does god want me well - christians in...

DOES GODWANT MEWELL?

DDoes God use sickness inthe lives of His childrento build character? Is

this consistent with the actionsof a loving God? Are we sickbecause we don’t have the faithto be healed? Is God healingpeople today through theministry of faith healers? Whensickness or suffering attacks usor someone close to us, whatshould we think? What shouldwe do?

These questions, and manyothers like them, are answered in this booklet by RBC seniorresearch editor Herb Vander Lugt.He shows what the Bible teachesabout healing. And he uncoversfour positive, unassailablecertainties that every child of God can count on in times ofsickness and suffering.

Martin R. De Haan II

Managing Editor: David Sper Cover Design:Terry BidgoodScripture quotations are from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by ThomasNelson, Inc. Used by permission.All rights reserved.© 1989,1997,2002 RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, Michigan Printed in USA

CONTENTS

The Problem Of Pain . . . 2

Christians Agree And Disagree . . . . . . . . . 3

Biblical Certainties For Suffering Saints . . . . . 6

God Will Make You Well. . . . . . . . . 7

God Hurts When You Hurt. . . . . . . . 9

God Knows Why You’re Suffering . . . 12

God Is In Control . . . . . 15

Sick And Suffering People In The Bible. . . . 18

Questions On Healing . . . . . . . . . . 20

Does God Want Me Well? . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Sickness, Healing,And You. . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

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© RBC Ministries. All rights reserved.

THE PROBLEMOF PAIN

TThe man respondedangrily to my attemptsto help. He was dying

of lung cancer and was fullof bitterness. He told me hedidn’t want to hear about aGod who lets people sufferthe way they do. He said, “I turned against the Bibleand the Christian faithwhen my mother was dyingof the same disease I have.She was a devout Christian,but in spite of her prayersthat God would either healher or take her home, shelived with terrible painmonth after month. Idecided that either thereisn’t a God or that He isn’tthe kind of God you thinkHe is.”

My heart went out tohim, but nothing I saidmade an impression onhim. Finally I asked, “Didyour mother turn away fromGod too?” He responded,

“No, she kept talking about God’s grace andabout going to be withJesus.” Then he quicklyadded, “But I don’t havethe kind of faith she had.”

Without question, manypeople turn away from Godbecause of the problem ofpain. They find it hard tobelieve that a loving andall-powerful God wouldpermit good people to sufferthe way they do. On theother hand, thousands havetestified that it was during a time of deep sorrow orintense anguish that theyfound God more real andprecious than ever before.

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Many people turn away fromGod because

of the problem of pain.

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CHRISTIANSAGREE ANDDISAGREE

AAs Christians, we agreethat God is loving,wise, and all-

powerful. We agree that this good God gave Hismoral creatures freedom tochoose between good andevil, and that their wrongchoice brought His curseupon the earth. We alsoagree that this infinitelywise and good God isworking out a program for our ultimate good and His glory.

However, even among us who believe the Bible,there are a few areas ofdisagreement. We givedifferent answers to twovery important questions,one having to do with thepurpose of pain and theother with the matter ofsupernatural healing.

Does God usesickness to make

good people better?Ken Blue, an evangelicalChristian with an effectiveministry in Vancouver, saysno. He writes:

What we would callabuse in a humanfamily, some havelabeled a blessing in thefamily of God. FrancisMcNutt explains, “Whathuman father or motherwould choose cancer fortheir daughter to tameher pride?” . . . One ofthe greatest hindrancesto a vital healingministry in the churchtoday is the notion thatsickness is essentiallygood for us, that it issent to purify the souland build character . . .(Authority To Heal,InterVarsity Press, pp.21-22).On the other hand,

Dr. M. R. De Haan,physician, minister, andfounder of Radio Bible Class(now RBC Ministries), said

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that God does use sicknessin the lives of His children tomake them better. He wrote:

The greatest sermons Ihave ever heard were notpreached from pulpits,but from sickbeds. Thegreatest, deepest truths of God’s Word have oftenbeen revealed . . . byhumble souls who have gone through theseminary of affliction and have learnedexperientially the deepthings of the ways of God.

Are you afflicted andsuffering, precious childof God? Then remember—your Father still knowsbest. . . . Grapes must becrushed before wine canbe made. Unless theviolin is stretched until itcries out in pain, there isno music in it. Wheatmust be broken to makebread. We may not knowwhat God is doing now,but someday we shallunderstand and be like

Him (Broken Things,Discovery HousePublishers, 1988,pp.44,91).

Is God workingobvious miracles of healing today? Dr. William Noland, after aperiod of diligent research,declared that he found noevidence that God is workingmiraculous healings or thatHe has given any person thegift to do so. He writes:

Two years ago I beganlooking for a healingmiracle. When I startedmy search, I hoped tofind some evidence that

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“Grapes must becrushed beforewine can be made.Wheat

must be broken to make bread.”

M. R. De Haan

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someone, somewhere,had supernatural powersthat he or she wouldemploy to cure thosepatients we doctors, withall our knowledge andtraining, must still labelas “incurable.” As I havesaid before, I have beenunable to find any suchmiracle worker (Healing:A Doctor In Search Of AMiracle, Fawcett, 1967,p.272).Dr. J. Sidlow Baxter, a

well-known Bible teacher,says yes. He writes:

The fact that manywonderful miraclehealings are occurringtoday in great publichealing rallies, who candeny? Only those denywho have not been andseen. With my own eyesalmost jumping out oftheir sockets, I have seenthe dumb from birth givenspeech, the stone-deafgiven new hearing, thelong blind suddenly given

new vision, terminalcancer instantaneouslycured (and later medicallyattested), crippledarthritics released andstraightened on the spot,wheelchair victims ofmultiple sclerosis wheeltheir own chairs away,not to mention other such wonderful healings(Divine Healing Of TheBody, Zondervan, 1979,p.270).

We can answer both ofthese questions with a solidyes. God does use sufferingas a means of our spiritualadvancement. Moreover, Hedoes heal miraculously—butnot always. And when Hedoesn’t, we need not blameourselves or give in todespair.

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God does healmiraculously—but not always.

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BIBLICALCERTAINTIESFOR SUFFERINGSAINTS

SShe was a nurse andwas quite sure sheknew what she had.

Yet her face blanched whenthe doctor came into thehospital room and said,“Sue, I hate to tell you whatyou already suspect is true.You have multiple sclerosis.”She was aware of what shewould be enduring—gradualparalysis, speech problems,impaired vision, jerkingmuscle tremors, andprobably times of intensepain. It was not a pleasantprospect.

After the doctor left, Sueand her husband cried, butnot for long. They prayed,talked to one another, andexpressed their faith. As aresult, they both sensed thepresence of the Holy Spirit.They received strength to goon. Now, some 20 years

later, they are doing quitewell. The disease hasprogressed, but far moreslowly than expected.

The essential elements of this scenario are occurring all the time. Nofamily escapes completelyunscathed. Not many, evenamong the most godly, enjoyexcellent health until old ageand slip quietly off into thenext world. It just doesn’twork out that way. That iswhy we need to know whatthe Bible teaches aboutsickness and healing.

The following study will uncover four positive,unassailable certainties that every child of God can count on in times ofsickness and suffering:

1. God will make you well.

2. God hurts when you hurt.

3. God knows why you’re suffering.

4. God is in control.

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GOD WILL MAKE YOU WELL

If you are a sick or sufferingChristian, you can stand onthe certainty that God willmake you well—perhaps onearth, but surely in heaven.That’s His guarantee. As Hischildren, we are destined toreceive a new, glorified bodyand to live forever in heaven.The apostle Paul drewtremendous comfort from hisexpectation of resurrectionand eternal glory. Afterreaffirming the fact of Christ’sresurrection in 1 Corinthians15, he proceeded to point

out that we too will receiveresurrection bodies like theone Christ has (vv.20-58).This truth sustained him ashe suffered in his service forthe Lord. In a spirit of joyand optimism he wrote:

We do not lose heart.Even though our outwardman is perishing, yet theinward man is beingrenewed day by day. Forour light affliction, whichis but for a moment, isworking for us a far moreexceeding and eternalweight of glory, while wedo not look at the thingswhich are seen, but at thethings which are not seen.For the things which areseen are temporary, butthe things which are notseen are eternal. For weknow that if our earthlyhouse, this tent, isdestroyed, we have abuilding from God, ahouse not made withhands, eternal in theheavens (2 Cor. 4:16–5:1).

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GOD HEALS

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Maybe you don’t react to these words with muchenthusiasm. You wanthealing in the here and now. Your feelings are notunusual. Suffering is notpleasant. We instinctivelywant good health andfreedom from pain. We want it now. But when we letourselves think this way, weare looking at life from thevantage point of those whohave no real hope of heaven,those who tell us to grab allthe gusto we can because“we only go around once.”

That’s wrong! Believers inChrist should live above themerely human level. We areto face squarely the fact thatthis life is brief at best andthat things down here arenever perfect. We are calledon to exercise our faith and to look beyond theimmediate and earthly. We will live forever in awonderful new world! Whenwe really grasp this truth, wecan share the victorious

attitude expressed by Paul in 2 Corinthians 4. We willbegin to anticipate joyouslythe unseen and eternalrealities of heaven. Indeed,we will “rejoice in hope ofthe glory of God” (Rom. 5:2).

Joel A. Freeman gives usan example of a person wholearned to do this. He writes,“Brian understands thisprinciple. He has learned itthe hard way. His 18-year-old eyes communicatemischief as he tries to run over my toes with his souped-up electricwheelchair. (Remind me towear my steel-toed bootsnext time I visit him.)

“Four years ago Brianwas riding his 10-speedbicycle when a drunkendriver careened across themedian strip and hit himbroadside. Brian pitchedhead over heels for 30yards. The next thing heremembered was the softtouch of a nurse’s hand onhis forehead—5 days later.

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“As a paraplegic, Brianhas battled the icy grip ofself-pity. He’s grappled withthe seductive whisper ofsuicide. But you know what?He has won a tremendousvictory—he has acceptedGod’s sovereignty in thewhole matter.

“Brian’s physicalcondition has mademarginal improvements. Hisattitude, however, has madea 180-degree turn, fromcyclical bouts with rage andhopelessness to sparklingeyes filled with an eternalpurpose for living. He hasbecome a ‘wounded healer’comforting others whereinhe has been comforted”(God Is Not Fair, Here’s Life Publishers, p.110).

No, Brian is notcompletely well physically.But he has experiencedGod’s presence. He knowshe is a member of that greatbody of suffering saints who have gone before (Heb. 11:30–12:4). This

encourages him and makeshim eager for the day whenhe will be completely welland with them.

GOD HURTS WHEN YOU HURT

If you are a sufferingbeliever, the second biblicalcertainty from which you candraw great strength is theknowledge that God issuffering with you. He is notthe “unmoved Mover” ofGreek philosophy. He is notan unfeeling Being obliviousto the pain of His creatures.Nor is He a capricious Allah

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GOD HEALS

GOD FEELS

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who carries out His will withno feeling for those whosuffer. On the contrary, He isour loving heavenly Father.He hurts when we hurt. Thepsalmist declared, “As afather pities his children, sothe Lord pities those whofear Him. For He knows ourframe; He remembers thatwe are dust” (Ps. 103:13-14).

In reviewing God’sdealings with Israel, theprophet wrote, “In all theiraffliction He was afflicted . . . ; in His love and in Hispity He redeemed them”(Isa. 63:9). The OldTestament prophetsrepeatedly pictured God as delighting in blessing Hischildren and as grievingwhen they must suffer.

The truth that God hurtswhen we hurt did not findfull expression, however,until it was revealed in theperson of Jesus Christ. He isImmanuel, “God with us”(Isa. 7:14). He, the secondperson of the eternal Trinity,

became a member of ourhumanity. He sufferedeverything we can suffer. He was born in a stable, amember of a poor family. Hegrew up in a humble homein a small village. He workedas a laboring man until Hewas 30. He didn’t have ahome during His 3 years ofministry. He was resented byHis half brothers. He wasrejected by the Jewish peopleto whom He came. He was misunderstood andmisrepresented. He wasmocked. He was falselyaccused. He was betrayed by a close companion. Hewas forsaken by His closestfriends. He was scourged.He was forced to carry aheavy wooden beam on His lacerated back. He was nailed to a cross. And even as He hung on it, He endured the taunts of mockers.

Why did He do all this?Couldn’t He have paid theprice for our sins without

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going through all of thishumiliation and abuse? Asfar as we know, the answeris yes. His death on thecross, not his pre-Calvarysuffering, atoned for our sin.It seems that He underwent

all this added pain andhumiliation for two reasons:to reveal God’s heart (2 Cor.4:6), and to become oursympathetic high priest(Heb. 4:15-16). God hadalways hurt when His peoplehurt. But He did so in a real,tangible manner through theincarnation—through theevent that began inBethlehem.

Are you suffering? Are you grieving? Are youdisappointed because youare going to die before youcan realize your plans andhopes? Be assured that Godcares. He hurts with you. He doesn’t like what you areenduring any more than youdo. He could intervene andheal you instantly. But if Hewere to do this for you andevery other person who issuffering, no one wouldhave a need for the kind offaith that builds Christiancharacter. Therefore, Heallows you to suffer. But allthe while He, like you, islooking forward to the timewhen all human pain will be over.

J. I. Packer has statedthis truth eloquently:

God’s love to sinnersinvolves His identifyingHimself with their needs.Such an identification is involved in all love: it is indeed the test ofwhether love is genuine

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The truth that Godhurts when we hurt

did not find fullexpression until itwas revealed in the person of Jesus Christ.

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or not . . . . It is not fornothing that the Biblehabitually speaks of Godas the loving Father andHusband of His people.It follows from the very nature of theserelationships that God’shappiness will not becomplete till all Hisbeloved ones are finallyout of trouble . . . . Hehas in effect resolvedthat henceforth for alleternity His happinessshall be conditionalupon ours. Thus Godsaves not only for His glory, but for Hisgladness (Knowing God,InterVarsity Press, 1973,p.113). Just as a good husband

suffers when he sees hiswife in pain, and lovingparents feel the distress of their children, so also the Lord hurts when youhurt. And He won’t becompletely happy until you hurt no more.

GOD KNOWS WHYYOU’RE SUFFERING

This is the third comfortingcertainty. We want answerswhen we hurt, so we cry out, “Why?” God’s specialservants may even do thiswhen grief or pain comestheir way.

I know a minister whorecently learned he hadcancer. He was displeasedwith God’s ways. He told afriend, “I can’t understandwhy God let this happen to me. I’ve served Himfaithfully. I’m not nurturing a secret sin. I’ve taken care

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GOD HEALS

GOD FEELS

GOD KNOWS

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of my body: I eat healthfulfoods. I avoid sweets, coffee,and soda pop. I keep myweight under control. I don’tthink I deserve this.”

His protests remind us ofthose raised by Job almost4,000 years ago. He hurledout the word why a total of16 times. He even listed 12ways in which he had beena moral, honest, kind, andloving man (Job 31:1-14).But God never answeredJob’s why questions. Nor didHe answer this query as itcame from the lips of myminister friend. However,God did something better.He gave them the assurancethat He knew why. He did soby reminding them of thegreat wisdom and power Hedisplayed in His creation ofthe world. Moreover, Hebrought both of them to the place where theyacknowledged His ways to be perfect in wisdom and goodness.

Sometimes we can

answer the question why. Itis always good to search ourhearts to see if we bear someblame for our pain. We maybe sick because we have notobeyed common-sense rules of health. Maybe theaccident that hurt us is theresult of our carelessness. It is also possible that ourillness is the result of God’schastening because of sin inour lives (1 Cor. 11:29-30;Heb. 12:6). The Bibleteaches us that someChristians die an untimelydeath (humanly speaking)because of sin (Acts 5:1-11;1 Cor. 11:30). If we know we have been livingdisobediently, we mustrepent. God may give ushealing when we do. Andwhen we see the death of abelieving loved one who hasfallen into sinful ways, wecan take comfort in theassurance that Godsometimes takes one of His children home ratherthan see him continue

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on his destructive course.However, we often can’t

find specific answers to ourwhy questions. We can’talways expect to know thereason why we are suffering.But even then, God does notleave us completely in thedark. In addition to assuringus that He knows why, Hehas shown us that evenunexplained suffering has a valuable purpose.

In John 9, Jesus used anencounter with a blind manto teach His disciples thislesson. They asked Him,“Rabbi, who sinned, thisman or his parents, that he was born blind?” (v.2). They obviously saw thisaffliction as punishment forsomebody’s sin— either thatof his parents or himselfwhile he was still in thewomb. Jesus answeredthem, “Neither this man norhis parents sinned, but thatthe works of God should berevealed in him” (v.3). Thisman’s affliction was not

punishment for any specialsin. But it had value. It wasdesigned to make him thevehicle through which God’spower could be put ondisplay. After He had madethis point, Jesus said, “Imust work the works of Himwho sent Me while it is day;the night is coming when noone can work” (v.4). ThenHe gave the man his sight.

The application to us isobvious. Instead of wastingour energy in uselessspeculation about the why question, let’s viewsuffering—our own or thatwhich we encounter inothers—as an opportunity to demonstrate God’s powerand bring glory to Him.Maybe He will answer our prayers by healing us.Perhaps He will use thesuffering of someone welove to make us morecompassionate, more kind,more helpful. Or He may letus suffer, but give us suchsupernatural grace that we

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will be a vibrant testimonyto His glory. Actually, Godhas many good reasons forletting us suffer:• Suffering silences Satan

(Job 1–2).• Suffering gives God

an opportunity to beglorified (Jn. 11:4).

• Suffering makes us more like Christ (Heb.2:10; Phil. 3:10).

• Suffering makes usappreciative (Rom. 8:28).

• Suffering teaches us todepend on God (Ex.14:13-14; Isa. 40:28-31).

• Suffering enables us toexercise our faith (Job23:10; Rom. 8:24-25).

• Suffering teaches uspatience (Rom. 5:3; Jas. 1:2-4).

• Suffering makes ussympathetic (2 Cor. 1:3-6).

• Suffering makes and keeps us humble (2 Cor. 12:7-10).

• Suffering brings rewards (2Tim. 2:12; 1 Pet. 4:12-13).Many other reasons for

suffering could be given. Wemay not know which onefits our situation, but Goddoes. That’s comforting.

GOD IS INCONTROL

This is the fourth biblicalcertainty for sufferingbelievers. The fact that Godis in control doesn’t meanthat He is the direct cause ofevery injury or disease. Theysometimes come throughSatan and usually throughthe outworking of naturallaws that God has built intothe universe.

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GOD HEALS

GOD FEELS

GOD KNOWS

GOD CONTROLS

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Satan was the one who robbed Job of hispossessions, children, andhealth. The woman Jesushealed from a cripplingillness was “a daughter ofAbraham, whom Satan hasbound . . . for eighteenyears” (Lk. 13:16). Satanwas also involved in the“destruction of the flesh” in a disciplined churchmember (1 Cor. 5:5). AndPaul’s “thorn in the flesh”was a “messenger of Satanto buffet” him (2 Cor. 12:7).

Most suffering, however,is the result of naturalprocesses. Habitualdrunkenness leads tohallucinations, slurredspeech, and physicalcollapse (Prov. 23:29-35).The young man entering the house of a prostitute is like an ox going into theslaughterhouse (Prov. 7:22).Timothy’s stomach problemswere probably related to thewater he drank (1 Tim.5:23). Many illnesses are

eliminated throughinoculations, diet, and goodhealth habits. It’s obviousthat we cannot make Godthe primary agent in a largepercentage of the sufferingthat plagues mankind.

The fact that Satan andnatural factors are the directagents in much humansuffering, however, shouldnot be taken as evidencethat God is not involved.These evils would not haveoccurred if He hadn’tpermitted them. God gavethe devil permission to afflictJob, but He set the limits(Job 1–2). Even when

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Jesus assured us that nothing can happen to

us unless it passes God’s

permissive will.

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accidents or illness can be traced to humancarelessness or naturalcauses, they occur becauseGod allows them. Jesusassured us that nothing can happen to us unless it passes God’s permissivewill. He said that even aseemingly insignificant eventlike the death of a sparrowdoes not occur “apart fromyour Father’s will” (Mt.10:29). Paul expressedGod’s control of everythingby declaring that we whobelieve are “predestinedaccording to the purpose of Him who works all thingsaccording to the counsel ofHis will” (Eph. 1:11).

God has everythingunder His control. He mayallow the devil to test you by making you sick. He maypermit you to suffer greatpain through an accidentcaused by carelessness orthrough a vicious attack by an evil person. Theseunpleasant events try us

and may even tempt us tosin, but we can rest in thefollowing assurance:

No temptation [test] hasovertaken you exceptsuch as is common toman; but God is faithful,who will not allow you tobe tempted beyond whatyou are able, but with thetemptation will also makethe way of escape, thatyou may be able to bearit (1 Cor. 10:13).No matter what your

trial, no matter how greatyour pain or grief, rememberthat it passed the permissivewill of your heavenly Fatherbefore it reached you. Heloves you. He may heal youmiraculously. If not, He willbe with you in all your painand someday take you toheaven. No matter what He does, He has yourultimate welfare in view. The perfectly wise and good God you serve haseverything under control.

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SICK ANDSUFFERINGPEOPLE IN THE BIBLE

TThe Bible gives usmany accounts ofsevere illness, intense

suffering, deep sorrow, anduntimely death. These thingsare either attributed to Godor to Satan. And on someoccasions the source is notgiven. Sometimes healingcame through a miracle. Atother times, it came througha natural cure. And on someoccasions, temporal healingdidn’t come at all—theperson died. Sometimes thereason is stated. At othertimes it is implied. And onsome occasions it is notindicated in any way.

JOB (Job 1–42)• Identity—a godly and

wealthy man who livedsome 4,000 years ago(1:1-5).

• Affliction—loss of

property, death ofchildren, painful skindisease (1:13-19; 2:1-10).

• Source Of Affliction—Satan with God’spermission (1:12; 2:6).

• Reason For Affliction—testing and refining (1:6-12; 2:1-10; 23:10).

• Result Of Affliction—greater knowledge of Godand understanding of self(42:1-6).

• Lesson—God and Satanmay both be involved in the sending of ourafflictions (Job 1:12; 2:6).

MIRIAM (Ex. 15:20-21;Num. 12; 26:59)• Identity—sister of Moses

and Aaron.• Affliction—leprosy.• Source—God.• Reason—chastening for

rebellion.• Result—repentance,

healing, restoration.• Lesson—God sometimes

uses suffering to chastenHis disobedient children.

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EZEKIEL’S WIFE(Ezek. 24:15-27)• Identity—wife of a major

prophet.• Affliction—her illness

and death.• Source—God.• Reason—to illustrate

God’s dealings with thenation of Israel.

• Result—God was glorified(implied).

• Lesson—God sometimesuses suffering and evendeath to accomplish Hispurposes.

MEPHIBOSHETH(2 Sam. 4:4; 9)• Identity—son of Jonathan;

grandson of Saul.• Affliction—crippled

through a fall.• Source—not given.• Reason—not given.• Result—lifetime affliction

with no cure provided.• Lesson—God doesn’t

always tell us the reasonfor our suffering.

PAUL (2 Cor. 12:1-10)• Identity—the great

apostle to the Gentiles.• Affliction—a thorn in the

flesh (an unidentifiedphysical malady).

• Source—a gift from God (implied) and a“messenger of Satan.”

• Reason—to keep Paulfrom exalting himselfbecause of his uniquespiritual experiences.

• Result—the thornremained with Paul inspite of his prayers fordeliverance but became a blessing because itincreased his dependenceon the Lord.

• Lesson—God doesn’talways bring temporalhealing, even to His mostdevoted children.

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QUESTIONS ON HEALING

IIn the following pages wewill attempt to answersome common questions

about healing that are oftenraised concerning certainbiblical passages.

What about ourauthority to heal? In anOur Daily Bread article, Isaid that though we don’thave the authority to callpeople back from death we can do practical things to help those who are sorrowing. Much to mysurprise, several peoplewrote me, accusing me of not believing Matthew 10:7-8, “As you go, preach,saying, ‘The kingdom ofheaven is at hand.’ Heal thesick, cleanse the lepers, raisethe dead, cast out demons.Freely you have received,freely give.”

Yes, the Lord gave Hisdisciples authority to heal,perhaps even to raise the

dead (although these wordsare not found in some of theearly manuscript copies).But we err if we make thesewords our marching ordersor view them as giving usauthority to heal the sickand raise the dead. Theywere addressed to a smallgroup of men who at thattime, on the other side ofCalvary, were preaching the“gospel of the kingdom” toJews only. After referring tothis passage, Dr. De Haan,in his inimitable way, wrote:

They were not to acceptmoney for their services;they were not to take anyprovision, but to live onthe kindness and charityand generosity of thepeople to whom theyministered . . . . Nololling around in luxuryfor those apostles; noexpensive hotel suites;but theirs was to be a lifeof rigor and self-denial; alife of poverty as becamethe followers of Him who

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had “nowhere to lay Hishead,” who was born in astable, depended on thecharity of His friends,rode on a borrowed colt,and died on a sinner’scross. If, then, thiscommission in verse 8,“heal the sick,” is to betaken for us today, it alsoshould involve all ofthese other instructionswhich the Lord gave inthis connection. Thisverse is constantlyquoted as a reason forthe same miracles today,but surely consistencyalone demands that therest of the passage bemade to apply as well.What about healing

in the atonement? “Youneed not be sick. Christ diedfor our sicknesses as well asour sins. Through faith wemust claim freedom fromillness just as we claimfreedom from the penalty of our sins. That’s whatMatthew 8:16-17 tells us.”

A godly man dying of cancerheard a radio preacher saythis. He became troubled.He began to suffer from afeeling of guilt about his lackof faith just as much as fromhis illness. I assured himthat he had not failedspiritually. He and his lovedones had prayed earnestly.Neither their prayers northeir faith were deficient. Itapparently was not God’swill to heal him. The manwas then able to face hisapproaching death with faith and courage.

Let’s examine Matthew8:16-17 to see exactly what it says about therelationships between the atonement and healing.We read:

When evening had come, they brought toHim many who weredemon-possessed. And Hecast out the spirits with aword, and healed all whowere sick, that it might befulfilled which was spoken

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by Isaiah the prophet,saying: “He Himself tookour infirmities and boreour sicknesses.”The closing words are an

accurate quotation from theHebrew text of Isaiah 53:4.Jesus “took” our sicknessesby sympathetically andcompassionately enteringinto the pains and sorrowsof mankind. His miracles of healing were signs. Theyshowed His compassion forus and pointed forward toHis death by which Hewould pay the price for sin so that ultimately allsuffering can end. Hismiracles of healing weresigns of the completehealing that will be enjoyedultimately by all who placetheir trust in Him.

Nothing in this passageeven remotely suggests thatwe can claim physicalhealing through theatonement. D. A. Carsonastutely observed, “Thecross is the basis for all the

benefits which accrue tobelievers; but this does notmean that all such benefitscan be secured at thepresent time on demand,any more than we have theright and power to demandour resurrection bodies”(The Expositor’s BibleCommentary, Vol. 8,Zondervan, p.267).

What aboutanointing services? Insome church services, sickand suffering people areinvited to come forward tobe anointed with oil andprayed for. This practice isbased on James 5:13-16.

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Jesus’ miracles ofhealing were signsof the complete

healing that will beenjoyed ultimatelyby all who place

their trust in Him.

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But the sick person in Jamescalls for the elders to cometo him. Perhaps he is too ill to go to them. Thecombination of the Greekword asthenia (sick) in verse14 and kamno (sick) in verse15 is seen by some Biblestudents as portrayingsomeone who is flat in bed,probably hopelessly ill. Thisanointing does not occur in a public service or oninvitation from the platform.

The elders are to pray forthe sick person and anointhim with oil. This anointingwith oil was ceremonial, not medicinal. Oil had no healing value for aperson with a severe, life-threatening illness.Besides, James said that it is the “prayer of faith,” not the oil, that saves thesick from physical death.

What is this prayer offaith? It certainly isn’t a state of mind a personacquires through a lot ofagonized crying or shouting.

That goes against what Jesussaid about praying (Mt. 6:7-15). The “prayer of faith” is Spirit-led praying that issensitive to God’s will andsubmissive to it.

James 5:13-16 wasaddressed to saints in thechurch age. But some Biblestudents believe that it was intended only forpeople who lived during theapostolic era. They point outthat James was written at avery early date while theapostles who possessed the gifts of healings anddiscernment (1 Cor. 12:1-11)were still living. They alsocall our attention to the factthat the text seems to implythat healing could always beexpected.

Many other Biblestudents, however, are not comfortable with thisinterpretation. They can’tfind solid reasons to limitthis instruction to theapostolic era. They thereforesay that we should honor

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requests for anointing andprayer from those who areill. They also point out thatconfession of sin seems to bean important element in thisanointing and prayer service.

Bible scholars do indeeddiffer as to the value of thispractice in the church today.However, one thing iscertain. No fair-mindedperson can make it thebiblical basis for publicanointing services.

What about thepromise of John 14:12?Jesus told His disciples,“Most assuredly, I say toyou, he who believes in Me,the works that I do he willdo also; and greater worksthan these he will do,because I go to My Father” (Jn. 14:12). The first question we must askourselves is, “To whom wasJesus speaking?” The answeris clear: His disciples. WereHis promises fulfilled? Yes,they were. Their miracles,some of which are recorded

in Acts, were indeed similarto Christ’s. But what aboutthe “greater works”? Theycertainly weren’t physical.How do you top feeding5,000 people with a boy’slunch, calming a tempestwith a word of command,and calling people backfrom death? The “greaterworks” undoubtedly refer to the spiritual triumphs ofthe gospel. The apostles,empowered by the HolySpirit, led a movement thatturned the world of their dayupside down (Acts 17:6).Millions of people, mostlyGentiles, believed the goodnews and were transformed.In a period of just 30 years!Our Lord’s promises to theapostles have been fulfilled.

Remember, our Lord wasaddressing His inner circleof disciples, and He fulfilledthe promises He made tothem. We have no right totake these words as amandate for us to workmiracles. Even during the

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time of the apostles thesupernatural gifts of miraclesand healing were sovereignlydispensed by God as Hesaw fit. He did not give thesame gifts to all (1 Cor. 12:1-11). After listing the gifts,Paul wrote, “But one andthe same Spirit works allthese things, distributing toeach one individually as Hewills” (v.11). Yes, God couldchoose to give us power toperform miracles like Jesusand the apostles. He issovereign. But He didn’tpromise us miracle-workingpower. Not in John 14:12 orin any other Bible passage!

What about the gift of healing? SomeChristian leaders areconvinced that they possess the “gifts ofhealings” referred to in 1 Corinthians 12. Moreover,many sane, honest, andrespectable people supportthis claim. They testify that they experienced orwitnessed real healings

through the laying on ofhands in a healing service.And they challenge thosewho don’t believe them toproduce a New Testamentverse that states explicitlythat gifts of healings stoppedwith the apostles.

Now, it is true that theNew Testament writersnowhere explicitly declarethat the gifts of healingsceased. However, Hebrews2:1-4 makes it clear that themiraculous sign gifts werenot present in about AD 68as they were at an earlier

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God could chooseto give us power toperform miracleslike Jesus and theapostles. But Hedidn’t promise usmiracle-working

power.

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stage in the apostolic era.The writer of Hebrewsdeclared that the message ofsalvation “was confirmed . . .both with signs and wonders,with various miracles, andgifts of the Holy Spirit,according to His own will”(Heb. 2:3-4). He used thepast tense. In addition, helumped together “signs andwonders” and “gifts of theSpirit.” It appears that thesupernatural sign gifts wereno longer present to theextent that they were at an earlier time.

Another matter ofsignificance is the fact that in the Greek language, thesupernatural sign gifts arewritten as double plurals—“gifts of healings,” “gifts of tongues,” “workings ofmiracles.” This may indicatethat the supernatural gifts did not reside in anindividual like the gift of an office—apostle, prophet,evangelist, and pastor-teacher (Eph. 4:11). They

apparently came upon aperson for one event andhad to be given again orrenewed by the Holy Spirit

according to His will.Perhaps that’s why Paul,who on one occasion healed a host of people (Acts19:11-12), couldn’t healEpaphroditus (Phil. 2:25-30),Trophimus (2 Tim. 4:20), orTimothy (1 Tim. 5:23).

Since even the apostlesdidn’t possess a resident gift

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Present healingsthrough prayer

don’t necessarilyindicate that

somebody exercisedthe gift of healing.God can heal in

response to prayerwhenever He

chooses to do so.

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of healing, we have goodreason to deny that anyonehas it today. Then too, therecorded instances ofmiraculous healings duringsubsequent eras of churchhistory should not be seen asevidence that the signs andwonders and gifts of healingscontinued. A divine healingneed not be a sign or wonder,even if it is quite clearlysupernatural. Nor do presenthealings through prayerindicate that somebodyexercised the “gifts ofhealings.” God can heal inresponse to prayer wheneverHe chooses to do so.

What about the astoundingcontemporary reports of healing?Wherever you go, you canfind people who tell of beingmiraculously cured throughprayer, through a visit to ashrine, or through the workof a healer. The tendencyamong non-Christians (andeven many Christians)

has been to disregard ordeny these reports. Lately,however, many secularistsare taking them moreseriously without thinking of these unexplainablephenomena as divinemiracles. They are quick topoint out that spontaneousremissions and apparenthealings occur amongChristians and non-Christians. They find refuge in the mystery of the relationship betweenmind and matter and theunexplainable power ofsuggestion. They don’t even attempt to refutetestimonials of amazinghealings by people whoreceived treatment fromquacks whose methods have no scientific validity.

Our approach asChristians is different. We believe in God and His power to heal. Many of us have had firsthandexperiences of amazinghealings in response to

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prayer. Therefore, we do notquestion the fact that Godcan and does heal. However,we should recognize that notall humanly unexplainableincidents are miracles ofGod. They occur evenamong Satan worshipers!Therefore, we test a religiousleader’s credibility by whathe teaches, not by ananalysis of the miraclesascribed to him or her.

What about Paul’s“thorn in the flesh”? In2 Corinthians 12:1-10, Paulspoke of his “thorn in theflesh.” He said that it was“given” him to keep himfrom becoming conceitedbecause of the amazingrevelations he had received.He also declared it to be “amessenger from Satan tobuffet me.” The giver of thethorn was undoubtedly God;He, not the devil, would beconcerned to keep Paulhumble. But Satan could use the thorn to distress him.

We don’t know what the

“thorn” was. A number ofguesses have been made.Some have mentioned badeyes, epilepsy, malaria.Others, eager to maintainthat obedient Christians arefree from disease, havementioned an indwellingdemon or bitter enemies.These last suggestions,however, don’t fit Paul’swords, “Therefore mostgladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that thepower of Christ may restupon me” (v.9). Anindwelling demon orpersistent enemies are not“weaknesses.” The “thorn”was without question somekind of physical affliction.And God gave it to Paul for his spiritual good. Goddidn’t remove it even thoughPaul prayed earnestly for itsremoval. But He providedsuch wonderful grace andstrength that Paul saw it asa blessing.

How much faith do Ineed? Many people have

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the idea that if we fulfillGod’s conditions by havingenough faith, we will alwaysbe healed. Therefore theyboldly “name and claim”complete healing when theypray. They even tell a personthat he or she is well whilethe symptoms of the illnessare still present.

Dr. Paul Brand in theNovember 25, 1983, issue of Christianity Today told thesad story about a family thattook this approach. Whentheir 15-month-old soncame down with flu-likesymptoms, they followed the advice of their churchleaders and depended solelyon prayer for his recovery.

Their son kept getting moresick over the next severalweeks, gradually losing hissenses of hearing and sight.He finally died—and heremained dead in spite offervent prayer that Godwould restore his life. Theautopsy showed that thecause of death was a form of meningitis that couldhave been treated easily.

Now, these people hadtremendous faith. But thestrength of our faith doesnot determine whether ornot healing will come. Someof our Lord’s miracles werenot in any way related to thefaith of those who benefitedfrom them (Mt. 12:9-13; Mk.1:23-28; Lk. 7:11-15; 13:10-13; 14:1-6; 22:50-51; Jn. 9:1-38). Besides, are we going tosay that Paul was not healedof his “thorn in the flesh”because he didn’t haveenough faith? Was Timothy’slack of faith the reason hehad stomach problems? (1 Tim. 5:23).

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The strength of our faith does notdetermine whether

or not healing will come.

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DOES GODWANT ME WELL?

WWe are now readyto answer directlythe question that

appears on the cover of thisbooklet. Yes, God wants youwell—just as He “desires allmen to be saved and tocome to the knowledge ofthe truth” (1 Tim. 2:4). Butnot everyone accepts Hisoffer of salvation. Godwould like to see Hischildren well, but many of them disobey good health rules. Some fall into sinful ways and need to be chastened (Heb. 12:6).All of us are spirituallybenefited by some trials and pain. Both Paul andJames exhorted believers tobe glad when they are testedby suffering (Rom. 5:3-5; Jas. 1:2-4). Their teachingsassure us that it is anindispensable element in ourspiritual development. God

would like us well, but itwould not be good for us togo through life without pain.

It does not follow,however, that we shouldtake a dim view of physicalhealth or pleasure. Norshould we stoically resignourselves to the idea that

we should expect a lot ofsuffering. On the contrary,we should look at lifeoptimistically. God’s Wordprovides assurances andpromotes a way of life that is conducive to physical

30

God’s Word providesassurances and

promotes a way of life

that is conducive to physical andpsychological

wellness.

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and psychological wellness.It does so in at least nineways:1. It brings relief from the

heavy burden of guilt (Ps. 32:1-2; Rom. 5:1).

2. It provides the power torelease inner bitternesscaused by an unforgivingspirit (Mt. 6:12,14-15;Eph. 4:32).

3. It promotes a positiveview toward our body,assuring us that the Holy Spirit lives in it (1 Cor. 6:19), and that it is destined forresurrection (1 Cor. 15).

4. It teaches that sexualexpression is both safeand satisfying within the bonds of marriage (1 Cor. 7:1-5; Heb. 13:4).

5. It provides grace for single believers, enabling them to live ahappy and fulfilled life (1 Cor. 7:7-8,32,39-40).

6. It is marked by hope—abuoyant confidence aboutthe future (Rom. 8:31-39).

7. It assures us that we are members of a selectcommunity—the body of Christ in which eachperson fills a special rolefor the mutual benefit of all (Rom. 12:3-8; 1 Cor. 12:1-31).

8. It fosters a uniquerelationship with God so that we can come to Him as ourFather in an attitude ofexpectancy and ask Himfor healing when we aresick (Mt. 7:7-11; Rom.8:15; Jas. 5:14-15).

9. It enables us to rejoiceeven when we suffer pain (Acts 5:41; 2 Cor.4:16-18).God wants you well. He

allows illness and pain onlywhen He can use them foryour good. And He is goingto see to it that you will bewell for all eternity. Believingthis will promote your goodhealth.

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SICKNESS,HEALING, ANDYOU

TThe young seldomhave personal contactwith pain and sorrow.

Grandparents are still alivefor some. And even whenthey see these grandparentsget sick or die, they canreason that it will be a longtime before this happens toanybody in their immediatefamily. But sooner or later,everybody comes into closecontact with pain, sorrow,and death. Therefore weshould ask ourselves, “Howwill I cope when a doctorsays, ‘I’m sorry, we did allwe could,’ or ‘I hope you are prepared for bad news. I must tell you that youhave cancer, and that wecan’t do much for you.’ ”

If you have placed yourtrust in Jesus Christ, you canface such news calmly andhopefully. If you are notliving obediently, you can

turn away from your sin andback to God. You can askthe Lord for healing. Youcan pray with the absoluteassurance that God will healyou, if doing so will bringglory to Himself and furtheryour eternal welfare. And ifHe doesn’t make you well,He will give you Hiswonderful grace and use the affliction for good.

If you have never placedyour trust in Jesus Christ, doit today. Acknowledge yoursinfulness and your inabilityto save yourself. Believe thatJesus died on the cross forsinners and that He roseagain. Then put your trust inHim. Believe that He did itfor you. He will forgive you,make you a member of Hisfamily, and give you eternallife. He will take care of you through all time andeternity.

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