37. Divine healing - V
We see in the Bible how the Lord is able to heal, and we can appreciate, that there must be some hindrances operating, so that people, who come for divine healing, have problems in the receiving of it. If God will all to be healed, why do some people not appear to receive this blessing:
1. Wrong teaching leads to wrong believing - Just as wrong teaching corrupted the early church, so today many of God’s people suffer as a result of wrong teaching (like e.g. that the Lord wants them to be sick continually). The main arguments employed are:
Paul had a thorn in the flesh (2Cor.12: 7) - This is taken to imply, that Christians must suffer sickness at the hand of God, and it is even inferred, that Paul had in some way contracted sickness in his eyes by linking it with (Gal. 6:11). However:
Paul had an exceptional experience of “visions and revelations….in the third heaven” (2Cor.12: 2-7). This was the given reason for the thorn in the flesh, and does not apply to all Christians everywhere for all times.
This thorn is called a messenger of Satan, not “a messenger of God”, as some would suggest.
All other Bible references to “thorns in the flesh” (Num. 33: 55, Josh. 23:13) are to persecution of the people of God, and not to sickness. This meaning also seems likely from the context in 2Cor.11: 22,23, and what we know from Acts 20:23.
Why did God heal Paul’s eyes in Acts 9:18? Only to “blind him” again in Gal. 6:11? How could Paul inspire faith in others to be healed (Acts 28)?
Job was perfect, but sick ( Job 1 and 2) - This is taken to show, that holy men should be sick, as the chastening of God could improve their souls. However:
Job 1:11,12 shows, that it was not God, but Satan, who was the instigator of this sickness; this only adds to the point, that normally Job was protected by God by a hedge about him (Job. 1:10). God’s will was health!
The result of sickness was an inclination and temptation to curse God (not bless Him), and Job’s wife actually suggested this (Job 2: 9). A man can be good in spite of his sickness, not just because of it.
Job did not end as a sick man, but was healed. James 5:11 exhorts us to remember the outcome of the Lord’s dealings.
Ps. 34:19 – Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.
Job 42:12-17 - Job died a healthy man and a wealthy man.
Timothy had to take medicine - 1Tim: 5: 23: No longer drink water exclusively, but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments. Obviously Timothy had been drinking only water (which was not good in that district) and is advised to drink a little wine from time to time, in order to avoid his stomach being weakened. This case does not prove that Timothy was really sick.
Indeed, from the constant use of these special cases and the total neglect of extensive passages of the Scriptures dealing with healing, one receives the impression, that modern preaching is excusing our ministers from fulfilling Christ’s commission to heal! And Christians are taught to believe God wants them sick, but at the same time they are being advised to send for a medical doctor to heal them. Is that logical?
2. Failure to prepare personally for healing: Many sick people come to the “man with the gift” in the hope, that he will do the healing work, not realising that they are dealing with God, and that they must, on their part, prepare themselves for healing:
the sick must be sure of God’s will (Mc.16:18);
the sick must confess and repent of their sins (which are known to them) - Ps. 66:18, James 3:13-16;
wrong attitudes must be put right, like e.g. sins of speech (James 3: 5-8) and lukewarmness (2Chr.15-12);
the sick must believe and set a time to touch God for healing (Mc. 5: 28). Many people do believe God can or will heal them some time. That is not enough: you must believe He will heal you immediately the contact is made
3. The healing minister out of touch with God - There is not only great responsibility on the sick person, but also on the one that is ministering to the sick:
The minister must be well led by the Holy Spirit to discern the true cause of the sickness, the timing and method of the healing, and possible hindrances. At the Bethesda Pool 5,000 sick folk were waiting, but Christ only healed the one whom He saw in vision beforehand from His Father. Jhn. 5:19 - …..the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing….. The minister should have the baptism of the Spirit (Acts 1: 8, 2: 4) and pray through in tongues beforehand (1Cor.14:18).
The minister may fast in difficult cases (Matt.17: 21).
You cannot afford to be in the healing ministry without the power of God in operation; and being in touch with the Holy Spirit we may enjoy the maximum of God.
The minister must be positive in his own faith and healing message. The disciples failed to cast out the demon from the boy (Matt.17: 14-21), because of their lack of faith (as much as their lack of fasting), although they had already been commissioned to heal (Matt.10:1).
The minister must be prepared to tell the sick person by word of knowledge or by distinguishing ( or discernment) of spirits (1Cor.12:7-11) the exact cause of the disease if there is a doubt; further he must explain the proper steps the sick person has to take for healing, including the renouncing of any contact with the occult through “spirit surgery” (surgery or prayer by a medium - Ex. 22:18, Deut.18: 9-14, Rev. 21: 8, 22:15). He must be careful of making a careless diagnosis of every sickness as the cause of demon power, which (if it proves not to be accurate) merely increases problems.
The minister should use the Name of Jesus (Acts 3: 6) and lead the sufferer to repentance and faith (Acts 3:19).
The minister should warn the healed person, that he/she may be tested by symptoms of sickness appearing after a genuine healing. Only a firm stand on the promises of God will defeat the counter-attack.