Open Heaven 18 January 2022
MEMORISE: Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. 1 Peter 2:24
BIBLE READING: MATTHEW 9:1-7 (KJV)
9 So He got into a boat, crossed over, and came to His own city. 2 Then behold, they brought to Him a paralytic lying on a bed. When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, be of good cheer; your sins are forgiven you.”
3 And at once some of the scribes said within themselves, “This Man blasphemes!”
4 But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, “Why do you think evil in your hearts? 5 For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Arise and walk’? 6 But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”—then He said to the paralytic, “Arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.” 7 And he arose and departed to his house.
Read yesterday’s Open Heaven Devotional here
One of the consequences of sin is sickness. When the darkness of sin disappears, sickness flees with it. The words “Let there be light could mean “Let there be healing” because sickness is a form of darkness. Jesus Christ is the Light, the Remover of sin, as well as the Healer.
Our memory verse today says that we are dead to sin and healed by the stripes of Jesus. The story in our Bible text confirms that sin, more often than not, causes sickness in mankind.
Thus, once the problem of sin is dealt with, sickness is invariably healed as well. When Jesus saw the man that was sick of the palsy, He knew straightaway that his problem was as a result of sin.
Instead of engaging in an exercise in futility like many ministers of God do today, Jesus went straight to the root cause of the man’s sickness – sin. “Son, be of good cheer, thy sins be forgiven thee” Jesus declared. The result is found in the next verse in our text for today after Jesus had declared him forgiven. Jesus said: But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith he to the sick of the palsy) Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house. And he arose, and departed to his house. – (Matthew 9:6-7). Beloved, there are a lot of lessons to learn from today’s reading: One, for ministers of the gospel, we must not waste our time on praying for the sick who are not ready to let go of their sins. Two, for the sick, they must be humble enough to admit their sinful living, confess, forsake and totally repent of the sins.
Three, Jesus Christ the Healer is the Forgiver of sins; every man must come to Him for salvation from all calamities, including the darkness of sickness.
The assurance is that no matter how hopeless the situation may be, humanly speaking, by His stripes you will be healed.
Just ensure that you have zero tolerance to any spiritual impurity in your body which is the temple of the Almighty God, according to (1 Corinthians 6:19).
PRAYER POINT: Purge yourself of all sinful habits so that the light of healing may shine upon you as from today.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: EXODUS 2-4
Thank you for studying today’s Open Heaven – Let There Be Light – written by Pastor Enoch A.
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Open Heaven 18 January 2022
