Why Unforgiveness Is at the Root of So Many Diseases

With God’s leading and grace, I have spent decades tracking what causes or triggers disease. As a result of that knowledge, there have been literally thousands of people worldwide who have been freed of specific diseases and syndromes because they dealt with the root issues causing the manifestations.

From my studies and experience, I attribute about 20% of diseases and syndromes to the general effects of our fallen world, such as genetics or environmental factors. What is the cause of the other 80% of diseases?

I believe they have a spiritual root. They are a planned event against us by the villain, Satan, and his dark kingdom. Yet the spiritual aspect of disease is overlooked by us, our medical providers and even the church.

There is much you can do to prevent disease in your life. Read the following truths carefully. You need to hear and embrace them to live in health.

Chasing Symptoms

Repentance and sanctification play important roles in disease prevention or becoming free from disease. We’re so busy chasing symptoms, we’re so busy chasing disease profiles, that we don’t even take into account why we got sick to begin with. Oftentimes, we need to deal with sin and spiritual issues that are affecting our hearts before our healing can occur.

We experience repentance from our sins when we first turn to God to acknowledge Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection on our behalf. That is our salvation. As Christians, we need further repentance for things in our lives that aren’t of God. We need to allow God to change us.

That is our sanctification. Sanctification is a lifelong process for the Christian where, through the glories and trials of life, and through our obedience to God, we learn to “walk in newness of life”: ” … that just as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life” (Rom. 6:4b).

It would be great if, once we became Christians, we never sinned again, but that isn’t so. The book of 1 John tells us that Christians still sin, but that God is always gracious to forgive our sins (1 John 1:8-9).

I want you to imagine going to the Father of all spirits, the Lord of creation, and saying, “Hey, Dad, I’m sorry. I come to You in Jesus’ name. Father, I’ve yielded to Satan’s law of sin. I’ve been following it, but I’ve hated it. I don’t want to do it anymore. As it says in Your Word, it’s not good for me. I come to You to take responsibility, and I repent to You for allowing the law of sin to control my life. Will You please forgive me?”

Is that hard? There’s no copay when you get that kind of prescription. No insurance is needed. Yet it may save you from diseases.

Conviction, Not Condemnation

Now, it’s important that you don’t react to God’s truth about sin in your life by condemning yourself. We are convicted of our sins by the Holy Spirit in order to bring repentance and freedom, not condemnation and shame.

The Holy Spirit’s conviction helps us to recognize our sin so that we can repent of it and walk in the freedom of Jesus Christ. “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, who walk not according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit” (Rom. 8:1). This is all the process of our sanctification, of being changed as we grow in Him.

We are still being sanctified in our spirits, sanctified in our souls and sanctified in our bodies. Our minds are being renewed; we are being changed spiritually. As a result, our bodies are going to sing, rejoice and leap for joy! We will be in health! That is God’s plan for us.

Our part is to embrace His truth, repent of following any aspect of the law of sin and allow Him to transform us into His image. We are saved by God’s forgiveness and mercy, but we walk out our sanctification on a daily basis. That is why God gives us the responsibility of believing the truth of the Word when it comes to our health and healing.

Now, God is not going to live your life for you! You have to take ownership in this victory. You need to activate; you need to decide to wake up. You must decide to be an overcomer, to face the challenges of life and defeat them in Jesus’ name. You must embrace the process of sanctification that God has brought to us so that you can walk in the freedom of Christ.

Unforgiveness and Disease

Our biggest problem is that people want to be healed without getting rid of the sins, such as unforgiveness, that are at the root of the disease. Forgiveness has to come first. Don’t hold on to the wrongs committed by others. Be a doer of the Word. Be a forgiver.

In Matthew 6:15, Jesus said, “But if you do not forgive men for their sins, neither will your Father forgive your sins” (see also Mark 11:26). And at the conclusion of a parable about forgiveness, Jesus stated, “So also My heavenly Father will do to each of you, if from your heart you do not forgive your brother for his trespasses” (see Matt. 18:21-35.) Forgiving others is one of the major keys to receiving from God.

Search Your Heart

Some people become angry with me and challenge me over these teachings. They talk about legalism and scare tactics. I have said 80% of all diseases and syndromes are spiritually related. Therefore, there are 20% that are not. However, if you have a disease, wouldn’t you want to search out the Scriptures and search your heart? Wouldn’t you go to the Lord with this request: “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (Ps. 139:23-24, NIV)?

If what is keeping you from your healing is a sin, which is the opposite of the Word of God, wouldn’t you want to confess it and move on to a life of wholeness and health? I know I would, and I have. {eoa}

Edited excerpt from Exposing the Spiritual Roots of Disease by Henry W. Wright, © 2019 by Be in Health^®, LCC, published by Whitaker House. Used with permission.

Dr. Henry W. Wright is the president and founder of Be in Health^® Global and the author of the bestselling book A More Excellent Way. With his insights into the medical as well as spiritual aspects of disease, he brings a fresh perspective to the process of ministering to the sick. He has presented seminars worldwide and across broad denominational lines for a number of years and is a frequent guest on many well-known television and radio programs. Dr. Wright is also the senior pastor of Hope of the Generations Church in Thomaston, Georgia. He holds a doctorate in Christian Therapeutic Counseling.