I would like to share with you a recent thought that the Lord brought by on what it means to be made whole.  First of all, I would like to define the word “whole”.  Some definitions from the dictionary are:  free of wound or injury (unhurt), recovered from a wound or injury (restored), free of defect or impairment, having all of its proper parts (complete).  A synonym for whole is “perfect”.  If I could physically demonstrate to you something that is not whole, I would present to you a vase that has been shattered into many pieces or perhaps a puzzle that is missing one piece.  Both of these examples have no value or use because they are broken or incomplete.   People are just like this.  All of us are incomplete and some of us are like the vase.  Our lives have been torn into many pieces by sickness, death, trauma, depression, violence, addictions, or some other great trouble.  But there is a remedy, a balm in Gilead that can be found.  His name is Jesus.  Every human person is incomplete without Jesus in their life.  No matter if everything in life has been good for you; there is still an empty void in your life.  The reason is that you were created to fellowship with God but when sin entered into the heart of man, he was separated from God.  The only way man can be reconciled back to God is through God’s Son, Jesus Christ.  Jesus paid the sin debt for mankind on the cross of Calvary.  He made a way that man can be restored or made “whole”.   I have heard so many testimonies over the years from Christians that talk of how different their lives were after they accepted Jesus Christ.  I have heard some say that the sun shone brighter, the grass was greener, and their heart was full of love instead of hatred.  Some just said they felt a deep settled peace enter their heart.  Here are some scriptures that demonstrate the miracle of being made whole by Jesus:

Matthew 9:22

“But Jesus turned him about, and when he saw her, he said, Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole.  And the woman was made whole from that hour.”

Matthew 14:36

“And besought him that they might only touch the hem of his garment; and as many as touched were made perfectly whole.”

Luke 8:48

“And he said unto her, Daughter, be of good comfort:  thy faith hath made thee whole;  go in peace.”

Please notice some important truths about being made whole.  When God saves your soul, you are made whole that very instant, that very hour.   God’s salvation is a gift.  You don’t have to do something more or different.  God’s salvation is given to you freely and fully the moment you accept Jesus as your Savior.  There is spiritually growth that can be had after you are saved but you are made “whole” the moment that God saves your soul.

When God saves your soul, the salvation he gives you is “perfect”.  It is not of man’s righteousness that you are saved but of the righteousness of Jesus.  This is why salvation is eternal.  It is not dependent on man and his goodness or his works but it is provided by the supreme sacrifice that Jesus made on Calvary.  What God does, he does well.  The scripture didn’t say that these people were just partially made whole and that it would only be good for so many days or months.  It said they were made perfectly whole.

The next scripture I want to read is John 5:6:  “When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole?”

This is the question I want to ask you today?  Have you been made whole?  If not, do you want to be made whole?  Like the crippled man in this scripture, have you been on life’s journey a long time but your life is empty and void?  Then now is the time for you to call on Jesus and ask him to make your life whole.   And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked.