WHAT ABOUT DIVINE
HEALING?
Bishop Randy Barnett, Oklahoma
What’s all this talk about divine
healing? Someone might say, “I believe
the Bible and that Jesus healed people back then, but this is the 21st
Century and things have changed; today we have doctors and medicine.” We are blessed to have the advancements of
modern medicine. I believe we would all agree
that it has been through the knowledge of God these scientific breakthroughs
have come. But are we to believe that
just because we have advancements in science and medicine that we are limited
to whatever it can do for us?
Let’s look at this
question and see what God has to say about it.
First of all, how do we know what God has to say about it? We know this because He has written it down
for us in the Bible. The Bible is the
Word of God; and it is through the Bible we can understand His will and His
ways. If we are to find answers to
life’s questions, like the one we are now discussing, there is one very
important thing we must do. We must
choose to accept the Word of God as the literal words of God. That means we have to avoid the inclination
we might have to try to make it say what we want it to say. The Word of God is truth, (John 17:17) and it
is true despite how we look at it or what our opinions are about it. We are not
given the privilege of altering it to fit our own personal beliefs. Truth is truth. It does not change whether it refers to
something that took place in ancient Israel or if it is happening right where
we live.
First, let’s accept the truth that
Jesus was a healer. Matthew 4:23
says, “And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues,
preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all
kinds of diseases among the people.”
The historic truth is Jesus performed great miracles and signs and
wonders while He was on earth.
Secondly, let’s accept the truth that
Jesus does not change over time. Hebrews 13:8 tells us “Jesus Christ is
the same yesterday, today, and forever.”
God tells us that His Son Jesus is today just like He was over 2000
years ago – He is still the Healer. The
fact that He is not with us in bodily form as He was in ancient Galilee does
not change the truth found in Hebrews 13:8.
He is still the Healer today but He heals differently than He did back
then. In your mind’s eye, see Jesus
stretching out His hand to touch someone with an incurable disease like
leprosy. His hand because the instrument
of healing through which the power of God flowed. Jesus still uses His body to heal through;
but now His body is the church. (Colossians 1:18) That is why we are told in Mark 16:17-18, “And
these signs shall follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out
demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if
they drink anything deadly, it will not by no means hurt them; they will lay
hands on the sick, and they will recover.”
Can you see that Jesus is still healing people today, just like He did
in Galilee, but His hand extended now is the hand of His saints who have
believed in Him and have accepted His word as truth.
Thirdly, let’s accept the truth that
the nature of God is kind and benevolent and compassionate. Jesus healed because He wanted to see
suffering mankind alleviated from pain and sickness. This shows the awesome love of God towards
mankind. While on earth Jesus revealed His heavenly Father to man; so if we
want to know what God is like, we can observe the life and ministry of Jesus
and He will show us the Father. That
same divine love and compassion is still favoring people today who have faith
in the Lord and will receive from Him all He has for them.
We do not know all there is to know about
divine healing, to be sure. Questions
remain: “Why isn’t everyone who is prayed for healed?” “Is it always the will
of God for someone to be healed?” “Does God put sickness or disease on someone
to teach them something?” “Why don’t all churches agree on this doctrine of
healing?” Such questions do have
answers.
For example, when we ponder why everyone who
is prayed for is not healed, we can look to certain Scriptures and clearly see
that hindrances can exist. Matthew 13:58 says, “Now He [Jesus] did
not do many mighty works there [Nazareth] because of their unbelief.” Unbelief can hinder the will of God to heal
as we see in this passage. This might show you the importance of being in a
church that has a spiritual environment of faith rather where unbelief
reigns. Or, look at John 5;14, “Afterward, Jesus found him [the man whom He
healed] in the temple, and said to him, ‘See, you have been made well. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon
you.’” Can you see that sin
apparently can have something to do with physical maladies? When sin is allowed to happen, spiritual
doors are opened through which can enter evil spirits bringing all kinds of
dreadful things to carry out the works of the evil one, Satan. The Word is showing us in these two passages
that hindrances to the will of God can happen, and we are to be watchful in
such matters, as we desire to see the will of God done, like divine healing in
our bodies.
I encourage you to find out for yourself
from the Word of God how He feels about divine healing. Get into a faith-filled
church, one that can teach you the truths of God’s word; how to walk in health
and how to receive healing if you do get sick.
As incurable diseases become more and more prevalent (SARS, AIDS, etc)
it will become a matter of life and death where you attend church. Go where the truth is taught – all of the
truth.
Be blessed in your pursuit of truth from
the Bible.
