Welcome to Waymaker Church! We are so excited to have you join us today! We exist to Encounter, Live for, and Advance the Kingdom of God!

Last week, we began a four-part series entitled “Jesus our Healer”. We began by looking at how Jesus heals the heart of man. Through surrender to His lordship, we gain awareness that issues of life stem from the heart of man.

Though we are born into sin, God has made it possible for us to be born again by the Spirit. John 3:3“Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

Those born again by the Spirit experience a spiritual rebirth, resulting in being a new creation in Christ Jesus. 2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”

This transformation is not a physical transformation, but a spiritual one, where the Holy Spirit comes to dwell within the believer, leading to a change in desires, affections, and ultimately, a new way of life in Christ.

As we receive the Holy Spirit, He begins the work of sanctification. This work of the Holy Spirit is to purify and make us holy. He works to consecrate us before God by calling us out of the world to live righteous and separate unto God.

The process of sanctification will impact every part of our life.

If we are to do as it says in Romans 6:11 “Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Then there must be a work of the Holy Spirit in the inward man to heal the soul of man. This is what I want to look at today.

Life is unique. On the one hand, it amazes you with beautiful moments and opportunities. There are simple things like the warmth of the son, the beauty of the blue sky, or the reflection of a mountain range off the surface of a mountain lake that looks like glass. The misty fog on a crisp fall morning, that blankets the landscape in peaceful calm.

The moments of joy and laughter shared between close friends and family. Exploring new places, trying new things, or checking boxes off the bucket list. The moment when you say I do on your wedding day, or begin to have children, or the first grandchild comes along—so many moments and experiences to be thankful for.

Yet, almost simultaneously, we can experience moments that are traumatic, difficult, and disappointing. Some experience physical, emotional, or sexual abuse that can leave deep and lasting scars. Some have faced neglect, feeling unloved and rejected, they struggle to see their value.

Many face loss unexpectedly, and the pain of grief permeates every fiber of their being. Others have experienced betrayal that has eroded trust and created deep wounds, and some have lived through intense conflict.

Add to this the realities of issues like bullying, financial hardship, discrimination, or injustice, and the complexity of these experiences can have a lasting impact on our lives, leaving their imprint on the inner man.

I have come this morning to declare that Jesus is the healer of the inner man. Your past experiences, traumas, heartaches, or disappointments do not have to define your future! Healing begins with surrender.

God doesn’t only ask us for our yes to serve His purposes, but He also, through the ministry of the Holy Spirit addresses the needs of the inner man to heal the brokenhearted, binding up their wounds. Psalm 147:3 says, “He heals the brokenhearted And binds up their wounds.”

He is near to those who have a broken heart. Psalm 34:18 “The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, And saves such as have a contrite spirit.”

The key to healing the inner man is surrender. The work of the Holy Spirit in the inner man will illuminate and address every fractured aspect of our inner being. Through the word, He first reveals, and then he heals.

As we study the Word of God to renew our mind (Romans 12:1-2) the Holy Spirit will use what we read to illuminate what is out of alignment in our heart.

It may be an area of unforgiveness, bitterness, resentment, anger, perversion, lust, being judgmental, critical, self-righteousness, pride, or arrogance. Whatever it is the Holy Spirit will reveal it.

Now the critical next step is this: When the Holy Spirit illuminates areas of brokenness, we have a decision to make. Will we harbor and reinforce what He desires to remove, or will we surrender it?

This moment of decision can be more difficult than we ever anticipated, because often, the hurt becomes the accepted limp that we walk with. Allowing the trauma or hurt to rewrite and redefine our identity.

If we choose to retain what is intended to be surrendered, we will end up in spiritual bondage. Opening unwanted doors to demonic influences and spiritual attacks, that result in confusion, torment, and distorted thinking.

These things will hinder spiritual growth by diminishing our capacity to hear from the Lord.
Think about it this way. Ephesians 5:26 says, God sanctifies and cleanses us through the washing of the water of the word. If we have clogged spiritual filter we will struggle to receive from the Lord. The area of bondage will hinder the purifying process.

Jesus heals the soul of man by first revealing what is in the heart through the Word. Response to the word in faith gives spiritual license to the Holy Spirit to help you heal and remove what is clogging the spiritual filter.

If we are struggling with unforgiveness, bitterness, and resentment, He will lead us to forgive. If we struggle with anger, He will teach us how to walk in Love. If we struggle with perversion or lust, He will instruct us on how to be pure.

If we struggle with being prideful or arrogant, judgmental, critical, or self-righteous, He will teach us the way of humility in the Fear of the Lord.

There is nothing that God can’t heal. The key step is surrender. We don’t have to do the work on our own.