Divine Healing

“Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him and by his wounds we are healed” Isaiah 53:4,5.

“When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to him, and he drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick. This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah; ‘he took up our infirmities and carried our diseases” Matt 8:16,17.

We’ve been looking at the Alliance logo which centres on Christ as Saviour, Sanctifier, Healer and Coming King.  Today we take a few minutes to think about Jesus our Healer, as signified by the pitcher – standing for the Old Testament model of anointing people with oil and a picture of the Holy Spirit’s presence. Our belief in divine healing takes its place behind Christ as Saviour and Sanctifier – it is true but subordinate to the first two.  

WHAT IS IT? Divine healing is not medical healing. Modern medicine is a marvel and if it can help to cure us, we should absolutely use it and be thankful to God for it. Divine healing is not prayer or faith cure – that is if you can get enough people praying or if you can work up enough faith you will be healed.  

A wonderful Jewish word for peace is ‘shalom. It basically means wholeness – that my whole being is at peace and rest. This is the concept for the follower of Christ. He has purchased our essential shalom – body, soul and spirit. By his atonement on the cross, Christ has purchased wholeness for the believer – both sin and sickness. That doesn’t mean that we have complete freedom from sin – or from sickness for that matter. The ultimate shalom Christ purchased for us will be realized when we are with him forever!

Our founder AB Simpson said: “Divine healing is not giving up medicines or fighting with physicians or against remedies. It is not even believing in prayer or the prayer of faith or in the men and women who teach Divine healing; nor is it believing the doctrine to be true. But it is really receiving the personal life of Christ to be in us as the supernatural strength of our body and the supply of our physical life. It is a living fact and not a mere theory or doctrine.”  

Spiritual health means walking hand in hand with Jesus every day – and so does physical health – we take his life for our own every day – we walk in his strength.  

PHILOSOPHICAL CONSIDERATIONS. Divine healing is not a desire to be physically healed at any cost. We believe that divine healing is for the believer to be equipped for serving the Lord more effectively – it’s not just so that we can go our merry way. Divine healing is the Spirit speaking to you to rely on Christ alone for your health. This assumes that we are walking in the Spirit and soaking ourselves in God’s will and ways. And let’s face it – we are all going to die of something – at some point we ask for healing in vain because God has something better planned for us!

WHO GETS HEALED? SOMETIMES NON-BELIEVERS.  Sometimes God heals non-believers like Naaman the Assyrian general in II Kings 5. Recognize that non-believers are terminally ill with the unresolved sin situation – and that God desires shalom for them. Often he will verify the gospel message with sign gifts like healings – it’s a power encounter between God and the devil. “Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it” Mark 16:20. Here’s a bit of interesting homework – read the book of Acts with an eye to healings as a power encounter for the gospel.

SOMETIMES BELIEVERS.  James 5:13-18 is a classic passage on divine healing for believers. We practice it in our own church. It tells the seeker to confess their sins in context of the elders. When Christians start to be transparent, the ground for overall wholeness becomes very fertile. The overall pursuit of holiness makes for shalom.  Multiple elders are called on to anoint with oil (the Holy Spirit) and pray for healing. When multiple elders pray, we don’t know who the gift came through – we focus on the Giver not the ‘healer.’ Healing is in context of community – the church is a house of healing for the whole person.

REASONS WE AREN’T HEALED. Just a few thoughts here:

-There’s something to be learned. God teaches us in our time of weakness. Maybe he wants you to learn something – what do you think He is trying to say to you?

-Wrong focus. I have seen Christians who really don’t care about anything else but being healed. The Lord wants us to look to Him as the Giver rather than the gift.  

-There is sin present. God does discipline his children.  Paul warns us in I Corinthians 11 that we should approach communion carefully – in his day some Christians had become sick, and some died over this carelessness about sin. Whenever I am part of a healing prayer time, I ask the seeker if there is any sin that would impede our prayer. We need to be clean.

-Not yet. Sometimes healing is instantaneous, but other times it is progressive.

-Come home to me. We will have the strength we need until God’s call on our life is done – and then we will go home to heaven.

Perhaps the Holy Spirit is calling you to look to Christ alone for divine healing. I’m including a little worksheet for your own use as you prepare to call the elders to anoint and pray for you. Who knows what He will do!

Pastor Leon Throness

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Click for Questionaire for healing.

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