A phrase that is often heard in Christian circles is “Receive from Jesus”. Believers when going through a difficult time or needing some kind of provision in their lives are told that they simply should receive what they need from Jesus.

 

However it seems that many people are confused by this statement. I have been asked several times by a number of people how exactly we are to receive from Jesus, and so I would like to share with you today from scripture, how we are to receive from Jesus, and in so doing we will not be confused by this statement any longer.

 

Truthfully, I can understand why believers are confused when told to just receive from Jesus. I can sympathize with the frustration of being told to do something, but not being told exactly how to go about doing it; especially something as vitally important as this. In listening to several well-known pastors and leaders, and in reading many books, I was actually quite shocked and dismayed that many of them were using this same phrase, telling people to simply receive, and then moving right along to other topics without expounding on how we are to receive or what it means to receive.

 

Well, I have promised to never do that. The truths of the scriptures are meant to be shared and taught, not to be kept secret all to ones-self. So let us now get into the scriptures and see what it says about receiving from Jesus. The first of these scriptures being Luke 8:49-50:

 

“While he yet spoke, there comes one from the ruler of the synagogue’s house, saying to him, Your daughter is dead; trouble not the Master.

But when Jesus heard it, he answered him, saying, Fear not: believe only, and she will be made whole.”

 

Now we are not reading the entire account because of time. The main point here is that a man wanted his sick daughter to be healed by Jesus, and while Jesus was traveling to this man’s house He was delayed because of healing a woman, and during this delay the man’s daughter died in waiting.

 

What I want you to see here are the words of Jesus which He said upon hearing the news of the daughter’s death… “Fear not: believe only and she will be made whole.”

 

That is quite a powerful statement to make. Consider that healing someone by itself is a great thing, but raising someone from the dead and healing them would naturally be twice as great. Yet to Jesus it is all the same.

 

Now I am a very curious and inquisitive person. I ask questions where other people would usually not do so, and when I first read this scripture, my initial  question was “believe in what exactly?” Other people would just naturally assume that the answer was to believe for the healing of the girl, but you see now something has changed in the situation here. When the man first came to Jesus, his daughter was not well, but she was still alive. Now that she has died, the situation requires more than healing, but a total restoration of life.

 

The belief here is not for the girl so much, but it is a belief in that Jesus is willing and able to do what He says. If He says that the girl will be made whole, then she will be made whole absolutely, regardless of the outward circumstances or appearances. Even though the situation seems to be worse now, that has zero impact on the ability of Jesus to bring about the end result that He has promised.

 

You see my friends, so many people get caught in one particular trap of the enemy, and it is the reason why Jesus preceded His words of “believe only” with “fear not”. Many people have an erroneous idea that we must for example have great faith for healing before we can pray for healing and receive good results. This is not actually true at all. In-fact concentrating and worrying about the healing is exactly what will stop us from receiving. (It will not stop God from giving, just us from receiving!)

 

Instead, the only thing for us to believe in is the power of Jesus, and His willingness and love for us to use it on our behalf. If you believe that Christ has finished His work on the cross and removed your sins, that is enough. It is a lie of the enemy to say that something needs to be added to that.

 

Can I prove that with scripture? Yes I most certainly can. Look a Mark 2:9-12:

 

“Whether is it easier to say to the sick of the palsy, Your sins be forgiven you; or to say, Arise, and take up your bed, and walk?

But that you may know that the Son of man has power on earth to forgive sins, (he says to the sick of the palsy,)

I say to you, Arise, and take up your bed, and go your way into your house.

And immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went forth before them all; insomuch that they were all amazed, and glorified God, saying, We never saw it on this fashion.”

 

My friends, in the mind of Jesus, there is no difference between salvation and healing. The two are synonymous. To have your sins forgiven is to be healed. The very root meaning of the word “sin” is anything that falls short of the glory of God. We tend to thing of sins as wrong actions or behaviors, but when you see sin as God does, then it opens the eyes of our understanding to the full measure of it, and more importantly all that Jesus Christ has redeemed us from.

 

Now I’m bringing this to a close by saying that in order to receive everything from Jesus, realize as we have read that it is all the same to Him. So a simple question… How do we receive salvation? By believing on Jesus Christ, trusting Him that He is willing and able to do all that He has promised for us, and not being afraid or worrying about it.

 

Now here’s the exciting and eye-opening part… It’s the same for every single blessing and gift from God!

 

Fear not, believe only and you will receive. Believe it, speak it, trust it. Nothing more is required.

Some people think that is too simple, but they are not trusting God, they think that more is required because they are still trusting in their own efforts and strengths.

 

No my friends, God’s strength is more than sufficient, and we can not add a single thing to the wonderful work which Jesus has accomplished for us.

 

When you truly see how wonderfully simple Jesus has made everything for us, you will be able to honestly sing and dance as you worship Him for His glory, mercy and love towards us. Give Jesus the praise!