Healing Is For Today

The power of God to heal has been a hotly debated subject for many years by well-meaning Christians on both sides of the issue. It’s only been in the last 50 years or so that healing has come to be accepted by a large number of believers and denominations as a fundamental truth in the Bible, and as a benefit of God’s mercy and grace available to everyone who makes Jesus the Lord of their life.  It is a right of every born-again child of God, a right bought and paid for by the precious Blood of Jesus!

The Old Testament book of Isaiah tells us, when Isaiah was prophesying about the death of Jesus, “Surely He hath borne our griefs and carried our sorrows.” (Isaiah 53:4). Some argue that this scripture does not refer to our physical bodies. However, the Hebrew word for ‘griefs’ means: malady, sickness, and disease. The Hebrew word for ‘sorrows’ means: anguish, pain, and grief. So we see that Jesus not only bore the sins of the world, but He actually bore our physical diseases, sicknesses, and pains, as well so we wouldn’t have to. Isaiah goes on to say, “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 53:5). Glory to God! Jesus became a curse for us (Galatians 3:13), and that curse included sin, sickness and disease, poverty, and death, so that we might become the Righteousness of God in Him (2 Corinthians 5:21).

In order for us to experience physical healing we must believe and accept it by faith. But first, we have to have assurance that healing is God’s will.  3 John 1:2 states, “Beloved, I wish (or pray) above all things that thou mayest prosper and BE IN HEALTH, even as thy soul prospers.” The Apostle John was speaking under Divine inspiration when he wrote those words. Throughout the Gospels, and the book of Acts, we see Jesus and His disciples constantly healing all those who came to them in faith. Matthew 4:23 tells us, “And Jesus went about all Galilee teaching in their synagogues and preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom, and HEALING ALL SICKNESS AND ALL DISEASE AMONG THE PEOPLE.” When a leper came to Jesus and said, “Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean, Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I WILL; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed”. (Matthew 8:2-3).  Just as the Bible teaches that it is God’s will that ALL men be saved, we can be assured that it is also God’s WILL that ALL be healed.  God is no respecter of persons (Acts 10:34).  God is LOVE and love desires the very best for people.

Many say, yes, but that was Jesus. He was the Son of God. Of course He could heal people.  Well, it was Jesus Himself who was speaking when He made the astounding statement in John 14:12, “Verily, verily, I say unto you. He that believeth on Me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do because I go to My Father.” What was one of the ‘works’ of Jesus mentioned over and over in the Bible? HEALING!

You see, Jesus did not operate as God here on the earth, but as a man anointed of God.  Philippians 2:7 tells us this about Jesus, “But made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a Servant, and was made in the likeness of men.” That word “reputation” means, to make empty… a) of Christ, he laid aside equality with or the form of God. Jesus laid aside His Deity and became as we are.  I know there are some who will recoil at this truth, but if Jesus operated as God while here on earth, then why does the Bible tell us that “Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man“? If Jesus was omniscient He would not have had to grow in knowledge or wisdom. He could have just healed everyone He came into contact with, but we know that wasn’t the case.  No, Jesus operated as a man under the anointing of God, in order to show us how we can, and should, live.

The disciples, and the Church as a whole, were to be in the healing business. Jesus said so (Luke 9:1-2).  However, whenever Jesus came across a group of people who did not believe that He was anointed to heal, then healing was not manifested in their presence. This happened even in His home town, “And He could there do no mighty works, save that he laid His hands upon a few sick folk and healed them: And He marvelled because of their unbelief.” (Mark 6:5-6). There were a few who believed and they received their healing, but the others received nothing because they became offended and did not believe. Just as in that time, there are many Christians today who do not believe in Divine healing.

Some people say, healing was for the “early Church” and has passed away. First of all, there was no “early Church”. It was the same Church as today, only in its early years of formation. The Church has always been, and always will be, the body of believers that have put their trust and faith in Jesus Christ. Furthermore, God never changes. ” For I AM the Lord, I change not.” (Malachi 3:6). He is the same yesterday, today, and for ever! (Hebrews 13:8). Because God never changes, we can have full assurance that healing is His will for us today as it has always been from the foundation of the world.

In closing, I must address what I consider a “heresy”, and it is a shameful thing that even some in the Body of Christ believe. Many say that God uses sickness and disease to teach His children a lesson, or that it brings glory to God and draws them closer to Him.  If sickness brings glory to God and draws one closer to Him, then WHY IN THE WORLD do they go to a doctor or take medicine to GET  WELL?  They should just stay as sick as possible for as long as possible!  That kind of thinking is ignorance gone to seed and it is a stench in the nostrils of our Heavenly Father to talk like that! You are treading on thin ice when you say that God is using something that came from the devil. 1 John 3:8 states, “For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.” Not once in the Bible do you ever see Jesus putting sickness or disease on someone. NO! He was always HEALING them. “…and (Jesus) healed ALL that were sick” (Matthew 8:16).  THAT was what brought, and still brings, glory to God…their healing!  Doesn’t sound like Jesus was passing out sickness and disease to me. Would you as a parent, if you had the power to do so, put a terrible disease on one of your children to “teach them something?” No. You would do everything in your power to keep them from suffering. Why would we ever think that God, Who loves us so much, would be any different? Get that “stinking thinking” out of your mind!

Jesus made it possible through His death on the Cross for all to be healed who will believe. He redeemed us from the curse which includes sickness, disease, and death. It is God’s will for us to walk in Divine health and enjoy the abundant life. Next time you are attacked with sickness, or some terrible disease, look up all the healing Scriptures you can find and meditate on them. Let the truth of God’s Word flood your mind and spirit. Begin to praise God for your healing before you see the manifestation of it. Believe the Word…SPEAK what the Word says about your healing, not what you are feeling! Claim your healing in Jesus’ Name! Walk in victory! To God be all the glory! Blessings!