Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God. For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death. But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter (Romans 7:4-6).

We are to serve now in newness of spirit. The Amplified Bible says we serve in “…[obedience to the promptings] of the Spirit in newness [of life]” (verse 6). We are to serve now after this new man who is born of God indwelt and permeated by the Holy Spirit. We no longer serve the old habits and ideas we had or after the flesh that has not yet been changed. We still serve, but we serve from the inside. Now we walk in newness of life and follow the promptings of our newborn spirit as he is taught and directed by the Holy Spirit. We have died to the law that we might be married to Him Who was raised from the dead to bring forth fruit unto God.

“But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit” (1 Corinthians 6:17). We are to function here in the earth, even while we still live in a natural body as one with Jesus the Anointed. We were dead. Now we live to be “married” to Him.

That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church: For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church (Ephesians 5:26-32).

Paul says this is a great mystery. As a man is joined to his wife and they become one flesh so is the Anointed and His Church. We are His body—flesh of His flesh, bone of His bone. We are to live united to Him as the branch to the vine so that His life and His anointing pervades every action and decision. That is the way Jesus Himself lived. He said:

I am able to do nothing from Myself—independently, of My own accord—but as I am taught by God and as I get His orders. [I decide as I am bidden to decide. As the voice comes to Me, so I give a decision.] Even as I hear, I judge and My judgment is right (just, righteous), because I do not seek or consult My own will—I have no desire to do what is pleasing to Myself, My own aim, My own purpose—but only the will and pleasure of the Father Who sent Me (John 5:30, The Amplified Bible).

Kenneth and Gloria Copeland

To realize the truth of God’s will for healing, you need to understand the full extent of your redemption. Healing is just as much a part of the plan of redemption as salvation, the Holy Spirit and heaven as your eternal home. To stay sick when Jesus has provided healing would be living far below your privileges as a child of God.

Let’s view the plan of redemption through the eyes of Isaiah the prophet. He describes what was to happen at Calvary—the sacrifice, the pain, the suffering, the death. He gave a very accurate picture of Calvary, by the Holy Spirit, showing exactly what would happen in both the physical and the spiritual world: “Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows…” (Isaiah 53:4).

Note the first word of this verse: Surely—not maybe, not perhaps.It’s a fact. Surely Jesus has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows! The King James Version gives an inaccurate translation of the original Hebrew words. The literal Hebrew translation of the words for griefs and sorrows should read, “Surely he hath borne our sickness, and carried our disease.”

But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken. And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich is his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth. Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief… (Isaiah 53:5-10).

Most modern translations read, “It was God’s will that He be bruised.” It was the definite will and design of God that Jesus take all sickness and disease on Himself for us. His purpose was to free mankind from it.

Kenneth and Gloria Copeland

Acts 10:38
How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.

Romans 4:16-21
Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all, (as it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were. Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be. And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah’s womb: He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; and being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.

Romans 8:2, 11
For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.

2 Corinthians 10:3-5
For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (for the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.

Galatians 3:13-14, 29
Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: that the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

Kenneth and Gloria Copeland

In Deuteronomy 28, we see the blessings that come from
obeying the Word of God. For instances, verses 11-12 state,
“And the Lord shall make thee plenteous in goods, in the fruit of
thy body, and in the fruit of thy cattle, and in the fruit of thy
ground, in the land which the Lord sware unto thy fathers to give
thee. The Lord shall open unto thee his good treasure.” You see,
God blessed Abraham and his descendants with prosperity
because He swore it in the covenant. Praise God!

Then beginning with verse 15, we find an outline of the
curse of the law. “But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken
unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe to do all his commandments
and his statutes…that all these curses shall come upon thee,
and overtake thee.” This curse spells complete and total poverty
in every area of life. Poverty is not a blessing of God. To believe
that it is, that it carries with it some sort of humility, is to
believe that God is the author of the curse, and He is not! God
is the author of the blessing.

God did not curse Adam; He built a garden for him and provided
everything he could possibly ever need or want. Satan is
the one who brought in the curse. When Adam united with
Satan, everything in the earth was cursed. Then the covenant
God made with Abraham provided an umbrella—a protection,
an avenue of escape from this curse. As long as Abraham walked
with the Lord and listened to His Word, he was protected; but
the moment he disregarded the voice of the Lord, relying on his
own understanding, he would step from under this protective
umbrella and become vulnerable to Satan once again.

Why does it seem so difficult to get along with God? He
knows the difference between right and wrong and the foundation
laws upon which these values are constructed. He has
understanding and wisdom about the laws governing life. He
established His system to work a certain way, then Satan
deceived us into believing that the opposite was true. God is
not being disagreeable with us. He is refusing to agree with
Satan. This happened with Eve in the Garden of Eden. God had
said, “If you eat the fruit, you will surely die.” Then Satan came
along and convinced her that it wasn’t true by saying, “Can it
really be that God has said…?” He convinced her that God’s
Word was not true, so she disobeyed God and Adam followed
her. The law functioned and at that very moment they died
spiritually. Physical death was to follow years later.

Kenneth and Gloria Copeland

Revelation 21:4
KJV—And God shall wipe away all tears
from their eyes; and there shall be no
more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither
shall there be any more pain: for the
former things are passed away.

Amp—God will wipe away every tear from
their eyes, and death shall be no more,
neither shall there be anguish—sorrow and
mourning—nor grief nor pain any more; for
the old conditions and the former order of
things have passed way.

Moffatt—He shall wipe every tear from
their eyes, and death shall be no more—no
more wailing, no more crying, no more pain,
for the former things have passed away.

NEB—He will wipe every tear from their
eyes; there shall be an end to death, and to
mourning and crying and pain; for the old
order has passed away!

Deuteronomy 28:15,
22, 27-28, 35, 58-61
KJV—But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt
not hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy
God, to observe to do all his commandments
and his statutes which I command
thee this day; that all these curses shall
come upon thee, and overtake thee.

The Lord shall smite thee with a consumption,
and with a fever, and with an
inflammation, and with an extreme burning,
and with the sword, and with blasting, and
with mildew; and they shall pursue thee
until thou perish.

The Lord will smite thee with the botch
of Egypt, and with the emerods, and with
the scab, and with the itch, whereof thou
canst not be healed. The Lord shall smite
thee with madness, and blindness, and
astonishment of heart.

The Lord shall smite thee in the knees,
and in the legs, with a sore botch that cannot
be healed, from the sole of thy foot
unto the top of thy head.

If thou wilt not observe to do all the
words of this law that are written in this
book, that thou mayest fear this glorious
and fearful name, THE LORD THY GOD;
Then the Lord will make thy plagues wonderful,
and the plagues of thy seed, even
great plagues, and of long continuance,
and sore sicknesses, and of long continuance.
Moreover he will bring upon thee
all the diseases of Egypt, which thou wast
afraid of; and they shall cleave unto thee.
Also every sickness, and every plague,
which is not written in the book of this law,
them will the Lord bring upon thee, until
thou be destroyed.

Amp—But if you will not obey the voice
of the Lord your God, being watchful to
do all His commandments and His statutes
which I command you this day, then
all these curses shall come upon you and
overtake you.

The Lord will smite you with consumption,
with fever, and inflammation,
fiery heat, sword and drought, blasting,
and mildew; they shall pursue you until
you perish.

The Lord will smite you with the boils
of Egypt and the tumors, the scurvy and
the itch, of which you cannot be healed.
The Lord will smite you with madness and
blindness and dismay of [mind and] heart.

The Lord will smite you on the knees and
on the legs with a sore boil that cannot be
healed, from the sole of your foot to the
top of your head.

If you will not be watchful to do all the
words of this law that are written in this
book, that you may (reverently) fear this
glorious and fearful name [and presence],
THE LORD YOUR GOD; Then the Lord
will bring upon you and your descendants
extraordinary strokes and blows, great
plagues of long continuance, and grievous
sicknesses of long duration. Moreover
He will bring upon you all the diseases of
Egypt, of which you were afraid, and they
shall cling to you. Also every sickness and
every affliction which is not written in the
book of this law, the Lord will bring upon
you, until you are destroyed.

Kenneth and Gloria Copeland