THE DOUBLE CURE

THE DOUBLE CURE

Mark 2:8-11 ¶ But immediately, when Jesus perceived in His spirit that they reasoned thus within themselves, He said to them, “Why do you reason about these things in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, “Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Arise, take up your bed and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”—He said to the paralytic, “I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.”

The old time pentecostal preachers used to speak about the”double cure” found in Christ. They were talking about redemption found in the blood of Jesus Christ that not only cleansed us from our sins but also purchased healing for our bodies. The same act of rebellion from our first parents that brought us into the life and world of sin also introduced us to sickness and death. The one act of righteousness performed by Jesus on the cross settled our debt of sin and purchased our bodies from the ravages of sickness and disease. By His wounds we are forgiven, by His wounds we are healed. Matthew Henry spoke about Christ’s authority to forgive and its connection to His power to heal.

“God’s royalties are inseparable, and he that could know thoughts, could forgive sins. This magnifies the grace of Christ, in pardoning sin, that he knew men’s thoughts, and therefore knows more than any other can know, both of the sinfulness of their sins and the particulars of them, and yet is ready to pardon. Now he proves his power to forgive sin, by demonstrating his power to cure the man sick of the palsy. He would not have pretended to do the one, if he could not have done the other; that ye may know that the Son of man, the Messiah, has power on earth to forgive sin, that I have that power, Thou that art sick of the palsy, arise, take up thy bed. Now, This was a suitable argument in itself. He could not have cured the disease, which was the effect, if he could not have taken away the sin, which was the cause. And besides, his curing diseases was a figure of his pardoning sin, for sin is the disease of the soul; when it is pardoned, it is healed. He that could by a word accomplish the sign, could doubtless perform the thing signified.”

What a powerful statement, “Sin is the disease of the soul”. One of the deceptive things about sin is this, there are not often immediate consequences. Many time it seems like you have escaped the penalties of sin, life apparently goes on as normal. The consequences of sin are not immediate but they are certain, your sins will find you out. Often, sin will manifest itself in physical disease. When this poor paralytic was brought to Jesus he heard the greatest words ever, “Son, your sins are forgiven you”. He was being introduced to the double cure! “Arise, take up your bed and walk.”