Post by jazzlover on Mar 15, 2007 7:14:56 GMT -5
The truth is, sometimes it is God’s will to heal people, and sometimes it is not. At certain times in the past Christ told people that they would be healed “according to your faith” (Matthew 9:29); and when He told them that He certainly meant it! Though the application was by their own faith, it was Christ’s will that they were healed. Yet Christ healed many others without any faith on their part.
When Peter cut off the ear of one coming to arrest Him, Christ touched the man’s ear and healed him. This man was not converted. He expressed no faith in Christ to heal him, but he was nevertheless healed (Luke 22:51).
• A leper was healed without an acclamation of faith (Matthew 8:2–4).
• Peter’s mother-in-law was made well without any mention of faith (Matthew 8:14–15).
• The man with the withered hand (Mark 3:5) was healed without any mention of faith.
• The man with the dropsy (Luke 14:3–4) was healed without any mention of faith.
• The impotent man (John 5:13) was healed without any mention of faith.
• The lame man who sat at the Gate Beautiful (Acts 3:1–8) was healed without a mention of faith.
All these people were healed by miraculous acts of Christ without faith being acknowledged, nor was faith even implied as being necessary. The fact is, at times Christ told people that faith was required for their particular healing, but with others it was not at all necessary. 5
Not all Scriptures apply to all people at all times. A good example for applying this principle is found in Exodus 15:26; 23:25. In these verses God promised the children of Israel — those coming out of Egypt — that He would not afflict them with the diseases of Egypt if they would keep His commandments. Note that the promises covered them, but not everyone at all times. It was they who were to be healed, and God kept His promise to them.
Paul did say that what happened to ancient Israel were examples of warning to us (1 Corinthians 10:6, 11), but there are no factors embodied within Exodus 15:26 and 23:25 to suggest that these Scriptures were for universal application. Such a specific application for everyone is impossible because God later afflicted some of the greatest of His saints and did not heal them of their sicknesses.
“And not only they [those in the world], but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.”
• Romans 8:23
We need to know what the will of God is in any specific case and whether His promises apply directly to us. We must constantly “prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God” (Romans 12:2). God always means what He says, but we need to know what His will is for us at all times.
James said “the prayer of faith shall save the sick” (James 5:15). But the faith that one must have is the faith to believe that God is a merciful God, who can and often will respond to the pleas of His people. One must put the matter into God’s hands for Him to do as He pleases. No matter what happens, we can constantly glorify Him. If He does not heal us, no one should think Christ’s sacrifice is not efficacious.
Your Own Faith
Those who wish to heed the biblical revelation need to comprehend what the teaching of faith in healing really is. Faith is a powerful weapon to combat sicknesses that occur in all humans on earth today. If faith is exercised, some wonderful healings could result — even instantaneous ones! Unfortunately, many ministers today who tell people to put faith into action for their healing are not aware of the reasons why some people are healed. They simply put it down to a miracle directly from God without studying the matter carefully.
They often tell people that healing is in the Atonement of Christ and that each healing that occurs must be a direct supernatural wonder coming from God Himself! Individuals are being told their cures are miracles caused by the personal hand of God in the same way that the Red Sea opened up when Israel came out of Egypt. But in most cases, this is not the manner in which modern healings are being accomplished — even when the name of our Lord is being used in the anointing or the “laying on of hands.”
The only faith that can save any human to spiritual salvation is Christ’s faith — not ours (Galatians 2:16; Ephesians 2:8). All the attributes of salvation which mankind must have for spiritual redemption are gifts associated with Him. They emanate from God Himself. 6 But, every person on earth today has some measure of faith resident within Himself that Christ called one’s own faith. This faith, though similar, is quite distinct from the kind of supernatural faith that only God can bestow for salvation.
That human faith can produce wondrous benefits for humans in the world if it is exercised. It can actually aid in the healing of the body in many instances — often instantaneously. Interestingly, this type of human faith has nothing to do with the Atonement of Christ. It is a natural power that God graciously gives to each human in the world. All that is needed is some kind of spark in the mind to bring that faith into operation.
Often it can be another person that engenders it. Faith can be stirred up by being in a particular inspiring area such as a mountain, a cave, a river, even an architectural masterpiece, or a million other areas. These “places” are catalysts that inspire and provoke personal faith in some people. At other times it can be a verse of scripture, the Bible itself, or an encouraging note or visit from someone “special” — someone that is trusted and believed in. In other cases faith can be energized by a “special” object, or confidence that a mixture of certain substances will have an effect on the body. 7
The point is, whatever could inspire human faith to be put into action can be beneficial to individuals. There are many people who go to well-known healers (be they Christian oriented or not) and if confidence is placed in the man or woman’s power to heal, it is often amazing what results can be obtained. 8