The Bible records a considerable number of physical healing accounts in the Old Testament. Likewise, in the ministry of Jesus and his disciples, healing miracles are prominently highlighted. And throughout the ages of church history, believers have continued to testify of Gods power to divinely heal the sick. So, if God by his own nature declares himself Healer, why doesnt God heal everyone? Why did God use Paul to heal the father of Publius who was ill with fever and dysentery, as well as many other sick people, yet not his beloved disciple Timothy who suffered from frequent stomach illnesses ? Why Doesnt God Heal Everyone? Perhaps you are suffering with a sickness right now. Youve prayed every healing Bible verse you know, and still youre left wondering, Why wont God heal me? Maybe youve recently lost a loved one to cancer or some other terrible disease. Its only natural to ask the question: Why does God heal some people but not others? The quick and obvious answer to the question rests in Gods sovereignty . God is in control and ultimately he knows whats best for his creations. While this is certainly true, there are several clear-cut reasons given in Scripture to further explain why God may not heal. Biblical Reasons God May Not Heal Now, before we dive in, I want to admit something: I dont fully understand all of the reasons God does not heal. I have struggled with my own personal thorn in the flesh for years. Im referring to 2 Corinthians 12:8-9, where the Apostle Paul stated: Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time he said, My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness. So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. (NLT) Like Paul, I pleaded (in my case for years) for relief, for healing. Eventually, like the apostle, I resolved in my weakness to live in the sufficiency of Gods grace. During my earnest quest for answers about healing, I was fortunate to learn a few things. And so I will pass those on to you: Unconfessed Sin Well cut to the chase with this first one: sometimes sickness is the result of unconfessed sin. I know, I didnt like this answer either, but its right there in Scripture: Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results. (James 5:16, NLT) I want to stress that sickness is not always the direct result of sin in someones life, but pain and disease are part of this fallen, cursed world in which we currently live. We must be careful not to blame every sickness on sin, but we must also realize it is one possible reason. Thus, a good place to begin if youve come to the Lord for healing is to search your heart and confess your sins. Lack of Faith When Jesus healed the sick, on many occasions he made this statement: Your faith has made you well. In Matthew 9:20-22, Jesus healed the woman who had suffered for many years with constant bleeding: Just then a woman who had suffered for twelve years with constant bleeding came up behind him. She touched the fringe of his robe, for she thought, If I can just touch his robe, I will be healed. Jesus turned around, and when he saw her he said, Daughter, be encouraged! Your faith has made you well. And the woman was healed at that moment. (NLT) Here are a few more biblical examples of healing in response to faith : Matthew 9:28–29 ; Mark 2:5 , Luke 17:19 ; Acts 3:16 ; James 5:14–16 . Apparently, there is an important link between faith and healing. Given the multitude of Scriptures connecting faith to healing, we must conclude that sometimes healing does not occur because of a lack of faith, or better, the pleasing kind of faith that God honors. Again, we must be careful not to assume every time someone isnt healed the reason is lack of
Posted on: Thu, 17 Jul 2014 20:10:19 +0000
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