The Gospel (Lesson 18)
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The gospel is a promise of healing.
In 1 Peter 2:24, the apostle Peter writes,
"He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed."
The first aspect of healing that the gospel offers is the healing of sin. The Bible teaches that all people have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). This means that we all have failed to meet the moral standards God established for humanity. We’ve rejected God’s wisdom and ways, leading to a broken relationship with him and with other people, as well as a brokenness within ourselves.
But through faith in the redemptive work of Jesus through the cross, we can be forgiven of our sins and reconciled to God (2 Corinthians 5:18-19). This healing of sin transforms us from the inside out, giving us a new identity as children of God and empowering us to live a new life that desires to follow Jesus’s wisdom and ways.
In addition to healing from sin, the gospel also offers healing from physical, emotional, and spiritual brokenness. The Bible teaches that Jesus came to heal the brokenhearted (Luke 4:18), and that he bore our infirmities and took on our diseases (Matthew 8:17). This means that through faith in Jesus Christ, we can experience healing and wholeness in every area of our lives. This healing may come gradually over time as we trust in God's grace and power, or it may come suddenly as a result of a specific prayer or encounter with Jesus.
However, it is important to note that the healing offered by the gospel is not always physical healing in this life. The Bible teaches that there will still be pain, suffering, and death in this world (Revelation 21:4), and that our ultimate healing and wholeness will come in the life to come (Revelation 22:1-5). But even in the midst of suffering and brokenness, the gospel offers us hope and peace, because we know that one day all things will be made new and that we will experience complete and eternal healing in the presence of Jesus.
This is possible because Jesus was wounded for us. He suffered our broken, sinful condition. He was considered forsaken so that we might be reconciled as forgiven, whole, and healed in the sight of the Father.
Because the gospel is a promise of healing.
Discussion Questions
What does it mean that all people have sinned and fall short of the glory of God?
How does the gospel offer healing and wholeness in every area of our lives?
Why is it important to understand that physical healing may not always come in this life?
What does it mean that Jesus was wounded for us and suffered our broken, sinful condition?
How does the cross of Jesus and his resurrection give us hope and peace even in the midst of suffering and brokenness?
A Suggested Prayer
Dear Father in heaven,
Thank you for the promise of healing that is offered through the gospel. We confess our sins and the resulting brokenness in our lives, and we ask for your forgiveness and healing. Help us to trust in your grace and power as we seek healing and wholeness in every area of our lives. We ask for strength and peace in the midst of suffering and brokenness, and we look forward to the day when all things will be made new and we will experience complete and eternal healing in your presence.
In Jesus' name, Amen.