All My Sin Forgiven? And Healing?

"May I never forget the good things He does for me. He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases" (Psalm 103:3)

This week I've been thinking on Psalm 103. It's packed with promises to those who trust in God. I've felt God wanting me to keep reading it, daily, so He can permanently carve it into my heart. It's such a beautiful chapter, filled with comfort, encouragement and reassurance.

Specifically, I have found myself focused on a portion of verse 3, listed above. Just allowing myself to grasp the significance of what this actually means. God forgives not some of my sins, but all. He heals not some of my diseases, but all. Amazing really. And I know He wants me to believe it from the heart, not only the head (It's so easy to believe God intellectually yet not at the heart level where it becomes more deeply experienced).

Now, we can discuss or debate the term "disease" used here and what it truly means, but that is not my intention here. Do believers still get sick at times, even die from diseases? Of course. Does that mean God will not, or cannot heal here and now? Of course not. We should have the faith to believe the goodness of God for healing now, yet knowing that even if we do not receive the physical healing we long for in this current life, we will have it when we He returns. As John Piper said in an interview,

"In this world God does heal. And all healing that comes to us comes from God. And so we should look for it, ask for it, thanking when He gives it. But the final promise of no more death and no more disease will come in the future."

I don't want to spend much more time diving into the various perspectives on physical healing for the here and now. For the sake of this post I will simply give my basic belief that God does heal now, (and there is likely more physical healing available than most of us have likely realized). So we should have faith for it, while also realizing that for reasons we don't always understand sometimes He does not heal now...but the key word is now, because for those who trust in Him, He will heal all disease in due time, even if it's not until we leave this earth. That being said, let me continue on with the primary focus of the post.

Disease does not have to be physical. There is certainly sickness of the heart, spiritual disease if you will. There are certain areas of my life, weaknesses with sin, character flaws and so on, that are "diseased." Things that are ongoing struggles, sin that creeps back time and again. If you look up the definition of disease you will find it described as "a sickness, or ailment," and "when part of the body is depraved or not functioning properly." Certainly we can apply this to our spiritual lives. Yet, in spite of this, the Word says that God heals all of my diseases, not only physical, but those of the mind, spirit and emotions. He cures those parts of my mind and heart that are sick, ailing.

The dark places I'd rather hide. The places where my heart, if I'm honest, doesn't truly believe He as forgiven and forgotten. The character flaws and mistakes that the enemy wants me to believe God holds over my head to taunt and shame me. The places wounded, by others and self. He forgives it all. He removes it all. He will heal it all.

Now, we may have to be intentional about going into those places of the heart with God and allow His healing grace to transform. We need to learn how to reject the lies that have kept us from fully receiving that grace. You may need to reject the lie that you messed up too badly and are unforgivable. You may need to reject the lie that you will never overcome your recurrent struggle with a particular sin. You may need to reject the lie that God is mad you, that His grace is only there once you get your act together. Yet, whether or not we have learned to let go, believe His truth and move forward from the hurt of our sins and the lies satan brings with them, does not change the fact that for those who come to Him for forgiveness it is granted. Freely. And healing is available...not only available, but what He wants.

These are amazing promises God offers us out of His goodness. Our part is to believe. And that is a choice. I remember God showed me one time that His promises are available, they are true, and they will do wonders in our lives...yet our job is to surrender to Him and choose to believe those promises. It's hard to receive something you are not saying yes to. God wants us to choose to believe in Him and His promises and then let Him do the rest. He wants to not only forgive us (and I must say He does not forgive begrudgingly, with an attitude of annoyance and frustration...it pleases Him to forgive and remove our sins) but He also wants to heal our broken places, our sinful crutches. The opposite of disease is good health. He wants that for you.

So, I choose to believe, no matter how many times I've fallen down, or stumbled into the same old sins, "He forgives all my sins AND heals all my diseases."

By Ryan Walters