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Does God
promise to heal everyone who comes to Him?
Would you mind a small discourse on God's healing?
I have to deal with this often and I would like your opinion. When the Bible says that
"By his stripes, you were healed." does this mean "Physically" unto
death, or "Spiritually" unto everlasting life?
I struggle with this often as I believe God can and does heal people of
all infirmities and sicknesses of life, but that couldn't be the healing that He came to
die for. Why would God come to earth in the form of a man to heal the sick? I struggle
with question. It wasn't to make the body whole, but to make the spirit whole. I believe a
right relationship with Jesus Christ is the healing He came for. Is this backed up by
scripture? Isa 53 seems to be talking topically about the spirit, and then, "..By His
stripes, we are healed..". How can that be reconciled?
.
The
passage in mind says, "Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the
LORD revealed? For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a
dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty
that we should desire him. 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. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have
turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. He
was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb
to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.
He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he
was cut off out of the land of the living: FOR THE TRANSGRESSION OF MY PEOPLE WAS HE
STRICKEN. And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because
he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth. Yet it pleased the LORD to
bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when THOU SHALT MAKE HIS SOUL AN OFFERING FOR SIN,
he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall
prosper in his hand. He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by
his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for HE SHALL BEAR THEIR
INQUITIES." (Isaiah 53:1-11).
The New Testament tells us the first part about the healing was
fulfilled in Jesus’ earthly ministry. Matthew 8:14-17 says, "And when Jesus was
come into Peter's house, he saw his wife's mother laid, and sick of a fever. And he
touched her hand, and the fever left her: and she arose, and ministered unto them. When
the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast
out the spirits with his word, and HEALED ALL THAT WERE SICK: THAT IT MIGHT BE FULFILLED
WHICH WAS SPOKEN BY ESAIAS THE PROPHET, SAYING, HIMSELF TOOK OUR INFIRMITIES, AND BARE OUR
SICKNESSES."
So that part of the prophecy was fulfilled in Jesus’ earthly
ministry — not in His death. The Bible there interprets Isaiah’s prophecy,
"Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows..." That is what Jesus
did — in His earthly ministry — He tended to their griefs and sorrows, their
infirmities and sicknesses. Then it goes on to say, "Yet we did esteem him stricken,
smitten of God, and afflicted..." The passage tells about how Jesus healed their
physical infirmities and went about doing good for people — but then they turned
right around and smote Him. Why did the Father allow it to happen? So that Jesus could
heal us from our greatest need — spiritual healing from our sin. "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."
So the
first part of this prophecy deals with Jesus meeting the physical needs of the people in
His earthly ministry — but still their overall rejection of Him. So the last part of
the prophecy deals with Jesus meeting our greatest infirmity — our sin — our
spiritual need. And so it goes on to describe His bearing our sin at His death on the
cross. "For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that
Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he
rose again the third day according to the scriptures."
No where does this passage promise physical healing in the sacrifice of
Jesus Christ just for the asking, like it promises spiritual healing. The Charismatic
crowd tries to say that the Bible promises healing to all who come to Christ in faith,
just as it promises salvation to all who come to Him. They are not interpreting this
passage for what it clearly says. And of course their own experiences prove that they are
wrong. Not everyone that comes to them for healing is healed. I would encourage you to
read the book by Alfred H. Pohl called, "17 Reasons Why I Left The Tongues
Movement." (You can order it from Way of Life Literature in Oak Habor, Washington.)
He was in that movement, and truly believed in that type of healing, but as he saw it
firsthand, he saw that it was all fake, and a money-making scheme. The whole Charismatic
Movement is just preparing people for the one-world false church of the Tribulation
Period, and whetting people’s appetites for the Antichrist and his lying wonders.
"Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and
lying wonders." (II Thessalonians 2:9). They are seeking "signs," but Jesus
said, "AN EVIL AND ADULTEROUS GENERATION SEEKETH AFTER A SIGN; and there shall no
sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas: For as Jonas was three days and
three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights
in the heart of the earth." (Matthew 12:39,40).
God can and does heal today, but He does not promise to heal every
sickness and infirmity that we may have. Consider the great apostle Paul. "And 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. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of
Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in
necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am
I strong." (II Corinthians 12:7-10).
Paul had a physical problem, and he went to the Lord in prayer about
it. He asked the Lord to remove it from him and heal him. The Lord denied his three
requests. The Lord DID NOT tell him, "Paul, when I died on the cross, I provided
physical healing for everyone. Of course I will heal you, since you came to me asking for
such." That is not at all what the Lord told Paul. He told him, "My grace is
sufficient for thee: for MY STRENGTH IS MADE PERFECT IN WEAKNESS." The Charismatics
outright deny what God clearly said. The Charismatics say that it is God’s will that
His children never have physical infirmities and sicknesses. They say that a sick person
cannot glorify God, but a well person can. But the Lord told Paul just the opposite —
when we are physically weak — that is when the Lord’s strength is seen the most.
When we are sick, we should go to the Lord about it. "Is any among
you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms. Is any sick among you? let
him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil
in the name of the Lord: And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall
raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. Confess your
faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual
fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." (James 5:13-16). We practice this
very thing, when people request it. Sometimes, God has healed people, and sometimes He has
let it be known that His grace was sufficient for that person. That He could get more
glory through their infirmities, than through their health. David knew this truth from
personal experience. "Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy
word." (Psalm 119:67). In his health, he went astray, but in his afflictions, he drew
nigh to God.
How
many perfectly healthy people seek after God, compared to those who are sick and hurting?
"But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a
physician, but they that are sick. But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have
mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to
repentance." (Matthew 9:12,13). Those with the needs come to Christ.
Have you come to Christ and asked Him to be your personal Savior? After
that, go to Him with every need, and trust that His will is best.
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