Bible Study Notes

In today’s society, achieving good health has become the latest trend. Staying healthy is something we all strive for, and healing for the body and mind is everyone’s goal. No one wants to be sick; however, some people constantly struggle with illness or medical issues. Jesus went to the cross to remove the curse of sickness and disease; therefore, the root cause of it lingering and afflicting us may lie in our belief system.

What was true under the law (before Jesus came) isn’t necessarily true now (after He came). This is particularly true about healing. Sickness was a result of the sin that was born in the garden of Eden. God no longer punishes us with sickness because of our sins; healing is His will for us. “He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases” (Psalm 103:3, NLT).

The world’s mindset concerning healing is primarily focused on the physical level. Doctors are in great demand, and they do their best. However, some things not even they can cure. There’s only one person who can—Jesus Christ, the Great Physician. “And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people” (Matthew 4:23).

It’s no accident that healing and God’s Word are mentioned together. Everything in the natural begins in the supernatural, including good health. Most people don’t see the connection and suffer, not understanding this link. Unbelief regarding the origin of healing keeps us from receiving the perfect health Jesus made available. “Now He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief” (Matthew 13:58, NKJV).

Healing ultimately comes from heaven; when we’re sick, God works through health-care professionals to restore us to wholeness. There’s nothing wrong with seeing a doctor, but cutting Jesus from the process puts us right back under the law where our healing is concerned. Healing is a blessing; under the law, the Israelites had to work hard to be blessed, but under grace, we receive it as a gift we don’t have to earn. “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows” (James 1:17, NIV).

The popular philosophy concerning healing encourages us to trust in ourselves for our own health. This isn’t to say that we shouldn’t eat right, get plenty of exercise, and lead a healthy lifestyle, but rather that we need to trust in God, who ultimately heals us when the doctors don’t know what else to do. Trusting in anything or anyone else but Him is simply self-effort, which gets us nowhere. Relying on God when we get a bad diagnosis allows Him to get involved and give us the wisdom to know what to do to restore our good health. “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths” (Proverbs 3:5, 6).

Believing God’s Word, no matter how bad the X-rays look, gives us peace. Our perfect health is on His mind; it should be on ours as well. Agreeing with what He says positions us to receive from Him. God will never let us down; we’re in good hands when we entrust our healing to Him.  

Nothing in life is completely safe from trouble. This is true for everything valuable to us, including our friendships. When God blesses us with happy relationships, Satan seeks to introduce a critical spirit designed to destroy them with arguing, bickering, and angry words. Our words hold great power; they can either bring a dead relationship back to life or bury it completely.

Most people don’t realize the impact their words have on others. Careless speech can hurt and spoil a close friendship that has lasted for decades. Speaking in a moment of anger can cause long-lasting resentment that drives people apart, which is why practicing self-control during a disagreement can keep a heated exchange from boiling over. “Words kill, words give life; they’re either poison or fruit—you choose” (Proverbs 18:21, MSG).

When tempers flare, it can be easy to say the first thing that comes to mind. The problem is that whatever we allow to slip out is probably something we shouldn’t say. When we’re tempted to judge and criticize, sometimes the wisest thing to say is nothing at all. “Too much talk leads to sin. Be sensible and keep your mouth shut” (Proverbs 10:19, NLT). What grieves the Holy Spirit is when we hurt each other by sinning through thoughtless speech.

The spirit of criticism causes us to focus so much on our own imperfections that we project them onto another person. This leads us to point out the flaws in them and tear them down, instead of edifying and building them up as we’re instructed to do. “Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers” (Ephesians 4:29, NKJV). This negative, evil spirit causes anger and resentment; it’s sneaky and can blindside people who don’t have the spiritual discernment to detect it. We defeat it by mindfully applying the Word of God when a critical spirit shows up.

None of us are perfect; overlooking others’ shortcomings encourages them to overlook ours. The spirits of mercy and grace are much stronger than the spirit of criticism. During His ministry, Jesus had strong words about a judgmental attitude that is so easy to slip into. “Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged. And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own? How can you think of saying to your friend, ‘Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,’ when you can’t see past the log in your own eye?” (Matthew 7:1-4, NLT). We can be thankful that when Jesus went to the cross and took all our judgment that we deserved onto His body, He defeated the spirit of criticism.

Criticizing and judging others isn’t good for our spiritual growth or development. As students of grace, it’s in our best interest to learn from Jesus, our master teacher. “Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother’s way” (Romans 14:13, NKJV). Jesus had plenty of opportunity to criticize and judge others, but instead showed them love, kindness, and forgiveness. Following His example allows us to enjoy the happy relationships that make life fulfilling.