"The
Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He has anointed me to preach the gospel
to the poor. He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to
the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who
are oppressed, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord."Luke 4:18
For restoration
to occur, the person must be ministered to through liberation and inner
healing. Therefore it is necessary to clarify the differences between these
ministries and the need within the restoration. These ministries are performed
within the Church, but many times due to ignorance, errors are made in the form
of ministration, and instead of bringing peace and freedom to the person who seeks
God, they confuse and worsen their spiritual and emotional situation.
Therefore, it is important to know what the differences and needs are that make
these ministries closely related and part of the restoration. The Bible states
that man is a tripartite being, he is made up of spirit, soul, and body and the
three areas work integrally: If one area is damaged, it will negatively affect
the other areas.
From the
spiritual point of view, a person possessed under the power of an evil spirit;
will also manifest disturbed emotional behavior and will suffer in his body.
This person must be ministered in prayer of deliverance according to the power
that Jesus Christ gave to his Church (Luke 10:19). In this action the forces of
the devil will stop operating before the power of the Spirit of God and His Word.
In the Gospels, Jesus manifests His restorative
power through his ministry of teaching, preaching, healing, and delivering
people from spiritual and physical brokenness. Restoration is possible no
matter how broken a life may seem.
Surrendering
control and trusting in God’s plan requires humility and courage. The person must
let go of perceived control and self-reliance to create space for God’s grace
to enter. This
letting go allows the person to release past hurts, disappointments, and resentments
and let God into the broken places
of his heart. Letting go is not
easy, but it unleashes great power. As the person releases his grip he frees himself
from unnecessary turmoil and suffering. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines
the verb "restore" as to bring back to or put back something to a
former or original state. The promise of restoration, “I will restore you to
health and heal your wounds, declares the Lord” (Jeremiah 30:17, is a repeated
theme throughout the Bible, offering hope when all else seems to contradict it.
Restoration, in the biblical sense, holds immense meaning for those seeking
spiritual guidance and healing. It refers to the act of renewing or bringing
back something to its original state. The roots of the word “restoration” can
be traced back to the Latin term “restauratio,” which signifies renewal and
repair.
When exploring
the concept of restoration,
it is important to delve into the Hebrew and Greek origins of the word. In
Hebrew, the word for restoration is “shūb,” which signifies the act of turning
back or returning. This reflects the idea of repentance and the restoration of
one’s relationship with God. In Greek, the word for restoration is
“apokathistēmi,” which conveys the sense of bringing something back to its
rightful place. This emphasizes the idea of returning to a state of wholeness
and righteousness.
By understanding
the Hebrew and Greek roots of restoration, we gain a deeper insight into
the biblical view of restoration.
It goes beyond mere repair or renewal; it encompasses a holistic transformation
that involves turning away from sin, returning to God, and reclaiming what was
lost or broken. The concept of restoration holds
great relevance in today’s world, as individuals seek healing, renewal, and
reconciliation in their personal lives.
As the person is under
the dominion of demonic oppression, he is unable to free himself; He needs
God's help. However, he is aware of his situation and in his emotional area (his
soul) he feels fear, anguish, shame, and anger. The people who are ministering
must be discreet, and wise, and operate in love. We should not make ministry a
public spectacle because this will affect the person being ministered to negatively.
Furthermore, it must be
kept in mind that every liberated person must continue in the ministry of inner
healing to lead to his restoration. Inner healing is the result, in the soul of
the person, of a process of renewal of his mind and heart, which brings him inner
peace, frees him from painful memories, and allows him to restore his present
life according to God’s will and plans for his life. Inner healing encompasses
the healing of harmful emotions and feelings that bring depression, anxiety,
anguish, and lack of peace, due to unhealed painful memories that also distort
thoughts and create one's own lies to justify the experience or repress it.
Unlike demonic
liberation, in internal healing the active participation, decision, and
perseverance of the person are essential and an indefinite time is required
when the Holy Spirit works, guiding, rebuking, and revealing the truth that
sets one free (John 8: 32). This is a gradual process of "removing the
thorn" and sowing the word of God in the thoughts and the perfect love of
God in the heart; Gods Word for the sick mind and love for the wounded heart
full of hate and resentment because of the pain of the past.
All people need inner
healing because we are all wounded, but not all of us need demonic liberation.
However, in both cases, manifestations such as anger, anxiety, depression, and
anguish can occur, but they are not always due to spiritual causes. Most of the
time it is due to the fruits of painful memories from the unresolved past,
therefore care must be taken in the way of ministering.
In this aspect, many
mistakes are made that worsen the person's situation. Let's look at the
following examples: A person who has suffered from depression for a long time
seeks God and is delivered from a spirit of depression. The person returns home
and the depression worsens. Then, he feels that God has abandoned her, that his
last hope does not exist, or that he is unworthy and there is sin in his life.
This situation causes him to fall into a deeper depression and he loses confidence
in the power of God. The problem is that this person needs to be ministered to
inner healing and not deliverance and guided toward his restoration.
Similar errors occur
when ministering demonic deliverance to a person suffering from the disease of
epilepsy. This disease presents manifestations similar to those of the boy with
the mute spirit (Mark 9:17-22): It takes hold of him, knocks him down, and he
foams, gnashes his teeth, and wastes away. The case of people with hormonal
disorders who manifest severe anxiety or depression due to physical causes can
also be mentioned. How many children have also suffered traumas that in their
adulthood will prevent them from trusting God, or fear being ministered to?
Because of painful memories the person also creates images that cause fear and
are distorted from reality. Logically, all of these people need ministering;
but we cannot know if it may always be because they are possessed by an unclean
spirit. Of course, Satan uses these situations to oppress the person, but
oppression is not the same as possession.
Every person who needs
deliverance should have an inner healing and restoration follow-up, but not
every person who needs inner healing needs to be ministered to as a
demon-possessed person. Whatever the situation, the love of God must be
authentically emphasized through the acts of God's servants who need
understanding, wisdom, and above all to have been called by God to this
ministry. For God whom he calls prepares, through his own experience (II
Corinthians 1:4).
Why is it that some
people are not restored even though they are in Christ? Many times it is because
they do not dare to recognize their own responsibility due to fear and feelings
of guilt. They prefer to blame every problem on others and close the door to
their heart. God demands a condition: that we open the door to Him (which is
the will), believe in Him, and obey Him because He does not force us. He
invites, He knocks... He asks that we hand over our burdens to Him and follow
Him "Behold, I stand at the door and knock, if anyone hears my voice and
opens the door I will come in and I will eat with him and he with me"
(Revelation 3:20). Jesus wants to enter with his ministry of salvation,
liberation, inner healing, and restoration. But in each area, the person must
open the door through honesty, humility, and faith.
Deliverance is the act of liberating someone from the
influence or control of evil spirits or demonic forces. It is a vital step in
spiritual growth and freedom. However, deliverance alone is not enough to
ensure lasting change and true freedom from negative influences. Inner healing
and restoration must also be part of the process. Mark 5:1-20: This passage recounts the story of Jesus delivering a man
possessed by a legion of evil spirits. After the deliverance, the man is found
sitting, clothed, and in his right mind, signifying the restoration and inner
healing that took place alongside the deliverance.
Inner healing refers to the process of addressing
and resolving the emotional, mental, and spiritual wounds that may have
resulted from past traumas or negative experiences. Restoration, on the other hand, is the act of rebuilding
and strengthening one's spiritual life, helping the individual to return to
their original state of wholeness and well-being. Psalm 147:3: "He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their
wounds." This verse emphasizes the role of inner healing in addressing
emotional and spiritual wounds.
In
the Gospel of Luke, Jesus Christ provides us with a clear commission, which
serves as the foundation for the importance of inner healing and restoration in
deliverance. In Luke 4:18, Jesus
states: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because He has anointed me to
preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to
proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at
liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the acceptable year of the
Lord."
From this passage, we can see that Jesus emphasizes
the importance of healing the brokenhearted and setting the captives free. This implies that deliverance should not be an isolated
event, but rather a holistic process that encompasses inner healing and
restoration.
It
is crucial to recognize that true deliverance involves more than just casting
out evil spirits or demonic influences. It
is a comprehensive process that includes inner healing and restoration, leading
to emotional, mental, and spiritual growth. By adhering to the teachings
of Jesus in Luke 4:18, we can better understand the importance of combining
these elements in the deliverance process and experience true freedom and
wholeness in our spiritual lives.
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