Matthew 9:6 AMP – ‘But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority and the power on earth to forgive sins.’
Ephesians 1:23 ERV – ‘The church is Christ’s body. It is filled with him.’
The church is a spiritual mystery and living organism.
As described in 1 Corinthians 12 and Ephesians 1, we are the body of Christ, and partakers of the same Spirit.
When Jesus was on earth, He could only be in one place at one time but now in the church He can be in many places at the same time. This way, He is able to continue His ministry by the Holy Spirit that dwells in us.
While Jesus was on earth, He did many miraculous signs and wonders, fulfilling His ministry as an Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist, Pastor and Teacher. He has since passed on His work to specially placed leaders in the body and all genuine believers.
We are His hands and feet, expected to do greater works than He did while on Earth (John 14:12). While we are to continue His ministry, we cannot do it as autonomous entities. The work we do for Him right now can only be accomplished by submission to the Holy Spirit and cooperation with Him in obedience and prayer.
In our Mathew reference scripture, we see Jesus Christ declaring forgiveness to a man who was terribly sick. After the declaration of forgiveness, the man received a healing miracle.
James 5:14-15 (AMP) bears a striking similarity to this story: ‘Are you sick? Ask the elders of the church to come and rub oil on you in the name of the Lord and pray for you. If such a prayer is offered in faith, it will heal anyone who is sick. The Lord will heal them. And if they have sinned, he will forgive them.’
When any believer is sick, they should ask elders to intercede on their behalf. In such an atmosphere, there is transparency that brings about healing and forgiveness of sin.
The same way, all believers are commanded to go into all the world, preach the gospel of the Kingdom that brings men to repentance and forgiveness, heal the sick and cast out demons (Matthew 10:7-8).
PRAYER: Lord Jesus, it is a great privilege to be a member of your Body. Help us to properly represent you so we can display your power on Earth. In Jesus’ name, Amen.