Faith And Healing

A few months ago, and in an effort to share the truth about God’s healing through faith with an associate,

I shared a testimony of how the Lord used me to bring complete healing to someone. The following is his response, which caused me to write a series of teachings to counter this man’s “perverted theology” concerning healing. I will deal with his statements, dividing them into four articles. As I mentioned in the beginning of this article, it is sad to say that the vast majority of Christians today have the same theology, which is why we aren’t seeing people being healed as they should.

“Thanks for sharing the testimony of the guy God chose to heal. We also know that God can heal miraculously and instantaneously, and we’ve had stories of that taking place on the mission field. It doesn’t always happen - God is sovereign and may have another purpose in mind for the sickness - but it is always good to ask, repeatedly, and in faith.”

“Thanks for sharing the testimony of the guy God chose to heal.”Sad to say but this way of thinking is common in a great majority of Christian circles and is a reflection of the “Sovereignty of God” doctrine that teaches that God has absolute control over everything in the earth—that God picks and chooses who gets sick, who dies and when, who gets healed, rescued, prospered, etc. to the extent that we play absolutely no role in receiving from God. This is why you hear people praying (asking, begging, pleading) for God to heal instead of utilizing the power God has given us to bring forth healing through the name of Jesus and faith in His name (Acts 3:16).

This way of thinking is not consistent with the Bible, but it’s a convenient theology because if no one gets healed, it’s God’s choice and they are released from any responsibility to believe and receive. Bluntly said, they blame God when someone doesn’t get healed. If this is what you believe, I challenge you to allow the Bible to get in the way of your theology before your theology destroys you.

It is true that God has chosen to provide healing of physical diseases, injuries, and afflictions through the atonement of Jesus Christ, but the choice God made was made before the foundations of the world, just as God has chosen us to be reconciled with Him (Ephesians 1:4; 1 Peter 1:2).

God said, I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing. Therefore, choose life, that both you and your seed may live. [Deuteronomy 30:19]

The Bible teaches in the same book written by Moses that sickness is a curse (Deuteronomy 28:59-61) and health is a blessing (Deuteronomy 7:12-15; Deut. 28:4). And since Jesus fulfilled the requirements of the law for us, we have His righteousness and therefore the blessings of fulfilling the law (Romans 8:1-3). The Bible also says, Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us. For it is written, Cursed is everyone that hangs upon a tree. That the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles through Jesus Christ, and that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. [Galatians 3:13-14]

It is clear throughout the Bible that God has made the provisions of all grace, which includes eternal life: i.e. forgiveness of sins, physical and emotional healing, deliverance from all bondage and oppression of the devil, joy, peace, faith, love, and all the fruit of the Spirit, through Jesus and this grace has appeared to all men (Isaiah 53:1-12; Matthew 8:17; Acts 10:38; Titus 2:11; Ephesians 1:3; 1 Peter 2:24; 2 Peter 1:3).

Furthermore, Jesus taught that it was our choice to enter into life as it is written, Enter in at the straight gate. For wide is the gate, and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat. Because straight is the gate, and narrow is the way which leads unto life, and few there be that find it. [Matthew 7:13-14]

I know there may be many of you who will argue that the Lord is talking about salvation here, and I agree with you. However, where you and I part is that I believe eternal life is salvation; and contained within eternal life is everything God has promised to us by His grace. Therefore, in this context, physical healing is in the atonement of Jesus Christ and is the same as salvation. In fact, the Greek word sozo was translated saved AND healed depending on the context. If you read my teaching called “Healing is Part of the Atonement of Jesus Christ” you will see that the Scripture refers to salvation as everything Jesus died to give us.

The Bible is very clear on many occasions that healing of diseases and sicknesses is directly related to the forgiveness of sins. Psalm 103:3 outlines God’s benefits: who forgives all your iniquities, who heals all your diseases…

Isaiah 53:5 says, 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.

Isaiah 53:4 says, Surely he has borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows… which Matthew quoted: When the even was come, they were brought unto him many that were possessed with devils; and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses. [Matthew 8:16-17]

Jesus used healing of physical diseases to prove He had the power on earth to forgive sins (Mark 2:1-12). Jesus declared a lame man’s sins forgiven (v. 5) and the religious leaders standing by began questioning what Jesus was doing. And immediately when Jesus perceived in his spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, he said unto them, Why reason these things in your hearts? Whether is it easier to say to the sick of the palsy, Your sins are forgiven; or to say, Arise, take up your bed and walk? But that you may know that the Son of man has power on earth to forgive sins, (he said to the sick of the palsy) I say unto you, Arise, and take up your bed, and go your way into your house. And immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went forth before them all; insomuch that they were all amazed, and glorified God, saying, We never saw it on this fashion.

Note: The Scripture says that God was glorified by the healing—not the sickness of this man. God is not glorified by death having reign over His people.

The apostle Peter also relates forgiveness of sins to healing of sickness. 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 you were healed. [1 Peter 2:24]

James makes this correlation as well: 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, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. [James 5:14-15]

Note: James writes, Is any sick among you? And the prayer of faith shall save the sick. There is no asterisk next to the word any, indicating this passage is for anyone who is sick. Secondly, the prayer of faith SHALL save the sick. There is no maybe, or phrase, “if God chooses to…”. It says that the prayer of faith shall save the sick, meaning that it’s a done deal, provided the prayer of faith is made.

How many witnesses do you need to convince you of this truth? Jesus said that in the mouth of two or three witnesses, every word shall be established. [Matthew 18:16]

I have cited six scriptural applications to this truth—both from the Old Testament and New Testament, but yet why don’t most people believe this—that inasmuch that Jesus died and bore our sins, He also died for and bore our sicknesses and diseases. Why do people fight so strongly against the good news?

Because sin entered the world by man (Adam) life could only come through a man (Jesus Christ); and since we have the gift of righteousness and the abundance of grace, we should be reigning in life through Jesus Christ our Lord. However, most Christians are allowing death to reign over them, which includes sickness. This is what Paul was teaching in Romans 5—that in Christ we should be letting eternal life reign over us instead of submitting to death, seeing that Jesus has accomplished victory over sin and death. Sickness is death—a wage of sin, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus (Romans 6:23). And since eternal life is a gift, it is not based on our performance—neither good nor bad.

Here’s a profound truth: As sin is sickness to the spirit, sickness and disease are sin to the body. And please know that I am not condemning anyone who is sick—that they are in sin because they are sick. However, the Bible clearly states that whatsoever is not of faith is sin (Romans 14:23). Sickness is not of faith in God’s word since God has provided the remedy for all sickness. Jesus said, I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. [John 10:10] Sickness is death, not life; and since sickness came as a result of sin, when we submit to sickness, we are submitting to the wages of sin and the author of sin—Satan. The Bible instructs us to glorify God both in spirit and body, which are His (1 Corinthians 6:20). Sickness in the body is just as un-glorious as sin is.

I was on a radio show a few years ago and one argument from the Bible was made against the fact that healing has already been provided by God through the atonement of Jesus. The person cited Romans 9:15 where Paul refers to Exodus 33:19 when God said to Moses, I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will have mercy.

The apostle Paul used this passage to illustrate why Israel had been temporarily blinded to the truth of the gospel so as to include the Gentiles in God’s grace (Romans 11:25-36). And it has been misinterpreted to mean that God chooses to have mercy on whom He will have mercy, and to curse whom He wants to curse. This is not in line with Scripture—even in the Old Testament where God said to Moses, For you have found grace in my sight, and I know you by name. [Exodus 33:17]

God’s mercy is part of His grace and since the Bible is very clear that God’s grace has been extended to ALL PEOPLE (John 3:16; Titus 2:11; 1 Timothy 2:3-4; 1 Timothy 4:10; 2 Peter 3:9), His will is to have mercy. The good news is that because of Jesus, we have all found grace in God’s sight (2 Corinthians 5:18-21; Luke 2:14; Isaiah 40:1-2) In fact, this is what the Scripture says, For God has concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all. [Romans 11:32]

God has made the provision of eternal life through Jesus Christ and it is up to every individual to choose life over death, blessing over cursing, health over sickness, light over darkness, heaven over hell, Jesus over the world. This, my brothers and sisters is what the Scripture describes as being a joint-heir, a co-laborer, and ambassador of God. God has done his part—and it’s up to us to enter into His grace through faith in Jesus Christ as the Bible says, For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God. [Ephesians 2:8] Grace is God’s part and faith is our part, of which comes from hearing the gospel (Romans 1:16; Romans 10:17).

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