A Divinely Ordained Exchange/Forgiveness and Healing

Hebrews 10:14, are you there?

“For by one sacrifice he has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.”

Thank you. I’ve been emphasizing two things. First of all, that the death of Jesus on the cross was a sacrifice. A sacrifice ordained by God in which Jesus as priest offered Himself as sacrifice on behalf of the whole human race to God the Father. Secondly I’ve been emphasizing that it was, and I like to say is, a perfect sacrifice. Nothing was omitted, nothing will ever have to be added; it is perfectly perfect, completely complete. Every need of every descendant of Adam has been totally provided for through that one sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. It’s very important to grasp that and it’s important that we do not let our attention wander from that sacrifice. We can get involved in so many forms of teaching and doctrine and Christian activity which may all be good in their way, but if they’re separated from the sacrifice of the cross they ultimately lose their power to help.

I want now to take a little picture from the prophet Isaiah that illustrates one more point. That the cross is the center of all God’s provision. The whole gospel centers around the cross. The prophet Isaiah happens to illustrate this in a very vivid way. How many chapters? 66. How many books in the Bible? 66. Also there’s a major division in Isaiah, although I don’t believe it means there are two prophets. At the end of chapter 39 there’s a change. How many books are there in the Old Testament? 39. And the next 27 chapters of Isaiah have often been called the gospel in the Old Testament. How many books are there in the New Testament? 27. All right. So we’re going to focus on that number 27, which is the chapters of Isaiah from 40 through 66. In case you have some trouble, as I do, you subtract 40 from 66 you only get 26. But you have to bear in mind you’re including both the beginning and the ending so it becomes 27 chapters.

These 27 chapters are in turn divided into three sets of nine chapters. And this is how they are divided. The first one is 40 through 48. The second one is 49 through 57. The third one is 58 through 66. Now there’s one feature of those three sets of nine that’s interesting. Each one ends with an emphatic declaration that God will never compromise with sin. Somebody find and read out for us the last verse of Isaiah 48. When you’ve found it, just stand up so that I know. The last verse of Isaiah 48. Come on.

“There is no peace for the wicked, says the Lord.”

That’s right. Did you hear that? There is no peace for the wicked. Somebody else find the last verse of 57. Yes?

“There is no peace, says my God, for the wicked.”

That’s right. Almost identical. There is no peace, says my God, for the wicked. Now somebody find the last verse of 66. Stand up and read it. Don’t be shy. Come on, now. You people are going to have to be taught to overcome embarrassment. The last verse of 66.

“And they shall go forth, and look upon the carcasses of the men that have transgressed against me: for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh.”

That’s right. It’s not the same words but the same statement that those who have transgressed and not repented will be an eternal spectacle of God’s judgment. So each of those three sections of nine chapters ends with a declaration that in spite of all His mercy God will never compromise with sin that has not been repented of.

Now, the middle section is 49 through 57. And if you want to find the middle chapter, it’s 49, 50, 51, 52—that’s four—it’s the next one which is 53. It’s the middle chapter of the middle section. See what I’m saying? All right. Now, if you look at 53 it really begins at the end of 52. If you’re looking in your Bibles, 52, verse 13:

“Behold, my servant shall deal prudently...”

The word behold introduces my servant. That is the title that’s given to Jesus in this prophecy. So if you include the last three verses of chapter 52, you get five sets of three verses because chapter 53 is twelve verses, four sets of three. You need to probably look at your Bibles in order to see that.

So now we’re going to sort out these sets of three verses. 52:13–15. Two, 53:1–3. Three, 53:4–6. Four, 53:7–9. And the last one is 53:10–12. So we’re dealing with the middle set of three chapters each, three sets of nine chapters. We’re dealing with the middle chapter which is chapter 53. And when we split it up and take the introduction we’ve got five successive sets of three verses. What’s the middle set? 53:4–6. So can you see that 53:4–6 is the middle of the middle of the middle. I do think this is by divine appointment because it is the absolute center and heart of the total message of the gospel.

Let’s consider what it says. I’m going to read those three verses. I’m going to change some of the words. One of the tragedies of the English translation of the Bible is that in this passage the translators of the King James Version, which I consider to be a wonderful version, spiritualize the meaning of words that are totally physical in their meaning. And they used griefs and sorrows where the Bible says sicknesses and pains. And those words in Hebrew for sickness and pain have had an unchanged meaning from the time of Moses to the present day. They’re still the same words.

Those of you with a European background, at least in Luther’s translation in German, he uses kronkite and shmeltz, which are the two standard words for sickness and pain. Likewise, I think, most of the Scandinavian versions use words with a physical meaning.

So I’m going to put in the physical meaning. Also, if you look at the beginning of verse 4 it says “surely he.” The effect of that is to put all the emphasis on the he for two reasons. First of all, the word that’s translated surely emphasizes the word that follows. Then again, Hebrew, like Latin and Greek and Russian and other languages, but not most European languages, does not need to put the pronoun in he because it’s there in the form of the verb. Do you understand what I’m saying? So you put the pronoun in only if you want to emphasize it. And the pronoun is put in here so the he is emphasized twice. Once by the word that goes before it, surely, and then by the fact that the pronoun is put in. Surely he. So all the emphasis is on this wonderful person and what he has done.

“Surely he has borne our sicknesses, and carried our pain: yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement for our peace was upon him; and by his stripes [or wounds] we are healed.”

Now we come to the crucial verse.

“All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.”

There’s the Bible’s diagnosis. What is the problem of the human race? What have we done, all of us? We’ve not all committed adultery, got drunk or stolen. There’s one thing each one of us has done, we’ve turned to our own way which is not God’s way, and God describes that as iniquity. I think the best modern translation would be rebellion. That is the root problem of humanity, is rebellion against God. And it’s universal. All of us, there’s not one exception. Jew or Gentile, Catholic or Protestant, Asian or American or African; it makes no difference. We are all in the same category, we are rebels. We have turned our backs on God and gone our own way. But the marvelous message is that God has laid on Jesus the iniquity, the rebellion, of us all. One translation says God made meet together on him the iniquity of us all. All men of all races, all ages. The iniquity, the rebellion came upon Jesus as He hung upon the cross.

The word for iniquity in Hebrew is avon. And it’s important to know what it means. What I want to point out is it not merely means rebellion but it means all the evil consequences of rebellion. The punishment of rebellion and all that rebellion brings on those who are guilty. I’ll give you three passages from different parts of the Old Testament to show you this. First of all, in Genesis 4:13. This is Cain after he’d heard God’s sentence on the murder of his brother.

“And Cain said to the Lord, ‘My punishment is greater than I can bear...’”

But the word is avon. My iniquity and the punishment of it, you understand? It’s all in one. It’s greater than I can bear.

And then in 1 Samuel 28:10. Saul is talking to the witch of Endor and is saying bring up Samuel for me and I promise you you won’t be punished. The punishment for witchcraft was death. And he said to the witch:

“And Saul swore to her by the Lord, saying, ‘As the Lord lives, no punishment shall come upon you for this thing...’”

But the Hebrew word is avon. You will not be held guilty for it and the punishment will not come upon you.

And then in Lamentation. How many of you know where to find Lamentation? It’s that little book at the end of the prophet Jeremiah. I’m doing this if I can convince you that what I’m saying is direct application of the Bible. It’s not some fancy interpretation. In Lamentation 4 we have this word twice. In verse 6:

“The punishment of the iniquity of the daughter of my people...”

Well, you’ve got two words there. The punishment of the iniquity. But the Hebrew word is all one, avon. Do you understand? It’s iniquity and the punishment of iniquity.

And in verse 22 of the same chapter:

“The punishment of your iniquity is accomplished.”

But there’s only one word in Hebrew, it’s avon. So this word means rebellion and the punishment for rebellion and all the evil consequences of rebellion.

Now, when you turn back to Isaiah 53, the Lord laid upon him the rebellion of us all, the punishment of our rebellion and all the evil consequences of rebellion. And so, the sacrifice of the cross is an exchange. Now here is a key to unlock the treasures of God’s provision. I’m putting it in your hand. At the cross an exchange took place, divinely ordained and predicted by God. Very simple. All the evil due by justice to us came upon Jesus that all the good due to Jesus might be made available to us. I’m going to say that again because it’s crucial. All the evil due by justice to us came upon Jesus that all the good due to Jesus had earned by His sinless obedience might be made available to us. I’m going to say it more shortly. And when I’m teaching in large meetings I use two hands. The left hand for the evil, the right hand for the good. It will help you to activate if you’ll do that. I’ll do it first. “All the evil came upon Jesus that all the good might be made available to us.” Can you do that now? “All the evil came upon Jesus that all the good might be made available to us.”

Now there’s no reason for that. You can never find any reason. God decided. The key word there is grace. You’ve heard the word grace. Grace is something you cannot earn, you can never deserve. Most religious people don’t enjoy God’s grace because they’re trying to earn it. There is no way to earn what God did for you through the death of Jesus on the cross. There’s only one way to receive it, that is believe it. Stop trying to earn it. Stop trying to persuade yourself you’re almost good enough. You aren’t. You never will be. The only way you can receive the provision of Jesus on the cross is by faith.

Why did God do it? Because He loved us. Why did God love us? Eternity will be too short to find out. And the Bible never offers an explanation of why God loves us. It’s unexplainable. You may think differently but it’s unexplainable. We didn’t deserve it, we didn’t earn it, there was nothing in us; it was a sovereign choice of Almighty God.

Let’s look at the picture that this gives us. I want you to turn to 1 Corinthians 15:45 and 47. We get here two titles of Jesus. Verse 45 says:

“So it is written, the first man Adam became a living being [or a living soul]; the last Adam became a life giving Spirit.”

What’s the title of Jesus in that verse? The last Adam. A lot of people say the second Adam. That’s wrong.

Then we go down to verse 47:

“The first man was of the earth, made of dust; the second man is the Lord from heaven.”

What’s the title of Jesus there? The second man. I think I need to write those up. First of all, the last Adam. Secondly, the second man. Now you’ve got to get those right and you’ve got to get them in the right order. Otherwise it doesn’t make sense. On the cross Jesus was the last Adam. On Him came the whole evil inheritance of the whole Adamic race. He wasn’t the last in the sense of time—there have been millions and millions of descendants of Adam born since then—but He was last in the sense that the total evil inheritance of our sin cursed race came upon Him. And when He was buried, it was buried. It was put away. It was finished. It was put out of sight. And then when He rose from the dead He arose as the second man, a new kind of man. The Emmanuel race, the God/man race. And everyone who is born again through faith in His death and His resurrection becomes part of this new race, the Emmanuel race. I want to get that very clear to you. Picture Him on the cross, the last Adam, the end of it all. There was no other way for our race ever to escape from the evil consequences of what we’d done. He was buried and it was buried. And when He rose the third day He was the beginning of a new race, the God/man race. A race in which God and man are somehow mysteriously combined in one new creation. He was the firstborn of the dead, the head of the church.

Paul compares His resurrection to a birth, a birth from the dead. And he calls Him the head of the church. That’s a beautiful picture because in a natural human birth, normally what part of the body emerges first? The head. And when the head emerges it’s the guarantee the body is going to follow. And when Jesus as head was resurrected from the dead the head of the church, He’s the guarantee of our resurrection. He died as the last Adam, He rose as the second man.

I think I’d like you to say that. “He died as the last Adam—use your left hand—He died as the last Adam. He rose as the second man.”

Now, we just want to look at one final prophetic picture in Isaiah. Isaiah 1. This is a description of Israel’s rebellion. In verse 2 the Lord says about the sons of Israel:

“They have rebelled against me...”

And then in verses 5 and 6 he comes to the theme that they persist in rebelling.

“Why should you be stricken again? You will revolt [that is rebel] more and more.”

And now here’s a picture of rebellion.

“The whole head is sick and the whole heart faints. From the soul of the foot even to the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds and bruises and putrefying sores: they have not been closed or bound up or anointed with ointment.”

That’s rebellion and all its evil consequences. But listen, it’s also a perfect picture of Jesus on the cross. That’s exactly how He was. Turn to Isaiah 52, the introduction that we looked at. Isaiah 52:13–14. And I want somebody who has the NIV to be ready to give us the NIV translation in a minute.

“Behold, my servant shall deal prudently, he shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high. Just as many were astonished at you; so his visage was marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men.”

His physical form was so marred that He lost the appearance of a human being. From the crown of the head to the soles of the foot it was nothing but wounds and bruises and putrefying sores. Could you give me, somebody, the NIV reading for verse 14?

“See, my servant will act wisely, he will be raised and lifted up, and highly exalted. Just as there were many who were appalled at him; his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any man, and his form marred beyond human likeness.”

Thank you. Do you see that? His appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any man and his form marred beyond human likeness. Why? It had to be because that’s the outworking of rebellion. And in that vivid picture God conveys to us this fact that on the cross Jesus bore our rebellion and all its evil consequences. I want you to say that and we’ll close. “On the cross Jesus bore our rebellion and all its evil consequences.”

Now if you really believe that you have to say one more thing. “Thank you, Lord.” Amen.

Part 4 – Forgiveness and Healing

In our last session I pointed out to you that on the cross a divinely ordained exchange took place, something that was conceived in the heart and the mind of God from eternity, and acted out there at Calvary, predicted very clearly there in the Old Testament prophets. The nature of the exchange was this: All the evil due by justice to us came upon Jesus that all the good due to the sinless obedience of Jesus might be made available to us. We’ll say it more shortly, all the evil came upon Jesus that all the good might be made available to us. Let’s do that once with our hands. “All the evil came upon Jesus that all the good might be made available to us.”

Then I pointed out that the essential central problem of the human race is rebellion. And that on the cross Jesus became identified with our rebellion. And all the evil consequences of rebellion came upon Him. This was depicted very vividly in two passages of Isaiah. First of all, in Isaiah 1 where God depicts rebellious Israel as a body that is marred and beaten and bruised and sick. He says from the crown of the head to the soles of their feet there’s nothing but wounds and bruises and putrefying sores.

And then we saw in Isaiah 52 that description was transferred to Jesus. And that’s how He was. Don’t believe pretty, religious pictures. There was nothing but wounds and bruises and putrefying sores. They had not been closed up, they were septic. Why? That’s rebellion. And when you and I attempt to rebel next time, may God give us a picture of the end of rebellion. That’s it. But Jesus as the last Adam took that rebellion, died and was buried with it. And when He rose again He rose as the second man, the head of a new race.

Now in this session I want to look at the first two aspects of the exchange. You will recall that when I was testifying of how God gave me healing I received that word: Consider the work of Calvary. Perfect in ever respect, perfect in every aspect. So we’re going to look now at two aspects of the exchange that took place. Both of them are stated in Isaiah 53:4–5. Maybe I should read them. I’m going to read the Prince version.

“Surely he has borne our sicknesses, and carried our pains: yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement [or punishment] for our peace was upon him; and by his wounds we are healed.”

So there is the first exchange. It’s really in verse 5. The punishment for our peace was upon him. Jesus was punished that we might be—what’s the opposite of punish? Forgiven, that’s right. Jesus was punished that we might be forgiven. I would like you to say that, I want to impress it upon you. “Jesus was punished that we might be forgiven.”

The result of being forgiven is that we have peace with God. See, as long as your sin is not forgiven you cannot have peace with God. God will not make peace with sin. It’s significant that you remember that in each of the three nine chapter sections at the end of Isaiah, the final statement was God will not compromise with sin. It has to be dealt with. The message of mercy is that sin was dealt with in Jesus on the cross. That when He died He paid the penalty for our sins. The wages of sin is death, that’s right. He paid that penalty for us on the cross.

Let’s look in Romans 5:1:

“Therefore, having been justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

So once we have had the sin issue dealt with God’s way, the result is peace with God. The punishment for our peace came upon Him. Unless He had been punished we could never have peace. But His punishment made it possible for us to have peace with God.

And then a little more vividly or fully in Colossians 1:19–21. This is speaking about Jesus on the cross.

“For it pleased the Father that in him all the fullness should dwell [all the fullness of God]; and by Him to reconcile all things to himself. By him were the things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of his cross. And you who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now he has reconciled in the body of his flesh through death [And then it goes on:] to present you holy and blameless and irreproachable in his sight.”

That could never be achieved by any other way except the sacrifice of Jesus. Because He was totally identified with everything evil that we had ever done. It was possible for us to be totally forgiven and totally delivered from the power of evil.

Again, another scripture on this theme is Ephesians 1:7, speaking of Jesus:

“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of his grace.”

So when we have forgiveness of sins we have redemption. The word redemption means to buy back or to ransom. So through the price of the blood of Jesus given on our behalf as a sacrifice, we have been bought back from Satan to God.

In Romans 7 Paul says something which isn’t always very clear to people who don’t know the cultural background. Paul says I am carnal, sold under sin. That phrase sold under sin relates to the Roman custom that when a person was being sold as a slave they were made to stand on a sort of block and from a post behind them a spear was stretched out over their head. And so when you saw a person standing on the block under the outstretched spear you knew that person was being sold as a slave. And Paul says I am carnal, sold under the spear of my sin which is stretched out over my head, and I have no options. I’m there for sale. You know when a person is bought as a slave they don’t choose what they do. The owner chooses what they do. Two women may be sold in the same market. One will become a cook, the other a prostitute. They don’t have the choice. That’s true with us as sinners. You may be a good, respectable sinner and you can look down on the prostitutes and the addicts and people like that. But believe me, it’s the slave owner who determines.

But the good news is this. One day Jesus walked into that slave market and he said, “I’ll buy her. I’ll buy him. Satan, you can’t have him, I’ve paid the price. From now on he’s not your slave, he’s my son or she’s my daughter.” That’s redemption, so vivid.

It only comes through the forgiveness of sins. How can we be forgiven? Because Jesus was punished with the punishment due to us. Jesus was punished that we might be forgiven.

Now going back to Isaiah 53, these marvelous verses also contain what I call the physical aspect of the atonement. Isaiah 53:4:

“Surely he has borne our sicknesses, and carried our pains...”

There are two different words used in Hebrew. When it says he has borne our sicknesses, the word means he carried it away. When it says he has carried our sorrows, the word is endured our pains, he has endured our pains. He has carried our sicknesses away and He has endured our pains. What’s the result? Look at the end of verse 5:

“By his wounds we are healed.”

See how logical that is? Because He has dealt with our sicknesses and our pains in His own body, healing is provided for us. If I can render the Hebrew, it says it was healed for us. So perhaps the best way to express it would be healing was obtained for us.

It’s very interesting when it speaks about the atonement the Bible never puts healing in the future. It’s finished. As far as God’s concerned it’s there. Healing was obtained. We are healed. Christians sometimes ask me how can I know if it’s God’s will to heal me? I reply if I rightly understand the Bible—and there are things that none of us understand—you’ve asked the wrong question. If you are a committed born again Christian sincerely seeking to serve God and do His will, your question should be this: Not how can I know if it’s God’s will to heal me but how can I receive the healing which God has already provided for me? Now that’s a very important question. Hopefully before we finish this series I will be able to deal at least in part with the question of how to appropriate what God has provided. But if you don’t believe in the first place that God has provided it, you’re not likely to appropriate it. So the basis is discovering what God has provided through Jesus on the cross.

I want to give you two passages in the New Testament, both of which quote Isaiah 53:4–5. And both of them were quoted by Jews—one was Matthew, the other was Peter—who were also inspired by the Holy Spirit. So you might say, “Well, Brother Prince, I’m not sure that I accept your rendering of Isaiah 53.” All right. But you can’t argue with Matthew, Peter and the Holy Spirit. Turn to Matthew 8:16–17. This is the beginning of the public healing ministry of Jesus.

“When evening had come...”

Why did they wait till evening? Because it was the sabbath and they weren’t allowed to do anything until the sabbath was over in the evening.

“When evening had come, they brought to Jesus many who were demon possessed, and he cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick.”

One thing I would comment on is in the healing ministry of Jesus there’s really no hard and fast distinction between healing the sick and casting out evil spirits. They go hand in hand all the way through His ministry. Why did He do that? Verse 17 tells us:

“That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying, ‘He himself took our infirmities and bore our sicknesses.’”

Where is he quoting, from what passage? Isaiah 53:4–5. And notice its meaning is totally physical. He says infirmities and sicknesses. Furthermore, its outworking is totally physical. What was the evidence? The fact that He healed all who came to him. Not some but all. Every one. So there’s no question that Matthew gives Isaiah 53:4–5 a totally physical application.

Also, notice he himself. You remember what I said about that word? Surely he, that all the emphasis is designed to go on the he? Well, here it is in the Greek. He himself. See, when you’re struggling with sin or sickness or depression or rejection or fear, what the Bible says is look away from yourself. The answer is not in you. Turn your eyes to Jesus. He Himself is the answer.

Let’s turn to 1 Peter 2:24. This is just part of a complete sentence but we don’t need the rest. Speaking about Jesus it says:

“Who himself...”

You notice that? Notice where the emphasis is? On Himself.

“Who himself bore our sins in his own body on the tree that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness...”

That’s the center, the basis is dealing with sin. When sin is dealt with then the other consequences can flow. And then it goes on:

“...by whose wounds you were healed.”

Not will be healed, not even are healed but were healed. As far as God’s concerned it is already done. When Jesus said it is finished, it was finished. As far as God’s concerned nothing is ever going to change it, nothing will have to be added to it and nothing can be taken from it. It is a perfect work, perfect in every respect, perfect in every aspect. And the physical aspect is just as perfect as any other.

I’d like to direct your attention to a number of passages in the New Testament where the word for save is translated heal or make well. The Greek word for save is sotso. And I suppose it would be hard to count how many times that’s translated save. All the other words for salvation come from it. A savior is soteer, from the same root. But, there are a significant number of passages in the New Testament where that verb is used for physical healing. The problem for English readers and maybe readers in other languages is the translators to fit in with English usage do not use the word save. So for people who merely read in English the fact is obscured that healing is part of salvation. That’s exactly what it is.

I’ll give you a whole series of passages, beginning in Matthew 9:21–22. Now you may have different translations so there will be a slight variation but it won’t make any significant difference. Matthew 9:21–22. This is the story of the little woman with the issue of blood who came behind Jesus and touched His garment and then was afraid to disclose what she’d done. You know why she was afraid? Maybe you’ve never wondered. Because a woman who had an issue of blood was considered unclean and she was forbidden to touch anybody. And anybody she touched became unclean. So she transgressed by touching Jesus. That’s why when she was asked what she had done she came trembling. But Jesus didn’t get involved in that issue. Anyhow, here’s the story. Matthew 9:21–22.

“She said to herself, ‘If only I may touch his garment I shall be made well.’”

What did she say? I shall be saved.

“But Jesus turned around and when he saw her, said, ‘Be of good cheer, daughter, your faith has made you well.’”

But what did He say? Your faith has saved you. That word.

Then in Mark 6:56, the last verse of a long chapter.

“Wherever Jesus entered, into villages, cities or the country, they laid the sick in the marketplaces and begged him that they might just touch the border of his garment. And as many as touched him were made well.”

Guess what it says? Were saved, that’s right. What were they saved from? Sickness. They were probably saved from sin, too, but the emphasis is sickness.

Luke 8:35–36. This is the record of the man who had the legion of demons. Jesus cast the demons out and the man became perfectly normal. This is what it says:

“Then the people went out to see what had happened and came to Jesus, and found the man from whom the demons had departed sitting at the feet of Jesus clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid. They also who had seen it told them by what means he who had been demon possessed was healed.”

What does it say? Was saved, that’s right. Being delivered from demons is part of salvation. It has been provided by the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. And dealing with people, and I’ve dealt with thousands who needed deliverance from evil spirits, I’ve learned by experience Satan only respects on thing. The cross. You can tell him you’re a Baptist or an Episcopalian or a Presbyterian. He could care less. But when you come on the basis of what Jesus did on the cross, then he trembles.

Going on in Luke 8:47–50. It really gets better and better as you go on. Again, this is the woman with the issue of blood but we go further.

“Now when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling and falling down before him, she declared to him in the presence of all the people the reason she had touched him, and how she was healed immediately.”

How she was what? Saved, that’s right.

“And he said to her, ‘Daughter, be of good cheer. Your faith has made you well.’”

Your faith has saved you, that’s right.

Going on there in the following verses:

“While he was still speaking, someone came from the ruler of the synagogue’s house, saying to him, ‘Your daughter is dead; do not trouble the Teacher.’ When Jesus heard him he answered him, saying, ‘Do not be afraid. Only believe and she will be made well.’”

She will be what? Saved. What was salvation there? Being brought back from the dead. So healing, resurrection from the dead and deliverance from evil spirits are all described by that one inclusive word “to save.” Because salvation is everything that’s been provided by the death of Jesus on the cross.

Then we look at Acts 4:8–10. This is the lame man at the Beautiful Gate. The apostles are being questioned why they did it.

“Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, ‘Rulers of the people, and elders of Israel, if this way we are judged for a good deed done to the helpless man, by what means he has been made well...’”

By what means he has been what? Saved.

“...let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, this man stands here before you whole.”

What produced wholeness? Salvation, that’s right. And then he goes on to say:

“Neither is there salvation in any other name.”

And then finally in 2 Timothy 4:18. Paul says:

“But the Lord will deliver me from every evil work, and preserve me for his heavenly kingdom.”

When he says preserve, what does he say? Save, that’s right. He will save me and keep on saving me. So, the ongoing outworking of what Jesus did for us on the cross is salvation. It’s from the moment you believe till the moment you pass out of time into eternity, you are moving in salvation provided by the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross.

There’s a scripture in Hebrews which I think maybe we should turn to. I feel somehow that God wants me to bring this one scripture out. Hebrews 2:3.

“How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?”

You see, there are people who refuse salvation. They just turn it down, they don’t want it. They don’t believe. But there are, I think, multitudes of professing Christians who don’t refuse salvation, they neglect salvation. They don’t really find out what God has provided for them. They accept some traditional view, some, shall we say, denominational presentation. It doesn’t pay. God drove me to the place in hospital where I had to find out, I had no other way out. Maybe God has brought some of you to that place. You can’t afford to neglect this salvation. If you don’t see it now I want to warn you somewhere down the road you’re going to need it desperately. So may God help each one of us not to be neglectful of this so great salvation.