Why Most Christians Don't Get Healed (Pt. 2)Fred HandschumacherDear Brother, Yes, it's exciting that the return of our Lord may well be at hand. I'm watching the increase in these short-term indicators. However, I also know that what God calls "soon to happen" often translates into a longer wait on our side. A lot of us are impatient. We still don't know an exact time frame—but many of us are watching 2005 and 2006. The pastor's encounter in New Zealand was especially meaningful to me since I had an almost identical experience to his. What's hard about all this is keeping our excitement level high--while realizing that it could still be a little while. I don't know about you--but the only thing worth staying for is to help people toward a knowledge of salvation through Jesus. There's really little else to stay for when you think about it. I am blessed and humbled that you made an attempt to walk in God's provision of healing based on the articles I wrote. Like I suggested in my last letter. . .I may be unable to impart all you need so that you can walk in divine healing--especially since we live thousands of miles from each other. I don't know any Christian that has mastered it all. Healing and faith go hand in hand--and the subject of faith is extensive--as well as massive amounts of religious misinformation. There's a lot we don't know. There are others who know far more than I do. Some earlier teachers spent their whole life learning about Biblical faith--and made a lot of mistakes trying to walk in its truths. That's why my goal is to present the legal side of healing and faith. If we can just get people aligned with how God operates and thinks--their ability to walk in faith greatly improves. That's really all I hope to accomplish. There's another issue here that must be addressed. The source of healing is God's Word. I don't know anyone who got healed believing someone else’s writings. That's not the way God operates. I was, where you are, thirty years ago. I also tried to put my faith in a teacher's writings about healing--and failed. But, this failure can never change truth. Putting faith in my articles or sayings probably won’t heal you--even though I try to ensure that what I say is in alignment with God's Word. Yet, no matter how hard I try, I'm not infallible. No one is--not even the Pope. You must have an unwavering conviction that healing is the truth of God's Word and His unconditional will for you. It's a truth the Holy Spirit will impress on your spirit over time--IF you can stay away from all the unbelief on the subject. The important thing is what God says about healing--not what I say. Divine healing is a complex topic. It's a lot like medical science. Doctors go to school for 10-12 years to learn their profession. When you get sick--you go to the doctor hoping he can diagnose the problem and prescribe the proper medication to deal with it. If you have a problem with internal bleeding--taking an aspirin isn't going to help much. Sickness and disease tend to fall into two areas: 1) A physical breakdown or malfunction in the body's natural function--or a disease caused by a virus or microorganism that attacks the physical body. 2) A demonic spirit or personage sent from Satan to make you sick. The Bible calls these things, "spirits of infirmity" (See Luke 13:11-13, Matt. 17:14-18). The second area requires a far different approach. And there's no way we can get into these things in this letter. With some sickness--a simple prayer isn't enough--just like taking an aspirin to heal a serious illness isn't enough. Many times the pathway to healing is a major spiritual battle that can take some time. Television, various entertainment and past-times must cease--and a focus on God's Word needs to begin. Believers who minister healing are aware of these differences--and how to spiritually deal with them. They apply the solutions Jesus taught during his earthly ministry. This area can get pretty bizarre--just like it did when Jesus ministered it--which is why healing evangelists are typically attacked and slandered throughout the institutional church. The Biblical subject of healing disturbs the "status quo" atmosphere in church services--which is why many reject it, explain it away or redefine it. This is a continuation of our discussion. In your last letter you wrote: "I believe that Grace is the foundation for our salvation. That means God holds a low threshold for people who want to be saved. But why is such faith -- oral confession and belief in heart that Jesus resurrected from death -- not sufficient for divine healing? Is a faith of different quantity or quality required? Why is the threshold leveled up when it comes to healing? I don't understand." In one way, a higher level of faith is required for healing and here's why. When receiving eternal life we exercise a simple child-like faith where we cooperate with the conditions Saint Paul outlined in Romans 10:9-10, 13. God grants salvation and eternal life as a gift (Eph. 2:8 & Romans 6:23)--so it has to be simple in order to qualify as a gift. Any other conditions disqualify large groups of people and subtly remove eternal life out of the "gift" category. As a result, the Holy Spirit responds by sealing our spirits (He seals us on the inside) for the day of redemption (Eph. 4:30 & 2 Cor. 1:20-22) and comes to indwell us. These Divine actions occur at the spiritual level--no physical change takes place in our body. Physically and mentally, we're the same. This is one reason God commands us to "renew our mind" (Romans 12:2). Renewing our mind wouldn't be necessary if we got a new one when we were saved. Nothing changes on our physical side--yet, a big change occurs on the spiritual side--we just can't always see or feel the difference--yet some discerning Christians claim they could detect a change. Many times we only know the change actually occurred because God's Word says it did--and we choose to believe His Word rather than how we feel. That's why the Bible says that our walk is by faith--and not by sight (2 Cor. 5:7). No new teaching here. Yet, things are somewhat different in the area of divine healing. Instead of a spiritual change--you're calling on God's creative power to alter something in the physical world--where you taste, touch, see and feel (Read Mark 11:23-24--it certainly applies here). It's not harder for God to make this kind of change--but it's certainly harder for us to exercise faith (believe)--because we have to look every second of every day at the physical evidence that bears a "false testimony" against what God says is true. Many times, in order for healing to manifest--we must have a faith strong enough to deny what we see with our eyes (and feel in our bodies) and rely only on what God's Word says. Many of us struggle at this level because we have trouble denying our senses and the physical world around us--which seem more real. (Read John 20:27-30). The example of Peter (after Jesus commanded him to "come") walking on the water in the midst of a storm--and later "going under" when he paid more attention to the wind and the waves is worth considering here (Matt. 14:28-32). It is at this place where the "rubber meets the road". God tells us that his Word is more real than the physical world in which we live. It's more real because everything physical was initially created by his Word (1 John 1:1-3). The reason we can legally deny contrary evidence of what we see and feel is because our physical world is "temporal", or less real than God’s Word (2 Cor. 4:18). If you allow religion to teach you the false notion that God (or His Word) withholds healing to mature you (or some other reason)--you've lost the faith battle before you even start. If you believe your righteousness depends on your perfect obedience--you'll "doubt" whether you qualify to receive healing--or you'll think you deserve it because you're so good. Both these positions inject unbelief that short-circuits our ability to trust in God's unconditional willingness to heal based solely on the blood of Jesus Christ. We must be totally convinced that healing belongs to us "in Christ" or failure will always result. This is why, in the previous letter, I wrote about how important it is to know who you are "in Christ". If you're a believer--you are no longer "you"--that person was crucified on the cross with Christ (a blood covenant principle that few are taught). Jesus Christ is righteous enough (actually, He's perfectly righteous) to receive healing--and you are "in Christ"--it's Christ's righteousness that makes you righteous and qualified to be healed (2 Cor. 5:21). Nine out of ten Christians do not view righteousness in this way. Our conduct and way of life is important for other reasons. God plainly says that our conduct is important. Yet, it has nothing to do with the legal basis for our righteousness. Religion does not teach this--they teach just the opposite. This is one reason so many Christians are sick and diseased in the modern church. Few know who they are. You can never get healed (or saved) on your own merits--and that's why God calls it Grace. Yet, real Grace is rarely taught. The spiritual benefits we enjoy as believers is obtained at another's expense. Since the cross, it has been that way. The blood of Jesus paid this price for us. There's also another area I haven't talked about. In the Bible healing is generally imparted through physical contact with someone who has a healing "anointing" dwelling in them. This was the case with Jesus and the woman with the issue of blood that we talked about earlier. There's a foundational doctrine in the New Testament called "laying on of hands"---and one of its functions is to impart physical healing (Read Hebrews 6:1-2, Mark 5:23, Mark 16:17-18, Luke 4:40-41, Luke 13:12-13, Acts 9:17-18, Acts 28:8). From my experience, it takes an even greater faith to receive healing without this direct contact through the laying on of hands. Today the practice is disregarded by many church leaders as something that has passed away. This is more religious nonsense. The Bible tells us that the Holy Spirit has appointed some (few in number) in the Church to minister with this healing anointing (Read 1 Cor. 12:7-11). I don't know the exact number of those who possess this gift. . .but the Holy Spirit sprinkles them throughout the Church. In many cases these precious gifts (I'm talking about the people) are ridiculed and slandered as false prophets, teachers of demonic doctrine and other labels offered by religious critics--that I won't mention here. A good number of those who possess gifts of healing are from Pentecostal, Assembly of God and Charismatic backgrounds--but certainly not all. They tend to congregate in these denominations because the group's doctrine support spiritual gifts such as healing and the laying on of hands--while other denominations shun these Scriptural practices. It's important to know that the healing gift can be authentic and operate even when the individual may not preach perfectly correct doctrine. In some situations--this is the cause of the slander and criticism. I don't pretend to understand the details of this apparent conflict--but I've seen it in operation and it confuses some people. The main reason these ministers are slandered is because their healing gift--like the one Jesus operated in--destroys some of the more popular false teachings floating around the church. This upsets some clergy and theologians--just like it did in Christ's time. It's one of the reasons they crucified Christ--they couldn't refute or discredit his healings and miracles (John 12:17-19). In the last several letters we've only touched on the major points and Scriptural foundation for divine healing. I hope the information helps. I wouldn't get too concerned if you don't understand it all. It's a lot to take in. It was a lot for me to swallow as a Baptist believer 30 years ago. Yet, I'm sure if you ask our teacher, the Holy Spirit, to show you more--He will. Truth doesn't always come from one source. I'm convinced it’s something we glean from many sources over time. As I was praying about how to respond to your questions--I felt the Holy Spirit wanted me to say this. It will help your faith if you start thinking this way. Religion suggests that we are citizens (subjects) of God's Kingdom. If you wanted to see the King--you submit your request and wait to be summoned. If the King refuses--you'll never receive the summons. He's the King and you're his loyal subject--someone inferior to the King. You never barge into the King's presence uninvited. Yet, the New Testament tells a different story. In Christ, you are not a loyal subject of the King. You are the son of the King--a member of the royal family. Since you are identified as being "in Christ" the King treats you just like Christ is treated. You don't have to wait to be summoned. As the King's son you can enter the throne room anytime uninvited. Actually, as the King's son--you're always invited. As his son you can come before the King at any time and ask whatever you want. The King never rejects his son Jesus--and you are "in him".
"But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with
glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man. For it became him, for
whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain
of their salvation perfect through sufferings." (Heb 2:9-10 KJV)
May the Lord Jesus grant you the truth you seek. |
