RP 112 THE DOCTRINE OF DIVINE HEALING
|
| Reference | Study Index |
| #2 | REASONS WHY IT'S ALWAYS GOD'S PERFECT WILL TO HEAL EVERY BELIEVER |
|---|---|
| Intro 1 | Introduction 1 |
| #2.02 | BECAUSE JESUS IS PROOF THAT GOD WANTS US HEALTHY |
| #2.021 | He came to earth to do the will of God the Father |
| #2.022 | He destroyed sickness, the work of the devil |
| #2.023 | He never refused or failed to heal anybody who asked him |
| #2.024 | God hasn't changed, Jesus hasn't changed |
| #2.04 | BECAUSE RECEIVING OUR HEALING BY FAITH PLEASES GOD |
| #2.041 | Jesus healed all those who asked him |
| #2.042 | Jesus always pleased God |
| #2.06 | BECAUSE RECEIVING OUR HEALING BY FAITH GLORIFIES GOD |
| #2.061 | The healings of Jesus brought glory to God |
| #2.062 | We are commanded to glorify God in our physical bodies |
| #2.063 | Every promise is "yes" for God's glory |
| #2.08 | BECAUSE WE ARE COMMANDED TO PRESENT OUR BODIES PERFECT, AS A HOLY LIVING SACRIFICE |
| #2.081 | The command to present our body as a living sacrifice |
| #2.082 | Sacrifices must be perfect to be acceptable |
| #2.10 | BECAUSE WE ARE COMMANDED TO RESIST THE DEVIL STEADFAST IN THE FAITH |
| #2.12 | BECAUSE SICKNESS GIVES THE ENEMIES OF GOD THE OPPORTUNITY TO BLASPHEME HIM AND HIS WORD |
| #2.14 | BECAUSE MIRACLE HEALINGS HELP UNBELIEVERS TO BELIEVE |
| #2.16 | BECAUSE MIRACLE HEALINGS SPREAD THE FAME OF JESUS |
| #2.18 | BECAUSE JESUS HAS ALREADY SUFFERED FOR OUR SICKNESSES |
| #2.20 | BECAUSE WE ARE CALLED TO BE CONFORMED TO THE IMAGE OF JESUS |
| #2.22 | BECAUSE GOD HAS PROMISED HEALING IN THE COVENANTS HE MADE WITH MEN |
| #2.221 | Healing was promised in the Old Covenant |
| #2.222 | Healing is promised in the New Covenant |
| #2.223 | God will not break or alter any covenant |
| #2.224 | The New Covenant is better than the old one and supersedes it |
| #2.24 | BECAUSE JOHN'S WILL CANNOT BE CONTRARY TO GOD'S WILL |
| #2.26 | BECAUSE GOD IS NO RESPECTER OF PERSONS |
| #2.28 | BECAUSE OUR BODY IS THE TEMPLE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT |
| #2.30 | BECAUSE THE CHURCH IS THE BODY OF CHRIST |
| #2.32 | BECAUSE GOD LOVES US |
| #2.34 | BECAUSE GOD IS MERCIFUL |
Introduction 1: Some may argue, that if it
was always God's perfect will to heal, everyone would get healed; but as
that obviously doesn't happen, it cannot always be God's perfect will to
heal. This is a false reasoning, but to show that it is, we need to establish
at the outset, what we mean by "God's perfect will", and make a
distinction between "God's perfect will", and "God's permissive will".
"God's perfect will" is simply everything that God wants to happen,
based upon his love for us ( See #2.32). It is that we fear him and keep his
commandments (Deut 5:29; Ecc 12:13), have fellowship with him (Gen 3:8-9; 1
John 1:3), love him with all of our heart and soul (Deut 6:5; Mat 22:37),
become like Jesus ( See #2.20), and love others as ourselves (Mat 22:39; Rom
13:8-10). "God's permissive will" is everything that God allows to
happen, whether it is part of his perfect will or not, and it includes
everything that happens in the heavens, and upon the earth. Nothing can happen
outside of God's permissive will, because God has total control at all times
(Psa 115:3; 135:6; Pro 21:1; 29:26; Ecc 8:3; Isa 45:11-12; 46:10-11; Dan
4:34-35; Jonah 1:14; John 19:11; Eph 1:11). However, within his permissive
will, God permits much wickedness to take place; he allows war, murder, theft,
adultery, idolatry, and even Satan worship, simply because he has given Man
freedom of choice, and he will not take it away until death. God's perfect
will never changes, but his permissive will alters according to circumstances,
and depends mainly upon the choices made by Man. A few examples will
illustrate the difference between God's perfect will, and his permissive will:
(A) When God created Man, he
gave him dominion over everything that he created on the earth (Gen 1:28;
9:13; Psa 8:48), and although he instructed him not to eat of the tree of the
knowledge of good and evil (Gen 2:16-17), he permitted him to choose for
himself, which he did (Gen 3:1-7). God's perfect will was that Man would not
eat of it, and so be free of the consequences, but his permissive will was
that he could, if he chose to do so, and bear the punishment promised (Gen
2:17). Before Adam sinned, God's permissive will was that he should live in
the garden of Eden (Gen 2:8), but afterward it changed, and he drove him out (Gen 3:23-24).
(B) At one time God's
permissive will was that Hezekiah should die for his sins if he did not repent
(2 Kin 20:1; Isa 38:1), but after he did repent (2 Kin 20:2-3; Isa 38:2-3),
God permitted him to live another fifteen years (Isa 38:5). God's perfect
will was always that Hezekiah would repent and live (Eze 18:31-32).
(C) Another example is, that
it is God's perfect will for everyone to be saved (Eze 18:32; Mat 18:14;
John 3:16; 6:39; Gal 1:3-4; 1 Tim 2:3-4; 2 Pet 3:9; Rev 22:17), but his
permissive will is that most will be lost, and that is what in fact will
happen (Mat 7:13-14; Luke 13:24). In this instance, God's perfect will and
God's permissive will are obviously not the same. So just as those who fulfil
the conditions for salvation will be saved, and those who do not will
be lost, so also, those who fulfil the conditions for healing will be healed,
but those of us who do not will not be able to receive our healing by faith.
One of the conditions to be able to pray in total faith is that we know that
what we are praying about is God's perfect will (1 John 5:14-15). Thus it is
important to establish from the word of God exactly what God's will is when
it comes to healing sickness. If the devil can come to us and say, "God will
not heal you because ...", and we do not have a scriptural answer, then he
has destroyed our faith for healing, and he can keep us sick, because another
of the conditions to receive by faith, is that we do not doubt:
(Mat 21:21) "If ye have faith, and doubt1 not,"
(Mark 11:23) "Whosoever ... shall not doubt1 in his heart, but shall believe"
(Jam 1:6-7) "But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering1. For he
that wavereth1 ... let not that man think that he shall receive anything from the Lord."
(Jam 5:15) "And the prayer of faith shall save the sick,".
The word translated doubt1 (Mat 21:21; Mark 11:23) is the
same Greek verb diakrinw
(Gtr. diakrinō), which is also translated wavering1,
and wavereth1 (Jam 1:6). In context here, it means "to
judge", "to dispute", or "to contend" in the mind, and thus "to
doubt". Doubt about what God's will is, or about what God has said, is one
of the devil's devices, which he uses to deceive us, and rob us of the
blessings which God has promised us. The first thing he said to Eve in the
garden of Eden was, "Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of
the garden?" (Gen 3:1). By suggesting that she could, he was trying to get
Eve to doubt what God had said. When he saw that she knew what God had said,
he tried to get her to doubt the consequences of it by saying, "Ye shall not
surely die:" (Gen 3:4). In order to expose the wicked deception that it is
not always God's will to heal us, the following sections establish one
simple truth; that it is always God's perfect will to heal us, even though
sometimes we may not get healed when we fail to fulfil the conditions. This
ought to be a great encouragement to anyone sincerely seeking a healing,
because if God's attitude towards us is the reason why we cannot get healed,
and we cannot change God (See #2.024), then we could never get healed. But if
we are at fault somewhere, then we can do something about that, and when we do
fulfil the conditions to be healed, we will receive. Therefore, when we get
these scriptures securely in our heart, it will rob the devil of an
opportunity to deceive us out of what God has promised, and what Jesus died to
purchase for us.
MATTHEW 26:39, 42 (Jesus)
39 And he went a little farther,
and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let
this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.
42 He went away again the second
time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me,
except I drink it, thy will be done.
MARK 14:36 (Jesus)
36 And he said, Abba, Father, all
things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not
what I will, but what thou wilt.
LUKE 22:42 (Jesus)
42 Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not
my will, but thine be done.
JOHN 4:34
34 Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.
JOHN 5:30 (Jesus)
30 I can of mine own self do
nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgement is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the
will of the Father which hath sent me.
JOHN 6:38 (Jesus)
38 For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him
that sent me.
Note:
Jesus came to earth to do the will of God (John 4:34; 5:30; 6:38), and
submitted himself to do it even when faced with death on the cross (Mat 26:39;
26:42; Mark 14:36; Luke 22:42), so there can be no doubt that he did fulfil
God's will while he was here. When he made statements like, "not as I
will, but as thou wilt." (Mat 26:39), and "not my will, but thine be done."
(Mark 14:36), he was talking to his Father, and referring to his Father's
will (John 5:30). So as he doesn't change (Heb 13:8), let us ask ourselves,
whose will was he doing when he healed all the sick people (See
#2.023)?
Obviously the Father's will, and as God doesn't change either (See
#2.024), it proves that it is still God's perfect will to heal us today.
1 JOHN 3:8
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 destroy1 the works of the devil.
ACTS 10:38 (Peter)
38 How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost, and with power: who went about doing
good, and healing all who were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.
Note:
The word translated he might destroy1 (Gr. lu/sh|,
Gtr. lusē) (1 John 3:8) is the first person, singular, aorist, active,
subjunctive, of the verb lu/w
(Gtr. luō) "I loose", or "I untie". This means that the purpose
of the manifestation of Jesus was to "loose (or untie) the works of the
devil." (1 John 3:8). We see an example of him doing this when he said to a
woman with a spirit of infirmity, "Woman, thou art loosed from thine
infirmity." (Luke 13:12), where the same verb "luō" is used. He
went on to say, "And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom
Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on
the sabbath day?" (Luke 13:16), where he used the same verb "luō"
again. So in order to "loose the works of the Devil", Jesus went around
destroying sickness, "healing all who were oppressed of the devil;" (Acts
10:38). This confirms two important facts; firstly, that sickness is from the
devil (See also Job 2:6-7; John 10:10), and secondly, as Jesus came
specifically to do the will of God (See #2.021), it is always God's perfect
will for sickness to be destroyed.
MATTHEW 4:23
23 And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and
preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing
all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.
MATTHEW 8:16
16 And when the even was come, they
brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the
spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick:
MATTHEW 9:35
35 And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their
synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.
MATTHEW 12:15
15 But when Jesus knew it, he withdrew himself from thence: and great
multitudes followed him, and he healed them all:
MATTHEW 14:14
14 And Jesus went forth, and saw a
great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and
he healed their sick.
MATTHEW 15:30
30 And great multitudes came unto him, having with them those that were lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many
others, and cast them down at Jesus feet; and he healed them:
MATTHEW 19:2
2 And great multitudes followed him; and he healed them there.
MATTHEW 21:14
14 And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple; and he healed them.
MARK 6:56
56 And whithersoever he entered, into villages, or cities, or country, they laid the sick in the streets, and
besought him that they might touch if it were but the border of his garment:
and as many as touched him were made whole.
LUKE 4:40
40 Now when the sun was setting,
all they that had any sick with divers diseases brought them unto him; and he
laid his hands on every one of them and healed them.
LUKE 6:17-19
17 And he came down with them,
and stood in the plain, and the company of his disciples, and a great multitude of people out of all Judea and Jerusalem, and from
the sea coast of Tyre and Sidon, which came to hear him, and to be healed of their diseases;
18 And they that were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed.
19 And the whole multitude sought
to touch him: for there went virtue out of him, and he healed them all.
LUKE 9:11
11 And the people, when they knew
it, followed him: and he received them, and spake unto them of the kingdom of
God, and healed them that had need of
healing.
JOHN 6:2
2 And a great multitude followed
him, because they saw his miracles
which he did on them that were diseased.
Note: During his earthly ministry Jesus healed "all who were oppressed of the devil." (Acts 10:38), "all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people." (Mat 4:23), "all that were sick." (Mat 8:16), "every sickness and every disease among the people." (Mat 9:35), "them all:" (Mat 12:15), "their sick." (Mat 14:14), the "lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many others," (Mat 15:30), "the blind and the lame" (Mat 21:14), "as many as touched him" (Mark 6:56), "every one of them" (Luke 4:40), "they that were vexed with unclean spirits:" (Luke 6:18), "them all." (Luke 6:19), and "them that had need of healing." (Luke 9:11); proving beyond any doubt that it is God's will for every believer to be healed. Nowhere can a scripture be found where Jesus failed to heal anybody who asked him, or refused to heal anybody who asked him, and he is "the same yesterday, and today, and for ever." (Heb 13:8). If it was God's will for anyone to be sick, then Jesus failed to do the will of God, because he didn't put sickness on anybody. If it was God's will for Christians to suffer with sickness, then Jesus failed to do the will of God a second time, because he never suffered with sickness himself. Even though he touched many sick people (Mat 8:15; Luke 4:40; 5:13; 13:13), he never caught their diseases, but on the contrary, they always caught his perfect health; "as many as touched him were made whole." (Mark 6:56).
PSALMS 102:27
27 But thou art the same, and thy
years shall have no end.
MALACHI 3:6
6 For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.
HEBREWS 13:8 (Paul)
8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and for ever.
JAMES 1:17
17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from
the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.
Note:
Having established that when Jesus came he did the will of God (See
#2.021),
that he destroyed sickness, the work of the devil (See #2.022), healing
innumerable diseases (See #2.023); we can now see that as God and Jesus do not
change, then healing for the sick must still be God's perfect will for us
today.
MATTHEW 4:23
23 And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and
preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing
all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.
MATTHEW 8:16
16 And when the even was come,
they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word,
and healed all that were sick:
MATTHEW 9:35
35 And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their
synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease
among the people.
MATTHEW 12:15
15 But when Jesus knew it, he
withdrew himself from thence: and great multitudes followed him, and he healed them all:
MATTHEW 15:30
30 And great multitudes came unto him, having with them those that were lame,
blind, dumb, maimed, and many others, and cast them down at Jesus feet; and he healed them:
MARK 6:56
56 And whithersoever he entered,
into villages, or cities, or country, they laid the sick in the streets, and
besought him that they might touch if it were but the border of his garment:
and as many as touched him were made whole.
LUKE 4:40
40 Now when the sun was setting,
all they that had any sick with divers diseases brought them unto him; and he
laid his hands on every one of them and healed them.
LUKE 9:11
11 And the people, when they knew
it, followed him: and he received them, and spake unto them of the kingdom of
God, and healed them that had need of
healing.
JOHN 8:29 (Jesus)
29 And he that sent me is with
me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I
do always those things that please him.
HEBREWS 11:6 (Paul)
6 But without faith it is impossible to please him, for he that cometh to
God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
Note:
Receiving our healing by faith pleases God, but being healed with drugs,
medicines, ointments, or surgery does not. Doctors diagnose according to the
condition of the flesh when they check the temperature, the pulse, the
breathing, the blood pressure, and so on; but do they ever check the spiritual
condition of the patient? Paul said "they that are in the flesh cannot
please God." (Rom 8:8), and "without faith it is impossible to please him."
(Heb 11:6), so doctors can never please God as long as they diagnose and treat
according to the flesh. Those who profess to believe in Christ, and prescribe
the same treatments as unbelievers, show that their confidence is in the
drugs, and not in God. Divine healing relies totally upon the supernatural
power of God to manifest a healing, and this trust in him is what pleases God.
Jesus never used drugs or medicines, or sent people to the physicians for
treatment, but every healing was done totally by faith in the Father, and that
is why he could say, "I do always those things that please him." (John
8:29). If we wish to please God, then we need to receive our healing by faith,
without drugs or medicines, because "without faith it is impossible to
please him." (Heb 11:6).
MATTHEW 15:30-31
30 And great multitudes came unto
him, having with them those that were lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many
others, and cast them down at Jesus' feet; and he
healed them:
31 Insomuch that the multitude
wondered, when they saw the dumb to speak, the maimed to be whole, the lame to
walk, and the blind to see: and they
glorified the God of Israel.
LUKE 5:24-26 (Jesus heals the sick of the palsy)
24 But that ye may know that the
Son of man hath power upon earth to forgive sins, (he said unto the sick of
the palsy,) I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy couch, and go into thine house.
25 And immediately he rose up before them, and took up that whereon he lay, and departed
to his own house, glorifying God.
26 And they were all amazed, and glorified God, and were filled with fear,
saying, We have seen strange things today.
LUKE 7:12-16 (Jesus raises a dead man at Nain)
12 Now when he came nigh to the
gate of the city, behold, there was a dead man carried out, the only son of
his mother, and she was a widow: and much people of the city was with her.
13 And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not.
14 And he came and touched the
bier: and they that bare him stood still. And he said, Young man, I say unto thee, Arise.
15 And he that was dead sat up,
and began to speak. And he delivered him to his mother.
16 And there came a fear on all: and they glorified God, saying,
That a great prophet is risen up among us; and, That God hath visited his people.
LUKE 13:10-12 (Jesus heals a woman with a spirit of infirmity)
10 And, behold, there was a woman
which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and
could in no wise lift up herself.
11 And when Jesus saw her, he called her to him, and said unto her, Woman, thou art loosed from thine
infirmity.
12 And he laid his hands on her: and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God.
LUKE 17:12-15 (Jesus heals ten lepers)
12 And as he entered into a
certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off:
13 And they lifted up their voices, and said, Master, have mercy on us.
14 And when he saw them, he said
unto them, Go show yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as
they went, they were cleansed.
15 And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a
loud voice glorified God.
LUKE 18:42-43 (Jesus heals a blind man)
42 And Jesus said unto him, Receive thy sight: thy faith hath saved thee.
43 And immediately he received his sight, and followed him, glorifying God: and all the
people, when they saw it, gave praise unto God.
JOHN 11:3-4 (Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead)
3 Therefore his sisters sent unto
him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick.
4 When Jesus heard that, he said, This sickness is not unto death, but
for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby.
JOHN 11:39-40
39 Jesus said, Take ye away the
stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this
time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days.
40 Jesus saith unto her, Said
I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?
Note:
In every one of these cases God was glorified by the healing, not by the
sickness, because glory was given to God after they were healed, not while
they were still sick. Even when Lazarus had been dead four days, they had
still not seen the glory of God (John 11:40), nor did they see it until he
walked out of the grave, his partially decomposed body being fully restored to
life. If we really love God, and desire to see him glorified, then we need to
receive our healing by faith, so that he alone may receive the glory.
PSALMS 50:14-15 (Asaph)
14 Offer unto God thanksgiving;
and pay thy vows unto the most high:
15 And call upon me in the day of
trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou
shalt glorify me.
ISAIAH 43:7
7 Even every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my
glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him.
1 CORINTHIANS 6:19-20 (Paul)
19 What! Know ye not that your
body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of
God, and ye are not your own?
20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your
body, and in your spirit which are God's.
2 THESSALONIANS 1:11-12 (Paul)
11 Wherefore we pray always for
you, that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfil all the
good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of faith with power:
12 That the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and ye in him,
according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Note:
We are commanded, "glorify God in in your body," (Psa 50:15; 1 Cor 6:20),
that's what we were created for (Isa 43:7), and we can only do this by being
in perfect health, or being healed by faith, but not by remaining sick. What
glory is it to God, if our only witness is that the devil is making us sick,
and God won't heal us because he doesn't love us enough, or likes to see
us suffer? How many people would we convert to Christ on that basis? Isn't
it much more truthful to tell them, "Himself took our infirmities, and bare
our sicknesses." (Mat 8:17), and "with his stripes we are healed." (Isa
53:5). Then we can share with them the love and compassion that God has for
his children, and glorify God with our testimony of perfect health.
PSALMS 50:14-15
14 Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the most High:
15 And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee and thou shalt glorify me.
JOHN 14:13-14 (Jesus)
13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may
be glorified in the Son.
14 If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.
2 CORINTHIANS 1:20 (Paul)
20 For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.
Note:
There are three fundamental reasons why most of us want to be healed: to
glorify ourselves, to relieve ourselves of the suffering or inconvenience
caused by the sickness, or to glorify God.
The first is one of the reasons why sometimes we are unable to stand in faith
for healing: because we are seeking to glorify ourselves, rather than God. If
we wish to be healed so that we can boast, and show off how God is blessing
us, in order to obtain the admiration of others, then we will fail, because
this is contrary to faith:
(John 5:44) "How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another,"
(Jam 4:3) "Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it
upon your lusts."
The second is just a natural desire to be free from the pain and inconvenience
caused by sickness, and the woman with the issue of blood is a good example of
this (Mat 9:20-22; Mark 5:25-34; Luke 8:43-48). She spent everything that she
had seeking healing from the physicians before she came to Jesus (Mark 5:26;
Luke 8:43), and when she did get healed, she tried to hide it (Luke 8:45-47).
This shows that she was neither seeking glory for herself, or for Jesus; and
it also shows that God is willing to heal under these circumstances.
However, if the third reason applies to us, and we have a sincere desire to
glorify God, then God has told us; "call upon me in the day of trouble: I
will deliver thee and thou shalt glorify me." (Psa 50:15). All of God's
promises are already answered with a "yes" for God's glory (2 Cor 1:20),
and that includes healing. He will not say no providing that we fulfil the
conditions, because he will not alter what he has said (See
#2.223), nor can
he lie (Num 23:19; Titus 1:2).
ROMANS 12:1 (Paul)
1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your
bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
LEVITICUS 22:20-25
20 But whatsoever hath a blemish, that ye shall not offer: for it shall not be acceptable for you.
21 And whosoever offereth a sacrifice of peace offerings unto the LORD to accomplish his vow, or a
freewill offering in cattle or sheep, it
shall be perfect to be accepted; there shall be no blemish therein.
22 Blind, or broken, or maimed, or having a wen, or scurvy, or scabbed, ye shall not
offer these unto the LORD, nor make an offering by fire of them upon the altar unto the LORD.
23 Either a bullock or a lamb
that hath anything superfluous or lacking in his parts, that mayest thou offer
for a freewill offering; but for a vow it shall not be accepted.
24 Ye shall not offer unto the LORD that which is bruised, or crushed, or broken, or
cut; neither shall ye make any offering thereof in your land.
25 Neither from a stranger's
hand shall ye offer the bread of your God of any of these; because their corruption is in them, and blemishes be in them: they
shall not be accepted for you.
DEUTERONOMY 15:21
21 And if there be any blemish therein, as if it be lame, or blind, or have any
ill blemish, thou shalt not sacrifice it unto the LORD thy God.
DEUTERONOMY 17:1
1 Thou shalt not sacrifice unto the LORD thy God any bullock, or sheep, wherein is
blemish, or any evil favouredness: for that is an abomination unto the LORD thy God.
MALACHI 1:8,14
8 And if ye offer the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? and if ye offer the
lame and the sick, is it not evil? Offer it now unto thy govenor, will he
be pleased with thee, or accept thy person? saith the LORD of Hosts.
14 But cursed be the deceiver, which hath in his flock a male, and voweth,
and sacrificeth unto the Lord a corrupt
thing: for I am a great king, saith the LORD of hosts, and my name is
dreadful among the heathen.
Note:
Paul said that to present our bodies "a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable
unto God," (Rom 12:1), was our reasonable service; but according to the Old
Testament types, to be acceptable a sacrifice must be in good health. To
sacrifice anything sick is considered evil (Mal 1:8), and unacceptable (Lev
22:20; 22:25), an abomination to God (Deut 17:1), and we are commanded not to
do it (Lev 22:22; Deut 15:21). The only way we can obey all of these
scriptures is to be in perfect health, so how can God ever want anybody to be
sick? Certainly he permits sickness, but he also permits murder, theft, etc.
and none of these are his perfect will either, are they?
EPHESIANS 4:27 (Paul)
27 Neither give place to the devil.
EPHESIANS 6:11 (Paul)
11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand
against the wiles of the devil.
JAMES 4:7
7 Submit yourselves therefore unto God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.
1 PETER 5:8-9
8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your
adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about seeking whom he may devour;
9 Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are
accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.
Note:
The devil is always the cause of sickness (Job 2:6-7; Luke 13:16; John 10:10;
Acts 10:38), and these verses are commands to give him no place in our lives,
but to resist him "stedfast in the faith," (1 Pet 5:9). These are commands
to resist sickness, amongst other things, and as God would never desire us to
do something contrary to his will, it shows that it is always God's perfect
will for us to be healthy. As all disobedience to God's word is sin (Lev
22:9; Num 15:31; 1 Sam 15:22-23; Dan 9:5; 9:11), it is a sin not to resist
sickness by faith, and this was confirmed by Paul when he stated the
principle, "whatsoever is not of faith is sin." (Rom 14:23). God wants us
to "walk by faith," (2 Cor 5:7; Rom 4:12), "Fight the good fight of
faith," (1 Tim 6:12), and "live by faith." (Hab 2:4; Rom 1:17; Gal 2:20;
3:11; Heb 10:38), so that "the trial of your faith, being much more precious
than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto
praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:" (1 Pet 1:7).
Healing is only one area which gives us an opportunity to do this.
2 SAMUEL 12:14 (Nathan)
14 Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to
blaspheme, the child also that is born unto thee shall surely die.
PROVERBS 25:26 (Solomon)
26 A righteous man falling down before the wicked is as a troubled fountain, and a
corrupt spring.
ISAIAH 52:5
5 Now therefore, what have I here, saith the LORD, that my people is taken away for nought? they that rule over them make them howl, saith the LORD; and my name
continually every day is blasphemed.
EZEKIEL 36:20
20 And when they entered into the heathen, wither they went, they
profaned my holy name, when they said to them, These are the people of the
LORD, and are gone forth out of his land.
ROMANS 2:24 (Paul)
24 For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written.
Note:
Any dominating sin or sickness in our lives is a submission to the devil, and
any defeat that the devil can inflict upon us with sin or sickness gives the
world an opportunity to blaspheme the name of God. If we wear glasses, or
visit dentists, or seek after doctors when we are sick, then we cannot
honestly say that we have the faith that God heals eyes, teeth, or sickness,
because all deeds come from the heart (Pro 16:9; Mat 15:19; Mark 7:21-23),
and faith without works is dead (Jam 2:17; 2:20; 2:26). All these things give
the world an opportunity to blaspheme the name of God; to deny that he loves
us (See #2.32), to deny that he is merciful (See
#2.34), and to deny that his
word is true, when healing has so graciously been granted in the scriptures.
The fact that God does not wish his name to be blasphemed proves that it is
always his perfect will to heal us, but we still need to fulfil the conditions
in order to obtain our healing.
JOHN 4:48
48 And Jesus said unto him, Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe.
JOHN 11:43-45 (After Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead)
43 And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth.
44 And he that was dead came
forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes; and his face was bound about
with a napkin, Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go.
45 Then many of the Jews which came to Mary, and had seen the things which Jesus did,
believed on him.
ACTS 4:4 (When Peter healed a lame man and preached)
4 Howbeit, many of them which heard the word believed; and the number of the men
was about five thousand.
ACTS 9:34-35 (After Peter healed Aeneas of the palsy)
34 And Peter said unto him,
Aeneas, Jesus Christ maketh thee whole: arise, and make thy bed. And he arose immediately.
35 And all that dwelt in Lydda and Saron saw him, and turned to the Lord.
ACTS 9:40-42 (After Peter raised
Tabitha (Dorcas) from the dead)
40 But Peter put them all forth, and kneeled down, and prayed; and turning him
to the body said, Tabitha, arise. And she opened her eyes: and when she saw Peter, she sat up.
41 And he gave her his hand, and lifted her up; and when he had called the saints and
widows, he presented her alive.
42 And it was known throughout all Joppa; and many believed in the Lord.
Note:
Jesus himself testified that signs and wonders caused unbelievers to believe
(John 4:48), and many people believed simply because of the miracles that were
done (John 11:45; Acts 4:4; 9:35; 9:42). If it is God's will for people to
believe in Jesus, which it is, then surely supernatural healing must be his
will also.
MATTHEW 9:26 (After Jesus raised Jairus' daughter from the dead)
26 And the fame hereof went abroad into all the land.
MATTHEW 9:31 (After Jesus healed two blind men)
31 But they, when they were departed, spread abroad his fame in all that country.
MARK 1:28 (After Jesus healed a man with an unclean spirit)
28 And immediately his fame spread abroad throughout all the region round about Galilee.
MARK 1:45 (After Jesus cleansed a leper)
45 But he went out, and began to publish it much, and to blaze abroad the
matter, insomuch that Jesus could no more openly enter into the city, but
was without in desert places: and they came to him from every quarter.
MARK 5:20 (After Jesus healed the Gadarene demoniac)
20 And he departed and began to publish in Decapolis how great things Jesus had
done for him: and all men did marvel.
LUKE 7:17 (After Jesus raised a widow's son from the dead)
17 And this rumour of him went forth throughout all Judea, and throughout all
the region round about.
Note:
Does God want the fame of Jesus spread abroad? Of course he does! He wants the
gospel preached in all the world (Mat 28:19-20; Mark 16:15), so miracle
healings are something God very much wants to see take place, because as these
scriptures show, they cause the word of God to spread very quickly. When we
get healed by faith, we will have a far better witness for Jesus than when we
are sick, won't we?
ISAIAH 53:3-5
3 He is despised and rejected of
men; a man of sorrows1, and acquainted with grief2:
and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
4 Surely he hath borne our griefs2, and carried our sorrows1:
yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
5 But he was wounded for our
transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our
peace was upon him, and with his stripes we are healed.
MATTHEW 8:16-17
16 When the even was come, they
brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick3:
17 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself
took our infirmities4 and bare our sicknesses5.
1 PETER 2:24
24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto
righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.
GALATIANS 3:13 (Paul)
13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for
it is written, Cursed is everyone that hangeth on a tree:
Note 1: Leviticus chapter 16 describes an
atonement for sin which was made under the law, and Isaiah 53 describes the
atonement made by Jesus Christ for sin under the New Covenant. It is a section
of scripture which is called "the Atonement", and if we can find healing
in this scripture, then we can know for certain that healing was included in
what Jesus bought for us on the cross. The noun translated sorrows1
(Isa 53:3-4) (Hb. bwO)k;ma,
Htr. Mak'ōv) comes from a root word (Hb. b)ak@f,
Htr. Kā'av), a verb which means "to be sore," or "to have pain,"
or "to be sorrowful." The key to understanding this root word is "pain",
which can be defined as "bodily or mental suffering". It can refer to
physical pain, for example, "every male was circumcised ... when they were
sore" (Gen 34:24-25), and "his
flesh upon him shall have pain" (Job 14:22), or it can refer to mental pain,
which is sorrow, "Even in laughter the heart is sorrowful" (Pro 14:13).
The noun "mak'ōv" itself can also refer to physical pain, "He is
chastened also with pain upon his bed, and the multitude of his bones with
strong pain:" (Job 33:19), or
mental pain, "he that increaseth knowledge, increaseth sorrow." (Ecc
1:18). There are times when it can refer to both: "And the LORD said, I have
surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their
taskmasters; for I know their sorrows." (Exo 3:7). Here the pain would
certainly be physical as well as mental, because taskmasters with whips would
inflict much physical pain, and this in turn would cause "their sorrows".
We may conclude then, that the strict meaning of the word depends on the
context where it is used, as to whether it refers to physical pain, mental
pain, or both.
Note 2: So we need to analyse this scripture (Isa
53:4-5) in context, and together with other scriptures, in order to determine
exactly what it refers to here.
Was Jesus "a man of sorrows"? Well, if we look at other scriptures we
will find that he wept over Jerusalem (Luke 19:41). He wept over Lazarus (John
11:35), and when he was in the garden of Gethsemane, on the Mount of Olives,
before his crucifixion, he said, "My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto
death:" (Mat 26:38; Mark 14:34). When he prayed, he was "in an agony"
(Gr. a)gwni/a|,
Gtr. agōnia) which means "severe mental struggles", so much so that
"his sweat were as great drops of blood falling to the ground." (Luke
22:44). So certainly he was a man of sorrows.
Was Jesus "a man of pains?" Here we only have to look at Jesus just before
he died on the cross. He was beaten during his trial (Mat 26:67; Mark 14:65;
Luke 22:64; John 18:22). He was scourged (Mat 27:26; Mark 15:15; John 19:1),
and he had a crown of thorns put on his head (Mat 27:29; Mark 15:17). He was
nailed to the cross (John 20:24-28), and he was crucified (Mat 27:35; Mark
15:24; Luke 23:33; John 19:23), which was an extremely painful way to die.
According to prophecy, "his visage was so marred more than any man, and his
form more than the sons of men:" (Isa 52:14), so that we can conclude with
certainty that Jesus was a man of pains, as well as a man of sorrows. That
does not help us much to know which of these are meant in this passage on the
atonement, but let us look at some more points:
(A) If Jesus carried our
sorrows, then by definition, he must have carried our pains also, because pain
is one of the greatest causes of sorrow. If he did not carry our pains, then
our sorrows could not have gone either, and that would mean that we would have
to ignore this scripture altogether. The conclusion to be drawn is that Jesus
carried both our pains and our sorrows on the cross: this contradicts nothing.
(B) If we examine the
conditions in the kingdom of God, after our resurrection, then we can note the following:
(Rev 21:4) "And God shall wipe
away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither
sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former
things are passed away."
For the condition to include "no more ... sorrow, ... neither shall there be
any more pain:" then surely Jesus must have redeemed both on the cross.
Otherwise God would have no justification for taking them away. It could be
counted as a failure if Jesus did not redeem everything that Adam lost for us,
so we must conclude that he carried both our pains and our sorrows on the cross.
(C) Examine the statement:
"he cast out the spirits with his word, ... That it might be fulfilled which
was spoken by Esaias (Isaiah) the prophet, saying, Himself took our
infirmities" (Mat 8:16-17). This is definite proof that Isaiah 53:4 includes
physical sickness and infirmities, because when he cast out the spirits, he
fulfilled "Himself took our infirmities" (Mat 8:17), which is a quotation
of "he ... carried our sorrows:" (Isa 53:4), and the scripture verifies
that spirits do cause physical infirmities (Luke 13:11). The word translated infirmities4
(Gr. a)sqe/neia
Gtr. astheneia) is often used of physical infirmities (Luke 5:15; 8:2; 13:11;
John 5:5), or sickness (John 11:4), or diseases (Acts 28:9), as well as its
other meaning of weakness. The conclusion to this is, that in the prophecy of
Jesus' death (Isa 53:3-4), the word translated sorrows1
(Htr. Mak'ōv) refers to both physical pain and sorrow.
Note 3: We need to make it clear that although
Jesus took our worldly sorrow which "worketh death", he did not take our
godly sorrow which "worketh repentance to salvation" (2 Cor 7:10). Jesus
himself called us to repentance (Mat 4:17; Luke 13:3; 13:5), and God has
commanded all men everywhere to repent (Acts 17:30), but as repentance
includes godly sorrow (2 Cor 7:10), in no way have we been delivered from
this. We have been called to become like Jesus (See #2.20), and he was a man
of sorrows (See Note 1), as well as Paul who sorrowed much for the sake of
others (Rom 9:2; Acts 20:19; 20:31; 2 Cor 2:4; Phps 2:27-28).
Also as far as pain is concerned, because Jesus suffered much pain for the
sake of others, then this is our calling too. His pain was through persecution
(See Note 1), just as Paul's was (2 Cor 11:23-25; Gal 5:11; 6:12: 2 Tim
3:11). As Jesus promised us persecution (Mat 5:11; Mark 10:30; Luke 21:12;
John 15:20), then we can believe that "all that will live godly in Christ
Jesus shall suffer persecution." (2 Tim 3:12). Therefore Jesus only took our
worldly pains, which includes those that come with sickness, but not those
that we suffer for his sake.
Note 4: The word translated grief2
and griefs2 (Isa 53:3-4) is the Hebrew word ylix/
(Htr. cholî). It comes from the root word hlfxf
(Htr. chālâ), which can variously mean to be weak, infirm, sick,
diseased, wounded, etc., and can refer to either physical or figurative
sickness. The word "cholî" is variously translated elsewhere
as, "sickness" (Deut 7:15; 28:61; 1 Kin 17:17; 2 Kin 13:14; 2 Chr 21:15;
21:19; Psa 41:3; Ecc 5:17; Isa 38:9; Hos 5:13), "sicknesses" (Deut 28:59),
"disease" (2 Kin 1:2; 8:8; 8:9; 2 Chr 16:12; 21:18; Ecc 6:2), and "sick"
(Isa 1:5). Almost everywhere it literally means physical sickness or disease,
such as the fall of Ahaziah (2 Kin 1:2), Asa's feet (2 Chr 16:12), and
Jehoram's bowels (2 Chr 21:15-20), but it is also used in a figurative sense
of Israel, called Ephraim (Hos 5:13). In two other places it is translated "grief"
(Jer 6:7; 10:19), but even here it could be translated "sickness" as it is
in some other versions (NIV, NASV, etc.). For any honest Christian, this ought
to be enough evidence to translate "cholî" as sickness in Isa
53:3-4. Why should it mean physical sickness in every other scripture where it
is used except these?
Note 5: There are also other reasons why, at the
very least, Christ's death on the cross must include the redemption of our
sicknesses and diseases:
(A) The word "cholî"
is translated "sickness" (Deut 28:59; 28:61), where it refers to the
consequences of being under the curse for disobeying the law. When Christ died
on the cross, as he "redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a
curse for us:" (Gal 3:13), then he must have redeemed us from sickness also.
(B) As there can be no grief
or sickness on the new earth, all things will be "made new" (Rev 21:15),
Jesus must have redeemed both on the cross. Otherwise God would have no
justification for removing them from us.
(C) The statements "with
his stripes we are healed." (Isa 53:5), and "by whose stripes ye were
healed." (1 Pet 2:24), have to refer to physical healing, because we are not
spiritually healed, we are born again. The wicked spirit that lives within us,
called our "old man", is not healed, but has to be crucified and killed
(Rom 6:6). The "new man", which is Jesus, grows within us and replaces our
"old man", and when this is complete we become "a new creature: old
things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." (2 Cor 5:17).
Notice that nothing is healed, all things are made new; the "new man" is
created (Eph 4:24).
(D) In order to fulfil the
prophecy of Isaiah 53:4 Jesus first had to heal "all that were sick." (Mat
8:16), so that he could fulfil "Himself ... bare our sicknesses." (Mat
8:17). This in turn is a quotation of "he hath borne our griefs," (Isa
53:4), and again shows that the prophecy of Isaiah 53:4 must include physical
sickness as well as sorrows. The word translated sicknesses5
(Gr. no/soj,
Gtr. nosos) is also translated "sickness/es" (Mat 4:23; 9:35; 10:1; Mark
3:15), "diseases" (Mat 4:24; Mark 1:34; Luke 4:40; 6:17; 9:1; Acts 19:12),
"infirmities" (Luke 7:21), and is never used in the New Testament of
anything other than physical sickness or disease. Therefore that is what it
must mean in Matthew 8:17, and Isaiah 53:4 which Matthew is quoting.
(E) There is a place in the
Old Testament, where Levites were allowed to make an atonement in order to
prevent a plague among the Israelites (Num 8:19). We must ask the question,
"If an atonement made by a Levite under the law could prevent a plague, how
much more the atonement of Jesus Christ?" There are two places (Num
16:46-48; 25:1-13) where a plague was stopped by a Levite who made an
atonement for Israel because of sin. Again we must ask the question, "If the
atonement made by a Levite in the under the law could stop a plague among the
Israelites, how much more can the atonement of Jesus Christ stop sickness and
disease in our lives?"
All this evidence shows that God sent Jesus to the cross to redeem us from
sickness as well as sin, and proves that it is always his perfect will to heal us.
MATTHEW 10:25 (Jesus)
25 It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his
lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more
shall they call them of his household.
LUKE 6:40 (Jesus)
40 The disciple is not above his master: but every one that is perfect shall be as his master.
ROMANS 8:28-29 (Paul)
28 And we know that all things
work together for good to them that love God, to them that are called according to his purpose.
29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he
might be the firstborn among many brethren.
2 CORINTHIANS 3:17-18 (Paul)
17 Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the Glory of the
Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.
1 JOHN 2:6
6 He that saith he abideth in him ought also to walk even as he walked.
Note:
There is no record that Jesus was ever sick. On the contrary, as sin is the
cause of sickness (Lev 26:21; Deut 28:15-22, 58-61; Psa 25:18; 31:10; 38:3-5;
39:11; 89:30-33; 107:10-11, 17; Pro 11:17; Jer 30:14-15; Dan 9:11; Mic
6:12-13; Mat 9:5), and there can be no sickness without sin (Exo 15:26; Psa
91:9-10; Pro 19:23; 26:2; Ecc 8:5; Mat 9:5; Mark 2:9; 1 John 5:18), except
exceptional ones (John 9:14), he could not possibly have been sick, because he
never sinned (2 Cor 5:21; 1 Pet 2:22; 1 John 3:5). Even though he touched many
sick people (Mat 8:15; Luke 4:40; 5:13; 13:13), he never caught their
diseases, but instead they always caught his perfect health, "as many as
touched him were made whole." (Mark 6:56). As it is God's perfect will for
every Christian to be "conformed to the image of his Son," (Rom 8:29), it
can never be his perfect will for any Christian to be sick, can it?
EXODUS 15:26
26 And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God, and wilt do that which is
right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his
statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought
upon the Egyptians; for I am the Lord that healeth thee.
EXODUS 23:25
25 And ye shall serve the Lord
your God, and he shall bless thy bread, and thy water; and I will take sickness away from the midst of thee.
DEUTERONOMY 7:12,15
12 Wherefore it shall come to pass, if ye hearken to these judgements, and keep, and do them, that the Lord
thy God shall keep unto thee the covenant and the mercy which he sware unto thy fathers.
15 And the Lord will take away from thee all sickness ...
PSALMS 91:9-10
9 Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation;
10 There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.
PSALMS 103:2-3
2 Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits,
3 Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases.
Note:
These verses show that healing was promised under the Old Covenant for "all
sicknesses" (Deut 7:15), and "all thy diseases." (Psa 103:3), and
protection was promised against "any plague" (Psa 91:10). Although it
depended upon the people serving God (Exo 23:25), being obedient to him in
everything that he has commanded (Exo 15:26; Deut 7:12), and making him their
refuge and habitation (Psa 91:9), it does make clear that healing was always
available when the conditions were fulfilled, and shows that it is always God's
perfect will to heal his people.
MATTHEW 10:1,5,8 (Jesus) (RPT)
1 And when he had called his twelve disciples to him, he
gave them authority1 over unclean spirits, to cast them out,
and to heal every sickness and every disease.
5 These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, ...
8 Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely you
have received, freely give.
MARK 3:14-15
14 And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might
send them forth to preach,
15 And to have power1 to heal sickness, and to cast out devils:
MARK 16:17 (Jesus)
17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall
they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;
LUKE 9:1-2 (Jesus)
1 Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power2 and authority1 over
all devils, and to cure diseases.
2 And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick.
LUKE 10:19 (Jesus) (RPT)
19 Behold, I give to you the authority1 to tread on serpents and
scorpions, and over all the power2 of the enemy, and
nothing shall hurt you, certainly not.
1 CORINTHIANS 12:7-9 (Paul)
7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.
8 For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the
word of knowledge by the same Spirit;
9 To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing
by the same Spirit.
1 CORINTHIANS 12:28 (Paul)
28 And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily
prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.
JAMES 5:14-16
14 Is any sick among you? Let him call for the elders of the church; and let
them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:
15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him
up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.
16 Confess your faults to one another, and pray for one another, that
ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
Note 1: The word here translated authority1
(Gr. e0cousi/a,
Gtr. exousia) is incorrectly translated "power" in the KJV (Mat 10:1; Mark
3:15; Luke 10:19), and is distinct from the word translated power2
(Gtr. dunamis), which is akin to the English word "dynamite". When Jesus
gave authority over all devils to his disciples (Mat 10:1; Mark 16:17; Luke
9:1), and over all of their power (Luke 10:19), he effectively gave it to
every disciple of his who is willing to receive it. He gave it to Judas
Iscariot who was one of the twelve (Mat 10:1), and also his betrayer (Mark
14:43-45; Luke 22:47; John 18:23); he gave it to Simon Peter who later denied
him three times (Mat 26:69-75; Mark 14:66-72; Luke 22:54-62; John 18:15-27),
and to the other disciples who fled for their lives and left him when he was
arrested (Mat 26:31: Mark 14:27). He also gave it to seventy other disciples
(Luke 10:1; 10:17-19) who later deserted him when his words became too strong
for them (John 6:60-66). Thus we can dispense with any idea that we have to be
perfect before we can be given
this authority, it has already
been given to us, although we do need to recognise that it must be exercised
in faith (Mat 17:20), and using the name of Jesus, because "at the name of
Jesus, every knee should bow, of things
in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;" (Phps 2:10).
Note 2: To those who insist that healing is not
part of the New Covenant, then let us ask these questions:
(A) Under which covenant has
God set gifts of healing in the church (1 Cor 12:28), if not under the New Covenant?
(B) Which covenant was the
apostle James under, when he said, "Is any sick among you? Let him call for
the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil
in the name of the Lord: And the prayer of faith shall save the sick," (Jam
5:14-15), if not under the New Covenant? Surely these are elders of the New
Testament church that he referred to, aren't they?
(C) Under which covenant did
the apostle Peter heal the lame man at the gate of the temple (Acts 3:18),
heal the sick in the streets (Acts 5:15), heal the man sick of the palsy (Acts
9:32-35), and raise Dorcas from the dead (Acts 9:36-42), if not under the New
Covenant?
(D) Under which covenant did
Paul heal the crippled man at Lystra (Acts 14:8-11), heal the father of
Publius, and others, on the island of Melita (Acts 28:7-9), and raise Eutychus
from the dead (Acts 20:8-11), if not under the New Covenant?
JUDGES 2:1
1 And an angel of the LORD came up from Gilgal to Bochim, and said, I made you go up out of Egypt, and have
brought you unto the land which I sware unto your fathers; and I said, I will never break my
covenant with you.
PSALMS 89:34
34 My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips.
PSALMS 111:5
5 He hath given meat unto them that fear him: he will be ever mindful of his covenant.
ECCLESIASTES 3:14 (Solomon)
14 I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it,
nor anything taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him.
ISAIAH 40:8
8 The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.
MALACHI 3:6
6 For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.
Note:
Having established that healing was promised under the Old Covenant (See
#2.221), and under the New Covenant (See
#2.222), we see here other statements
of God, which show that he will never alter or break them:
(Judg 2:1) "I will never break my covenant with you."
(Psa 89:34) "My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips."
(Psa 111:5) "he will be ever mindful of his covenant."
(Ecc 3:14) "whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor anything taken from it:".
Thus the Old Covenant and the New Covenant, both of which include healing, can
still be appropriated today if the conditions are fulfilled.
HEBREWS 7:22
22 By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament.
HEBREWS 8:6-7,13
6 But now he hath obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he
is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises.
7 For if the first covenant had
been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second.
13 In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old
is ready to vanish away.
Note:
Just to reinforce the point that healing has also been provided under the New
Covenant (See #2.222), then for the sake of those who say that it isn't, we
need to ask the question that obviously arises from these scriptures. If
healing was provided under the Old Covenant (See #2.221), and Jesus is the
mediator of "a better testament." (Heb 7:22), "a better covenant, which
was established upon better promises." (Heb 8:6), then how can it possibly
be, that the New Covenant doesn't include healing? We need to know for a
certainty, that God has always provided healing for his people, when the
conditions are properly fulfilled, because it is always his perfect will to
heal us.
3 JOHN 2
2 Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be
in health, even as thy soul prospereth.
Note:
Here we have a simple statement by the apostle John, "I wish above all
things that thou mayest ... be in health," which indicates that the physical
health of those that he wrote to was of the utmost importance to him. How
could such a man of God possibly have a desire like this, contrary to the will
of God? The answer is that he couldn't. He testified himself that he was an
eye witness of Jesus Christ (1 John 1:12), and that he had fellowship with the
Father and with Jesus (1 John 1:3), so the idea that his desires were in any
way contrary to God are really unthinkable. This just proves that one of God's
greatest desires is that we are in good physical health, and it totally agrees
with the mission of Jesus, doesn't it (See #2.02)?
ACTS 10:34
34 Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God
is no respecter of persons;
ROMANS 2:11 (Paul)
11 For there is no respect of persons with God.
EPHESIANS 6:9 (Paul)
9 And, ye masters, do the same
thing unto them, forbearing threatening: knowing that your Master also is in heaven; neither is there respect of persons with
him.
JAMES 2:9
9 But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors.
Note:
There are some scriptures (Gen 4:4-5;
Exo 2:25; Psa 138:6) which indicate that God does respect persons in a sense.
He is no respecter of "who" or "what" we are in this world, but he is
a respecter of "what" we are spiritually, the state of our spiritual
heart. He does not respect a Pharisee above a publican (Luke 18:10-14), or a
rich man above a poor man (Luke 16:19-31; Jam 2:15). God considers each of us
according to the state of our heart, "for the LORD seeth not as man seeth;
for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart."
(1 Sam 16:7). He rewards us according to our righteousness (2 Sam 22:21, 25;
1 Kin 3:2; 8:6; 2 Chr 6:23; Psa 18:20, 24), which depends on us having God's
word in our hearts (Psa 37:30-31; Isa 51:7), and according to our faith (Mat
8:13; 9:22; 9:29; 15:28; 21:22; Mark 5:34; 5:36; 10:52; 11:24; Luke 8:48;
8:50; 17:9; 18:42), which also requires God's word in our hearts (Rom 10:8).
So Abel's offering was accepted, while Cain's was rejected (Gen 4:4-5),
simply because "By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice
than Cain," (Heb 11:4). As God has healed many people in the past (Mat 4:23;
8:16; 9:35; 12:15; 14:14; 15:30; 19:2 etc.), then he will also heal now when
the required conditions are fulfilled, otherwise he would be having respect of
persons. Not only would this be a sin to him (Jam 2:9), but it would go
against all his promises of healing (See #2.22), make him a liar, and God
cannot lie (Num 23:19; Titus 1:2).
1 CORINTHIANS 3:16-17 (Paul)
16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the
spirit of God dwelleth in you?
17 If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God
is holy, which temple ye are.
1 CORINTHIANS 6:19-20 (Paul)
19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which
is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
20 For ye are bought with a
price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.
Note:
When we are born again, and baptized in the Holy Spirit as the Corinthians
were, [evidenced by speaking in tongues (1 Cor 14:2; 14:4; 14:13-16; 14:23;
14:27 etc.) and the operation of spiritual gifts in the church (1 Cor 12:7-11;
12:27-31; 14:27-33),] then our bodies are considered by God to be the temple
of the Holy Spirit, as these scriptures show. Does God want his temple to be
defiled in any way, or to be unclean? Not according to Paul and Peter, because
God's will is for his temple (our body) to be holy (Rom 12:1; 1 Cor 3:17; 1
Pet 1:15-16), and he will destroy those who defile it (1 Cor 3:17). So how can
God ever want any of us to have our body defiled with sickness? The simple
answer is that he doesn't. He wants all of our bodies free from all physical
uncleanness, which includes sickness; and that's why he sent Jesus to heal
all the sick (See #2.023), gave authority over the devil to the disciples
under the New Covenant (See #2.222), set gifts of healing in the church (1 Cor
12:28), and ordained the prayer of faith to heal the sick (Jam 5:15). Again
this shows that God's perfect will is for us to be healthy.
EPHESIANS 1:22-23 (Paul)
22 And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be
the head over all things to the church,
23 Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.
EPHESIANS 5:29-30 (Paul)
29 For no man ever yet hated his
own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:
30 For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.
COLOSSIANS 1:18 (Paul)
18 And he is the head of the
body, the church; who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that
in all things he might have the pre-eminence.
COLOSSIANS 1:24 (Paul)
24 Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of
Christ in my flesh for his body's sake, which is the church.
Note:
These scriptures indicate that the church is now the body of Christ on earth,
and individual Christians are members of his body (Eph 5:30). When Jesus was
here in the flesh, he laid hands on the sick in order to heal them (Mat 8:15;
9:25; 9:29; 20:34; Mark 1:41; 7:33; 8:23; Luke 4:40; 13:13), but now
believers, who are part of his body, are supposed to do it in his place (Mark
16:18; Acts 3:7; 9:17; 20:10; 28:8). This being so, we need to ask the
question: was it ever God's perfect will for Jesus to be physically sick? It
couldn't be, could it? because Jesus had full authority over all sickness,
which he often demonstrated (See #2.023). Apart from that, look what was
written about him in the scripture:
(Psa 16:10) "neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption." (Also Acts 2:27)
(Acts 2:31) "neither his flesh did see corruption."
(Acts 13:35) "Thou shalt not suffer thine Holy One to see corruption."
(Acts 13:37) "But he, whom God raised again, saw no corruption."
God would not allow the body of Jesus to be corrupted, even by death, so how
could he ever allow it to be corrupted by sickness? So if it was God's will
for Jesus' body then was to be free from sickness, it must be his will also
for his body (the church) now, because God doesn't change (See #2.024), and
his perfect will never changes (See Intro 1). If it was God's will for Jesus
to be sick, then he would have to be sick all of the time in order to
continually fulfil it, and we would have to be sick all of the time also in
order to continually fulfil God's perfect will. Every healing would be
contrary to his will, and Christians would have to pray for themselves and
others to become sick in order to fulfil God's will, wouldn't they?
because we cannot enter the kingdom of heaven without doing God's will (Mat
7:21). How many of us desire to have our bodies afflicted with sickness,
disease, or mutilation? None if we are in our right mind! So if we never want
our bodies to be sick, and our desire for our body is the same as Jesus'
desire for his body (Eph 5:29), then he can never desire his body (the church,
and us as individual members) to be sick either. As Jesus' will was always
the same as the Father's (See #2.021), it proves emphatically that it is
never the Father's will for us to be sick, doesn't it?
MATTHEW 7:11 (Jesus)
11 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how
much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?
JOHN 3:16 (Jesus)
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that
whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
ROMANS 8:32 (Paul)
32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not
with him also freely give us all things?
1 JOHN 3:1
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.
1 JOHN 4:8
8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
1 JOHN 4:16
16 And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love;
and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.
Note:
These are just a few scriptures which tell us that "God is love." (1 John
4:8; 4:16), and that he loves us so much that he was prepared to sacrifice his
only son to save us (John 3:16; Rom 8:32). There can be little doubt then that
God not only wants us saved and cleansed from all sin, which is spiritual
uncleanness, but he also wants us healed, and cured of all diseases, which are
a physical uncleanness. It must be his perfect will, otherwise he would not
have gone to such extreme lengths in order to do it. How many of us would
sacrifice our only child to save someone else? How many of us would not help
someone who was hopelessly struggling with sickness and pain, and called to us
for help, when it was within our power? How much more will a loving God come
to our aid when he sees us sick, and we call to him to heal us? However, if we
are being chastened for disobedience or sin (Lev 26:27-28; Psa 89:31-32;
107:17; Jer 30:14), then God's love is the reason why we are not healed:
(Pro 3:12) "For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth;"
(Pro 13:24) "He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes."
(Heb 12:6-8) "For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.
If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as sons; for what son is he whom
the father chasteneth not?
But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons."
(Rev 3:19) "As many as I love, I
rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore and repent."
This last scripture gives us the way out of chastening, which is repentance
from whatever is the cause. It could be a failure to learn God's word (Psa
94:12; 119:71), a failure to enter into rest (Psa 94:12-13), a failure to turn
from sin (Job 34:31; 36:7-10), a lack of purity in heart (Job 41:24-25), a
lack of holiness (Heb 12:10), a lack of righteousness (Heb 12:11), or a lack
of prayer (Isa 26:16). God will not let us off without repentance (Hos 5:15),
because it would leave us condemned with the world (Job 33:14-22, 29-30; Pro
23:13-14; 1 Cor 11:32). This all shows that God's perfect will is always
that we are healed, but that the condition of repentance is fulfilled also.
Anyone who knows anything about love knows that love wants to give whenever
there is a need, and when we need healing, God, who is love (1 John 4:8;
4:16), wants to give us that healing.
PSALMS 103:8-11, 17-18
8 The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.
9 He will not always chide: neither will he keep his anger for ever.
10 He hath not dealt with us after our sins, nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.
11 For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him.
17 But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that
fear him, and his righteousness unto children's children;
18 To such as keep his covenant, and to those who remember his commandments to do them.
PSALMS 117
1 O praise the LORD, all ye nations: praise him, all ye people.
2 For his merciful kindness is great toward us: and the truth of the LORD endureth
for ever. Praise ye the LORD.
PSALMS 118:1-4
1 O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: because his mercy
endureth for ever.
2 Let Israel now say, that his mercy endureth for ever.
3 Let the house of Aaron now say, that his mercy endureth for ever.
4 Let them now that fear the LORD say, that his mercy endureth for ever.
PSALMS 136:1-4, 23-26
1 O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: because his mercy
endureth for ever.
2 O give thanks unto the God of gods: for his mercy endureth for ever.
3 O give thanks unto the Lord of lords: for his mercy endureth for ever.
4 To him who alone doeth great wonders: for his mercy endureth for ever.
23 Who redeemed us in our low estate: for his mercy endureth for ever.
24 And hath redeemed us from our enemies: for his mercy endureth for ever.
25 Who giveth food to all flesh: for his mercy endureth for ever.
26 O give thanks unto the God of heaven: for his mercy endureth for ever.
PSALMS 138:8 (David)
8 The LORD will perfect that which concerneth me: thy mercy, O
LORD, endureth for ever: forsake not the work of thine own hands.
MATTHEW 5:7 (Jesus)
7 Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
MATTHEW 12:7 (Jesus)
7 But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not
sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless.
JAMES 5:11
11 Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of
the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.
Note:
Many times in the Old Testament, when people sought after God, they went
looking for his mercy (Deut 21:8; Psa 30:10; 56:1; 57:1; 67:1; 119:41; Dan
9:18). Why? because they knew that God was merciful. In the New Testament,
when people came seeking for Jesus, many times they came asking for mercy (Mat
9:27; 15:22; 17:15; 20:30). Why? because they knew that Jesus was merciful.
When he healed people, Jesus was motivated by "compassion" (Mat 14:14;
20:34; Mark 1:41; Luke 7:13), which is really "a desire to extend mercy".
So we can see that we have a God whose mercy is "plenteous" (Psa 103:8),
as great as "the heaven is high above the earth," (Psa 103:11), from "everlasting
to everlasting" (Psa 103:17), and "endureth for ever." (Psa 118; 136;
138:8). Therefore, if we "love him and keep his commandments" (Deut 7:9;
Neh 1:5), "fear him" (Psa 103:11; 103:17), and trust him (Psa 32:10). If
we call upon him (Psa 86:5), confess and forsake our sins (Pro 28:13), refuse
to "observe lying vanities" (Jonah 2:8), and extend our mercy towards
others (Psa 18:25; Mat 5:7), then he will certainly extend his mercy towards
us, because "he delighteth in mercy." (Mic 7:18). The fact that healing is
an act of God's mercy was shown by Paul, who was describing the healing of
Epaphroditus when he said, "God had mercy on him;" (Phps 2:27). As God
cannot change (Psa 102:27; Mal 3:6; Jam 1:17), and mercy is his motivation for
healing us, it proves that it is always God's perfect will to heal everyone
who will "trust in the mercy of God for ever and ever." (Psa 52:8).
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This is the end of this Bible Study about God's Perfect will to Heal every Believer