(EMI) --

God Wants Us to Be Healed

When studying the subject of healing in the Bible there is little doubt that God can heal. The question most Christians have concerning healing is, "Is it God's will to heal His children today?" Many sincere Christians struggle with the issue, is it God's will to heal us today or is physical healing for the future when Jesus comes and delivers us from this world of sin? Is sickness and disease to be the lot of God's children until the Second Advent? How can we know what God's will actually is when it comes to healing our physical diseases?

I felt if I studied Jesus' ministry I would find the answer. For the Bible is quite clear as to why Jesus came to this sinful earth. One primary reason was so we could better understand the Father. When Philip asked Jesus to show them the Father Jesus replied, "he that hath seen me hath seen the Father. . ." (John 14:9). The disciple John tells us that Jesus came to reveal the "glory," or character of the Father (John 1:14).

Jesus' Mission

Jesus clearly understood His mission. He came to "do the will" of the Father and to "finish His work" (John 4:34). What these verses tell us is that as we read about Jesus' ministry to those in need we can clearly understand the Father's attitude toward His children. Jesus' and the Father's attitude are the same for they are "one." Jesus' attitude toward the sick and diseased is the same as the Father's attitude. So I began reading what the Gospel writers had recorded about Jesus' attitude and ministry to those who were suffering from sickness and disease.

Jesus came to give His people the abundant life (John 10:10). I have known this text for many years. Yet I hadn't seen it in the light of healing. Anyone who has suffered with sickness and disease certainly knows that such a life cannot be described as an abundant life. Under such conditions life becomes very limited. The sickness and disease takes ones time, energy and focus day after day. Disease not only takes the time, energy and focus of the one sick but also of the care giver and loved ones...

Jesus Never Said No to Healing!

As I began studying the many instances of Jesus encountering the sick and diseased I discovered that He never once denied anyone's request for healing. I will not take the time in this book to list every recorded case of Jesus healing someone. I invite the reader to do that study for themselves. When one studies the many instances of Jesus healing only one conclusion can be drawn. It is Jesus' will and desire to heal those who request healing from Him.

One day a leper came to Jesus and said, "If you will you can make me clean." The scriptures tell us that Jesus was moved with "compassion" and said, "I will; be thou clean" (Mark 1:40-42). Jesus felt compassion for the sick. Jesus stated it was His will to heal.

Luke recorded Peter's knowledge of Jesus' ministry in the book of Acts. Peter told the people that Jesus "went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil" (Acts 10:38). Peter did not know of one case that Jesus refused to heal. For he states that Jesus healed "all."

Has Jesus Changed?

Is the Jesus we serve today the same Jesus that walked this earth 2000 years ago? Yes He is. The writer of Hebrews is clear on this when he states, "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever" (Heb. 13:8). What good news this is for one who is suffering from sickness and disease. We can come to the same Jesus today that so many sick folks came to 2000 years ago and know that He has not changed His attitude toward sickness and disease. It was His desire to heal then and it is His desire to heal today. Why? Because He is the same today as He was then. He has the same attitude, the same compassion, the same desire and the same power to heal.

John knew his Lord well. He came to know the love of Jesus better than any of the other disciples. John saw Jesus heal on many occasions. He knew Jesus' attitude toward sickness and disease. Jesus' desire became John's desire for God's children. John knew health was God's desire and will for His people and he had the same desire for them also.

"Beloved, I wish above all things that you might prosper and be in health, even as your soul prospers." 3 John 2

Healing For God's Glory

All mankind is to glorify God (Ps 86:9). God can be glorified in many ways by His children. Jesus connected physical healing with God's saving works and glorification. When Jesus was passing by a blind man His disciples asked Him about the man. They had some misconceptions about why individuals suffer from physical infirmities such as blindness. Jesus indicated that through his blindness the "works of God" would be "manifest" in him (John 9:1-3). His blindness would be a means for God to be glorified through the healing that would take place. Every time someone reaches out in faith to God and is healed God is glorified.

Jesus received word that His friend Lazarus was sick. Jesus knew he would die. In fact Jesus intentionally delayed arriving to Lazarus' home. When Jesus and the disciples finally did arrive Lazarus had died several days before their arrival. When speaking to the disciples

Jesus stated that the purpose of this sickness was "for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby" (John 11:4). God is always glorified through the healing of His children.

God has given His children many promises in the Bible. Every time the believer reaches out in faith and claims God's promise God is glorified (2Cor 1:20). God's desire is to manifest His power to save us from our spiritual, emotional and physical infirmities. God is glorified when His saving power is manifested.

The Most Important Question

The more I studied the life and ministry of Jesus I learned that Jesus healed all who came to him for healing. I became more and more convinced it is God's will to heal those who come to Him for healing today. God will heal those who in faith claim His promise to heal and such healing brings glory to Him.

This question of whether healing is God's will or not is probably the most important question to be settled. Most all Christians believe God has the power to heal and that He can heal if He chooses to.

This question was the one that caused me to doubt if healing would come when prayed for. As I have discussed biblical healing with others I have found they have the same doubts about God's willingness to heal.

Often individuals tell me of someone who seemed to be a very wonderful Christian, but was not healed of some disease. Such cases are held up as evidence that it is not always God's will to heal His children.

Let me pose a couple questions concerning this idea that what happens is evidence of God's will concerning deliverance.

Is it God's will we overcome all temptation and sin?
We would all answer, yes. If we do not overcome a particular temptation would we say then it is not God's will we overcome that particular temptation? No, of course it is not God's will we fail to overcome that sin.

What would we say about that failure to have victory?
We would say the failure was on our part, not God failing us. Most likely there was something we didn't understand about victory or were weak spiritually, or perhaps just growing into a fuller understanding of and increasing our faith about healing..

The same is true about physical healing. Just because someone is not healed it does not mean it is not God's will to heal them. It simply means there are other dimensions to their healing they do not understand. Such areas of misunderstanding could include lifestyle issues such as diet, exercise, rest, etc. Or, there could be an emotional dimension that needs to be addressed before physical healing can take place.