Seeking Jesus First - February 26, 2026
“Go and Sin No More”Please Read John 5:8–14 (NKJV)
ReflectionJesus had just spoken a word of authority to the man who had been an invalid for thirty-eight years: “Rise, take up your bed and walk.” The man obeyed immediately—he was made well, took up his bed, and walked. What should have been a moment of uncontainable joy and thanksgiving quickly turned into conflict. It was the Sabbath, and the religious leaders saw the man carrying his bed and confronted him: “It is the Sabbath; it is not lawful for you to carry your bed.”
Instead of celebrating the miracle, they looked for a rule to enforce and someone to accuse. The healed man, still processing what had happened, pointed to the One who had given the command: “He who made me well said to me, ‘Take up your bed and walk.’” The religious crowd immediately shifted focus—they wanted to know who this “He” was, not to honor Him, but so they could persecute Him.
Later, Jesus found the man in the temple and revealed Himself fully: “See, you have been made well. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you.” Here we see the deeper layer of the miracle. Sin and sickness are tied together in Scripture—not in every individual case as a direct one-to-one punishment, but in the broader reality of the fall. Sin opened the door to the curse; sickness, disease, and death entered the human experience as part of that curse. The religious leaders were blind to the mercy standing before them because their focus was fixed on external rules rather than the heart of God.
But Jesus came to deal with both the cause and the curse. On the cross, He was wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed (Isaiah 53:5). He forgave sins and provided remission through His blood. The New Testament declares this accomplished reality: “who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed” (1 Peter 2:24). Healing is not something we beg for in the future; it is something that has already been provided in the past tense of the cross. Jesus bore our sins so we could die to sin and live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed. The command “Sin no more” is not a threat of condemnation; it is an invitation to live in the freedom and wholeness Jesus has already purchased. Go forward in the new life He has given, no longer bound by old patterns, no longer under the dominion of sin or its effects.
In the Kingdom life, healing is part of our inheritance through the finished work of Christ. We access it by faith, agreeing with what God has already said and done. Yet faith also calls us to responsibility: to renew our minds to the Word, to turn from sin, and to walk in obedience—not to earn healing, but because we have been made well. Jesus’ words to the man are words to us: See that you have been made well. Sin no more. Walk in the freedom and authority I have given you.
ApplicationToday, thank Jesus for dealing with both sin and its curse on your behalf. If there is any area where sin has held you back—whether in thought, word, action, or habit—bring it to Him in repentance and receive fresh grace to “sin no more.” Renew your mind to the truth: by His stripes you were healed, and His blood has brought remission. Speak agreement with Scripture over your body, soul, and spirit. Then go forward—carry the testimony of what He has done, and let it encourage someone else who feels stuck or condemned. Your freedom can become their hope.
PrayerLord Jesus, thank You for the cross—where You were wounded for our transgressions, bruised for our iniquities, and by Your stripes we were healed. Thank You that You Yourself bore our sins in Your own body on the tree, so that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes we were healed. Thank You for forgiving our sins and breaking the curse once for all. Today we choose to sin no more, not out of fear, but out of gratitude for the finished work You accomplished. Renew our minds to Your Word. Help us walk in the wholeness and authority You have already provided. Let Your healing and forgiveness flow through us to others, revealing Your Kingdom mercy in everyday places. In Your name we pray, giving thanks for the living Word of the Lord. Amen.