God's Timing and Purposes

Regarding Healing

When discussing healing, many Christians become dogmatic, inflexible, in their approach, often to the point of becoming argumentative. Tempers flare and feelings get hurt. I've watched this happen time and again over the years. Battle lines are drawn when debaters embrace one of two camps. Their arsenals of scripture are pulled from their sheaves and the fight to be right begins. The following two teachings bring tension:

1. It is the will of God that ALL be healed ALL the time.
2. People get healed, IF it is God's will.

Are you on edge of your seat yet? Are your guns loaded? Is your trigger finger ready to aim and fire?

Before you get mad, or disagree with a particular point of view, ask the Lord to give you a teachable spirit. Be willing to put aside your dogmatic opinions and give it a rest. For you see, both of the statements above represent an imbalance in what the WHOLE OF SCRIPTURE teaches, for they leave out two vital components of Christian living: God's work in our lives cannot be completely understood unless we embrace His TIMING and PURPOSES. Please, sit back and relax as you continue to read!

Let me begin by saying that Jesus is still the Healer. Both the Old and New Testaments attest to our healing Jesus. Isaiah 53:4-6 describes the suffering Servant (Jesus): "Surely our griefs He Himself bore, and our sorrows He carried; yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, and by His scourging, we are healed." 2 Peter 2:24 collaborates: "By His stripes we are healed."

And then, I count numerous times in the gospels where Jesus "healed all who were sick" and I note at least twenty-two specific individual healing miracles in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. I keep reading, and in the book of Acts I rejoice over several physical healings. To say that Jesus does not heal the sick would be ludicrous and biblically inaccurate. To insist that all will be healed is to embrace an imbalanced Bible interpretation. I believe the only Scriptural admonition during times of sickness is to keep believing the Word, keep confessing your healing and don't let doubt come in, don't be double-minded! Again, you must factor in God's TIMING and PURPOSES for individual lives. On this foundation, I rest my case.

So, when it comes to healing, I'm going to keep anointing the sick (James 5:14), keep praying and keep believing until folks breathe their last. To be sure, however, the Bible makes it clear and life itself bears testimony that nobody's getting out of here alive, unless by the Rapture. Hebrews makes it clear: "It is appointed unto man once to die…" (Hebrews 9:27). In my opinion, to disagree so far is an exercise in futility! Let's move on. Obviously, the Scriptures present Jesus as a Healer. Healing for sick bodies is afforded in the New Covenant! Tensions mount when we say that it is always the will of God to heal, but emotions and dogmatic phraseology enter the picture when folks don't get healed. Here's where inflexible and dogmatic thinking cause communication breakdowns and even rifts among Bible believers.

With this being said, battle lines are drawn when…

1. Some do not get healed.
2. We base our theological beliefs on personal experience, or the experiences of others.
3. We talk about people not having enough faith, which is a cruel thing to say or even imply when individuals deal with personal pain and sickness.
4. We talk about death being the ultimate healing.
5. We give the devil credit for someone not being healed.

Now, let me address each of the above five "hotspots" and offer what I feel to be biblical insights as they pertain to God's TIMING and His PURPOSES. Again, I beg you to proceed with an open mind, and a loving heart.

1. Some do not get healed. This is a fact. Insurance companies, government disability, Medicare, Medicaid, sick beds, mortuaries, and cemeteries all attest to this truth. The reasons don't matter at this point, and most anyone can speculate; however, speculation often leads to harsh, judgmental comments that further serve to embarrass and frustrate people who say, "The Lord still heals." To say that "so and so" believed and did not receive healing can and does open the door for further frustration and confusion. Facts support the truth that some do not get healed. Those who insist that God heals ALL THE TIME need to rethink how they communicate their beliefs. I will agree to this extent: We need to speak in faith until the end comes. Don't quit reading yet.

2. We base our theological beliefs on personal experience, or the experiences of others. This is a "no-no." We don't ever base what God's Word declares on the experiences, good or bad, of others. This is where strong emotions potentially trip us up, causing our faith to wane. Remember, our faith stands firm in God's Word, not the sometimes unfortunate outcomes of those for whom we pray. I know of two times in Scripture where healing was either delayed or denied. In short, although the Scriptures attest the fact that Jesus heals, some do not get healed. Either way, God's promises to heal are wrapped up in His TIMING AND PURPOSES. I personally believe that each of us is placed on the earth with a specific God-given purpose; and when that purpose or assignment is completed, God takes us home. Isaiah 55:8-9 reminds us, "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,' declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.'"

Mark 8:23-25 says, "Taking the blind man by the hand, He (Jesus) brought him out of the village; and after spitting on his eyes and laying His hands on him, He asked him, 'Do you see anything?' And he looked up and said, 'I see men, for I see them like trees, walking around.' Then again He laid His hands on his eyes; and he looked intently and was restored, and began to see everything clearly." Presumably, the man's healing came gradually. Sometimes God does heal us progressively. I believe that during these times God works out what He deems as more important issues, those things that need to precipitate our healing. For example, the Lord healed my diabetes only after I gave him my addiction to sugar and sweets. Often, we have to cooperate with the Lord on a practical level before healing comes.

Galatians 4:12-15 says, "I beg of you, brethren, because as I am, for I also have become as you are. You have done me no wrong. But you know that it was because of a bodily illness that I preached the gospel to you the first time; and that which was a trial to you in my bodily condition you did not despise or loathe, but you received me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus Himself. Where then is that sense of blessing you had? For I bear you witness that, if possible, you would have plucked out your eyes and given them to me." Please understand something. This passage is not referring to "Paul's thorn in the flesh," that's another passage, and it had nothing to do with physical illness. Let's allow the passage to speak for itself. In 2 Corinthians 12:7, we read, "Because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me, to keep me from exalting myself."

This text speaks for itself and answers the question, "Who or what was Paul's thorn?" It was his propensity to be prideful! Often, strong personalities and gifted people, like Paul, struggle with pride. It is not beyond God's love to keep them in check by allowing outside influences to temper them. In Paul's case, God allowed outside demonically-induced influences to run interference in his life.

Now, let's go back to Galatians 4:12. Many Bible scholars believe that Paul had sight issues. One commentator says perhaps glaucoma or cataracts. In Galatians 6:11, he gives a hint to this effect: "See with what large letters I am writing to you with my own hand." The scriptures do not indicate anywhere that Paul was ever healed. But either way, this does not negate the fact that Jesus still heals today. We cannot look at "healed versus unhealed" and determine our theological stance. Biblical evidence, still by far, supports the truth that Jesus is our Healer!

3. We talk about people not having enough faith, which is a cruel thing to say or even imply when individuals deal with personal pain and sickness. Everything we receive from God comes through faith. We're saved by faith, mature in the Lord by faith, live our daily lives according to our faith and yes, we receive healing by faith. I've often struggled with the Master's seemingly difficult approach to several individuals in the gospels regarding their faith. For example, we read the phrase, "Oh, you of little faith" five times in Matthew and once in Luke:

Matthew 6:30 says, "But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith."

Matthew 8:26 says, "He said to them, 'Why are you afraid, you men of little faith?' Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and it became perfectly calm."

Matthew 14:31 says, "Immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and took hold of him (Peter), 'You of little faith, why did you doubt?'" (Peter walking on the water, then sinking).

Matthew 16:8 says, "But Jesus, aware of this said, 'You men of little faith, why do you discuss among yourselves that you have no bread?'"

Matthew 17:20 says, "And He said to them, 'Because of the littleness of your faith' for I truly say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed…"

Luke 12:28 says, "But if God so clothes the grass in the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, how much more will He clothe you?' You men of little faith!'" (Same as Matthew 6:30).

I think we need to take a different look at these verses. Instead of seeing them as harsh rebukes regarding their faith, I personally believe that Jesus is trying to get the disciples to FOCUS on Him, who was their source of faith. The Hebrew word for faith, emunah, is better translated, "concentrate or focus." I do not believe their faith was little but that their FOCUS was many times distracted from Jesus, who was the source of their faith. If truth be told, we all get our eyes off Jesus at times, and allow our circumstances to compromise our faith. I still say that Jesus was not disappointed in their faith level but rather their FOCUS level. When you and I get our minds off the Word, off Jesus, and focus on our problems and seemingly impossible dilemmas instead of His promises, we end up in trouble. We suffer setbacks.

When ministering to those who are sick, let's encourage them to keep their eyes on Jesus, stand on the many healing verses found in His Word, "faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God" (Romans 10:17), and stand strong in faith for healing! Then, we can leave the results to God's TIMING and PURPOSES. I do not see this as a contradiction, but rather as a more balanced approach to healing.

4. We talk about death being the ultimate healing. I have pastored hundreds, if not thousands of people, over the past 48 years. And to date, I've preached 738 funerals. Most of them were in their 70's, 80's or 90's. But a lot too were in their 40's and 50's (also several children, teens and young adults). Some of the godliest people I've ever known died at relatively young ages. However, this does not mean they had sin in their lives, or lacked faith, or whatever. My own mother only lived to be 40. While I don't pretend to know the sovereign mind of God regarding such matters, I do believe that if we remove God's TIMING and PURPOSES from daily living, and death, we may grow to be skeptical or confused regarding His promises to heal.

Healing is a multi-faceted subject about which none of us have all the answers. Still, I believe it is God's will to heal until this life gives way to eternal victory. It goes without saying that death will eventually claim all of us, when our bodies suffer ultimate breakdown. Disease may not have the legal right to bring sickness and death, but the consummation of all things still remains ahead. Stories of God's finest saints fill the pages of Scripture, where eventually healing escaped them. John 11:11-26 relates the story of Jesus raising his friend Lazarus from the dead. Disease took him but Jesus raised him. Eventually, however, Lazarus succumbed and he is buried probably in Bethany, his hometown, awaiting the final resurrection.

Some look to Psalm 90, and insist that we are guaranteed at least 70 years on earth, if not 80. God wasn't promising that every person would live to be seventy or eighty, however; the psalmist was simply describing our normal and/or general human experience. Our times are in God's hands, and for some their journey on earth is much shorter. Jesus was crucified when He was still in His 30s; the first martyr, Stephen, likewise was probably still a young man when he was put to death for his faith (see Acts 7). John the Baptist was around 30-years-old when he was murdered.

The real point the psalmist was making is that no matter who we are, our time on earth is limited, and someday death will overtake us. Death is a reality, and no one evades it, no matter how strong they are. "You sweep men away in the sleep of death" (Psalm 90:5).

But this leads us to two very important questions. First, how should we prepare for death? People may spend years preparing for a career or advancing in their job, and yet never take five minutes to think about eternity and what will happen to them when they die. But when we know Christ, we know this life is not all, and ahead of us is heaven. Have you put your faith in Him?

The other question is this: How should we spend the days God does give us? Will we live for ourselves, or will we live for God? Put Christ first, and make your days count for Him. Can we shorten our days on earth? Absolutely! When I served as a hospice chaplain, I often conducted funerals for those in their 40's and 50's. Lung cancer due to habitual, long term smoking; and liver failure due to excessive alcohol intake claimed many of my young patients. Famed healing evangelist, A.A. Allen died at age 59 from liver failure, after a life of excessive drinking. Thousands were healed in his crusades but if we remove God's TIMING and PURPOSES from this sad story, then neither one of the above arguments stands the test of Scripture.

5. Some blame the devil when individuals are not healed. This premise I challenge. The Bible makes it clear that Jesus came to destroy the works of the enemy. Satan is a defeated foe. When Jesus died on the cross and was later resurrected from the dead, He defeated all principalities and powers and spiritual wickedness in high places. We are victorious and overcomers through His blood and the word of our testimony. The devil has no legal right to bring sickness upon us, but the fact remains that we still live in a fallen world, where we are prone to suffer sickness and setbacks. Enter TIMING AND PURPOSE.

Please don't give up on Jesus as your Healer. If you need healing in your body, trust Him! Stay in the Word. Quote it. Meditate upon it. Let this mind be in you that was also in Christ Jesus. Maintain a biblical focus. Again, let me remind you, let me reiterate, that everything God does and allows includes TIMING and PURPOSE. His ways are not our ways, His thoughts are above ours, and He is trustworthy and faithful to bring us to a wonderful earthly end. I personally submit that we need to quit trying to prove our strong opinions or protect God's healing reputation. Divinity does not need my excuses as to "why," just my on-going faith (focus) in His promises that remain true.