“…by Him this man stands here before you whole.” Acts 4:10
God’s salvation makes us whole, whole in spirit, whole in soul and whole in body. The Greek word sozo and it is used to describe the saving from sin and the effects of sin, including the salvation from sickness. The word is sometimes rendered, “to make whole.” Our redemption through Jesus’ blood paid for us to be made whole in every area of our lives.
Sozo, meaning to be saved or to be made whole, is used twice in Matthew 9:21, 22 of the woman healed of a hemorrhage. Jesus said to the woman who was healed by touching His garment, “Your faith has made you well.” It has also been translated, “thy faith hath made thee whole.” It literally means, “Your faith has saved you.”
Salvation was not just referred to for healing of sickness, but also for miracles performed to correct defects and deformities. In Acts 4:9 Peter uses the word sozo to describe the man who had received a miracle after being lame since birth. It has been translated as being made whole, or well. We also can learn from this passage that it was not Jesus Christ who ministered salvation, but that we, as His followers, are to minister the salvation that He provided.
There is another word that is similar to sozo. It is diasozo, meaning “to save thoroughly.” Diasozo means to bring through to the end or completion. It is translated “well” in Matthew 14:35-36, “When the men of that place recognized Him, they sent out into all that surrounding region, brought to Him all who were sick, and begged Him that they might only touch the hem of His garment. And as many as touched it were made perfectly well.” Salvation is not just for our spirits or our souls; it is also for our physical healing. It is healing that completely heals us of any sickness, disease or deformity. Physical healing restores us to the health that God has always intended for us. Physical healing restores us in the life of God that we have through Jesus Christ.
Application: God’s desire for you is to be in good, sound health. In the same way that you asked and received your salvation from sin, ask and receive your physical healing. Keep in mind that doctors and medicine also are in the pursuit of health and wholeness. Just because we believe in the supernatural doesn’t mean that we discard the natural. Be whole!