THE HEALING OF OUR PASSIONS

These two passages of Scripture, Galatians 5:22 – 6:2 and Luke 6:17 – 23, are simply awesome in their power to illuminate our understanding concerning our struggle with the passions and our victorious transformation of them through a life in the Spirit; and how Jesus wants to heal us of our spiritual sicknesses, those very passions, addictions, and crippling infirmities, that imprison us. By walking in the Spirit we crucify the passions and evil desires, and they are transformed by the life of the Spirit into the fruit of the Spirit in all goodness and righteousness and truth (Ephesians 5:9). The healing ministry of Jesus is a pictograph revealing to us a parallel between the sicknesses and physical maladies that Jesus healed, and the spiritual sicknesses, that is our passions in us, that are in need of healing. The sicknesses and demonic vexations that Jesus healed are metaphors for the healing of our passions, evil desires, and addictions. Have you ever noticed how we can be blind, in the dark because our spiritual eyes have cataracts or worse? Have you noticed how we can be deaf, our ears can’t hear the voice of God because of damaged eardrums from listening to the demonic frequencies of the world’s lies? Have you ever noticed how we want to do good, but our will is weak, crippled, like a withered hand? Have you ever noticed how we seem to be controlled by unseen forces? Have you ever noticed how we can be thrown into a fit of rage like someone with epilepsy? Have you ever noticed how we sense the wounds in our soul are bleeding, our life’s energy is seeping out of us? Have you ever felt paralyzed, unable to move because of bitterness or shame? Have you ever felt dead inside, lifeless, unfeeling, uncaring, unable to muster compassion; you are like a dead man walking? Jesus will heal you of all these spiritual diseases and conditions if you will cooperate with Him. As we become doers of Christ’s words we enter into communion with the Holy Trinity (John 14:15-26) resulting in our sanctification and deification. We are healed, that is, saved from our sins as we become partakers of God’s divine nature (2 Peter 1:2-4).