Any visit to a hospital is a vivid reminder of how many people in our world struggle with sickness and suffering every day. The affects of The Fall are evident all around us.
So what about healing? God obviously still heals today but many people, including Christians, struggle with sickness. What’s up with all of this?
Here are a few thoughts on this important subject.
The Bible and Healing
When it comes to healing, we must begin with an accurate understanding of God’s character and nature. The Bible teaches us that, when it comes to our need, God knows (Prov.15:11. Psalm 139:1-10), God cares (Ex.34:6-7. 1 Pet.5:7), God is able to help (Jer.32:17, 27. Matt.19:26), and God is willing to help (Matt.8:2).
In response to this, there are three different camps in the Christian community:
1. “God knows, cares and is able but is not willing. This is not the time or the age;”
2. “God knows, cares and is able and always willing to heal you. If you’re sick and you’re not well, if you have a physical need and you’re not healed it’s because you lack faith. It’s always God’s will to heal and so there is something wrong with you if you aren’t;”
3. “God knows, cares and is able and is willing unless he has a higher purpose.”
The first camp (called “Cessasionists”) are strongly Biblical, but keep God in a box, in that they don’t believe that God still heals or does miracles today. The second camp (extreme “faith” teaching) has the strength of faith but the weakness of always putting God in a box to move a certain way without exception. The third camp has the strength of “balance” but must avoid a fatalistic attitude of “whatever will be, will be”. Our responsibility is to pray and ask God to heal and help us (Jas.5:13-16), then to trust God with the outcome.
The Bible teaches that God’s will for our life, generally speaking, is “health” (See Ex.15:26; 23:25. Psalm 103:1-3; 107:17-20. Prov.4:20-22. Is.53:4-5. Matt.8:16-17. 1 Pet.2:24). God’s provision is complete. He has done all that we need for life and godliness. He has made provision for our wholeness – spirit, soul and body. God desires health and wholeness for each one of us, as we walk in obedience to Him, so we can fulfil our life purpose.
However, like salvation, good health is not automatic. There are things we need to do to position ourselves to have the greatest possibility of good health. We need to have faith in God as our healer (Hos.4:6. John 8:32. Heb.11:6), obey his commands (Deut.28:58-60), maintain a healthy diet (Ex.16. 1Tim.4:4-5. Lev.11. Deut.14), exercise, rest and relax regularly (1Tim.4:8. Matt.11:28-30), and deal quickly with negative emotions (Eph.4:27-31. 1Cor.11:28-31. Matt.5:23-24).
There is no set pattern or formula in the Bible for healing. For instance, blind Bartemaus called out to Jesus and Jesus simply spoke to him and he was healed (Mark 10:46-52). Another blind man was not instantly healed. Jesus took mud and saliva, mixed it together and put it on his eye. As he went his way and did what he was told (“go and wash in the pool of Siloam”), he was healed. God’s healing power and anointing fell on a natural substance and flowed through it (John 9:1-12).
We can conclude that, “The pathway of healing that God has for you may be different from the one he has for someone else though you may have similar health problems.” Also, “At times God’s healing is spontaneous and instantaneous. Other times healing is a process and requires patience and perseverance as our healing is gradually manifested.” It could be an instant answer to prayer, a radical change of diet, a change of lifestyle or even a medical operation. If you are sick, pray for God’s direction, believe God’s promises to you from His Word, have others pray for you and talk to a reputable doctor.
We need a balance of faith (God’s part) and wisdom (our part). We should avoid extremes in either direction – having only wisdom (no faith) or only faith (no wisdom). lack of wisdom can be very dangerous. There are many sad stories of families with a loved one with a terminal illness who never even considered or talked about the possibility of death. Anyone with a terminal illness needs to exercise wisdom and talk about it with their family and loved ones. Then continue to believe God in faith for your healing. This is not unbelief, but it can save a lot of hurt and disappointment.
Also, prayer for healing does not make doctors and nurses obsolete. Sometimes natural means are appropriate (see 1 Tim.5:23), sometimes God chooses to heal miraculously, sometimes he doesn’t and we often aren’t sure why.
[Tomorrow – Praying for Healing]
I have asked our LifeGroup to read your blog, as this was exactly the topic of discussion that took place some weeks ago. Thanks for providing the wisdom and practical tips.
Hey this is really interesting, thanks for the practical steps. We’ve been facing an onslaught of medical problems in our family like we’ve never seen before, and it’s hard balancing patience, desperation for healing, and the desire to see healing via God, with having to submit to the long, expensive processes of visiting specialists.
Still hoping for miraculous healing, but also learning to ask that God’s will be done…
We were looking for your comments on the John Bevere stuff, but couldn’t find it. Can you direct us please?
Thank you Mark.
I think all healing is miraculous; be it direct supernatural intervention or modern medicine. All healing is divine in and through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Love your blog, Mark. Mercy, peace, and love be yours in abundance.
Excellent message Mark. Very well balanced. Happy to hear the Holy Spirit is moving powerfully at City Life. I’m in the third camp 🙂 Absolutely nothing is impossible with God!
Dear Mark,
What do you think of another view?
Healing still happen in modern western world but to much lesser degree. Because God provide Doctor. However, God provide more healing to less develop countries where modern medicine is almost non-existence.
And to apply the same expectation of healing AS IN less develop countries to western society is unrealistic?
Hi Ming,
I’m curious to know what you were reffering to when you said: > And to apply the same expectation of healing AS IN less develop countries to western society is unrealistic? < God always moves mightily, where there is much faith and the greatest need. Everything God does is to His glory and praise. The Bible is the same for everyone regardless. God does not change, regardless of any nation's border. Nothing is impossible with God! Everything Mark has written is scriptually well balanced and very sound teaching.
Hi Marija,
I think Ming is referring to miracles of healing that seem to occur in greater number in the 3rd world. This may be a function of desparation for the Lord and levels of faith. When you have no choice ie no doctors, the prayers are going to be desperate. Not agreeing or disagreeing with Ming – just trying to help and clarify.
Hi Marija,
Yes, it is true God still heal regardless of borders and times. Mark view is balance. However, I like to know what we think of another view below-
“And to apply the same expectation of healing AS IN less develop countries to western society is unrealistic?”
This view claim the avaibility of modern medicine reduce the need of healing, while in its absence, society had higher expectation of healing. Hence, we heard more healing in Africa than here. Does it mean the African had more faith than Australian, or African lack of medicine merit more occurence of healing.
Hi Ming,
Thank you for the clarification. I think that the children in the Western churches are too well fed and places like Africa, China and under developed nations they are really hungry for God. I’ve seen and experienced how the African church worship the Lord and it leaves much to be desired in the western churches. They really worship with their mind, body and soul with their whole heart and being! They have a child like faith and trust in God. In the west knowledge and technology are squeezing out faith.
There are many examples why Jesus healed and why He did not in the Bible.
Example: “The Faith of a Syrophoenician Woman”
24 Jesus left that place and went to the vicinity of Tyre. He entered a house and did not want anyone to know it; yet he could not keep his presence secret. 25 In fact, as soon as she heard about him, a woman whose little daughter was possessed by an evil spirit came and fell at his feet. 26 The woman was a Greek, born in Syrian Phoenicia. She begged Jesus to drive the demon out of her daughter.
27 “First let the children eat all they want,” he told her, “for it is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to their dogs.”
28 “Yes, Lord,” she replied, “but even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.”
29 Then he told her, “For such a reply, you may go; the demon has left your daughter.”
30 She went home and found her child lying on the bed, and the demon gone.
*Now my point is that the children were so well fed that they let large crumbs fall to the floor, yet this woman was so hungry for a touch from God that she was willing to eat up the crumbs that fell from the children’s plate.
Thank you for your input R Poyton. Really appreciate it. Enjoy your day.
Hi Marija,
Thanks. Your observation of what happen in less develop countries is interesting. Surely we had something to learn too.
Hi Ming,
Yes, we can all learn from each other:) Everyone has something of value to add.
God bless you. Have a great day.
Healing has been made much more complicated than it should be.
1. Healing is always God’s Will. Jesus NEVER refused healing to a single person. Jesus is the express image of the Father. He administered the Will of God all the time, perfectly.
2. The times that people didn’t experoence healing during His ministry was in Mark 6, when He came to His hometown and COULD not (not WOULD NOT) heal people bercause of their unbelief. The other instance is in Matthew 17, when His disciples – the preachers – were unbale to heal the epileptic. Jesus did heal the boy, demonstrating point1. God’s Will is healing for all.
3. The reson we don’t see more people healed today is because we have the idea that God is going to do the healing. Jesus commissioned His followers to HEAL the sick. A lot of our modern day results have come from failing to observe what happened under point 2.