Psa 103:1-5 NRSV "Of David. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name. (2) Bless the LORD, O my soul, and do not forget all his benefits— (3) who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, (4) who redeems your life from the Pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, (5) who satisfies you with good as long as you live so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's."
It is important to understand that Jesus and his first century followers changed the focus of scripture from a legal-constitutional document that was viewed as a life operational manual, to the redemptive narrative that focused on the mission of Jesus the Messiah and the gospel of God's grace. It can be seen from the passage in John's gospel that the scripture is solely about Jesus, and that means that the 103rd Psalm is about Jesus, his mission, and all of the benefits He brings along with the gospel message. What are the benefits?
Benefits:
- forgives all your iniquity
- heals all your diseases
- redeems your life from the Pit
- crowns you with steadfast love and mercy
- satisfies you with good as long as you live so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's
Forgives all your Iniquity:
When it says that one of the benefits of Christ Jesus and the gospel is the forgiveness of ALL one's iniquity, it means iniquity past, present, and future. Further on in Psalm 103 it says that as far as the east is from the west, that's how far he has separated us from the guilt of our iniquity. This is necessary for the gospel to operate supernaturally as an agent of transformation. Paul explained, that the realization that one is justified in the eyes of God by the faithfulness of Jesus, creates total peace with the Father (Rom 5:1.) This produces real love for God and is the catalyst for loving one's neighbor as oneself.
Heals all your diseases:
Healing is definitely a big part of the mission of Jesus Christ. Disease is a result of the fallen nature of the world and is a natural aspect of life. It is random in many ways. Still, this is one of the stated benefits that accompanies the believer and the gospel of grace. There are many testimonies of saints who have by faith and prayer have seen their diseases healed. Certainly this is an area where individual faith is important. Yes, I want to emphasize that healing is definitely a benefit of Christ, but there are also saints that for what ever reason, have not been healed, and there is a lot of spiritual abuse that has arisen from this. The important factor is that the Holy Spirit enables our faith and faith is directly connected to hope which is definitely a benefit of Christ Jesus.
Redeems your life from the pit:
One could also translate this portion of the Psalm as "redeems your life from the ditch." There are ditches and pitfalls in our lives here. However, one of the many benefits of the gospel of Jesus Christ is redemption from the pitfalls and ditches. I have experience my share of ditches and pitfalls, some that apparently just happened and some that were of my own making. I can testify beyond doubt that I have experienced redemption from them all. That is the beauty of the gospel of grace. One can rest in the fact that even if one causes the ditch, ultimately God redeems it for the saint.
Crowns you with steadfast love and mercy:
Psalm 103 also states that as high as the heavens are above the earth, so is God's steadfast love and mercy. This is one of the absolute best benefits of the Lord Jesus Christ. One can trust explicitly in the fact that God's love is unending and always there. From this love comes His mercy. James stated that God's mercy always triumphs over judgment. What a benefit that is. This is an important fact to focus on. One can rest in, rely on, trust in, and have settled confidence in God's infinite mercy.
Satisfies you with good as long as you live so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's:
So many ministers make prosperity the focus of their gospel. In fact, it is referred to as the prosperity gospel. However, it is one of the benefits of the gospel of grace. It is unfortunate that so many put undue focus on it to the exclusion of emphasis on redemption and forgiveness. However, in its proper place, it is a beneficial fact of the gospel. All of the promises and NONE of the curses of Deuteronomy 28 are a part of the benefits of Christ Jesus and the gospel of grace. These benefits are predicated on the declaration of God, the faithfulness of Jesus, and nothing else. This is a place where ones measure of faith comes into place.
The Holy Spirit enables one to believe the gospel and likewise, the Holy Spirit enables one to have the faith to apprehend all of the benefits of Christ Jesus. That is the word that best describes what takes place with the one believing the gospel. There are two important words to consider here; they are comprehend and apprehend. Comprehend means to understand and apprehend means to lay hold of and make ones own. When one is apprehended by the police, they are shackled in handcuffs and locked in an area, whether the back seat of a patrol car, an investigation room, or a cell. This is what the saint must do with these benefits. They must apprehend, lay hold of, arrest, and make ones own the benefits of Christ and the gospel of grace/kingdom.
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