LORD JESUS, MAKE ME WHOLE!
“And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.” Genesis 2:7.
In the beginning, God created a physical body from the earth and then breathed His Spirit into it. The Spirit gave life to the body, and man became a living soul.
Hence, humans have a spiritual nature with a soul within a physical body. The Almighty God made Adam and Eve as perfect, complete or ‘whole’ beings. Each part were joined in a marvellous way that has a lot of small parts that are arranged in a complicated or delicate way. It was a masterpiece,
"For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them." Ephesians 2:10.
Just as the body itself is a whole unit made up of many parts, "For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ." 1 Corinthians 12:12, we are created to function as a complete and wholesome unit. We are a spirit who has a soul that lives in a body.
The Bible also tells us that God created man in His image – in the likeness of God and his Son. Genesis 1:26. In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve were created without spot or blemish. They were perfect, complete and whole before the fall. They were the perfect epitome of wholeness.
But, when Adam and Eve sinned, the perfect design of man was destroyed. Man became marred. What was once a perfect and wholesome spirit, soul, body became defective and imperfect.
Once a person accepts the Lord Jesus into his or her heart, he is rescued or delivered from the power of sin and eternal separation from God. This is called Salvation.
But, salvation is just the first step toward regaining our complete wholeness. There's still much work to be done in order to attain restoration and perfection.
As we hunger, thirst and surrender more and more to the Spirit of God, He can work accordingly in our lives. Sanctification is a process. We become transformed or renewed, day by day, into the likeness of Jesus.
"But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord." 2 Corinthians 3:18.
Restoration is a part of the sanctification process. It's God's will for us to be whole. Wholeness is a gift of God, and free of cost to any who would ask.
GRATITUDE and WHOLENESS
"11 And it came to pass, as he went to Jerusalem, that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. 12 And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off: 13 And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us. 14 And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed. 15 And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, 16 And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan. 17 And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine? 18 There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger. 19 And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole." Luke 17:11-19.
Ten men cried out to Jesus for Mercy. These ten men were afflicted by leprosy, a horrible disease that effectively made them to be outcasts. This disease turned their hair white, with sores and swellings all over the body. Leprosy caused the body to deteriorate from the outside. In addition to the physical damages it does to the body, lepers were also emotional wounded and rejected. They were to leave their outer garment torn as a sign of mourning, and to call out constantly as they walk “unclean, unclean!” The life of a leper was a lonely and depressing one.
One day, these ten lepers heard that the Messiah was passing by and perhaps they had heard He could cure all manners of sickness and diseases. They cried out for Mercy. Jesus heard them. They received healing from the leprosy. Sadly, only one came back to appreciate. And. only he was restored and transformed.
It's not enough to ask for healing and deliverance, we must seek, hunger and thirst for restoration and wholeness.
A WOMAN DESIRE FOR LOVE!
"16 Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come here.” 17 The woman answered and said, “I have no husband.”
Jesus said to her, “You have well said, ‘I have no husband,’ 18 for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; in that you spoke truly.” 19 The woman said to Him, “Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet."
John 4:16-19.
As He went about doing His ministerial work while on earth, Jesus met a Samaritan woman at the well. A woman with an emptiness in her soul and longing for love. This woman was craving for a good relationship, but had been repeatedly rejected. In those days in Israel, a man could and his wife away simply because she's not pleasing to him in some way. This woman had gone through marital rejection five times and was now seeking to fill her emptiness with a man who wasn’t her husband.
She probably tried to cover up her hurt so those around her wouldn’t notice it, but when Jesus met her and told all that she had done, she dropped the pretence. Finally, she found the One who could bring wholeness to her disjointed wounded soul. A Man who could heal and restore her broken life.
There's a great lesson for every person hurting here, before you can fill up the empty places in your soul, you need to encounter the Saviour first. Only He can put together the broken pieces of your life. Only Jesus can heal your broken heart. He can heal your injured soul. Come to Him today! Let Him address the roots of your emptiness.
WHAT IS WHOLENESS?
Used as an adjective, the word whole comes from the Greek words of holos and holokleros meaning all, entire and complete. These two words come from the noun holokleria meaning completeness.
1. A complete, full or joyful state of being perfectly well in body, soul (mind, will and emotions) and spirit.
2. Wholeness is to be restored to health.
The World Health Organization agrees defines health as, "A state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity."
Have you ever prayed for healing? Maybe you prayed for physical healing from a sickness or disease, emotional healing from a broken heart, or spiritual healing from a chronic sin or addiction. We all desire to be healthy and whole physically, mentally, and spiritually. Wholeness is more than healing. It is to be restored to health. "Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers." 3 John 2.
2. Wholeness is to be unbroken or undamaged.
Behind and beneath the ever busy human activity going on in our cities today, behind and beneath the cheerful faces we come across, are wounds, scars, invisible aches and groaning. We’re all emotionally hurt and we do the hurting sometimes. Hence, the world is full of wounded people. These wounds are hidden from others, but deeply painful. Maybe you are grieving the loss of a loved one and that grief is causing you to feel empty. Perhaps your heart aches with the space left open by one you love who didn’t return your love. Sometimes the emptiness in our heart comes from feeling unfulfilled in our goals or dreams.
We search for ways to fill the void—that aching, empty, pit inside our soul, that feeling of needing something that if we don’t find and keep leaves us incomplete. We often:
i. Seek fulfilment in jobs that cannot measure our worth.
ii. Pursue pleasure from things that rob us of health.
iii. Turn to false idols that can never fill our empty spaces.
iv. Seek comfort from people who can never give us.
v. We look for a filler in social media. We log on and ask the world to plug the holes in our souls with whatever’s streaming, trending, or posting to our feeds.
vi. We try to fill it with love from another person. We go from one relationship to the next, with no time in between to be alone, in effort to keep the emptiness inside of us filled so we don’t have to deal with the unresolved issues or lack of love.
Stop wasting time and energy looking for wholeness in the wrong places. Realize that nothing and no one except God has the power to complete you as a person. None of these things will ultimately satisfy our longings and deepest desires. Yes, we may find a certain amount of fun, enjoyment and even contentment in these, but in the end they will leave us empty again. But when we allow Jesus Christ unrestricted access to our hearts, He fills us up with His unfailing love.
3. The quality or state of being without restriction.
4. Wholeness is the state of forming a complete and perfect harmony.
5. It is to repair and to restore.
HINDRANCES TO WHOLENESS:
1. Ignorance of the promises of God concerning wholeness.
Knowledge produces faith. When we really know something, we have faith in it. Then we will act on that knowledge. The Bible is full of great promises of God's healing, deliverance and restoration but many do not read.
When we are down, we should open His word, began reading and meditating, and we should remain until we find a word of comfort. Make a list of these or circle them as you read your Bible daily.
2. Sin - John 3:36.
Sin prevents breakthrough. It restrains the hand of God. Ask God to reveal hidden areas of sin in your life, and make a habit of confessing your sins to God during your quiet time. Then receive His forgiveness and grace to do better.
3. Unforgiving spirit.
There are some hurts and wounds that are difficult to let go. These leave us with lasting feelings of hatred, anger and bitterness — even vengeance. Many believers move around with grudges, anger, and bitterness toward others for some offense committed against them. Yet, we’re commanded to forgive. Forgive so as to be whole.
4. Failure to make restitution.
Restitution means making amends for wrong actions committed in the past. It is also the restoration of what has been wrongly acquired or giving back the equivalent of what has been lost or damaged. It is best illustrated in Luke 19.
Without restitution, your salvation cannot be complete.
5. Impatience.
An impatient person sees seconds as hours, days as decades and months as century. It is a mind that feels a vision takes longer than necessary to be actualized. An impatient person always asks the question; “when will it ever happen?” It makes one anxious over unanswered prayers. An impatient person is forever agitated.
The scripture tells us in Hebrews 10:36 “For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise."
Whenever your heart slips off into impatience, say this out to yourself: I know that my Redeemer lives! Wait on the Lord, I say, wait!
6. Unbelief.
Unbelief is a thief! It robs us of many things, but one of the worst is that we never enjoy the satisfaction and contentment found in God’s fulfilled promises.
WHAT ARE THE KEYS TO WHOLENESS?
1. Whole hearted prayers.
"And they lifted up their voices and said, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” Luke 17:13. Prayer empowers the fulfilment of prophecies. It activates the power of God. Prayer forces us to wait for God's will. It builds us up spiritually. Prayer enables the believers to receive spiritual gifts. It releases the healing power of God. Keep praying.
2. The Word of God.
Fill your heart with the Word. Search the Word. Personalize the Word. Meditate on His promises. Believe the Word. Remember the power of the Word. Don’t limit God.
3. Obedience.
"If you are willing and obedient, You shall eat the good of the land;" Isaiah 1:19. Willing obedience brings about blessing!
When you choose to obey the Lord, He will bless you. Not only that, but He will also complete whatever He started in your life. Obedience demonstrates our faith in God.
4. Be joyful.
"Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!" Philippians 4:4.
Being joyful doesn’t mean we have to walk around with a fake smile on our faces all the time, ignoring reality or suppressing every negative emotion. This verse simply means to intentionally focus on the good, instead of the bad. To count our blessings daily rather than our burdens. To let our faith, not our feelings, dictate our joy.
No matter what's going on within and around you, don’t let the devil take your song away from you, be joyful and keep praising God.
5. Gratitude.
A man or woman who is not thankful for what he has, would not be thankful for what he will get. Gratitude to God opens up the door for continued blessings. It honours God and strengthens our faith. Gratitude draws us closer to God. It is a sure path to peace.
Today, remember to be grateful for all that God has done for you. Be specific about thanking Him for the many ways He has blessed you and met your needs. Praise Him for the prayers He has answered. Don’t take Him for granted.
"Giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ," Ephesians 5:20.
6. Repentance.
"If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land." 2 Chronicles 7:14.
Repentance gives us the freedom Christ promised. Repentance is necessary for restoration to a position that we have lost. Let us return to the Lord!.
SOONER, VERY SOON!
Beloved, this world is not our home! We’re pilgrims and sojourners on this earth. This is not our permanent home. Our home is in Heaven.
When Jesus return to this earth to take us back home, we will be raised into Heaven and receive new glorified bodies. We will bear the likeness of our Lord.
"Who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself." Philippians 3:21.
"Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is." 1 John 3:2.
We will soon, some day be in Heaven. And in Heaven, we will be in a state of perfect wholeness – in spirit, mind and body – and God will be magnificently glorified.
As Paul’s prayer was to the Thessalonians, I pray may we be ready for His coming. "Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." 1 Thessalonians 5:23.
"Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;" Philippians 1:6.
Prayer Points
1. Lord Jesus, I acknowledge You as my Lord and Saviour.
2. I surrender the totality of my life to You, in Jesus name.
3. O God my Father, save me and I shall be saved, in Jesus name.
4. Holy Spirit, incubate my life, in the name of Jesus.
5. Let the power of God, that brought Jesus out of the grave, overshadow my life, in Jesus name.
6. O God my Father, heal my body, soul and spirit, in Jesus name.
7. Thank God for answering your prayers.
This sermon is a chapter from my book, "The Price For Rachel: Jacob's Story" by Pastor Bright Adeyeye.
