JEWELS FROM JAMES #14

DIVINE HEALING - TRUTHS AND MYTHS

In the Book of James, that we have been exploring in the last 13 blogs (I encourage you to read all of them), James concluded his letter by addressing the subject of Divine Healing in Chapter Five. As I noted in last week's blog, this passage can be a lightening rod of Biblical confusion and theological controversy. This is true because of James' teaching on the subject of the physical healing of the body. Theological beliefs, practices relating to God's intervention in the matter of physical healing and various teachings of Christian people abound. Many books on this subject are in boundless supply, a host of sermons have been preached, podcasts online, classes and Bible studies have been conducted on this important subject. As James has done repeatedly in his letter to believers in Jesus, he gave practical insights and instructions regarding the Lord's healing. My purpose in this blog is to look seriously and objectively at the issue of Divine Healing and seek to discover TRUTHS AND MYTHS based solely on the Word of God - what the Bible actually says about Divine Healing.

First, let's consider what James said. We read, "Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over them, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working"

(James 5:14-16). Some of what James taught here was covered in last week's blog and my purpose is not to be repetitious, but I do think additional observations are in order as we consider this very significant passage. So, let's observe:

1) There is the acknowledgement that physical illness/sickness exists, it is real, and it brings

suffering. (James 5:13-15)

2) Prayer for the sick is appropriate and the responsibility of church elders/leaders. (James 5:14)

3) It is the responsibility and privilege of the sick person to request the elders to anoint and pray

for him/her. (James 5:14)

4) Prayer is to be offered "IN THE NAME OF THE LORD". (James 5:14)

5) Anointing with oil on the sick person is expected and appropriate. (James 5:14)

6) The elders pray IN FAITH over the sick person. (James 5:15)

7) It is THE LORD alone who raises up the sick person. (James 5:15)

8) There is a sense in which physical healing and the healing of sin are linked together. (vv. 15-16)

9) Prayer is the avenue through which the sick are brought before the Lord for healing, (vv. 14-18)

These nine observations from James' writings are TRUTHS from God's Word regarding Divine Healing. But there are MORE!

10) While God answers prayers for divine healing not every Christian who is sick is healed! Every OLD AND NEW TESTAMENT SAINT eventually died. Some were healed prior to their death like King Hezekiah, but physical illness and death followed later. Some were raised to life after death like Lazarus, but he eventually succumbed to death again. We all have known devout followers of Jesus and had loved ones also who were people of vital faith in Christ who have physically died. IF EVERY CHRISTIAN WAS HEALED BY GOD, NO CHRISTIAN WOULD EVER DIE. God said that because of sin, ALL humanity would die physically. But death of our mortal body is not the end of the story, for as we place our faith in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sin, we are promised eternal life and to be in heaven with God forever. What is physical death? It is the cessation or end of our correspondence with this earthly environment in preparation for our correspondence with the eternal environment of either heaven or hell. Which place will we be for eternity? According to Scripture, it ALL DEPENDS ON OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS!

11) We will all die physically, and afterward is the Judgment executed by Jesus Christ. "And it is appointed (set as an appointment) unto men once to die (physically), but after this the judgment"

(Hebrews 9:27). "So, Christ was once offered up (on the cross) to bear the sins of people; and unto them that look for Him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation" (Hebrews 9:28).

12) Divine healing is orchestrated by God alone and accomplished only by His sovereign will, through His grace, power, and authority. GOD CHOOSES TO HEAL OR NOT TO HEAL PEOPLE IN THIS LIFE. There is no set "Biblical formula" to secure God's healing power.

13) If God does not provide divine healing, we accept the answer as His will. It is NOT an indication that God has failed us or that we have failed Him.

14) God uses doctors, nurses, other medical professionals, medicine and medical facilities to help bring wellness to our bodies and minds, but that wellness is at best temporary.

While there are a host of TRUTHS that the Bible teaches about Divine Healing, there are also alot of MYTHS about Divine Healing. Some of this is due to misinterpretations of Scripture, making false assumptions, and seeking to make the Bible fit our theological preferences rather than focusing on making our theology conform to the Bible.

First, we have THE MYTH THAT IF A CHRISTIAN IS NOT HEALED, IT IS BECAUSE HE/SHE LACKS THE FAITH. This teaching puts the blame for lack of healing on the failure of the sick person (or their loved ones), which actually belittles his or her faith in Jesus. We hear things like, "Well, they didn't have enough faith", "they must not have trusted God", "he must have had unconfessed sin in his life", "she must not have believed the promise of the Word of God", "he or she did not activate the authority of God" and other things to give an excuse or reason why God did not heal the sick or injured person. We do not need to "get God off the hook". The false assumption is that it is always God's will to heal a person of physical illness and if that person is not healed, it is their own fault; they did not obey the Scripture or something was wrong with their faith. IT IS SIMPLY UNBIBLICAL TO MAKE THIS ASSUMPTION!

Second, there is THE MYTH THAT PHYSICAL HEALING IS INCLUDED IN THE ATONEMENT MADE BY JESUS! The word "atonement" means the sacrificial, excruciating death of Jesus on the cross to make atonement for our sins. It means "to cover over" or to appease, to satisfy God's wrath due to sin, rebellion and disobedience on our part. It means to ransom, redeem or buy back, to provide for our forgiveness, and justification by God. It means to cleanse or reconcile. Jesus accomplished all this for us by His death in our place on the cross. The word ATONEMENT can be broken down like this: AT ONE MENT. It is the bringing of sinful man and holy God together (oneness) in a personal relationship! It is ALL provided by Jesus Christ. ABSOLUTE TRUTH. PRAISE GOD!

So, let's look deeply at the teaching of many that PHYSICAL HEALING IS PROVIDED IN CHRIST'S ATONING DEATH ON THE CROSS and that it is a matter of one's FAITH to appropriate that healing. Those who believe and teach this use Scriptures like "by His stripes we are healed." Let us look carefully at the context where that phrase is used in the Bible. The first is Isaiah 53:5, "He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces, he was despised, and we esteemed Him not, Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we did esteem Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions (sins); he was crushed for our iniquities (sins); upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with His stripes we are healed. . . ." It is very clear that the context here is speaking specifically and only of Christ's atoning death being for the healing of our sin nature, our inquities, our transgressions, and not of our physical bodies. The second is in I Peter 2:24, which says, "He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By His wounds (stripes) you have been healed. For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls." Again, it is without doubt and without question that the context here is not speaking of physical healing. It is ALL to do with His atoning death being for our deliverance from sin and living unto righteousness. To assert that His death includes our physical healing is taking these words ('by His stripes you are healed") out of context. IF indeed, our physical healing was guaranteed by the Atonement of Christ, then we are all in serious spiritual trouble and our faith is in vain. Because His atonement for our sins then is as unfounded as is physical healing guaranted for every believer if they meet enough of the qualifications for it. Our salvation is not based on our qualifications, but upon God's love, mercy, grace and loving forgiveness of our sins.

Third, we have THE MYTH THAT FAITH HEALERS HAVE THE SPIRITUAL GIFT FROM GOD TO PERFORM PHYSICAL HEALING! No matter what you have seen on TV, heard in church or in Bible study, the idea of a "Faith Healer" is not Scriptural. Yes, there is the spiritual Gifts of Healings that the Apostle Paul described in I Corinthians 12:4-11. This passage does not teach about a gift of HEALING (singular) for that presupposes that one person could have the gift of healing that is operational at all times for all who are ministered to for healing. Rather, the Greek (original language of the New Testament) shows the true rendering as 'THE GIFTS OF HEALINGS" (PLURAL), TESTIFYING TO THE FACT THAT A PERSON MAY BE ENDUED WITH GIFTS OF HEALINGS, meaning that the healings are not operational at all times for all people every time, but are manifested when God ordains to heal through one's spiritual giftings in accordance with His sovereign will, grace, authority and power!

I urge us all to avoid these myths. As believers, make it your priority to know your Bible and focus on exactly what it says - no more and no less!

The Divine Healing of our physical bodies that IS GUARANTEED for the genuine followers of God will be experienced at the RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD! Hallelujah!! The Bible tells us that the mortal bodies of those who have followed God and died will be raised up from wherever they have been buried and will be given immortal, eternal bodies fitted to reside in heaven with God forever. "For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout of command, with the voice of the archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive. . .will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord" (I Thessalonians 4:16-17). The Apostle Paul declared, "So it is with the resurrection of the body. What is sown is perishable, what is raised is imperishable (completely healed). . .It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. . .For this perishable (mortal) body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality" (I Corinthians 15:42-55). Again, the Apostle John wrote, "He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for all the former things are past and gone" (Revelation 21:4). The Prophet Isaiah said, "He (God) will swallow up death forever; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from all faces. . . ." (Isaiah 25:8). I say that is complete physical and spiritual healing from the Lord Himself!