What Is Remedial Care?

Let’s begin by defining ‘remedial’ as: corrective, counteractive, and curative—in other words, discipleship is intended to improve our wellbeing. Care for our whole being—spirit, soul, and body (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24). Eugene Peterson captures it best with these words from the Message Bible: Every part of Scripture is God-breathed and useful one way or another—showing us truth, exposing our rebellion, correcting our mistakes, training us to live God’s way. Through the Word we are put together and shaped up for the tasks God has for us (2 Timothy 3:16-17, the Message).

SHOW — EXPOSE — CORRECT — TRAIN

That’s how Holy Spirit cares for our hearts. He uses God’s Word to help and heal our souls—i.e., our thoughts, our choices, and our feelings. Never leaving us to fend for ourselves amidst sin’s hunts, haunts, and habits. He transforms us—spirit, soul, and body.

How?

First, God has (past tense) exchanged our nature to sin (i.e., our fallen condition into sin-and-death) for Jesus’ righteous Life, once-and-for-all — forever! Our sin for Jesus righteous Life! (2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Peter 2:9-10; 2 Peter 1:3-4). From the moment we repent and believe (Mark 1:15), we are passed from death into Jesus’ Life (John 5:24). No longer sin-dead, we are forgiven and set free (Romans 5:6-11). We’ve been made alive with Jesus’ righteous Life!

Second, God has (past tense) exchanged our identity of sins for Jesus’ obedient Life. Father God once identified us, as sinners, by our sins (e.g., as liars, thieves, homosexuals, etc.). But once He saves us from our sins, He gives us Jesus’ obedient Life. In other words, the Life of obedience Jesus lived, for 33-years on Planet Earth, is now given to us. And His Life (our new nature) now empowers us for right living (our new identity).

But so often, we Christians forget the truth. Or we never really knew and understood the great exchange of 2 Corinthians 5:21—that our sins have been exchanged for Jesus’ righteousness (our new nature, our new identity). So, we continue to falsely identify ourselves by those same sins; living in and from those sins because we still believe we’re liars, thieves, homosexuals, etc. Forgetting we are children of God, identified and empowered by Jesus’ obedient Life for right living (Romans 6; 2 Peter 1:3-4). Always learning to live from Jesus’ Life within.

Third, God continues (present/continuous tense), day in and day out, through the power of His Spirit, to exchange our destiny of sinning for a new destiny of Jesus’ overcoming Life.

In other words, Holy Spirit helps and heals our souls with Jesus’ overcoming Life for right living (Romans 7:25; 8:1-5). Overtime, He exchanges our disordered thinking for His thinking. Our destructive choices for His choices. Our damaged emotions for His emotions. Rescuing us again and again and again from ourselves. From the me, myself, and I syndrome of Romans 7:17 & 20 (v13-25) for Jesus’ Life living in and through us (Romans 6:6-7; 8:1-5; Galatians 2:20).

SO, WHAT DOES REMEDIAL CARE LOOK LIKE?

One Christian coming alongside another, to facilitate spiritual growth and wellbeing (i.e., encourage, exhort, even educate) Holy Spirit’s work within our hearts, and what a privilege that is!

It’s all about using God’s Word to:

SHOW — EXPOSE — CORRECT — TRAIN

Using God’s Word to disciple God’s people…

as we move from receiving Life through faith, to the power of living by faith (Romans 1:17; Gal. 2:20)
as we deeply experience the PEACE of God’s POWER—i.e. God’s grace (Romans 5:1)
as we intimately grow in the PERSPECTIVES of God’s PATH—i.e., God’s truth (Colossians 3:1-2)

NHE’s Find True Identity Discipleship is brought together in corrective, counteractive, and curative diagnostiX—NHE's homework platform and the journey of remedial care. And it’s our honor, here at NewHeart Expressions, to take this journey with you.

To begin NHE’s Find True Identity Discipleship journey contact Pastor Ron at ronb5@idMe.email.