Discovering Spiritual Healing

Hebrews 4:12-13

Jim Davis

Have you ever noticed how easy it is to reprogram a computer? My office computer wouldn’t boot up the other day. I worked on it for a couple of hours trying to get it to boot up, in hopes I wouldn’t have to wipe it clean to reload it. There was nothing to do but to wipe it clean, and reload all the software and start over. Isn’t it amazing, you can format the hard drive—wipe a computer clean, and have it back up running full speed in a couple of hours. Well—it might ruin your day—but you get the picture. Sometimes I wonder, if wouldn’t be nice, if we could just wipe out everything we know and reprogram our minds correctly. Of course, there are some things we would not want to wipe out of our memories. Yet, there are many things we wish we could wipe out. 

The massive volume of information you can load and access in microseconds on a computer is mind-boggling. Yet, processing and assimilating this information with the human brain is much different, and much slower. You can change the way a computer thinks and works very quickly, but people don’t change that quickly. 

The Bible speaks of growth with agrarian metaphors. There are seasons of planting, weeding, watering, growth, and harvesting. Farmers don’t wake up and plant a crop in the morning and expect to harvest it in the afternoon. There is a cycle of growth for the seed that needs a lot of attention before they mature. 

Source of Our Problems

Reprogramming our minds is the heart and soul of Christianity (Ephesians 4:20-23). Jesus simply called this reprogramming of the mind repentance. The world seeks to entrap us into its way of thinking. Satan is the master at deceiving us. He is forever helping us erect barriers that prevent personal growth and spiritual healing. These barriers block us from experiencing the love, freedom and purposes of Christ.

Colossians 2:8
8 See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ. NIV

Spiritual healing begins when we begin to test the deceitful thoughts of our minds with the Word of God. God’s word seeks to reprogram our minds with the mind of Christ. Christ challenges the world’s hollow philosophies holding us in guilt and condemnation. We must allow the Holy Spirit to challenge the world’s deceptive philosophy with God’s powerful truth. It is a mark of maturity to do so.

Hebrews 4:12-13
12 For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. 13 Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account. NIV

There is a negative side and a positive side to studying God’s word. Many want to believe that Christian living is characterized solely by positive emotions like love and joy, and fruitful living. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth, not of denial. The ministry of the Holy Spirit is to produce honesty and courage as we grapple with the pain of destroying the defensive barriers preventing our spiritual healing. The Spirit of truth seeks entrance into our lives to heal us emotionally, relationally, physically and spiritually. 

We have established an elaborate array of defenses that hinder spiritual healing. These defenses have become barriers to assimilating knowledge for our personal growth. These barriers are like weeds in our fields or bugs in our computers, which must be removed. Scripture is the only means of identifying and eradicating these personal defensive barriers. The only way to remove the bugs is to have a complete change of mind. 

Facing Our Problems

In our minds we create an image of what we want to be. We begin seeking to live up to our image of ourselves. Our success is measured by arbitrary standards designed to establish or recreate a new identity. The standards are usually built upon the world’s ideals of success and happiness. Once we adopt standards for our success and happiness, we begin telling ourselves that we must meet these standards to feel good about ourselves. Then we develop attitudes and behavior conducive to help us mold us into this image. We begin driving ourselves, and manipulating our world to accomplish this end.  If we are successful in reaching our standards, we feel good about ourselves. If we fail we feel miserable about ourselves. 

Worldly standards of success are usually built as we compare ourselves with ourselves. We work to be more intelligent, to live in bigger homes, drive better cars, to eat at better restaurants, to shop at more expensive places, to travel to more extravagant vacation getaways, etc. We live in a society where we have the best the world has to offer and we want it to be better—it is not good enough. 

This is not some kind of pop psychology course needed by the world. This philosophy can even permeate the hearts’ and souls’ of God’s people. It is a message God’s people need. Churches today have become a reflection of the world. Christian’s lives in the church at Corinth were a reflection of the world’s philosophical approach to life. 

2 Corinthians 10:12-14
12 We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves. When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise. 13 We, however, will not boast beyond proper limits, but will confine our boasting to the field God has assigned to us, a field that reaches even to you. NIV

2 Corinthians 10:17-18
17 But, "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord."   18 For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends. NIV

The Corinthians brought the comparative standards of the world over into their fellowship. Yet, they were to measure themselves differently. Paul writes, “Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.” It is not what we possess, or how smart we are. It is about what Christ has done, and is doing for us. 

As long as we compare ourselves with ourselves we will never measure up to our standards or God’s standards. We will never discover spiritual healing in and of ourselves. The apostle Paul discovered enough was never enough when it came down to personal accomplishment.

This sinful nature in us is relentless. It drives us to live up to our self-made image, yet it’s never enough. We may think maturity is just working harder to solve our problems without seeking God or asking for God’s help. Paul came to the realization that he had to rely on the grace of God. 

Philippians 3:2-6
2 Watch out for those dogs, those men who do evil, those mutilators of the flesh. 3 For it is we who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh— 4 though I myself have reasons for such confidence. 

If anyone else thinks he has reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5 circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; 6 as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for legalistic righteousness, faultless. 

Paul’s religious life was as confusing as ours. His legalistic righteousness left him faultless, but miserable. 

Romans 7:14-20
14 We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. 15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16 And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17 As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18 I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19 For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do — this I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. NIV

Romans 7:24-25
24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? 25 Thanks be to God — through Jesus Christ our Lord! NIV

Paul cried out “What a wretched man I am.” There is a sinful nature driving us, and no matter how hard we work, regardless of what we accomplish, it says it is not enough.  Paul’s confidence came from what God had done for him.

Philippians 3:7-11
7 But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8 What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ — the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. 10 I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. NIV

Many in the church are calling it legalism, but I think we are simply bringing the mindset of the world into the church. It was Eve’s attitude in Eden—enough is never enough. She was searching for greater self-awareness. It looks good, it will make me wise, and it will taste good—in essence it will make me feel good about myself. The exact concepts we are seeking to build our lives around today. 

Adam and Eve’s failure drove them into shame. It is exactly the same thing driving our need to succeed in order to find happiness. Shame is nothing but self-hatred. We can never feel good about ourselves, for we never measure up. It also causes us to live in fear of failure. Religion has labeled it legalism, but regardless of what we call it, it leaves us wretched.

The trouble with a self-imposed way of living is that we will do whatever it takes to accomplish our mission. Fear of failure drives us to work harder. We seek to be more punctual, more organized, and better groomed. We even use our hobbies and skills to hone us into the person we have imagined ourselves to be. We began to manipulate others around us to accomplish our goals. We project the image that we are highly motivated, but it is our desperation driving us—a desperate fear of failing to live up to our image of ourselves. 

If we succeed we become filled with pride and self-exaltation, but it only lasts until our next failure. Our pride and self-exaltation resulting from our success portray self-confidence, which is really only a façade to hide our fear of failure and our insecurities.  

Some of us take altogether another approach—we avoid taking any risks. We seek to avoid failure by disengaging. We bury our heads in a book, in a movie, in sports, in our hobbies, etc. It seems comfortable, but it limits our potential and service to our creator. We can’t simply win by not playing. This is a kind of failure that is real; it is just unrecognized. 

When we are forced to face our failures we experience feelings of anger, depression, and hopelessness. These feelings result in dysfunctional lifestyles. Many turn to drugs believing they will increase their performance and productivity. Drugs can be like engaging in sports, watching television, or reading a book—only a temporary means of escaping reality—in an attempt to alter reality.

Have you noticed how many high profiled persons have drug addictions? Presidents wives, actors, doctors, lawyers, clergy, etc. If success brought the kind of self-esteem the world desires, why do the successful turn to drugs?

We become caught up in this vicious cycle because we believe Satan’s lies. His lies drive us to set up arbitrary standards to gage our performance and our ability to meet those standards. Striving for these standards gives us some sort of justification for living. From these standards we seek to derive an estimate of ourselves. We try to do it through recreating ourselves, but it never works. We always come up empty—it is never enough.

Our estimate of self can never meet God’s estimate of us. We don’t have what it takes to restore our lives to God’s intended purpose. There is no way you can fill your life with everything the world has to offer and satisfy your hunger. Jesus says, “What shall a man profit, if he gain the whole world and lose his own soul?” Do we see the real meaning here? The world cannot fill what you are longing for. You are more valuable than this entire world. 

If Jesus gave up the riches and glory of heaven for each of us, there is no way we can begin to estimate our self-worth with our finite minds. There seems to be nothing on earth or in heaven, other than Christ who can give us a true image of our self-worth. It is a hunger only God can fill. 

Your true significance and self-worth can only be found in God through Christ. God has placed his image upon us and it makes each of us more valuable than his only begotten Son.

What A Wretched Man I Am!

Jesus Christ comes into our lives saying, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for they shall see God.”  What I am describing throughout this sermon are spiritually poor people who are hungering for a better way of life. 

The prerequisite to reprogramming our minds is to realize our spiritual poverty. It’s not that we don’t recognize our need for spiritual healing. The problem is that we seek to heal ourselves, and we are to proud to admit we need God.

Luke 4:23-30
23 Jesus said to them, "Surely you will quote this proverb to me: ‘Physician, heal yourself! Do here in your hometown what we have heard that you did in Capernaum.'"  

24 "I tell you the truth," he continued, "no prophet is accepted in his hometown. 25 I assure you that there were many widows in Israel in Elijah's time, when the sky was shut for three and a half years and there was a severe famine throughout the land. 26 Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to a widow in Zarephath in the region of Sidon. 27 And there were many in Israel with leprosy in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed — only Naaman the Syrian."  

28 All the people in the synagogue were furious when they heard this. 29 They got up, drove him out of the town, and took him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw him down the cliff. 30 But he walked right through the crowd and went on his way. NIV

The Jews were furious with Jesus when he told them the heathen were more receptive than those who claimed to be God’s people. Elijah went to widows in heathen lands because God’s people were too proud to listen. Naaman, a man from a heathen country, came to Israel seeking Elisha to heal him, while the Jews refused to listen to Elisha. They were religious but ungodly. Religion in and of itself had become their means to recreate themselves in their image of themselves. 

Too often, religion becomes a means of self-justification, which only blinds us to our real need. Rather than seek God, we vainly seek self approval. The result is an arrogance that makes us our own God. I believe it is easier to reach people who have no knowledge of religion than it is to reach those who have simply become religious. 

We are all spiritually poor and hungry, but only God can fill us. We have a natural hunger for God, but Satan steps in and misdirects our efforts.  The psalmist portrays God filling barren lives.

Psalms 107:33-38
33 He turned rivers into a desert,
flowing springs into thirsty ground, 
34 and fruitful land into a salt waste,
because of the wickedness of those who lived there. 
35 He turned the desert into pools of water 
and the parched ground into flowing springs; 
36 there he brought the hungry to live,
and they founded a city where they could settle. 
37 They sowed fields and planted vineyards 
that yielded a fruitful harvest; 
38 he blessed them, and their numbers greatly increased,
and he did not let their herds diminish. NIV

The Holy Spirit is here to help those mourning for a better way of living. Through his power you can lay aside the deceptive ways of Satan. He is here to reorder our thinking as we hunger for a better way of living. He is willing to reveal a new way of thinking to those meek enough to listen. 

Romans 12:2
2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is — his good, pleasing and perfect will. NIV

Ephesians 4:21-24
21 Surely you heard of him and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. 22 You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. NIV

Paul believed he was the chief of sinners, yet, he boasted of his position in Christ. It’s our position in Christ that motivates us to live better. We are not trying to live better to gain a sense of self-worth—to justify our purpose for living.

Many have linked pleasing God too strongly to performance. They are displeased with anything short of perfection in themselves, and they suspect God has the same standard. Christ’s sacrifice it all the justification for living we need. God has given us self-worth despite our ability to perform. Christ’s death is all the justification for living we need. Christ makes us worthy to stand in God’s presence.

All we have to do is to accept Christ. It is the free gift of God. It is not accomplished by works, it is solely by grace, not of works lest we begin boasting—or comparing ourselves with ourselves.

Conclusion:

Now is the time to stop the relentless pursuit of self. You can claim the free gift of God today. You must believe in Christ—give you life to him—allow him to restore you to your original position in God’s creation.

Accepting Christ means dying to this world. Baptism into Christ represents dying to this world’s way of thinking to rise to a new life in Christ (Romans 6:3-4).

Want you accept God’s free gift of life today. 

Bible Study Questions

1.	How does reprogramming a computer compare to reprogramming our minds?
2.	Where does spiritual healing begin? 
3.	What part does God’s word play in spiritual healing? What are the negative and positive aspects of following God’s word?
4.	What approach does the world take to discovering self-worth?
5.	What happens when we strive to live up to self-made images of ourselves?
6.	Where does pride and self-exaltation lead? 
7.	What happens when we fail to live up to our self-made image of ourselves?
8.	Why did the apostle Paul cry, “What a wretched man I am!”?
9.	Why did Jesus say, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for they shall see God.”?
10.	How can mourning for a better way of living lead us to God?