Forgiveness and Healing are a Package Deal

“Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’?” –Luke 5:23

The Bible teaches that forgiveness and healing are a package deal. No clearer is this demonstrated than in the story of the paralytic who Jesus healed in Luke 5:17-25. Jesus was teaching inside of a house and many people were there listening. Some men had brought a paralyzed man with them and tried to get him to Jesus in the house.

The crowd was too large so they decided to dig a hole in the roof of the house and lower the paralyzed man through right at Jesus’ feet. When Jesus saw this paralyzed man, He said two things to him; “your sins are forgiven” and “Get up and walk”.

The religious leaders questioned Jesus’ authority to forgive sins, so in response Jesus says to them,

“‘But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins….” He said to the paralyzed man, ‘I tell you, get up take your mat and go home.’ Immediately he stood up in front of them, took what he had been lying on and went home praising God.”  -Luke 5:24-25

The Bible shows us again in the Epistle of James that forgiveness and healing are a package deal.

“Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven.”  -James 5:14-15

Notice what the Holy Spirit is saying to us in this passage. The prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well, AND his sins will be forgiven. It’s a package deal. When an interview candidate is hired, they are offered a package. This includes a salary, health care, retirement, etc.
These are not “extras” or a bonus in addition to the offered salary. They are part of the hiring package. Psalm 103:2-3 says,

“Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits-who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases”

Forgiveness and healing are part of the “Salvation Package” that has been offered to you through the cross. Healing is not an extra, it is not a bonus, it is not an add on, it is part of the package the you receive freely when you come to God by faith in Jesus Christ.

“But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.”  -Isaiah 53:5

Yes, Jesus was crucified (pierced) for our sins, but just as His wounds brought us forgiveness, they brought us healing. He carried them both; our infirmities and our diseases (Isaiah 53:4). How would you feel if you were paying for your health insurance out of your own pocket when all along part of your benefits at work, part of the package of your job was to fully cover your health insurance?

You would feel cheated right? That is exactly what you are doing when you only accept half of the package of the cross. There is another part of the package you are cheating yourself out of; the part that includes healing. Heed the words of the Psalmist today to Praise the LORD and “forget not ALL his benefits…” Forgiveness and healing are a package deal.