Book Excerpts

 

Chapter 1: A Spiritual Understanding of Biblical Wholeness

 

But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness; and all these things shall be
added to you. Matthew 6:33

 

Medicine can care for and cure diseases only as far as God permits. It is only the Church of Christ serving in His Spirit that can bring Biblical Wholeness [1] to an individual. Apart from God working this life through His people, wholeness cannot nor will not be found by any Man. The beginning step to finding wholeness is through a right relationship with Christ. True Biblical wholeness is impossible without Man being given a new nature.

 

A recent study by a group of nursing researchers demonstrated the importance of maintaining one's relationship with God regarding physical recovery. This research, done among several Intensive Care Units, Medical Units, and Hospice Units, firmly documented that the recover rate of patients with faith was more positive and exhibited fewer complications. It conclusively showed a critical difference between the recovery rates of the two groups. Patients of faith who directly incorporated their relationship with God into their healing process fared better in morale and physical healing than those who did not. [2] God wants each person to desire relationship with Him. His desire for His Church is to feel compassion for others and for all to be made whole in Christ, and health is one aspect of Biblical wholeness.

 

Definition

Biblical wholeness is the collective unit of an individual that is in agreement with the Father. It comprises the physical body, soul, and the spirit that is born anew, operating as one system in intimacy, trust, dependence, and obedience to God the Father by his cooperation with the power of the Holy Spirit.

 

Shalam is the Hebrew word for wholeness, and is derived from Christ's shalom (peace). God's shalom is what I equate with Biblical wholeness, for it is much more encompassing than shalam (wholeness). As a new creation we are given His shalom. This in turn gives us tranquility, safety, well-being, welfare, health, contentment, success, comfort, wholeness, and integrity. [3] Is this not what Man is looking for? And for us Christians, it has been ours all along. Wholeness is increasingly experienced as we wholeheartedly surrender to the Lord, continually desiring to be possessed and controlled only by Him through His Spirit. Shalom and surrender are inseparable.

 

Having one's mind controlled by the old nature is death, but having one's mind controlled by he Spirit is life and shalom.

 

In this surrender the Lord fills His child with His shalom, life and love. As Biblical wholeness changes and influences the individual, he/she then begins to desire for others to experience this life of true love and true shalom. Biblical wholeness 4 does not stop with the individual, but reaches out to embrace others.

 

Then He said to them all, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it. Luke 9:23-24

 

[1] Biblical Wholeness is a term coined by this author to describe the submission of Man's whole being (the spirit, soul and body) to Christ for growth and wholeness (shalom). True Biblical wholeness encompasses all domains of Man's personal life, including life with the corporate body of believers.

 

[2] Galanter, Marc, M.D., Larson, David, M.D., Rubenstone, Elizabeth, B.A. Christian Psychiatry: The Impact of Evangelical Belief on Clinical Practice. AMJ Psychiatry 148:1, 1-1991.

 

Reed, Pamela. Preferences for Spiritually Related Nursing Interventions Among Terminally Ill and Nonterminally Ill Hospitalized Adults and Well Adults. Applied Nursing Research, vol. 4, No. 3 (August). 1991; pp. 122-128.

 

Botell, Karen, MS, MPH, RN & Bozett, Frederick, DNS, RN. Nurses' Assessment of Patients' Spirituality: Continuing Education Implications. The Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing, vol 21, No. 4; pp. 172-176.

 

[3] Stern, David. (1999 6th ed.) Jewish New Testament Commentary. Clarksville, MD: Jewish New Testament Publications. p. 382.