant book by Ruth Hawkey called ‘Healing The Human Spirit’ (Sovereign World Ltd., 2018). Ruth knows her subject well and draws out deeper truth from The Bible to shine a light on the healing ministry. I have not been so impacted by a work on this aspect of faith since finding the Reverend Henry Wright’s ‘A More Excellent Way’ about 25 years ago. Ruth reiterates a truth that we can readily see, which is that our Lord in His Word begins from His viewpoint. This is something that we identify all through Scripture, from Genesis 1 to Revelation 22. We, as His saints have a tendency to talk of Body Soul and Spirit, but The Lord speaks of Spirit Soul and Body. Here In Thessalonians, Paul completes his letter with may your whole spirit, mind and body be preserved blameless … and crucially … at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus urges us to see ourselves preserved blameless, but in the order that He declares — first spiritually, then in our souls and minds, and finally in the body. Ruth shows us that unless we are first healed spiritually, then everything else struggles and suffers. Bodily healing heals bodily, but this is our own way of dealing with the problem. Soul ministers to soul and body, but again this is only partially effective. Only Spirit heals the whole — Spirit Soul and Body — and it is The Holy Spirit ministering into our human spirit that performs the healing. The fact of the matter is that Scripture shows us the perspective from God’s viewpoint. Everything begins with God, and we can only understand truth from His viewpoint. Study Scripture and let Him show you that everything begins with Him. It is not Body Soul and Spirit, which is our way, but Spirit, Soul and Body, which is His way. As an example, Ruth Hawkey shows that any healing ministry must identify in what way the human spirit has become damaged or sick. She shows six areas in which we can all be affected, and it can be revealed as a combination of any of these…
Quoting scripture to bolster the argument, Ruth also mentions medical research which reveals the truth of the Bible teaching, and quotes case studies where The Lord’s Ministry through His saints has been effective. The book offers practical application principles of the way in which we can minister to others. There is much more to be said than can be included in a short meditation, but Ruth Hawkey’s book surely brings light to an oft misunderstood ministry. But we should always remember that the power of forgiveness is the single greatest healing instrument of all. For our God is The One Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases. (*See also ‘Preserved Blameless’ from August 2023) AND CONSIDER THIS…. PSALM 16 — spoken by Pastor Mark Rooney — music by Taryn Harbridge -- This Psalm has a special connection to us, as it was the favourite of a dear friend who died in much pain with cancer a good number of years ago. She found that these words helped carry her on to that better place. A painting with words from this Psalm still hangs in the church she loved. A WORD OF ENCOURAGEMENT LISTEN TO THIS MEDITATION HERE…
COMING NEXT… #540 MEDITATE ON THESE THINGS |
MEDITATE ON THESE THINGS…Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you. Archives
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