Divine healing in the Bible – Part 8

The Relationship Between Faith And Healing (Cont.)

In the first promise of healing, God said: “If you diligently heed the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you, which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the Lord who heals you,”(Ex 15:26). David said that God’s Medicare programme was so successful for the Israelites that: “He also brought them out with silver and gold, and there was none feeble among His tribes,” (Ps 105:37).

The Agent of Healing
Healing is not a result of wishful thinking. The centurion did not wish healing upon his servant. Instead, he sought out the One who had the power to heal, Jesus the Son of God.

“Surely He has borne our grief and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed,” (Isaiah 53:4,5).

The words borne and carry denote more than sympathy. They represent actual substitution and the removal of the things being borne. When Jesus said: “It is finished,” (Jn 19:30) death and all its power, including the power of sickness, were conquered. Disease is subservient to Jesus.

The healings of Jesus were continuous. Jesus never turned away anyone seeking healing. “And He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying:

“He Himself took our infirmities and bore our sickness,” (Matt 8:16,17).
Healings in the Church Today

To the church, Jesus said: “He who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son,” (John 14:12,13). That promise has never been rescinded. At the beginning of the New Testament church, this power was committed not only to the apostles, who would soon pass away, but also to the elders (James 5:14). People could be healed in every church where elders would pray the prayer of faith and anoint with oil in the name of Jesus. The power of Jesus to heal has never been diminished. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever, (Heb 13:8). The centurions said: “Speak a word, and my servant will be healed,” (Matt 8:8). We, too, can call on Jesus to heal us. “In My name … they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover,” (Mark 16:17-18).

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