REVIEW
LESSON 1 thru 9
No doubt,
thousands who are now in their graves would be enjoying perfect health and
happiness today had they received and believed and acted upon the right
instructions dealing with the subject of divine healing, God’s promises
concerning health, and His requirements of those who would receive the blessing
of His promises.
Since your
health, your healing, even your very life may depend upon the manner in which
you grasp the instructions given in the lessons of this Course, this lesson is
being devoted entirely to a review of previous teachings.
It is not God’s
will that any person should be sick, any more than it is His will that any soul
should be lost. Yet not all people are well and prosperous, any more than all
people are righteous. There is a reason. I trust that this course of study has
helped you to find, know and understand that reason (or reasons) as they apply
in your own life, and then to your family, your friends, and to the entire
world.
“Take fast hold
of instruction; let her not go: keep her; for she is thy life!” Prov. 4:13.
God’s Word
declares, “Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in
health, even as thy soul prospereth.” 3 John 2.
ALL THINGS BY
FAITH
Whatsoever we
receive from God is received by, through, or because of FAITH. “Let him ask in
faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven
with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive
anything of the Lord.” James 1:6, 7.
“And this is the
confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask anything according to his will,
he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that
we have the petitions that we desired of him.” I John 5:14,15.
So then, all that
is necessary in order to receive healing -- or any other petition -- is to be
assured that our prayer has been heard. To be sure our prayer has been heard is
to be ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN that we have asked a thing which God wills to give us.
We know it is His will to heal us because of the teachings of Scripture and also
because Jesus did not refuse to heal anyone when He was on earth in the flesh.
The person who
prays for healing and then adds the words, “If it be thy will,”is openly
confessing that he is not at all sure of receiving healing. The “if” indicates
doubt, not faith.
PHYSICAL AND
SPIRITUAL CAUSES OF SICKNESS
When we come to
God for healing, we find that He deals not so much with symptoms as with causes.
In seeking healing through faith, it is just as urgent to remove the spiritual
causes of sickness as to remove the physical causes.
SIN AND SICKNESS
CLOSELY ASSOCIATED IN THE NEW TESTAMENT
Sin and sickness
are as closely associated in New Testament thought as in the Old, Jesus Himself,
in healing one who was sick, said, “Son, thy sins be forgiven thee.” Mark 2:5b.
To another, He said, “Sin no more” lest a worse thing come unto thee.” John
5:14b.
James admonished
the sick, “Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye
may be healed,” James 5:16.
God has not
changed. In the Old Testament, we read: “If thou wilt diligently hearken to the
voice of the Lord thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and
wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of
these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the
Lord that healeth thee.” Exodus 15:26.
“And it shall
come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the Lord thy
God, to observe and to do all his commandments that I command thee this day,
that the Lord thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth:”
Deut. 28:1.
Promises of
health are given specifically with the giving of certain commandments. “Honour
thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;) That it
may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.” Eph. 6:2,3.
If it is not well
with you (physically) your sickness could be the result of breaking this
commandment. Or it could be the result of breaking other commandments, or in
some way disregarding the plans and purposes of God.
GOD PINPOINTS A
CAUSE OF SICKNESS IN OUR AGE
The entire
eleventh chapter of I Corinthians deals with one of the most perpetual and
important ordinances of the church, the Lord’s Supper, or Communion. The subject
of sickness among Christian people is dealt within this way: “For this cause
many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.” (ie. Die prematurely) I
Cor. 11:30.
“For this cause”
is explained in I Cor. 11. (Read entire chapter.) ‘Whosoever shall eat this
bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body
and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that
bread, and drink of that cup.” I Cor. 11:27,28.
Many professing
Christians have refused to take the Communion because of this warning. However,
worthiness does not imply that one is sure he has fully attained the goal of
sinless perfection. Christ Himself served the first Communion to twelve men who
were still subject to human weaknesses and short of perfection. The word
“worthiness” as used here has a threefold implication:
1. Attitude.
First and most
simple is the attitude of the believer at the time of partaking of Communion. A
worthy attitude would be a deep realization of the individual’s great need of a
redeemer. Humility at the foot of the cross, sorrow for that sinful nature which
made it necessary that the spotless Christ should be required to die for our
sins, the just for the unjust. (1 Peter 3:18)
Appreciation for
his suffering would be a part of our worthiness. (1 Peter 1:18, 19)
2. Not Discerning
the Lord’s Body --- Overlooking a Privilege.
The blood of
Christ was shed for the remission of sins, but it was His body that bore the
stripes whereby we are healed. “Who his own self bare our sins in his own body
on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: BY
WHOSE STRIPES YE WERE HEALED.” 1 Peter 2:24.
In partaking of
Communion, many drink the wine with happy realization and praise to God for the
glorious deliverance from sins through the shedding of the blood. Yet they eat
the bread without any realization that this also typifies a definite price paid
at a definite time for a definite blessing, which is ours if we will but accept
it. This blessing is HEALING!
Only as we believe and accept the blood of Christ for salvation do we find salvation; drinking the wine of Communion, alone, will not wash away our sins.
Many fine
Christian people have never learned that when “Christ our passover (was)
sacrificed for us,” (1 Cor. 5:7b) the blood was sufficient to deliver from
spiritual death, and the BODY provided healing and physical strength. (Read the
account of the first Passover in Exodus 12).
But the reason
the minds of so many have been unable to grasp the truth may be found in the
third phase of unworthiness, which goes beyond and includes the others.
3. Failure to
Discern the Lord’s Body which is Alive in the World Today
-- His Church.
To discern is to
recognize, or to understand, as well as to see or perceive. Christ Himself has
ascended into the heavens. (Luke 24:5 1; Acts 1:9-11). But He left in the world
a representative, which He has called “His Body!” That body is alive in the
world today, still doing the same thing He did while He was here. “Now YE are
the body of Christ, and members in particular.” 1 Cor. 12:27. Because of failure
to recognize this fact, many have been guilty of causing division in the body,
of injuring other members of the body, and of setting at naught the work of
others in the body. THIS IS SIN! Sin kills faith.
Discern the
Lord’s body. (1) Recognize by faith the importance of His sacrifice in bearing
the stripes as a substitute for your sufferings. Remember that your bearing of
that suffering NOW will not diminish the suffering that He has already borne. He
is not PAYING the price; lie has already PAID it! Honor it! Believe it! Accept
it! It is YOURS! (2) Recognize and honor the other members of Christ’s body, the
Church. Treat every member -- regardless of church affiliation or the lack of it
-- with respect and honor that is due Christ Himself, for they are the members
of His own body. Seek and find your own place in the body. Seek it humbly, not
thinking of yourself more highly than you ought to think. (Rom. 12:3). Yet do
not assume a false humility which prevents effective service. “Think soberly.”
Think of yourself as a son, an heir of God, a child of the King. Think of
yourself as one, who by His Spirit and the power of His might, can do anything
He asks you to do. “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”
Phil. 4:13. Do not think of yourself as being above the other members of the
body, for they share the same Lord, the same Father, the same promises, and the
same power.
Do not be afraid
to step out on the promises of God. You are His child (if you have believed).
His promises are yours.
Never, in
striving for honor or recognition, step on other members of the body. That is
the WORLD’S way of rising. God’s way UP is DOWN! Serve your fellowmen in
humility, and God Himself will exalt you in due time! (1 Peter 5:6).
THE INFIRM SPIRIT
“And, behold,
there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed
together, and could in no wise lift up herself.” Luke 13:11.
According to the
Bible, much sickness is due to afflicting spirits. This is demon oppression --
not demon possession, since it has its roots in the flesh and not in the soul.
It is apparent that at least a part of the mental and physical troubles people
suffer today originate in demon oppression.
Jesus recognized
the presence of afflicting spirits in certain cases and drove out those spirits
with His command.
“Behold, they
brought to him a dumb man possessed with a devil. And when the devil was cast
out, the dumb spake:” Matt. 9:32, 33a.
“Then was brought
unto him one possessed with a devil, blind, and dumb: and he healed him,
insomuch that the blind and dumb both spake and saw.” Matt. 12:22.
In dealing with
these cases of demon activity, Christ used a very direct approach. Many fail
along these lines today because they are afraid to command the demon to depart,
or because they do not have faith to believe that he will go at their command.
As Spirit-filled Christians, we need have no fear. God has given us power over
all devils. They are subject to our command, but they will bluff their way and
ignore that command and that power unless we approach them with absolute
confidence and faith in God’s word and with assurance that God’s power is in
operation in our lives.
There are
different kinds of infirm spirits, each having power to afflict the body in a
different manner. Nervous disorders and mental diseases seem to be very closely
related to the operation of tormenting demons. (See Mark 5).
PHYSICAL CAUSES
OF SICKNESS, ACCORDING TO GOD’S WORD
The laws of
nature are GOD’S LAWS for physical health, and cannot be broken without
punishment in the form of sickness and infirmity. Divine healing was never
intended to take the place of proper care of the body. This care includes rest,
exercise, right eating, sanitation, and avoidance of weakening habits.
MISCONCEPTIONS IN
REGARD TO HEALING
Many born again
Christians, who are living sincerely and wholeheartedly for God, are sick and
even remain sick after prayer having been offered for their healing. This may be
due to some misconception in regard to the teachings of God’s Word. God says,
“Let him ask in faith, NOTHING WAVERING. For he that wavereth is like a wave of
the sea driven with the wind and tossed. Let not that man think that he shall
receive anything of the Lord.” James 1:6,7.
Such
misconceptions are tricks devised by Satan himself. They are slander against the
character of God, for God having promised, is true to His Word. “God is not a
man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent; hath he
said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?”
Num. 23:19.
Some of these
misconceptions are:
1. The Idea that
Some are Sick for the Glory of God!
This is the most
prominent of misconceptions regarding healing. Many are taught that they are
sick for the glory of God. If you are sick for God’s glory, then let God be
glorified NOW by accepting healing from Him and witnessing to all about you of
the mighty power of God, who delivers all who trust in Him!
2. The Idea that
Sickness is Chastening, or Punishment, from God.
Are you being
chastened? While affliction or trouble may cons upon Christians as punishment
for disobedience or sin, a loving Father does not punish His child more severely
than is needed for that child’s correction. Even though such sickness may come
as a penalty for sin, heartfelt repentance removes the reason for punishment.
Thus it is not necessary for any Christian to remain sick.
“If we confess
our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from
all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9.
Yes, you may be
punished and chastened, but God will never punish without letting you know what
for, and He will not continue to punish when the need for it is over.
“The Lord is
merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy. He will not always
chide: neither will he keep his anger for ever. He hath not dealt with us after
our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.” Psa. 103:8-10.
3. The Idea that
God Sometimes Refuses to Heal -- Answers Prayers
“NO” or “WAIT”
Not once in all
His earthly ministry did Jesus ever command any person to be sick, although He
commanded many to be well, and healed them with His Word. Not once did a sick
person come to Him asking to be healed and receive the answer, “No” or “Wait.”
Not once was anyone told “It is God’s will for you to remain sick for God’s
glory.”
“Jesus Christ the
same yesterday, and today, and forever.” Heb. 13:8. It is inconceivable that
while He was here on earth He glorified the Father by healing “all manner of
sickness and all manner of disease among the people.” Matt. 4:23b. Now having
gone back to the Father, He is glorified by the people remaining patient in
affliction, declaring to all they meet that this sickness is an evidence of the
love of God toward them.
Nowhere in the
Scripture are we told that God answers prayer by saying “No.” “If our heart
condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. Beloved, if
our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God. And whatsoever we
ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things
that are pleasing in his sight.” I John 3:20-22.
4. The Idea that
Sickness is a Penalty for Sin and therefore it is not God’s
Will to Heal.
It is true that
sickness is a penalty for sin. The reward of obedience is health and healing.
God said, “If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God, and
wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments,
and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I
have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the Lord that healeth thee.” Ex.
15:26.
It is the will of
God for his people to prosper and be in health. Therefore, let us come to God
without wavering, in full assurance that we are asking in His will. If we will
obey Him, He will remove that penalty for sin, and heal us.
5. The Attempt to
Prove that Sickness is the Will of God by Quoting
Certain Cases in
Scripture Which They Feel are Circumstantial Evidence.
Job and His
Boils: According to the testimony of God Himself, Job was a perfect and upright
man, in that he “feareth God, and escheweth evil.” Job 1:8b. No divinity or
superhuman perfection is attributed to Job. Any Christian can and should be, at
least, as perfect as was Job, for our opportunities and privileges and power are
far ahead of his. Jesus Himself left us the commandment to be “perfect, even as
your Father which is in Heaven is perfect.” Matt. 5:48.
No Christian is
in the will of God or in a position to seek healing, who is satisfied with being
anything less than perfect. Though we may need to say with Paul, “Not as though
I had already attained, either were already perfect, but I follow after” Phil.
3:12a. Let us keep this goal constantly before us and earnestly “press toward
the mark” at all times.
First, let us
note that while Job was commended for his fear of God (Job 1:8) this was not his
only fear. “The thing which I GREATLY FEARED is come upon me.” Job 2:7. “Satan .
. . smote Job with sore boils.” Even this he could not do without God’s
permission.
Job repented and
found a new relationship with God. After he had repented of self-righteousness
and lack of trust, and had proven his humility and forgiveness by praying for
his friends, and God had set him free, we see him restored to all his former
glory, even more than at the beginning.
If you have been
following Job’s example, sitting in the ash heap bemoaning your fate and blaming
it upon God, you should take another look at your example (Jesus). God is the
same today.
Cases in the
Ministry of Paul:
Epaphroditus:
We are told that Paul’s fellow soldier and companion in labor,
Epaphroditus, became sick while in the company of
Paul, that he was nigh unto death. In fact, these are Paul’s own words. (Phil.
2:27). Paul explains the reason for the sickness. “Because for the work of
Christ he was nigh unto death, not regarding his life, to supply your lack of
service toward me.” Phil. 2:30.
The gifts of
healing do not guarantee an unlimited supply of strength and energy to the human
body. It is possible to overtax the body, but even here, God shows Himself
merciful, and while a period of absolute rest, or convalescence, may be
required, there is no need to be permanently defeated because of a nervous
breakdown or other illness caused by overwork.
Paul says “God
had mercy on him” (Epaphroditus) Phil. 2:27, so that now he is able to make the
long journey with Paul.
Luke the Physician:
(Traveling with Paul). We are told that Paul had his
private physician, Luke, who traveled with him to
watch after his health. It is true that Luke had been trained as a physician
(Col. 4:14). However, there is as much reason to declare that Jesus took Matthew
with Him as His private tax collector as to assert that Luke was chosen to go
with Paul because of his skill as a physician. There is no record in the
Scripture that Luke ever treated either Paul or any other sick person in any
place they visited, in the capacity of a physician. Only one time is his being a
physician mentioned.
Paul’s Thorn in the Flesh:
As a final proof that God denies healing to some,
the Scripture is quoted: “Lest I should be exalted
above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a
thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be
exalted above measure. For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might
depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my
strength is made perfect in weakness. More gladly, therefore, will I rather
glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” 2 Cor.
12:7-9.
Whatever Paul’s
thorn may have been, God’s grace was surely sufficient for him, for the list of
his achievements and sufferings given in 2 Cor. 11:23-28 would certainly be a
sufficient test of grace. But to say that Paul’s thorn was a physical defect
would require some backing beyond what is found in this passage of scripture,
for sickness is not mentioned.
Careful
consideration of the words used by Paul, comparing those words with their
accepted definitions and the manner in which they are used in other scriptures,
would indicate that Paul’s thorn in the flesh was something from without,
probably his treatment by other persons or another person. His reference to
“buffeting” would apply more easily to the beatings, stonings, and the like
which he received after he preached from city to city, than to any possible
sickness in his own body. Added to this is the fact that in Paul’s own writings
are found many of the tremendous promises of healing.
Every one of
these misconceptions has been used by Satan for generations to hinder or destroy
the faith of God’s people. Faith, in its simplest definition, is just this:
Believing that God means what he says! Believe the Word of God, not the
traditions that have been built up about it. As the flame of your faith is made
to burn brightly, no longer wavering, you may ask God whatsoever He has
promised! It shall be done unto you!
GOD’S GUARANTEE
TO HEAL THE SICK
God has promised to heal the sick just as surely as He has promised to forgive sins. Whatever God has spoken, He is able to make good, and the Word declares that He SHALL make it good.
“God is not a
man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent; hath he
said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?”
Num. 23:19.
“My covenant will
I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips.” Psalm 89:34.
FAITH IS AN
ABSOLUTE NECESSITY TO RECEIVE ANYTHING FROM GOD.
There is no way
to receive anything from God except by faith. In reading the New Testament
accounts of healing in the ministry of Jesus, and in the ministry of His early
followers, we find many statements such as “Thy faith hath made thee whole;”
Mark 5:34.
“According to
YOUR FAITH be it unto you.” Matt. 9:29.
“AS THOU HAST
BELIEVED, so be it done unto thee.” Matt. 8:13.
God has promised
to reward UNWAVERING FAITH! “But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he
that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed . . . .
let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord.” James 1:6,7.
THERE ARE FOUR
KINDS OF FAITH:
1. Human Faith --
This is “head faith.”
This is the kind
of faith you have when you board a bus, that it will take you to your
destination. It is the kind you have when you mail a letter, that it will arrive
in the hands of the person to whom you addressed it. This is the kind of faith
demons have (James 2:19) and it is the only kind they have. They believe the
record God gave of His Son, but that is as afar as that type of faith goes.
2. Saving Faith
-- “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is
the gift of God:” Eph. 2:8.
This is putting
“head faith” into action; it is committing ourselves to our belief in Christ. It
is accepting Him as God’s Son, and as our Saviour. It is giving ourselves to Him
as obedient and loving “bondslaves” bought with His own blood. This saving faith
is also a gift, we are told in Eph. 2:8, but it is not the supernatural gift of
the Spirit of which Paul speaks in 1 Cor. 12.
3. Faith, the
Fruit -- “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, and longsuffering,
gentleness, goodness, FAITH.” Gal. 5:22.
The faith
mentioned in this passage is one of the fruits of the Spirit and it is for
character. This is the faith without which no man can please God. “But without
faith it is impossible to please him:” Heb. 11:6a. It is actually the
development and growth of saving faith.
4. Faith, the
Gift -- This faith is for power. This is the gift of the Spirit by which one may
work miracles, or receive them.
Daniel, facing
the den of lions, must have experienced a supernatural faith that closed the
mouths of the lions. “And of the prophets: Who through faith subdued kingdoms,
wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions.” Heb.
11:32b, 33.
Paul, on the
island of Melita, shook off the poisonous serpent and was unharmed, because he
exercised the supernatural gift of faith. (Acts 28).
When the disciples were out on the sea in a storm tossed boat, they could have, by faith, sailed through the storm as if it didn’t exist. (Mark 4:35-40). That is what Jesus wanted them to do. That would have been a miracle of faith.
The operations of
the gift of faith are not always immediately obvious.
“By faith Isaac
blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come.” Heb. 11:20.
These things were
a long time coming to pass, but Isaac had supernatural faith to pronounce these
blessings upon his son.
Abraham believed
God to lead him into a promised land, and to give him his son, Isaac. This was a
long-range faith over a long period of time, and it was supernatural. (Heb.
11:17-19. Gen. 22:8-13).
The Gift of
Faith, like all the supernatural gifts, is transient. That is, it is for a
specific time and place.
THE NEED TODAY --
THE GIFT OF FAITH!
This gift is
needed today just as it was in Bible days. It is needed for the same reasons it
was needed then. Caleb and Joshua surely had this gift of faith operating when,
in the face of all evidence to the contrary, they insisted that Israel was well
able to march into and conquer the Promised Land. (Num. 13:17-33).
Today, anyone who
does a great work for God must have this special enduement of faith in order to
succeed against the terrific opposition that faces him. This special faith is
needed to go through persecution. In the fourth chapter of Acts, we read how, in
the face of persecution and even of danger to their lives, the apostles prayed
for more of that which brought on the persecution!
That is real,
supernatural faith in God and in His love and His purposes. Notice that they did
not pray for their lives or for protection. They prayed for courage! It takes
special, supernatural faith to pray thus in the face of opposition, and not to
pray selfishly. We need this gift of supernatural victories.
Probably George
Mueller of Bristol, England, is the most striking latter day example of one who
had this gift in operation in his life. In a span of fifty years, he cared for
more than 10, 000 orphans through faith, without backing of any kind, and those
orphans never missed a meal, although once breakfast was delayed for 30 minutes.
There is no
thought of “trying to believe” in the exercise of this gift. It is a gift, a
supernatural enduement of faith for a special purpose. You cannot work it up nor
obtain it by mental effort. It is a “gift of the Holy Spirit.”
FAITH OPERATES
ONLY IN THE WILL OF GOD
It is impossible
to exercise the faith of God for anything that is not His will. George Mueller
once made this statement “If we wish to find the will of God, we must first come
to the place where we have no will of our own.” The Red Sea would never have
opened for the Children of Israel if they had not been in God’s will. On the
other hand, Jonah, out of God’s will, was a prey to any danger that came along!
NOTHING WILL TAKE
THE PLACE OF YOUR OWN FAITH
Many have a
mistaken idea today, that since many are exercising the gifts of healing and
miracles, that they will be healed without faith on their own part. They think
that the gift of healing will take the place of their own faith in God. This is
unscriptural. The gift of healing WILL NOT take the place of our own faith in
God. The gifts of healing possessed by the Lord Himself, did not bring healing
independent of their faith. Neither will the gift of healing exercised by men of
God today bring healing to you unless you have faith.
HAVE THE FAITH
THAT GOD GIVES
We have learned
that faith is an absolute requirement for healing. There are thousands of
promises in God’s Word. Every one is conditioned upon faith; faith that you can
have; faith that God gives!
“Have faith in
God. For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be
thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea, AND SHALL NOT DOUBT IN HIS HEART, .
. . he shall have whatsoever he saith.” Mark 11:22b, 23. It is plain to see that
Jesus meant that others can have the same faith He exercised. Really, He is
telling them that they can have the FAITH OF GOD -- literally THE FAITH THAT GOD
GIVES!
THE PRICE OF
FAITH
God gives faith to every person who wants it enough to pay the price required. That price is obedience, godliness, holiness, following in the footsteps of Jesus, living free from condemnation, and walking in the full light of the Scriptures.
The Apostle John
declares, “If our heart condemn us not, then (and then only) have we confidence
toward God.” 1 John 3:21. Webster defines faith as “complete confidence in a
person.” Surely, no one can merit our complete confidence more fully than God!
SCRIPTURAL
METHODS OF OBTAINING FAITH
1. Love God.
“Perfect love casteth out fear:” 1 John 4:18. Fear is the direct
opposite of faith. There is no fear in love. You
cannot have faith if you do not love God. If you love Him, you will keep His
commandments. Jesus said, “If ye love me, keep my commandments.” John 14:15.”He
that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he
that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will
manifest myself to him.” John 14:21. Many fail to have faith because they cannot
really love God.
2. Obey God.
“Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we
confidence toward God. And whatsoever we ask, we
receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are
pleasing in his sight.” 1 John 3:21,22.
Probably you have
always thought of Abraham as a great example of faith, and he was! He
demonstrated his faith by obedience. In contrast, we have Saul’s example of
disobedience. (1 Samuel 13). It is the belief of this writer that disobedience
is the greatest hindrance to faith, and that obedience is one of the most
effective methods of obtaining great faith.
3. Abide in Him.
“If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask
what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.” John
15:7.
One must abide in
Christ before he is in a position to exercise real faith, or before he can
receive the faith that God gives. God’s Word defines “abiding in Christ” in 1
John 2:6: “He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even
as He walked.” This makes it plain that if we profess to abide in Christ, we
should be walking as He walked. Until you do so, you can never be on real faith
ground. It is God’s command.
“Christ also
suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should FOLLOW HIS STEPS: Who did
NO sin.” 1 Peter 2:21b,22a. Christ did not live in sin. He did not make excuses
for sin. He resisted the devil and temptation. He is our example. He will help
us to walk as He walked.
4. Read and Study the Bible.
An outstanding reason for lack of faith is lack
of Bible study. No wonder
faith is so low in the hearts of many. The price of faith has not been established. It is: Love God, read His Word, obey His commands,
and believe His promises.
Those who have a
real desire to please God, those who read their Bibles and pray, are attaining
holiness. These are the people who are shouting the victory over sickness and
disease and Satan’s power. God has given them faith.
5. Stand Upon the Word.
Faith must be built upon the Word of God, and ONLY upon the Word of God.
Experiences and testimonies of others merely bring hope, not faith. Faith cannot be built merely upon the experiences of
others, nor upon your feelings, nor upon what
you have seen. Those things will cause you to
hope, but hope is not faith. It helps faith, but cannot take its place. “Faith
cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of
God.” Rom. 10:17.
Base your faith
upon the Bible, exclusively. Do not talk in terms of what you feel. Real faith
is simply TAKING GOD AT HIS WORD. God has said He will heal you. BELIEVE IT!
HINDRANCES TO
FAITH.
There are many
hindrances to our faith, which every person desiring faith should understand. It
is well to look into your own heart and life to see whether one or more of them
might constitute the reason your faith has been ineffectual and you have not
received from God the healing nor other petitions you have desired of Him.
Some of the most
outstanding hindrances to faith are:
1. Failure to Abide in Him.
This may well be placed first on any list of hindrances
to faith, for it
nullifies God’s guarantee. Abiding in Christ is living in the Word of God, by the Word of God, and in joyful fellowship with God.
2. Condemnation.
This is certainly one of the greatest hindrances to faith.
Those who
abide in Christ are not condemned. “If our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God. And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him,
because we keep his commandments, and do those
things which, are pleasing in his sight.” 1
John 3:21, 22. This is God’s formula for faith.
Causes of
Condemnation
(a) Unscriptural Relationships in the Home.
Peter exhorts husbands and wives: “Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection
to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the
word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives; Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them
according to knowledge, giving honour unto the
wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being
heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.” 1 Peter 3:1, 7.
The faith of many
is hindered because of unscriptural relationships in the home. But unscriptural
attitudes toward our fellow men outside the home can also be a great hindrance
to faith.
Many wives have
mistakenly assumed that they can become more spiritual by disregarding the
wishes of their husbands, neglecting their natural care of their home and care
for their husbands to follow more lauded pursuits.
They may, indeed,
win the praise of some by doing so, but God’s command is not thus.
This is equally true of the husband. Cruel, harsh, overbearing, unkind treatment of his wife and children will certainly stand between him and the answer to his prayers and cripple his faith to receive the thing for which he asks.
Faith that moves
mountains springs from the depths of a soul that is at peace: at peace with God,
with itself, with the members of the household, and with those that are without.
Compassion and
love are also necessary in a home if that home is to be in order as God wishes
it to be. Compassion is defined as “sympathy, pity, mercy, tenderness, sorrow
for the distress of another.”
(b) Unscriptural
Attitudes Toward our Fellow Men.
It is our duty to
provide things honest in the sight of all men, to deal fairly with others in all
business transactions, whether with Christian or sinner; to do good; to be kind,
gentle and courteous (1 Peter 3:8). The heart of true courtesy is kindness,
thoughtfulness to others, and to live in such a manner as to win them to Christ.
If you find in
yourself the opposite to these qualities, then your attitudes are unscriptural
and constitute a hindrance to faith.
(c) Failure to Tithe, and to Give to God:
The wrong financial attitude can be a great hindrance to faith and brings
many under constant condemnation because they
refuse to give God the tithe, which is His. “The tithe . . . is the Lord’s:” Lev. 27:30.
Remember that
God’s promises are still true. “Bring ye all the tithes into
In addition to
the law of tithing, the Word of God has much to say about giving, and about God’
s promises to those who do give generously. Even a selfish person who reads and
truly believes those promises would not withhold from God!
“Give, and it
shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and
running over, shall men give unto your bosom. For with the same measure, that ye
mete withal it shall be measured to you again.” Luke 6:38.
If you have
condemnation in your heart about these things, do not expect to be able to have
faith until you change your attitude about finances and bring your life into
conformity with the Word of God.
(d) Failure to Right Wrongs.
It is useless to expect to have real working faith and be able to get
anything from God until we have made everything
right with our fellow men, as far as lies within our power.
“Therefore if you
bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought
against thee; Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be
reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.” Matt. 5:23,24.
Notice the above
Scripture says “If . . . thy brother hath ought against thee:”. It does not say
just to be reconciled to those you have something against. That comes under
forgiveness, and is necessary, of course, but this is to make the wrongs right
which you have committed against someone else. Failure to do this will bring
condemnation to your heart, and may well be a real hindrance to your faith.
(e) Failure to Confess Faults. “Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, they ye may be healed. James 5:16a.
One that hears such confessions must of course keep it in
strict confidence.
Unwillingness to
confess faults usually shows unwillingness to forsake them, or a lack of
confidence in God’s power to deliver from them. This is a great hindrance to
faith and a source of condemnation.
(f) Wrong Motives.
“Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that
ye may consume it
upon your lusts.” James 4:3.
There are those
who desire healing to be better able to continue a life that does not glorify
God, or they have some other selfish motive. This causes condemnation and
hinders faith.
3. Lack of Separation Unto God.
There are many that deny that there is any supernatural power in
operation in the world today. They advise good resolutions, church membership, or baptism instead of conversion by means of a new
birth. Those things cannot change the heart.
They deny the power that Jesus promised to
leave with the godly -- to heal the sick, cast out devils, to speak with new
tongues, and possess the signs that follow the
believer. The Lord warns us to turn away from such people. 2 Tim. 3:5.
Many have failed
to receive healing because they have not heeded this warning.
4. No Works.
“Faith without works is dead.” James 2:20b. I like to paraphrase
the
statement above by saying “Faith that doesn’t work is dead.” A life of faith is demonstrated to the world by Christian works. A lack of works is a
definite hindrance to faith.
5. Disobedience.
When ten lepers came to Jesus for healing and Jesus
instructed them to go
and show themselves to the priest (correct procedure under the law) they were cleansed as they went. (Luke 17:13, 14). If they had not
obeyed, they would have not received their
healing. Other instances of healing in the Word bear out the fact that disobedience keeps one from receiving from God.
6. Erroneous Teachings -- Traditions of Men.
These teachings are the same as covered in this lesson under the title
“Misconceptions in Regard to Healing.” Please
refer back to that section and review them. These misconceptions are indeed great hindrances to faith.
WHEN THE
HINDRANCES TO FAITH IN YOUB OWN LIFE HAVE BEEN MET AND CONQUERED, YOU WILL
REALIZE THAT YOU HAVE ENTERED INTO A REVITALIZED PRAYER LIFE AND RELATIONSHTP TO
GOD. YOU CAN RECEIVE YOUR HEALING AND WHATEVER ELSE YOU DESIRE FROM GOD
ACCORDING TO HIS WORD!
WHY MANY DO NOT
RECEIVE HEALING:
Oftentimes
questions are asked why so many Christian people are sick or why some are healed
and others are not. These questions cannot be ignored. God’s promises of healing
apply to every Christian.
If you desire to
be healed and are not a Christian, you must first find healing for your soul.
Repent of your sins and seek God with your whole heart. When you have repented
of your sins, and have believed in your heart the Lord Jesus (not just some
things about Him, but believed HIM) and have confessed with your mouth, then you
will be saved. (Rom. 10:9, 10.)
Jesus declared
“Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” John 3:3b.
“Therefore if any
man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed away; behold, all
things are become new.” 2 Cor. 5:17.
“We know that we
have passed from death unto life,” 1 John 3:14a.
“These things
have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that YE MAY
KNOW that ye HAVE eternal life.” 1 John 5:13a.
This does not say
that you may hope that you will have eternal life, when you have come to the
other end of life’s journey! You have eternal life NOW, and know that you have
it, or else you have no eternal life! Eternal life begins within you when you
believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and are born again.
“Except a man be
born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” John 3:3b.
The life of the
unrepentant sinner is one life, while the life of the repentant, born again
Christian is an entirely different life.
Only Christ can
set you free. He whom the Son of God sets free is free indeed. (John 8:36). You
cannot save yourself by your own efforts. A penalty has been placed upon sin by
a just and holy God. That penalty is death! “The soul that sinneth, it shall
DIE.” Ezekiel 18:4b.
Now, here is your
part:
1. You must
realize that you are a sinner, and that your sins are worthy of death. (Death,
in this sense, means eternal banishment from God, in hell.)
2. You must come
to hate your sin, which is destroying you. You must repent of your sins and, in
prayer, confess them to Jesus.
3. Then you must
believe in your heart that He has been true to His Word, and has washed your
sins away.
4. There is one
thing more: After you have believed, you must acknowledge Jesus as your Saviour.
“If any man be in
Christ, he is a new creature:” 2 Cor. 5:17a. The change is so complete that God
in His Word has called it a REBIRTH! (John 3:3).
IF YOU ARE A
CHRISTIAN AND STILL HAVE NOT RECEIVED HEALING, examine your life and attitudes
in the light of God’s Word. God has not shown respect of persons in your case,
for that is contrary to His divine nature. If you are still sick, there is a
reason. God’s Word will reveal it to you, if you will diligently seek His face.
When you find the trouble, correct it, and God’s healing touch is yours. This is
God’s guarantee, and God cannot lie.
The reason may be
one of the following:
1. Lack of Faith.
Faith is believing what you have not seen simply because
God said it is
so. (Heb. 11:1). If you had faith, you would already have been healed. Jesus once said to a man whose faith was weak, “If thou canst believe,
all things are possible to him that believeth.”
Mark 9:23. He replied, “Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.” Mark 9:24b.
2. Erroneous Teaching:
Many fail to receive healing because, due to erroneous teaching
(misconception) they have been made to believe that sickness and physical suffering is God’s way of bringing out the best in them, or of
developing the fruits of the Spirit in their
lives. They believe they must be patient in affliction, and wait until it is God’s time to heal them, or perhaps they believe God is
chastening them for some unknown sin. Or some
of the other erroneous teachings and
misconceptions mentioned earlier in this lesson are causing them not to receive healing.
Both sin and
sickness are the works of the devil. God certainly has not ordained that the
fruits of the Spirit should be developed by the works of the devil. Jesus was
manifested to destroy the works of the devil. Health is God’s will for His
people, conditioned upon the wellbeing of the soul.
All of God’s
promises are conditional. Salvation is conditioned upon repentance. Healing is
conditioned upon faith and spiritual health. But when God’s conditions are known
and met, GOD GUARANTEES THE ANSWER.
“For ALL the
promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.” 2
Cor. 1:20.
“(For he is
faithful that promised;)” Heb. 10:23b.
3. Indefinite Prayers:
Many fail to receive healing because they do not ask
definitely for the
thing they desire from God. “Ye have not, because ye ask not.” James 4:2.
When you come to
God for healing, state your need DEFINITELY. God’s promise is: “And whatsoever
ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the
Son.” John 14:13.
4. Lack of Understanding of God’s Dealings in Regard to Healing: A lack of understanding of the way God deals in regard to healing is the cause of many remaining sick. The person who has set a pattern in his mind and feels it is the only way that God can or will work is in danger of losing confidence. When the answer doesn’t come according to his mental pattern, he may also have the feeling that his prayer has not been heard or will not be answered.
Since healing can come only by faith, it is important to
understand that God heals both instantaneously
and gradually. Oftentimes the root of the disease is cursed and then the disease withers away, in the same way as the fig tree Jesus
cursed withered and died. (Mark 11). God’s plan
for healing is COMPLETE whether it be
instantaneous or convalescent type deliverance.
5. Rejection of God’s Statutes:
There are those who have deliberately turned aside from following God’s
will for them and have despised their inheritance. Now they are seeking a blessing from the Lord that they have no right to
receive. They have completely rejected God’s
statutes, and God will not bless them.
6. Stubbornness and Rebellion:
“And Asa in the thirty and ninth year of his reign was diseased in his
feet, until his disease was exceeding great: yet in his disease he sought not to the Lord, but to the physicians. And Asa . . . died in
the one and fortieth year of his reign.” 2
Chron. 16:12, 13.
God let Asa die
because of stubbornness and rebellion in turning to man, for help instead of
God. To turn from God and to look only to man for help is definitely displeasing
to God.
7. Disobedience:
God’s power to heal was well-known and recognized by His
people in the
days of the Old Testament. God made a covenant with His people at Sinai that if they would keep his statutes and commandments, He would
keep them in health. “I will put none of these
diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: FOR I AM THE LORD THAT HEALETH THEE.” Ex. 15:26b.
When they
disobeyed God and murmured against God and against Moses, God permitted “fiery
serpents” to come into the camp, and many were bitten and died. The people knew
the cause of this and came to Moses crying, “We have sinned. . . pray unto the
Lord, that He take away the serpents from us.” Num. 21:7.
8. Speaking
Against the Lord’s Anointed: (Num. 12:1-13)
God smote Miriam
with leprosy for speaking against Moses who was God’s anointed. Through Moses’
prayer she was healed, and God said “Were ye not afraid (o speak against my
servant Moses? “Num. 12:8b. Some are unable to receive healing because they are
guilty of speaking against the Lord’s anointed!
A CAREFUL STUDY
OF THE FOREGOING REASONS SHOULD HELP YOU TO FIND THE REASON YOU DON’T RECEIVE
YOUR
HEALING. Build
your faith upon the Word of God. Search the Word to find the reason you have not
been healed. Lay aside your own ideas as to how God will perform the work. God,
who CANNOT LIE, has said: “Believe that ye receive them and ye SHALL HAVE THEM.”
Mark 11:24b.
DISEASES AND YOUR
SPIRITUAL CONDITION ARE CLOSELY RELATED.
At least ten
major diseases are caused, not by germs, but by a mental condition. Doctors
claim that eight out of ten who think they have heart disease have only
something wrong with their minds, not with their heart.
If you are bound
in spirit and soul, you will soon be bound in body. Then even your digestive
organs are affected. This is the cause of ulcers and many other diseases.
If you will get
peace in soul and mind, you will not have so much trouble with your body.
HOW TO RECEIVE
YOUR HEALING
1. Be Persistent
-- DO NOT BECOME DISCOURAGED.
When a person
makes up his mind to reach the Lord in order to receive a miracle, he is sure to
discover some kind of hindrance from Satan. In Luke 18:35-43, we read of blind
Bartimaeus who cried to Jesus for healing that he might receive his sight. “They
which went before,” Luke 18:39a, tried to hinder him; they rebuked him “But he
cried so much the more, Thou Son of David, have mercy on me. Luke 18:39b.
In your case,
“those who went before” may be a friend or member of your family, or someone of
your church. They are those who would hinder your receiving your healing. If
Bartimaeus had listened to the people, he would never have received his sight.
God is the
rewarder of them that diligently seek Him. (Heb. 11:6). One must not be
discouraged. It is very important to have a real determination to persist until
victory comes.
2. As the Next
Step, Remember Calvary!
Seven hundred
years before Calvary, Isaiah looked forward to the cross. Upon that cross he saw
a man dying for the sins of the world. Not only dying -- shedding His blood --
for the sins of the world, but dying with His back bruised and bleeding from the
stripes which He bore that we might be set free from sickness as well as from
sin.
Speaking as he
was moved by the Holy Ghost, Isaiah cried out in prophetic utterance: “He is
despised and rejected of men, a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and
we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows; yet we did esteem him
stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our
transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace
was upon him; and with his stripes WE ARE HEALED.” Isa. 53:3-5.
The work was
finished. All God asks us to do is to believe it, then receive it. Only as you,
dear sick suffering friend, believe in the stripes that Jesus bore, can you
receive your healing.
Salvation for the
Soul -- in the Atonement
Only as a sinner
believes in Calvary for the atonement of his soul can he receive salvation from
sin. Jesus Christ shed His blood to atone for ALL sins. The sufferings of His
body were not for that.
David said “Bless
the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.” Psalm 103:2. That is,
“REMEMBER all His benefits.” To be reminded of all God’s benefits, we must go
back to Calvary. The benefits mentioned by David include forgiveness for ALL
sins, and healing for ALL diseases: not part of our sins, or part of our
diseases, but every sin and every disease. This is the benefit of Calvary.
Healing for the
Body -- in the Atonement
Christ did not
suffer in His body for our sins. He shed his blood for that. The stripes were for
our healing! David says so. Isaiah says so. Peter says so. Christ Himself says so.
That should be sufficient!
Jesus’ last words
on the cross before He died, were “IT IS FINISHED:” John 19:30. What did
He mean? He meant just this: He had borne the sins of the world, and carried its
sorrows. “Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses.” Matt. 8:17b.
Since Christ bore
your sicknesses, you no longer have to be sick. You can be released from sin
and sickness by remembering that Christ finished your redemption from both ONCE
FOR ALL at Calvary. Thanks be to God for Calvary!
3. The Next Step
-- BELIEVE!
Believe! Just BELIEVE! Believing is faith. Faith is not KNOWING THAT GOD IS ABLE -- IT IS BELIEVING THAT HE DOES! It is believing it simply because God said He would do it, and you know that God CANNOT LIE!
“Faith is the
substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Heb. 11:1. Faith
is reaching out into the unseen, getting hold of that which is not, and holding on until
it becomes that which is. Faith is believing we possess that which we cannot see, that
which we cannot feel. Though it is unseen and unfelt as yet, we believe it is
already done.
You absolutely
BELIEVE that by His stripes you were healed. Since you absolutely
believe it, you begin to ACT on God’s Word. Joy comes into your heart, as the realization
of what God has done for you sweeps over your soul. Faith always brings rejoicing.
Then as you rejoice in your victory, stand upon your feet! Rise up in Jesus’ name and
walk!
Do not look for
feeling -- LOOK FOR HEALING! Step out on the promise of God. Leave
your wheel chair! Throw away your crutches! Walk and run and leap for joy! Speak!
Hear! See out of obscurity and out of darkness! Do it in Jesus’ name! Because you
believe, you are healed! You can and will do the things you could not do!
Tell people what
a wonderful work the Lord Jesus has done in making you whole and in
driving away the power of Satan. Let your testimony glorify God. Quote God’s Word. His
Word is truth. Real faith must be based upon the Word of God exclusively. You
are not to believe you are healed because the pain is gone nor to refuse to believe
you are healed because you still feel the pain. That pain has nothing to do with your
faith. Feeling is not faith, and faith is not feeling. FAITH IS BELIEVING THAT
YOU ARE HEALED BECAUSE GOD SAYS THAT YOU ARE HEALED.
Faith is never afraid to take a stand with the Word of God. “Let God be true, but every man a liar;” Rom. 3:4. If my own feelings to not agree with what God says, then my feelings lie. A person who walks by faith ignores the testimony of his senses unless it agrees with the Word of God. Make this your testimony: “God says it is done! I believe it . . . it is done! It is finished! I AM HEALED BECAUSE GOD, WHO CANNOT LIE, DECLARES THAT I AM HEALED.”
THIS IS THE WAY
TO RECEIVE HEALING. Not by Feeling, but by faith. If you do this,
GOD GUARANTEES TO HEAL YOU!
Special Miracles
by Handkerchiefs and Aprons
“And God wrought
special miracles by the hands of Paul: So that from his body were brought unto
the sick handkerchiefs or aprons, and the diseases departed from them, and the
evil spirits went out of them.” Acts 19:11. 12.
Countless thousands are being healed today by the ministry of blessed cloths. God has made this provision for the sake of those who cannot get to us for help, that although we cannot reach them personally, we can send them a cloth that our hands have touched. This is God’s scriptural method of contacting them who are sick and bound and afflicted, who cannot get into direct contact with those whose faith is strong and whom the Lord is using in this ministry.
A prayer cloth
may be substituted for the laying on of hands of the evangelist if used according to
instructions given for believing God for healing.
HOW TO KEEP YOUR
HEALING
1. Remember that All Sickness is of the Devil.
First, let us remember that, while not all
sickness can be attributed to demon possession or even to demon oppression, God
is not the author of sickness. Satan is responsible in one way or another for all
sickness. Satan is an active, crafty, intelligent enemy. He gives no ground except
what is actively taken from him by faith. And having given up ground, he is constantly
on the watch for an opportunity to take it back.
2. Be Filled with the Spirit. Jesus not only gave us promises and commands but warnings as well. One of these is found in Matthew 12:43-45.
“When the unclean
spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and
findeth none. Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came
out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished. Then goeth he,
and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in
and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first.”
When you have
been released from the power of Satan, whether it be from sin, sickness, demon
possession, or demon oppression, it is important that the house in which you live,
your body, be not only clean, but occupied. When Satan moves out, if you are to keep
him out, the Spirit of God must move in. Never let the demon find your house empty.
The Baptism of
the Holy Ghost
This is a separate experience from that of conversion. It was promised by Jesus to His people: “Behold, I send the promise of my father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.” Luke 24:49. This promise was fulfilled on the day of Pentecost. (Acts 2).
To receive the
infilling of the Holy Ghost: Ask in faith. If it is hard to believe for this
experience, search your heart for hindrances to faith. (Lessons #4 and #5). When you have
eliminated the hindrances to your faith, it will be easy to receive the Holy Spirit. Just
come boldly into Jesus’ presence with praise. Be obedient. Yield yourself and let
Him possess you completely and speak out through your lips. Then He will live in
your body and possess your “temple” and there will be no room for Satan.
3. Live a Holy Life.
Sin and careless living on the part of one who has been
healed is an open
invitation for the unclean spirit to move back into the house from which he was
driven. Jesus warned one whom He had healed instantly and miraculously, in
these words: “Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto
thee.” John 5:14b.
4. Resist the Devil.
“Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” James 4:7b.
The Christian
need not be in subjection to sin. “Sin shall not have dominion over you:” Rom. 6:14a.
By faith, the Christian has power to refuse the temptations of Satan, and his
suggestions to sin. There is something more commendable than daily repentance from
sin, and that is daily victory over sin. It is also possible, by faith, to refuse sickness a
place. There is something better than being healed “many times,” especially of the
same afflictions: that is to get healed and stay healed.
5. Keep Believing God and His Promises.
If the promises of God are bright and clear in your
mind and you still believe that God meant just what He said, you will answer Satan, as
did our Lord when He was tempted. “It is written,” Matt. 4:4,7,10. “By whose stripes
ye were healed.” 1 Peter 2:24b.
As you review by
faith the mighty promises of God, your heart will rejoice, even as it did
when you claimed His promise and received healing, and there will be praise in your
heart to God for His mighty deliverance. Stand upon a promise in God’s Word, and
praise God in the devil’s face. This is resisting the devil. He never has been able to
stay in the presence of this kind of faith, and he will never be able to do so.
6. Seek an Atmosphere of Faith.
After your healing takes place, it is a mistake
to go back into a
church where the pastors and teachers do not believe in the miracle working power of
God. Identify yourself with a group where you can find food for your faith and
where you can freely give your testimony for the encouragement of others that may
also need deliverance.
7. Testify to Your Healing at Every Opportunity.
Your testimony will increase as you
declare the truth and reality of God’s promises, and Satan will be driven farther
back, and his chance of again overcoming you will be lessened.
WHO HAS POWER TO
HEAL?
During His
earthly ministry, Jesus healed “all manner of sickness and all manner of disease
among the people.” Matt. 4:23. The glorious ministry of deliverance begun
by Jesus was to continue through His disciples, His followers, and His believers.
The early church
was a powerful church because its members believed God. They believed in
holy living because God said, “Be ye holy.” 1 Peter 1:16. They feared sin because they
had seen sin revealed through the gift of discernment, and had seen liars stricken
dead for their sin. (Acts 5). They believed that they could do miracles in the name of Jesus
because He had said, “The works that I do shall ye do also;” John 14:12. And
because they believed God, God worked with them, confirming the word with signs and
wonders. God has not changed. Any church today can have the same power if they
will meet the same conditions.
Has God changed? No! The church Jesus purchased with His blood is still performing miracles and healing the sick. Those who dare to believe God’s promises and stand on His Word can still, IN THE NAME OF JESUS, heal the sick.
God has given
those who believe, AUTHORITY over all devils and to cure diseases. (Luke
9:1). They have the right to use the name of Jesus in making requests to God and in
giving commands to demons and to disease. (See John 14:10-14).
THE ENDUEMENT OF POWER.
“And ye are witnesses of these things. And, behold, I send
the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until
ye be endued with power from on high.” Luke 24:48, 49. “But ye shall receive power,
after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me.” Acts
1:8a.
Then we receive the POWER TO WITNESS. This power for service takes many forms. This was a great miracle on the day of Pentecost.
The great miracle
of Pentecost was not the tongues but the transformed lives of believers,
although they did speak in tongues as the Spirit gave utterance. They were clothed with
supernatural power. Gifts of the Spirit were given to them but those
supernatural gifts did not indicate that the possessor necessarily had spiritual maturity of
character or holiness of life to the extent that they had no faults.
Today the church is vastly ignorant of these gifts of the Spirit and the way the Lord works. They are for us today. The great wonders and miracles in the Old and New Testament were performed by the same Spirit through the same operations as the gifts mentioned in 1 Cor. 12. In the Old Testament they experienced divine power as the Spirit of God came upon them; in the new dispensation of grace they receive power; the Holy Ghost comes into the believer.
This miracle
working power is given by the Lord to those who seek Him. God is performing His
works today through those who will pay the price to receive this power. JESUS IS
JUST THE SAME TODAY!
IF YOU WILL ACCEPT THE TEACHINGS AND INSTRUCTIONS OF THE WORD OF GOD AND ACT
UPON THEM, HEALTH, HEALING, AND HOLINESS WILL BE YOURS. AND REMEMBER GOD
GUARANTEES TO HEAL YOU!
