Measurements
One thing that I have found essential in my life is to periodically take stock of myself. If I am experiencing symptoms in my body, or the devil is afflicting me in any other way, I have a little check list. Are there areas of my life that need changing? Have I been studying the Bible and spending time with Him? Am I walking in the will of God for my life? Is there anything that God has specifically told me to do, that I am not doing?
If there is anything in my life that does not promote “righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost” those things have to go. Let’s take a look at these things in detail.
Righteousness
What is righteousness, and what does it have to do with healing? I like this definition of righteousness: right standing with God.
Is there sin in our life? We have got to get the sin out. If we are in right standing with God, we have confidence before him, and we can come boldly into the throne of grace.
So, can we ever have that kind of confidence, to stand before God? Are we not all unworthy creatures that can never measure up to the standards that God requires? That is what a lot of people think. I was one of them.
When I went into our church’s Bible Institute and took a class on righteousness, I got very angry with the instructor. He was upending my theology, and I thought that he was giving everyone an excuse to sin. I thought that we were pretty much on the level of pond scum, and that we would never measure up. We could never be good enough.
I went home, and set out to prove this instructor wrong. So I got out my Strong’s Concordance, and started to do my own study of righteousness, and started looking up every scripture that I could think of on righteousness. I didn’t like the idea where he said that we were not sinners. He said that we were sinners, but now we are the righteousness of God in Jesus Christ. Of course , this is in the Bible. But I was in a real state of mind, and I was just plain mad.
After I looked up every scripture in the Bible on righteousness, I thought, “well, maybe he is right, but I still don’t want to go back to that class. Besides, God gave us a conscience for a reason. He doesn’t want us to walk around like we are holy or something. Doesn’t it say something in the Bible about ‘if our hearts condemn us?’” So I decided to go into the class before that one, but I was NOT going back into that class where they were teaching about righteousness.
Funny thing happened, though. When I went into the class where this woman was teaching on the old testament tabernacle, she told us a lot of really good things, but then at the very end, she stopped, and said, “You know, on the way over here, God told me that someone here needs to hear this. ’Even if our hearts condemn us, God is greater than our hearts.’”
I got the message, that God was trying to get something through to me. So I went back into the class on righteousness, and finished it. And all of my objections and questions were dealt with. The whole idea is not to be so conscious of our sin. Jesus dealt with that very effectively on the cross. Now, when God sees us, he sees us through the blood of His Son, Jesus. The Word of God says that we ARE the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. Here are a few scriptures on righteousness.
- Romans 5:17
For if by one man’s offense death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.) - Romans 5:18
Therefore as by the offense of one [judgment came] upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one [the free gift came] upon all men unto justification of life. - 1 Cor. 1:30
But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: - 2 Cor. 5:21
For he hath made him [to be] sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. - Eph. 4:24
And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. - Phil. 3:9
And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: - 1 Peter 2:24
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.
We see through these and many more scriptures that we are the righteousness in Jesus Christ. Not that we have done anything to make ourselves righteous, but that we were made righteous through a righteous act, of Jesus when He was obedient unto death on the cross. We were sinners, but now we are not. If we are in Him we are new creatures, and the life and the Spirit of God flows through us, giving us a new nature. Now we have the nature of our Father in heaven. The old is gone, and we put on the new nature, and God no longer sees us as we were. He only sees us through the blood, and we can stand before Him with complete confidence.
If we do something that we know is wrong, we also have an advocate with the Father, even Jesus himself, that stands before Him and pleads our case. What do you do when you do sin? Run to Him immediately, and ask Him to forgive you. And the Word says that His is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins, and cleanse us of all unrighteousness.
Peace
The second thing to check, is how is your peace? In Hebrew the word for peace is Shalom, and Strong’s Concordance defines this as “safe, well, happy, friendly, and welfare.” So how is your peace? Is there something missing in your life? Is there something broken in your life? Then you will not have peace. It might be a good thing to go back to the time before your peace was gone, backtrack just a bit, and find out what it was the took your peace away, and why your peace is gone. Then repent, if you have to, and turn it over to the Lord. Cast all of your cares upon Him, because He cares for you. It would be an excellent thing to memorize Philippians 4:4-9 and confess this passage often. How often? As often as you need to until your peace returns, and then as needed.
Philippians 4:4-9
Rejoice in the Lord always: [and] again I say, Rejoice.
Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord [is] at hand.
Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things [are] honest, whatsoever things [are] just, whatsoever things [are] pure, whatsoever things [are] lovely, whatsoever things [are] of good report; if [there be] any virtue, and if [there be] any praise, think on these things.
Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.
Joy in the Holy Ghost
The third item to check: what is your joy level? If you are saved, and living in Him, you should have joy. In Isaiah 12:3 it says, “Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.” And joy is one of the fruits of the Spirit. And “For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost” Romans 14:17. Joy is not a feeling, it is not being happy, or without problems. You can have the joy of the Lord through the trials of life.
How can you have that kind of joy? First of all, you have to spend time with God, time in His presence. For in His presence there is fullness of joy, and we are changed. And you need to be filled to overflowing with the Holy Spirit. This is a separate experience for the salvation experience, and it is a continual refilling from day to day.
When the disciples were filled with the Holy Ghost and power, on the day of Pentecost, they went out into the city, and spoke with other tongues, and 3,000 people got saved. The disciples acted so differently, that people thought that they were drunk, but the Bible says that they were filled with God, and filled with joy.
Whenever it talks about people receiving the Holy Ghost in the Bible, the initial sign of being filled was speaking in tongues. The Bible tells us to speak to ourselves with Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, and one way that we can do that is to pray in other tongues. This is prayer between you and God, and you might or might not understand what you are saying, but it recharges your batteries. ”And the disciples were filled with joy, and with the Holy Ghost,” Acts 13:52.
And why do we need this joy so very much? “…the joy of the LORD is your strength.” Neh. 8:10
So, be “strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.” Check these three areas in your life, your righteousness, your peace, and your joy level. If there is an area that needs adjustment, make the adjustment. Most times if one of these things is not where it should be, then it will prevent the healing power of God from operating in your life. Make the adjustment, and God will do His part. He is faithful to perform His word.