WHAT I BELIEVE ABOUT HEALING – PART 2 OF 2
Last time, we began discussing supernatural healing, the fact that it is part of Christ’s atonement package for us, and that it’s always God’s will to heal us, every time. But we don’t always see healing happen, so what’s going on? Here we’ll get into the heart of the issue.
Here, I think, is the crux of the matter: how do I address all these Christian friends of mine who believe that healing is not always God’s will, or who think that healing is not part of Christ’s atonement package, or think that if we pray for healing and don’t get it then our faith is faulty, or who believe that those (like me) who believe it’s a faith issue are condemning those who don’t see their prayers answered?
First of all, I do not condemn anyone. I, like many reading this, have had many instances where my prayers were not answered and people have died, or have not actually been healed (yet). That’s truth. Do I condemn myself or others? Of course not. “There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1). I don’t condemn anyone and certainly God does not.
But if the actual reason for unanswered prayer is a lack of faith, then am I guilty of condemnation for pointing that out? If I believe, for example, that my own lack of faith is what allowed my father-in-law to die, in spite of my fervent prayers for healing, then am I condemning myself? Is it possible to state that a lack of faith could be a problem and yet not condemn the one receiving that message?
Of course this is possible. It is not an act of love to allow someone to continue in a behavior that is self-destructive. If I believe that an alcoholic friend is killing himself, then it is a loving thing to point out his issues and then try to help him, offer him a solution, and love him through his problems.
Pointing out an issue that might be harming or damaging others is not condemnation, but many Christians nevertheless feel that any such language is condemning and damaging. I don’t know where this comes from, but in many cases I believe it may come from an ultra-grace mentality that believes anything that falls short of 100% acceptance and a blindness to lack, sin or ignorance is condemning or mean. This is simply not the case. We need to lighten up a bit and listen to the heart behind the plea.
This feeling of condemnation that comes when someone is genuinely trying to help may also be rooted in a history of abuse, or a pharisaical attitude that does not allow competing viewpoints, or some other psychological baggage like a severe inferiority complex or other pre-existing feelings of self-condemnation.
Regardless, there is hope in all of these cases – the Holy Spirit can indeed bring inner healing and peace no matter what you’ve been through!
Second, while I do not condemn anyone for a lack of faith, I strongly believe that there are things that can prevent the healing from taking place, and a lack of faith is one of the many things that can rob us of our healing.
The lack of faith argument is clear from scripture. In Galatians 3, Paul takes to task the unbelief of the Galatians, and he asks this amazing rhetorical question:
“ This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? Did you suffer so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain? So then, does He who provides you with the Spirit and works miracles among you, do it by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith?” (Galatians 3:2-5).
First, Paul establishes that salvation comes by hearing, with faith. The rest of the Bible makes is clear that salvation comes by an act of faith on our part, through the free gift of grace. Yes, it’s a free gift, but we must act upon it by faith in order to receive the gift.
Now Paul uses the exact same argument for miraculous works. He asks whether we receive miracles among us by our works or by hearing with faith? In other words, miracles come to us the exact same way as salvation comes to us – by a free gift of grace, but they are experienced through an obedient act of faith on our part.
In the same way that we will not experience salvation unless we willingly believe by faith, so we will also not experience healing unless we willingly believe with faith. In others words…
If you do not believe in the free gift of salvation through grace, accepted by an act of faith on your part, then you will not be saved. And…
If you do not believe in the free gift of healing through grace, accepted by an act of faith on your part, then you will not be healed.
Now of course God can act above and beyond the ways we try to limit Him to. In the New Testament, Jesus healed the centurion’s servant from a distance. We don’t know whether the servant who was healed was practicing faith or not, or whether he even knew his boss was asking Jesus for a miracle healing.
But we do know that the woman who touched the hem of Jesus’s garment was healed, and He plainly told her “Your faith has healed you.” He also told the centurion that He had not seen faith like his in all of Israel. Faith certainly had something to do with those two healings!
Once again, I do not condemn anyone who has not received their healing, but I do not believe that pointing to a lack of faith as a possible roadblock is condemning or unloving. My ultimate goal is to experience healings more often in myself and in those within my sphere of influence, and to have others around me have that same experience. This, as we have mentioned earlier, gives glory to God.
Another reason we may not receive our healing is spiritual warfare. Our enemy comes to “steal, kill and destroy.” As Christians, we cannot be directly touched by the enemy’s hand, but he can influence us in myriad ways, for example, by attacking our faith.
We live on a battlefield, and sometimes we might get shot or hit by the shrapnel. Ephesians 6 is huge. We are in a fight, and in fights people can get injured or even killed. Sometimes it’s just the warfare of life that catches us off guard, allows us to take a bullet, or otherwise experience less than the perfect will of God.
Next, and perhaps the most disconcerting for me, is the suggestion by so many Christians that because they know friends and family that were strong Christians and were praying to be healed but were not healed, and perhaps died in spite of all the prayers, then they conclude that healing is not meant for us today, or that healing is not always God’s will.
This argument fails on many fronts, and admits defeat to the enemy’s lies without even putting up a fight.
First, such a belief system sets up one’s personal experience as the doctrinal basis for healing. It can be very dangerous to base one’s theology on experience rather than on the truth of scripture. Personal experiences and anecdotal evidence can be powerful motivators, and even valuable learning tools in many aspects of life, but we dare not base our theology of healing on Auntie Sallie’s experiences.
Second, we have already discussed that it is always God’s will to heal.
Third, we must admit that Jesus commanded us to go heal the sick, and if so, then he has therefore He has given us the power and authority to do His work on the behalf of others.
But the argument itself (the argument that because you know people who prayed for healing and didn’t receive it, therefore healing is not to be expected) fails logically.
I could use many parallel examples, but let’s consider the example of some besetting sin. Let’s say I have a family member who is an alcoholic and is struggling to get free. He loves Jesus, he prays for forgiveness, and he asks God to deliver him from this addiction. But he can’t overcome it.
In the context of our discussion, this person would have to conclude “I have prayed for years that God would deliver me from alcoholism, but He hasn’t, so it must not be God’s will for me to be free from alcoholism.”
Once again, the ultimate sovereignty of God doctrine that many Christians ascribe to would demand just such a non-sensical answer. If it is actually true that God’s sovereignty means that only the things that God wants to happen can actually happen, then it’s God’s will that he is an alcoholic. It is God’s will that he cannot be free from alcoholism. This is contrary to tons of scriptures that encourage us to be sanctified, to work out our salvation, to be holy as God is holy, to put away our sin habits, to work on our behavior, to beat our body and make it our slave.
But if you believe in this unbiblical ultimate sovereignty of God, then why would you even bother to pray for healing? Since God is 100% sovereign, then it’s God’s will that you’re sick, so you are disobeying God to pray for healing, or take Ibuprofen, or go the doctor!
The bottom line with this argument is that just because we don’t experience healing when we pray for it, or know people for whom this is true, has nothing to do with whether it’s God’s will to heal. Please read that again.
For example, just because we pray for someone to gain salvation and give their lives to Jesus does not guarantee that they will end up in heaven. The fact that you know a strong Christian who prayed for healing but did not receive it has nothing to do with God’s will to heal that person. Other issues are at work.
We are to pray and believe, and God puts a huge emphasis on belief:
”But Jesus, overhearing what was being spoken, said to the synagogue official, ‘Do not be afraid, only believe’ ” (Mark 5:36).
“But if You can do anything, take pity on us and help us!” And Jesus said to him, “If You can? All things are possible to him who believes.” Immediately the boy’s father cried out and said, “I do believe; help my unbelief” (Mark 9:22-24).
“If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you” (Matthew 17:20).
So, yes, I believe that faith and belief (and getting rid of our unbelief) have much to do with receiving our healing. We just can’t get past the link in the bible between belief and miraculous works. I don’t care what kind of excuses we try to generate based on our own experiences and anecdotal evidence, but I will always choose to believe the Bible first and foremost. The stories of prayers that went unanswered do not prove that God doesn’t answer prayers, it proves that there are other issues we need to consider. It’s just that simple. And I am perfectly willing to take some of the responsibility upon myself when I pray for a healing that does not happen.
Those other issues that war against healing, in conclusion, can include a lack of faith, spiritual warfare, carnal thinking, and others. My standard will always be the truth of the Bible, I’ve seen it work on many occasions, I continue to strive to figure out how to see it work more often in my life, and I will continue to try to help others step into that same lifestyle. I will never give up praying for healing and believing that God wants to heal all the time, because often when I pray, it actually works!
Remember, miraculous works bring glory to God. And remember this:
“These signs will accompany those who have believed: in My name they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues; they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover” (Mark 16:17-18).