Health And Healing
Mark the following true (T) or false (F).
“If you were right with God you would not have high blood pressure (thyroid problems, arthritis, a cold, backache, etc.). T____ F____
“There must be sin in your life or you would not be sick” T____ F____
“God wants all of His children healthy.” T____ F____
“Christians aren’t supposed to be sick because “by His stripes we are healed.” T____ F____
After evaluating the following review your answers. You might even reverse your answers.
Jesus said of the sickness from which Lazarus died, “This sickness ….is for the glory of God” (John 11:4).
To the Philippians it was said, “Unto you it is given….to suffer” (Philippians 1:29).
Jesus encountered a man blind from birth (John 9) and critics asked Him, “Who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” What a dumb question. If he was born blind how could the blindness be caused by his sin. Jesus said, “Neither this man nor his parents …” The blindness was not caused by sin “but that the works of God should be revealed in him” (John 9:3). The man’s blindness was not caused by sin but simply gave occasion for the glory go God to be revealed through him. Often our sickness is not caused by sin but is simply an occasion for the works of God to be revealed through us.
Paul suffered from a “thorn in the flesh” and prayed three times for its removal. It was not removed. He continued to suffer.
In reality all healing comes from RAPHA, God, the God of healing. Sometimes He used human instrumentality, doctors and medicine, to achieve healing. Often He does it through natural process or by direct divine intervention.
If sickness in the life of Christians is a discipline from God then doctors are working against God. As such their profession should be shunned by believers. Theirs is an honorable profession to be respected. Many Godly physicians acknowledge they are willful agents of the Great Physician.
God in His sovereign will chooses to heal some while not healing others. Let those chosen to be made whole rejoice and not make others fell like second class Christians. Let those chosen to suffer for the glory of God not be offended. Both are loved by Him.
I believe in divine healing by the Lord God. I am one who has experience His supernatural healing. I was born with a hole in my heart and given six weeks to live. No medical treatment was offered but many prayed and miraculously the hole closes.
I am one who was not healed also. I prayed I would never be subject to cancer. I am. He has chosen not to heal me. God doesn’t love me now any less than He did when He healed me.
CONSIDER THESE MISCONCEPTIONS:
1. IT IS GOD’S WILL FOR ALL CHRISTIANS TO BE WELL AT ALL TIMES. SICKNESS REVEALS A PERSON TO BE OUT OF HIS WILL.
Paul had physical ailment (II Cor. 12: 7-10); Timothy had a stomach disorder (I Timothy) 5:23); his fellow workers, Trophimus and Epaphroditus became very ill (II Timothy 4:20, Philippians 2:26, 27).
There was no hint of sin in the life of any of these.
2. IF YOU HAD ENOUGH FAITH YOU WOULD BE HEALED.
The emphasis in Scripture is not in the strength of our faith but the object of it. Faith is not a means by which we manipulate God for healing. It is resting in His will and sufficiency.
Accusing Christians of not having enough faith to be healed causes much distress, often undermines God’s sovereign will, perverts the true meaning of faith, reduces compassion for the sick, and causes confusion and discouragement.
As long as we live in our fallen physical body we will be vulnerable to sickness and suffering (II Corinthians 4: 7-18).
3. BY CHRIST’S STRIPES WE ARE REDEEMED AND PHYSICALLY HEALED OF ALL SICKNESS.
Christ’s death did atone for our sin and guarantee a renewal of our body. Our salvation is instantaneous. The renewal of our bodies, their redemption will not fully be achieved until He returns (I Corinthians 15: 42-54; Romans 8:23).
4. ALL AFFLICTION COMES FROM SATAN AND SHOULD BE REBUKED AND OVERCOME.
The difficulty with a half-truth is the wrong half
gets emphasized. Some adversity is caused by the devil and some affliction comes from demons. To assume all comes from them is to misrepresent the truth. Adversity is part of life. Christ told us in this world we would have “tribulation.” It is part of life in our imperfect fallen world.
Read Romans 8: 18 – 15 to gain a good understanding of when the body of believers will be fully redeemed. Until it occurs we will travail.
Always put Scripture first and interpret experience by it.
There is an aspect to this needing consideration. Personal habits of some Christians do sometimes cause illness. Eating improperly, smoking, failing to exercise, exposing ones self to communicable diseases, such as STDs, and other abuses are contrary to the will of God. When done they are causes of self-inflicted illness. Persons need to confess and correct the conduct if they expect healing. Don’t expect God to do for you what He expects you to do for Him.