As was stated at the endof part 1 of this teaching, we will reveal what the man's answer should have been when Jesus asked him in John 5 verse 6 - "Do you want to be healed.
Of course the correct and immediate answer to the question should have been yes. I want to be healed. But instead, like so many religious Christians, he resorts to works. Look what Jesus does. He doesn’t pray some droning repetitive prayer for healing. He doesn’t beg God to heal this man. He doesn’t say “God if it be your will”. He makes a powerful declaration. Rise, take up thy bed, and walk. Too many times we pray right past our miracle.
Now don’t miss this next part. What does verse 9 say? Yes, we see the obvious. Immediately, the man was made whole. But what else? That day was the sabbath. OH OH. Now you did it. That’s a no no. Now you’re in trouble. You didn’t live up to others rules, regulations, and expectations.
Look where the religious people went to in verse 10. It’s the sabbath, you can’t carry your bed on the sabbath. You can’t play golf on the sabbath. You can’t watch football on the sabbath. You can’t go dancing on the sabbath. You can’t do this, you can’t do that, blah blah blah blah.
So continuing on with this story. Read verses 11 and 12. Notice what they focused on. The man said he who made me whole told me to take up my bed and walk. Notice that religion will continue to deny the power of God and focus on what they believe which is works to achieve the power of God. They asked who is the man who said take up your bed and walk. They didn’t ask who is the man who made thee well. What did the man do for his healing? Nothing. The effort came after the healing.
John 5:16. Religion is always watching to find something to condemn or persecute you about. These Jews jumped all over the fact that Jesus did what he did on the sabbath.
In the Greek, sabbath is in the imperfect tense. So it reads this way. “It was customary for Jesus to do such things on the sabbath”. Just check it out and see that Jesus performed more miracles on sabbath than on other days. Simply put, it was Jesus’ habit to perform miracles on the sabbath. Why?
Well one reason is that Jesus was pointing out to them just how useless their rules and laws were. How burdensome and bonding their traditions were. Remember it was Jesus who said in Mark 2:27,28 - 27 And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath: 28 Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath. On other words the sabbath was there to meet the needs of the people, not people meeting the needs of the sabbath. Also, in those days, what was everyone else doing. In order to abide by the law of the sabbath, they were all resting. It’s very interesting that when men rest, God is able to work. When man works, God rests, because man is now in the way rather than following God’s way.
The majority of the Christian community has the mentality of the Pharisees. They believe it’s all about works. What they can do. So they continue to strive to be alive when the truth is to rest and receive the best.
Here’s another story of Jesus healing on the Sabbath. Read Luke 13:10-14. The ruler of the synagogue was indignant, because Jesus healed on the what? On the sabbath. Then He goes on to reveal that religion believes healing is man’s work. The ruler of the synagogue says “there are six days in which men ought to work. Come for your healing on those days, and not on the sabbath”.
We have to work for this healing. No. God said rest until I make your enemies a footstool. But christians today think I’m not doing enough, I’m not good enough, I’m not working hard enough, I’m not reading my bible enough, and I’m not praying enough.
It’s not about what you do. It’s about what Jesus has done. He said it is finished and that we are to sit down and rest until God makes our enemies a footstool for our feet.
Look how Jesus answered the religious crowd in verses 15 and 16. I love vs 16. It says your healing comes just by being. ”Just by being a daughter of Abraham”. Just by being descendants and heirs of Abraham.
That’s what we are. Galatians 3:29 reads “And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise”. Just by being sons and daughters. Again, that’s what we are. Galatians 4:7. “So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God”. Are you getting the idea we are heirs and joint heirs with Jesus? If you’re not getting this then your mind needs renewing from religious error concerning relationship truth.
He is Jehovah Raphe or the Lord our healer. Raphe means heal. It comes from the root word raphah which means relax. So in the Hebrew, the root of the word raphe or heal is relax or raphah.
God is strong on rest. He has said fear not. Over 365 times in the bible God says fear not, but there is one time he says you should have fear. It’s found in Hebrews 4:1. You should have fear that you might come short of entering into his rest. Here's how it reads in the NLT - "God’s promise of entering his rest still stands, so we ought to tremble with fear that some of you might fail to experience it." Also in Hebrews 4:10,11 it reads "10 God rested after he finished his work. So everyone who enters God’s place of rest will also have rest from their own work just as God did. 11 So let us try as hard as we can to enter God’s place of rest." In the KJV it say labour to enter into His rest. We must try hard so that none of us will be lost by following the example of those who refused to obey God.This is the one time God encourages us to work as hard as we can, not to work, but enter into His rest. Faith is seeing the finished work of Christ and resting there.
Many times when people get a word from God, they begin to struggle and work to get that word to come to fruition. That’s not how it works. When God gives you a word, it’s a word He wants to work in your life. It’s not up to you to work it. You simply receive it and enter into his rest, letting Him perform it for you.
Philippians 2:13 in the Living Bible reads “For God is at work within you, helping you want to obey him, and then helping you do what he wants”. Just look closely at that verse and study it. It says “God is at work within you”. Doing what? “Helping you want to obey Him”. He helps you get your “want to” out front and get rid of your “have to” attitude. Then once He gets your want to correct, then HE helps you DO what He wants.
He is doing all the work. He set it up that way. We just agree with Him, receive from Him, step into His promises for us, and then rest. This teaching is just the tip of the iceberg. God gave me a continuation of this teaching entitled “TO DO OR TO BE”. Keep an eye out for that one. It just keeps on getting “worse”. By that I mean, the truth makes religion look worse and worse. Grace and Peace.
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