The Harmful Impact Of Sin On Health
Many times throughout the Bible, we have heard the concepts of sin and healing used in conjunction with one another. “Some men brought to Him a paralyzed man…’Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven…Get up, take your mat and go home’” (Matthew 9: 2, 6 NIV, Bible App). “Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all His benefits who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases” (Psalms 103: 2-3 NIV). ”And the prayer offered in faith will make a sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven” (James 5: 15 NIV). These are just a few of many examples. By reading these, it would not be an unusual thought to think that sin and health changes or, rather, forgiveness of sin and healing are somehow related. What connection is God trying to teach us by repeatedly putting these two concepts together?
In Jesus’ ministry, He focused a lot of His time teaching about how to live spiritually. He was constantly trying to educate people on the difference between their physical walk verses their spiritual walk, which consists of thoughts, emotions, and free will. For example, Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 13: 3 NIV (in reference to Jesus’ teachings), “If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.” Then, statements such as “Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins” (1 Peter 4: 8 NIV) to “Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” (John 14: 27 NIV), Jesus’ teachings were always trying to help us understand the importance of what we choose in our spirit because it was essential to how “healthy” we would be spiritually…and, therefore, physically .
I know we have spoken about the concept of choosing “positive” heart postures because it correlates with a healthy body. However, it is absolutely essential to understand this concept of how God created us in order to benefit from it. Science has begun to prove that, when we are choosing heart postures of love, peace, joy, and gratitude, our body physiologically moves towards healing, increased immune function, and maintenance of health (Dispenza, You are the Placebo 85-86, 93, 96, 101-102, 118 and Dispenza, Becoming Supernatural 41, 44, 164). However, when we choose “negative” heart postures, then our bodies move in the opposite direction of healing, increased immune function, and maintenance of health (Dispenza, You Are the Placebo 99-101 and Dispenza, Becoming Supernatural 47, 165-167). This indicates that there was more behind Jesus telling us to love, for example, then for the purpose of obedience. He was also telling us that when we are obedient in choosing to love, the mechanisms in our bodies move in the direction of healthiness and longevity. Therefore, love promotes healing (as do the other heart postures of the Spirit).
A great example of this is when God says, “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it” (Proverbs 4: 23 NIV). This passage is not only interesting in regards to establishing God’s reinforcement of the importance of what kinds of heart postures we should maintain in our spirits but it alludes to the physiology of how the heart works. While God is revealing the physical perspective that if the heart is not properly working, we aren’t able to live optimally, allowing everything to literally “flow” from it (such as essential blood and oxygen needed to get to organs), He is also revealing the spiritual Truth. When we are not careful by what heart postures we choose in our spirits, it will impact our spiritual lives. What is interesting is that they have discovered neurons (cells in the brain) located in the heart. Could it be that the central aspect of our spiritual existence (heart postures and thoughts) solely resides in the area of our physical heart? This would make perfect sense based on this verse above from Proverbs. But more than that, in this verse, God is trying to tell us what science is now proving. That when we choose heart postures of love, peace, joy, and gratitude, it will promote the proper “flow” of outcomes of everything in our lives from the spiritual to the physical, including in our bodies. He is instructing us that when we choose the heart postures associated with “positivity,” the physiologic mechanisms in our heart will “flow” correctly. Now that we understand the teachings of Jesus in the area of healing, let’s look at how forgiveness of sin relates to it. In doing this, we need to first establish what sin is.
Sin, as most of us know, is something that separates us from God. If you were anything like me growing up, you mostly equated sin with a physical action. This is likely related to being raised in accordance with the Ten Commandments. Most of them are based on a physical action (e.g., do not take the name of Lord in vain, keep the Lord’s Day holy, do not disrespect your parents, do not kill, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not covet our neighbor’s goods). Hence, attributing sin to a physical action is accurate. However, when Jesus came He informed us of two more commandments, termed “The Two Greatest Commandments,” love the Lord your God above all else and love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22: 37-39 NIV) and He says this in response to the question, “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” (Matthew 22:36 NIV). We see that Jesus is instructing us how to keep our hearts/minds as well as indicating it is the most important commandment. It is not about a physical act but a spiritual posture. This would lead us to conclude that when we are not choosing love in our hearts/minds, then we are not following Jesus’ commandments. We are sinning based on what we choose from a spiritual perspective alone. Therefore, sin is not only a physical action but is also a spiritual posture.
This makes sense when you think about it. When you recall a “sinful” action that you have ever chosen, it first started in your heart/mind, how you felt about what just happened that was about to influence your follow up response. Before you ever made a physical move (including moving your lips), your thoughts changed based the feelings associated with that thought. For example, if we sense we are being verbally attacked, many of us would start to have thoughts associated with anger arise in our spirits. This would influence us to use our body in a way that would often physically respond in anger, justifying that the sin was not only the action but also the thoughts, and associated heart postures connected to those thoughts, that eventually caused the action.
It says in the Bible, “Do not conform to the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12: 2 NIV). Often times, we look at it as normal or appropriate when we respond to certain people or situations in anger, bitterness, resentment, judgement, fear, worry, anxiety, stress, or impatience. We are deemed justified in our negative reactions toward someone when they wrong us or towards something when it is unfair. Our society and culture has even taught us that it is acceptable or warranted to choose these “negative” thoughts/heart postures towards people or situations for days or even for years. Unfortunately, these become the sins that harm us and lead to health changes.
It is understandable that there are times when we can not avoid our knee jerk emotional responses that happen when we initially hear bad news, feel verbally attacked, see something upsetting, etc. However, it is imperative in maintaining Jesus’ commandments that we do not dwell in nor allow these thoughts/heart postures to control us. This includes negative heart postures from past traumas, past bad experiences, past relationships, etc. When the thoughts/heart postures become too much, you must “Cast all your cares on the Lord, and He will sustain you” (Psalm 55: 22 NIV).
We must remember that living with these “negative” thoughts/heart postures are not God’s ways and the ways He wants us to live our lives. He is love (1 John 4: 8 NIV). Jesus gifted us the fruits of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self control-Galatians 5: 22-23 ESV) to live by and give to others. When we struggle, He wants us to turn to Him instead of letting these “negative” thoughts/heart postures fester within us. We can avoid sinning (living in “negative” spiritual states) and, therefore, avoid worsening health. When we live according to Jesus’ teachings, we can “transform” the health of our bodies by “renewing” our minds simply by changing the thoughts/heart postures within them.
Therefore, we must take ever negative thought, generated by worldly standards, captive (2 Corinthians 10: 5 NIV). By not allowing our minds to drift to and dwell on the stresses, fears, un-forgiveness, etc. in your past or present life, you voluntarily “renew your mind” by focusing on the blessings, the love, and the joy you are living. This will lead you to freedom, happiness, health, and healing!
Hopefully, it is now starting to make more sense as to why health changes and sin, as well as healing and forgiveness of sin, are often referenced together in the Bible. If we look at sins as not only being physical actions but also as being “negative” thoughts/heart postures within our spirit, then we must realize that, when we sin, we can not heal our bodies based on their physiologic inability to heal when our spirits have chosen these “negative” spiritual states. When Jesus healed people and said their sins were forgiven, He was showing us that the people were healed because they felt God’s love for them and their “negative” thoughts/heart postures were overcome (by His light!). Their sins were forgiven and their bodies were finally able to heal.
So, my prayer for you this week is that you start to recognize the sins/”negative” thoughts/heart postures that you are keeping in your spirit (e.g., the bitterness, resentment, un-forgiveness, anger, shame, guilt, depression, etc.). I pray you can start to acknowledge how these sins are affecting your health not just spiritually but physically. I pray that you understand Jesus died so you don’t have to stay in these “negative” spiritual states, suffering in your soul or body! He wants you to cast every bit of “negativity” in your life onto Him! He came to give you freedom so you don’t have to be a prisoner to these thoughts/heart postures and live in sin! Thank Him for allowing you the choice to live in love and focus on the blessings no matter what the situation in your life! See your sins forgiven and your spirit free of the emotional burdens it has been carrying! Know He will give you peace! Thank Him for the ease with which your body systems align when you live in these “positive” states! Thank Him for the results in your body as you begin to live this way! Thank Jesus for the healing of your body! Thank God for the way He made you that when you live in His peace, joy, love, and gratitude, you live in freedom from sin! And when you live in freedom from sin, your body gets healed!
Thank you for reading my post! Please come back every week to reread previous information or learn new information as we further expand upon many topics reviewed today and also learn new ways to be Medicated by Faith! There is so much information that I have learned through God’s guidance that He wants me to share with you! We can live in faith through God’s Word and, in the process, renew our spiritual selves and heal our physical bodies, leading us to complete health and eternal freedom!
Please make comments or ask any further questions that you may have below or via email at jill@medicatedbyfaith.com. I promise to respond personally or elaborate on your questions in further posts! God is blessing you!
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