How's Your Faith?

But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed. All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet the LORD laid on him the sins of us all. [Isaiah 53.5-6]

Pierced, crushed, beaten, and whipped are all punishments for sin and rebellion. The debt for sin is paid in punishment.

God said in the beginning:

But the LORD God warned him, “You may freely eat the fruit of every tree in the garden—except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If you eat its fruit, you are sure to die.” [Genesis 2.16-17]

Every punishment upon sin is ultimately designed to bring death. The judgement upon sin is death. Although pain is not death, by its very design, it warns of death. Piercing, crushing, beating and whipping all inflict pain indicative of impending death. In their fullest measure, these punishments, singularly or in combination, can and will ultimately lead to death. This was proven true by Jesus Christ.

However, Jesus did not suffer just to prove enough punishment would kill a person. Jesus' purpose was much greater. He unjustly suffered punishment for sin (judgement) that was not His to prevent all who believe in Him from suffering the punishment that was justly theirs. And, Jesus' suffering was not a partial payment for sin by only experiencing pain, but He made full payment for sin by experiencing the fullest measure of pain, death.

In His own words, Jesus was clear that believing in Him was the only requirement for enjoying the amazing gift of redemption He offered.

“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. [John 3.16]

But, Jesus also articulated that "not believing in Him" leaves one in the default condition of judgement - punishment:

“There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son. [John 3.18]

For this reason, pain and suffering remain in the world. And, for this reason, Jesus called His followers to approach the world and its fallen condition just like He did.

Again he said, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you.” [John 20.21]

At an earlier time, Jesus more specifically said it like this:

“I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father. [John 14.12]

What's more, even earlier, Jesus defined what was of God and what was of the devil.

The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life. [John 10.10]

So, here's the deal. Religion, at the behest of Satan himself, has invested untold time and resources to explain why all these things Jesus said don't really mean what they actually sound like they mean. Instead of encouraging and building concrete, mountain-moving faith in people, mainstream religion has taken the power out of "faith" rendering it little more than an abstract idea with no effective control over the elements of the world (contrary to what Jesus demonstrated and taught in His life). It pleases Satan greatly to see pain and suffering continue upon mankind because that's his venue. But nothing pleases him more than for religious people to embrace and even defend that pain and suffering in proud denial of their unbelief that keeps it there.

A "believer" might argue, "As long as I believe I will go to heaven, what does it matter if I don't move mountains on earth?"

That's a fair question, but based on ignorant assumptions. First, if Jesus said, "Do it," then do it (and Jesus was never unclear in encouraging, but furthermore demanding, miraculous faith). But even more importantly, if one claims to have "saving faith" but cannot even stop a sniffle with his faith, how can he have any assurance whatsoever that his "saving faith" is effective for all eternity when his "healing faith" can't even stop a common cold here on earth? Shouldn't that be cause for magnanimous alarm? 

Yes, it is time for the Church today to be alarmed! What we should do is simply repent for unbelief and follow that repentance with faith for EVERYTHING Jesus provided.

Father, help Your people to become unbending in their faith understanding the full meaning of Jesus' life on earth, death on the cross, and resurrection to Your Kingdom!