We look around and it’s not unusual to be saddened by the state the world is getting in. After all, we were created by God with five senses; sight, hearing, smell, touch and taste. We were created to be in touch with all our environment. So when things are going badly in the world, it affects us. Just as a warm, sunny day makes us cheerful, a gloomy, rainy day makes us sad. God knew when He made us that we would be affected by our senses.

Jesus said in John 16:33, These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. You see, even though things don’t always go right in the world, and even though our five senses are not always pleased, WE CAN HAVE PEACE in any situation.

I’m sure you can name any number of situations you’ve lived through where you were neither joyful or peaceful. Well, at least I have, anyway. But there’s one thing I’ve learned, and that is, your senses can lie to you. We’ve all seen optical illusions that have fooled us into thinking we just saw something we really didn’t. Maybe we’ve seen a ventriloquist that made a dummy talk, and our ears fooled us into thinking it was really the dummy talking. Maybe we’ve smelled what we thought was an apple pie baking, when it was simply an aerosol spray. Or maybe our taste or touch has been fooled by something other than what the reality was.

But there’s one thing that never fools us, or deceives us, and that’s the Holy Spirit. As we know, Jesus said in John 10:10, The thief cometh not, but for to kill, and to steal, and to destroy: but I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. I really like that verse. Why? Because Jesus told us that He and His Father want us to have life more abundantly. That’s not to say we wouldn’t have troubles, though. Remember, Jesus told us we WOULD have tribulation in this world. BUT BE OF GOOD CHEER!

How in the world can you be of good cheer in the midst of troubles? Because Jesus OVERCAME the world, and He OVERCAME the one who causes tribulation in this world. He OVERCAME sin and sickness, bearing our sins and our diseases upon Himself, taking them in OUR PLACE. And here’s where more tribulation comes: even if we’ve convinced ourselves that Christ Jesus took upon Himself all sin and all sickness, most people still have trouble with the fact that He bore them AWAY from us, meaning, we should no more have any association with sin OR sickness.

I’ve ministered to countless people who acknowledge they know Jesus bore all our sins and all our diseases. They take that to mean that like all of US, Jesus had to bear everything WE have to bear, in order to be fully human. Well, yes, that part is true, He DID. But it’s also true that He was our SUBSTITUTE, that the punishment He took was OUR punishment. He owned no sin or sickness of His own. He stood in OUR place and took what we had coming to us. And He paid the bill in full, meaning, WE NO LONGER ARE SUBJECT TO SIN AND SICKNESS because He paid the price in full to redeem us, IF WE ARE HIS.

Now, here’s the thing: are we HIS, or are we our own? Because, you see, if we have not given ourselves over to Christ Jesus, then we are none of His, and our sins and sicknesses are still our own. I’m sure you know what that means, if you are not redeemed or as many call it, “SAVED”, then you are still under the penalty for sin and sickness. Of course, there’s a cure for that: right now, before taking another breath, ask Christ Jesus to be your Lord and Savior, and turn from your sins and be saved.

Now, what does this have with “Be of good cheer”? Well, wouldn’t you be happy if you knew you never had to be a sinner again, or be sick again? I am! People try to tell me, everyone gets sick, everybody sins. No, that’s not correct according to the Bible. Our five senses tell us everyone sins and gets sick, but our five senses lie to us. The Bible doesn’t lie. You see, friend, it is written in Psalm 103:2-3, “Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits; who forgiveth all thine iniquities, who healeth all thy diseases.” Why do I keep pounding on those two verses? Because you just haven’t got it yet. If you had, you would be rejoicing!

It is written in 1 John 3:1-9,
1 Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.
2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
3 And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.
4 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.
5 And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.
6 Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him.
7 Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.
8 He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.
9 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.

Some are so quick to give away all that Jesus won for us. We are still calling ourselves poor old sick sinners. The five senses we have tell us that, reinforced by the trash talking we have believed all our lives, that the devil is feeding us. We are NOT sinners anymore once we have come to Christ Jesus for salvation. God’s own seed is in us, we are CHANGED! We are NOT subject to sickness anymore, according to God’s own Word, for it says HE HEALETH ALL OUR DISEASES! How many diseases is that? ALL.

Now you MAY be sick if you want to; you can have a cold or the flu or cancer or diabetes or any other sickness that is common to man. You have God’s permission to do that. But that’s not for ME. Jesus paid the price, so WHY would I pay again for what Jesus paid for? I choose to take God at His word and be sickness-free, which I have been for over twenty five years now.

God gave you “FREE WILL”. He will not MAKE you accept salvation or healing. You must CHOOSE to receive them. I chose to, and when the devil comes to try to talk me out of what God gave me, I refuse to listen to him. I tell him, Get lost! I CHOOSE to forsake sin, I CHOOSE to remain disease-free. And do you know what? I’ve been sick unto death, and I’ve been well. I like well MUCH better! I’ve been a sinner headed for hell, and I’ve been saved. I like saved MUCH better.

I’m celebrating the goodness of God every day! That’s how you be of good cheer. When your five senses tell you things are going to hell in a handbasket, tell your senses that the one going to hell is the devil and his crew. We, God’s children are the whole reason Christ Jesus came to earth and bore all our sins and all our diseases, so we could be of GOOD CHEER! We are the redeemed of God, the apple of His eye, and the recipients of His love! Like Jesus said, These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.