By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus' name and the faith that comes through him that has given this complete healing to him, as you can all see. Acts 3:16
Try to tell those Jesus healed that he doesn’t heal today. Try to tell those who has recovered miraculously after someone prayed for their healing. Try to tell those who love the Lord that he doesn’t heal today and you will hear of his love for them and of his power to deliver them from the perils of life.
Some say God works in mysterious ways but the more we know of our Lord the easier it is to explain. The bible tells us that God has Compassion on those he chooses to have compassion but let’s remember that God is not partial for he loves everyone. Over time God has remained the same so it is reasonable to believe that God still heals today.
When we consider why God heals today. We must also consider the possibility that God so loved the world that he gave the world physicians so the world may be healed without having to have faith in God. On the other hand the church I go to says in its bylaws that the gifts of healing were temporal, therefore they reflect the idea that God healed through the Apostles but today we don’t see those kind of miracles.
Does God heal is still a question a number of Christians are asking today wanting answers. On the other hand there is a question of doubt and the finger could have been pointed at you instead of at God. At the same time we may lack patience to wait on the Lord or have the desire to trust the great physician. The other side of the coin may be a different question and God may be asking why you haven’t accepted his grace of healing you? The answer is not always clear and the reasoning of man may not be seen through faith.
From a spiritual standpoint, everyone who teaches about prayer always believes and teaches two things about prayer. One, Prayer works and two, God answers prayer. However I have the impression that people in general believe that healing from God takes place immediately and as soon as the Amen of the prayer has been spoken walks away disappointed because they don’t feel or see the effects of being healed. However faith says because God answers prayer I believe God has healed me.
More often the eyes are looking at the flesh to see if God had healed them. The bible says we walk by faith not by sight 2 Corinthians 5:7. While they want to be healed do they continue to place their trust in God? They think maybe God wants them to be healed through a physician, so they go to their doctor for his advice and prescriptions.
Sometimes I wonder if men believe that God still heals today as men and women commonly petition God for good test results from the doctors than praying for the concern the doctor has. If you allow God to heal what the doctors were concerned about, wouldn’t you be permitting God to work through you to confuse the wisdom of the wise?
Is it possible that in the days Jesus walked the byways of Israel that he was better known for miracles of healing than a person who trusted in God? Human beings trust their eyesight regularly to navigate this world and have learned to trust what they see even though they may only see part of the truth. Truth and faith does not rely on the reality of the truth and in Jesus whom you have faith in. Therefore we can be certain that the outcome of truth and faith may never be seen with the eye but seen with the heart. Do human beings trust their eyesight more than God? When everything is said and done, I think we have to ask why more Christians are healed under the care of a physician than through a prayer of faith.
Does eyesight create a problem with our faith in God? To answer this question, what has the Bible to say about the relationship with eyesight and faith? -- Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see Hebrews 11:1. -- We live by faith, not by sight 2 Corinthians 5:7. Therefore the way faith works is based on confidence and trust in Jesus Christ alone (Acts 4:12).
If your trust is in doctors; you do exactly what the doctor prescribes? If your faith in the great physician; are you willing to do what your God prescribes? One reason that healing through faith isn’t seen today is that we don’t do the math, while we may attempt to figure healing out do we put two and two together? On the other hand how healing is taught reflects the manner our faith is practiced.
1 Corinthians 12 closes with these words – eagerly desire the greater gifts 1 Corinthians 12:31 and chapter 14 begins with these words – Follow the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts 1 Corinthians 14:1. Sandwiched between these two thoughts is a better way and the purpose of the gifts. We as Christians may be following the way of love but do we eagerly desire the spiritual gifts?
Most Christians are familiar with the following passages of scripture on healing but do we understand how the Bible describes faith ---- Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see Hebrews 11:1. For the most part Christians are sure of what we hope for - every Christian knows that God answers prayer and we definitely want to be healed. Yet do we expect God to heal with the certainty that God still answers prayer today and heals those who ask.
The question is; are we certain enough to expect to see every answer to prayer with our eyes? Aren’t we supposed to be certain of God’s response through faith even though we may not see healing on the spot? Are we expecting to be healed without exercising our faith in Christ? Then again are we certain that God will honor his word and heal because we asked him due to our faith?
Did God inspire any passage that says to look at the body to be healed? As Christians we are to expected look to Christ who heals by faith in ways that cannot be seen by the human eye. Can a heart condition, torn ligaments and broken bones be seen with the naked eye? Let’s face the music most ailments of the body are not seen but felt because these conditions restrain the ability of the body to function as God designed it to work.
Still we are a spirit being that is influenced by the condition of a body that God gave us to rule over. In the same way we are to rule over the sin nature and cravings of the flesh. Let’s remember that Jesus said to three people their faith has healed them, therefore what you believe is an important part of healing.
Jesus repeatedly said -- Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. John 14:10 – Jesus replied, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him John 14:23. --- Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, Ephesians 3:20.
The bible tells us that the fullness of deity dwelt in Jesus Christ (Colossians 2:9). The bible also tells us the father and Son has made their abode in us. We also have the fullness of deity in us but are we releasing the power of God in us to the people in need around us?
Let’s remember that as human beings we live in a world not by faith but guided by our senses of perception, through sight, touch, smell, taste and hearing. At the same time we are spirit beings who are indwelt by the fullness of God who is at work in us. The bible tells us that we do not live by the food produced from the earth alone. We need spiritual substance to feed our spirit and for this reason we live by every word uttered by God. Are we partnering with God in completing his mission to save the world?
The inspired scriptures use Abraham as an example of faith several times and his acts of faith were credited to him as righteousness. -- Yet he (Abraham) did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised Romans 4:20-21.
Where is our faith when we refuse to partner with God? Are we afraid of having our faith crushed or looking like a fool if God doesn’t heal? These are natural concerns because miracles of God don’t happen frequently and the same was true of the disciples. The same indwelling power of the father working miracles through Jesus Christ is in (John 14:23) every Christian today.
Are you committed to allow God to work through you and are you willing to obey God? God inspired Ezekiel to say this. -- I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws Ezekiel 36:27. – However God gave man autonomy to forge his own destiny but man has inherited a sin nature that prefers to put the desire of the flesh first. The outcome is there is an internal war going on over whom you will serve. The sin nature fights to please the flesh but the spirit is focused on pleasing the desire of the Spirit. It’s not hard to think we are doing God’s will but do we consistently have the works of faith or the deeds to prove it? God has compassion for those suffering but he needs a believer as compassionate that will allow him to work through their acts of kindness and faith in the word of God.
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