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God commands His people to forgive one another, while providing the blood of His only son for the forgiveness of our sins. Throughout scripture, God shows us that forgiveness is critical to unlocking His power and opening the doors to His kingdom. But it’s not just our eternal welfare at stake. Let’s take a look at four times the Bible clearly links forgiveness of sins and the release of healing power in people’s lives:
- Psalm 103:2-3: “Praise the Lord, my soul; and forget not all his benefits—who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
In this psalm, David commands his soul to remember that God forgives and heals. He praises God for human redemption through His love and mercy; His power to renew strength inside a believer empowering people to prosper.

- Isaiah 53:5: “But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds, we are healed.”
This profound prophecy points to the painful punishment Jesus took to pay for the sins of all God’s people. For our sakes, and because of our “iniquities” or sins, Jesus’ body was tortured. He took our punishment, exchanging eternal torment for everlasting peace. But His wounds not only provided a way to Heaven – the crucifixion of Christ has also provided healing for us today.

- James 5:14-16: “Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other so that you may be healed.”
This promise emphasizes the power of communal prayer and faith in healing. It offers express instruction of who – the elders of the church – and how – by praying over the sick in the congregation, physically pouring oil over the ill. This instruction shows us that healing happens when sins are forgiven.

- Mark 2:5: “When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, “Son your sins are forgiven.”
The paralyzed man had some very good friends. Four of them, desperate to get their friend in front of Jesus, cut a hole in the roof of the room where Jesus was preaching. Jesus healed the paralytic because of the faith of his friends. As the religious teachers heard Jesus forgiving the man, they accused Him of blasphemy. Jesus schooled them,, saying in verse 9: “Which is easier: to say to this this paralyzed man, ‘Your sins are forgiven’; or to say, ‘Get up, take your mat and walk?’”
In this exchange, Jesus shows us that forgiving sins and commanding healing flow together.
Jesus finished His argument by letting the religious teachers know He has authority to forgive sins, telling the paralytic to take his mat and go. With the forgiveness of sins and command of healing, the paralyzed man was healed in front of everyone.
