Biblical Theology on Healing and Sickness

This article will provide a biblical foundation for healing that is much needed in the church today. Some denominations teach that God does not heal or that believers cannot pray for the sick and see them healed. This doctrine is unbiblical and opposes the word of God. Some leaders in the Charismatic Movement teach that God heals everyone and that it is always His will to heal. This doctrine is also false as we will see when we examine the scriptures carefully. The truth is found in the middle of these two opposing views. A solid foundation in what the Bible actually teaches will help cement our faith in the Truth Himself, Jesus Christ.

Before we examine some of the scriptures that are rarely discussed or quoted, we must first lay a foundation for healing. Isaiah 53:4-5 shows us clearly that by the stripes Jesus took in His flesh on the cross, we have healing (obviously we won’t need healing in Heaven). To diminish His suffering on the cross by rejecting healing is sin. Jesus came to the earth and manifested His will by healing the sick everywhere He went (modeling how true ministry should bring forth the love of God). Love demonstrated is an action. Our Father greatly loves people and knows how terrible it is to have physical afflictions. He cares about us.

Jesus commanded His disciples to go forth and heal the sick in certain regions that He sent them to (Matthew 10:1, 7-8). He then told His first disciples to go make other disciples in all nations and to teach the new disciples to obey everything that He had commanded His first disciples (Matthew 28:18-20). One of the things Jesus told His first disciples was to heal the sick, and this was obviously supposed to continue through the generations as true disciples were raised up (according to the command of Jesus). Those who disregard this command of Jesus in the scriptures are actually setting themselves against God and opposing Him. The “Pharisees” of every generation always make the word of God of no effect by their traditions of men.

The original disciples were sent out to heal the sick and preach (by the Lord) when they were ready. The Lord gave them power and authority to heal the sick and cast out demons. When these disciples prayed for people, miracles happened because they had delegated power and authority from God.

The Charismatic Movement has taught that we can read the scriptures and then go and pray for the sick by faith. Their theology states, “Jesus gave us power and authority to heal the sick and cast our demons.” But Jesus didn’t give us that power and authority. He gave it to His 12 disciples and then to 70 of His disciples. We only get that same power and authority when Jesus tells us personally that He is releasing it to us. We don’t get it by reading about a time in the past when Jesus gave it to others. As we progress as disciples of Jesus, He will give power and authority as we are ready for it, or when He is ready to give it.

The first 12 disciples didn’t read the scriptures about Moses performing miracles and say, “God has given us power and authority to part the Red Sea and turn rivers into blood!” That would be extremely foolish to presume upon God in that matter. Yet that is exactly what many in the Charismatic Movement have done. They operate in presumption instead of faith and discipleship. Real disciples know that they can’t do anything unless Jesus releases them to do it. We don’t get to do miracles because we want to. We only do them when the Master says He wants them done. Jesus modeled this and could only do miracles when the Father was showing Him to do miracles (John 5:19, 30). Jesus did not go around and randomly pray for people. He only did what He saw our Father doing.

If the Father desires to heal someone and we agree with Him and pray for the person, they will be healed. It’s that simple. We have nothing to do with the healing. God is the only one who can heal people or release the power to heal. Jesus told us that He didn’t heal anyone, but the Father was the one who healed people when He ministered:

“Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works.” (John 14:10 NKJV)

Crucified from the Foundation of the World

The Godhead could have forgiven sin and healed people’s physical bodies all throughout the Old Testament time period because Jesus had been slain from the foundation of the world (Revelation 13:8). Before Adam ever set foot in the garden, it was already finished. The Godhead lives outside of time and therefore is not bound by time like we are. The Godhead lives in eternity and time is laid out before His face. His works were finished from the foundation of the world (Hebrews 4:3).

When Israel came out of Egypt they were perfectly healthy because they walked in health and wholeness that were granted in the event of the cross (Psalm 105:37). God had the right to heal all their bodies because His atoning work had already been finished. God operates from an eternal perspective and is not bound by our timeline, as the following Old Testament scripture shows:

“Bless the Lord, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits: Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases,” (Psalms 103:1-3 NKJV)

God Does Not Change

Much false doctrine stems from this very simple understanding. God is perfect and has always been perfect. He has never changed. When the First Covenant was given to Israel, God remained the exact same. When the New Covenant (Christ) came to the whole world, God didn’t change. God healed and saved in the Old Testament. God healed and saved in the New Testament. God judged in the Old Testament and He judges in the New Testament time period. The scriptures do not lie:

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” (Hebrews 13:8 NKJV)

““For I am the Lord, I do not change; Therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob.” (Malachi 3:6 NKJV)

These foundations are extremely important to have in place or we are at risk of believing humanistic false doctrines being taught in the church.

Jesus Christ is Perfect Theology

There are doctrines in the Charismatic Movement that state that all of God and His will regarding healing are found in the Gospels. While this theology sounds really wise, it is actually humanistic wisdom masquerading as godly wisdom. The fullness of what God has currently revealed about Himself is found in the entirety of the Bible. Jesus is revealed throughout the entire Bible, not just the Gospels. Jesus and the Father are One. Jesus and the Father were in perfect agreement and union with everything that happened throughout the Old Testament. That includes the decisions to flood the entire earth or burn Sodom and Gomorrah to the ground.

Jesus Christ is only “perfect theology” if you use the entire Bible to form your theology of Him. Deception and false doctrines creep in when we take a few chapters out of the Bible and proclaim, “This is the complete image of God!” If we only needed a few chapters to understand the Godhead then He wouldn’t have given us the entire Bible. The Lord is really good at what He is doing and He knows exactly what we need so that we will understand Him and His ways. Only the arrogance of man decides that we don’t need all of what God has given us to fully understand Jesus Christ.

Using only the Gospels to form theology about the limitless Son of God is not wise. John was given a revelation of Jesus Christ that helped show us who the Son of God is. John saw Jesus in His glorified state and fell at His feet like he was dead because of the shear terror of the Lord that surrounded the great King. We now know Him no longer after the flesh (Jesus of Nazareth), but as the King on His throne ruling all that is in existence (2 Corinthians 5:16).

Did Jesus Heal Everyone?

No, Jesus did not heal everyone during His three and a half-year public ministry. In fact, for 30 years, Jesus didn’t heal anyone at all. Jesus would have seen thousands of sick and diseased people during the first 30 years of His life but He was not moved by human need. He waited until the time set by the Father to engage in public ministry and heal the sick. Jesus would have witnessed thousands of people die from sickness and disease while He was growing up and waiting for His public ministry to begin.

Jesus did not heal the man who lay at the gate called “Beautiful” every day and begged for money (Acts 3:1-10). Jesus would have passed right by him all the time yet He never healed him. Obviously this was because Jesus didn’t see the Father healing the man. It was not yet time for the man to be healed. Instead of using Jesus, the Father used Peter and John.

Even when Jesus was commissioned into ministry, there were occasions where He walked away from multitudes of sick people without healing them. Jesus could only do what His Father was doing, nothing more:

“After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew, Bethesda, having five porches. In these lay a great multitude of sick people, blind, lame, paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the water. For an angel went down at a certain time into the pool and stirred up the water; then whoever stepped in first, after the stirring of the water, was made well of whatever disease he had. Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, “Do you want to be made well?” The sick man answered Him, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me.” Jesus said to him, “Rise, take up your bed and walk.” And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked. And that day was the Sabbath. The Jews therefore said to him who was cured, “It is the Sabbath; it is not lawful for you to carry your bed.” He answered them, “He who made me well said to me, ‘Take up your bed and walk.’ ” Then they asked him, “Who is the Man who said to you, ‘Take up your bed and walk’?” But the one who was healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, a multitude being in that place. Afterward Jesus found him in the temple, and said to him, “See, you have been made well. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you.”” John 5:1-14 NKJV

A multitude of very sick people were at the pool of Bethesda yet Jesus only healed one of them. If it were truly God’s will to heal all people at all times, Jesus would not have left the great crowd of people sick. But the scriptures actually show that Jesus withdrew from the area because there were a great multitude of sick and diseased people there. Clearly it was not the will of the Father to heal the rest of the people at the pool of Bethesda. Maybe some of them got healed in the future and maybe some of them were never healed. 

Timing in Healing

The man at the pool of Bethesda had been sick for 38 years. God could have healed the man prior to this day. 38 years is a long time to deal with a severe physical illness. However, the Father chose to wait until this specific day when Jesus would be sent to him. Sometimes people don’t get healed until God’s timing. Jesus told the man who was healed, “Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you.” Maybe this man needed to be afflicted with this infirmity for 38 years so that he would be broken enough to stop sinning. Jesus told him that if he continued to sin, a worse affliction would come upon him (possibly indicating that sin initially brought the affliction upon the man in the first place).

The Lord sometimes allows Satan to destroy people’s physical bodies so that they might repent and have their spirit saved (1 Corinthians 5:4-5). The Lord will allow physical suffering if it means someone having eternal life and avoiding eternal suffering in Hell. Temporal suffering that leads to salvation would be far better than having perfect health and ending up in the eternal torment of Hell. A loving Father does what He needs to do to ensure that as many people are saved as possible. True love focuses on the eternal over the temporal.

The Will of God in Healing

“And behold, a leper came and worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.” Then Jesus put out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” Immediately his leprosy was cleansed.” (Matthew 8:2-3 NKJV)

The Charismatic Movement has used this scripture to back its doctrine that it is always God’s will to heal. However this was an individual encounter and Jesus was speaking to one man. I do believe that it is God’s will to heal in a general sense and that Jesus paid for our healing on the cross. However, there are plenty of people who have been prayed for but have not received healing. If God wanted to heal them He could have. I have been in many meetings in which some people were healed and some were not. If it were God’s will to heal all people (all the time), then every person would be healed. We can’t take a scripture that was addressed to an individual and apply it to everyone. Jesus was only speaking to one person in Matthew 8:2-3. 

Does God Allow Sickness?

Yes, He does. The account of Job is very clear. God did not cause the sickness in Job; Satan did. But God clearly allowed Satan to afflict Job so that Job might be tested and approved by God. Keep in mind that God cannot change as the scriptures state. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. The scriptures don’t state, “Jesus Christ decided to change Himself after He put Job through a horrible experience by allowing Satan to afflict his flesh.” Many in the Charismatic Movement are offended by the truth, and so they change the truth in God’s word and mold it into their theology about healing. The New Covenant didn’t change Jesus, He is the New Covenant.

The Lord also allowed sickness in the church in Corinth:

“For anyone who eats and drinks without discriminating and recognizing with due appreciation that [it is Christ's] body, eats and drinks a sentence (a verdict of judgment) upon himself. That [careless and unworthy participation] is the reason many of you are weak and sickly, and quite enough of you have fallen into the sleep of death.” (1 Corinthians 11:29-30 AMPC)

The Lord actually allowed His own people in the New Testament church to get sick and die as a form of judgment. Conveniently, the Charismatic Movement disregards these scriptures when forming its own theology on healing. Even the Holy Spirit moved Paul to prophesy sickness and disease over a man who was opposing the will of God:

“But Elymas the wise man–for that is the translation of his name [which he had given himself]–opposed them, seeking to keep the proconsul from accepting the faith. But Saul, who is also called Paul, filled with and controlled by the Holy Spirit, looked steadily at [Elymas] And said, You master in every form of deception and recklessness, unscrupulousness, and wickedness, you son of the devil, you enemy of everything that is upright and good, will you never stop perverting and making crooked the straight paths of the Lord and plotting against His saving purposes? [Hos. 14:9.] And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you will be blind, [so blind that you will be] unable to see the sun for a time. Instantly there fell upon him a mist and a darkness, and he groped about seeking persons who would lead him by the hand.” (Acts 13:8-11 AMPC)

I know this is not a popular scripture if your theology is, “God would never cause someone to be sick, allow someone to be sick, or put a sickness on someone.” However I would rather see the reality in the scriptures so I can know God fully than be deceived by false doctrines taught by men. I would rather grow up spiritually and know the Lord as the Judge than to remain a child and only know the Lord as “the good Father.” He is both the loving Father and the righteous Judge. 

Some children of God refuse to know the many-sided aspects of God because they are offended by Him. Mature sons and daughters want to know as much about their Father as possible, even if some things seem harsh or are beyond human comprehension. We must not try to understand the Lord with our natural minds, but we must know Him by the Spirit. I will give a few more New Testament examples to hammer this point in. The Lord killed two believers for their sin (Acts 5:1-10). He also used an angel to bring death to Herod (Acts 12:21-23).

Sickness Used for Trials

“You know that because of physical infirmity I preached the gospel to you at the first. And my trial which was in my flesh you did not despise or reject, but you received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus.” (Galatians 4:13-14 NKJV)

The scriptures clearly teach that Paul had a physical infirmity that was allowed by the Lord to test him. The Lord didn’t have to allow Paul to become sick in his body or be tried in this way, but He did allow it. Paul openly spoke to the church regarding this physical infirmity instead of developing a false theology (like some in the modern church) that stated, “God never allows us to be tested or tried with sickness.”

Does God Abuse His Children?

No, but He does scourge those who are His sons and daughters (Hebrews 12:5-8), to remove their self-life in order to transform into the image of Christ. The Greek word used in this scripture for "scourge" means: “to whip or to flog.” This word speaks of physical discipline. Those who will not receive physical discipline from the Father are illegitimate sons according to the scripture. He disciplines those whom He loves. Illegitimate sons reject the discipline of the Father by rejecting the truth in the word that states the Father actually disciplines. Therefore, they turn away from the love of the Father and reject His love. Illegitimate sons come up with doctrine like: “An earthly father would go to jail for some of the things that they accuse Father God of doing.” These people fail to understand that God is more than just a Father. He is a King and a Judge too.

“Nevertheless, in one or two manners God speaks to the one who does not see. In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falls upon men, in slumberings upon the bed; then he opens the ears of men and seals their instruction, that he may withdraw the man from his own work and cover the man from pride. Thus he keeps back his soul from the pit and his life from perishing by the sword. He is chastened also upon his bed with strong pain in all his bones, so that his life abhors bread and his soul dainty food.” (Job 33:14-20 JUB)

Does God Choose Not to Heal?

A well-known charismatic church leader was asked this question at a Healing School in 2009. The leader responded, “No.” He then proceeded to respond to the question in a somewhat arrogant or condescending manner, as if it were a simple and foolish question. Thirteen years later, the leader’s wife died of cancer. The woman was prayed for by a tremendous number of people but God did not heal her of cancer. So the correct answer to the question is: “Yes, sometimes God chooses not to heal.” He is God and He can bring His people to Heaven however He chooses. He is the Lord and He can easily heal someone of sickness if He chooses to do so.

Jesus was nearly thrown off a cliff and killed by His own people when He preached on this very issue. Jesus rebuked the people of God for not honoring or receiving God through His messengers (Luke 4:22-30). Jesus told the people of God that during a time of famine and starvation, Elijah was sent to save a foreigner while “God’s people” starved to death. Jesus told them that many of God’s people were diseased during the time of Elisha, but Elisha wasn’t sent to bring healing to them. Elisha was sent to heal a foreigner while God’s people were overlooked (because of their wicked hearts) and not healed.

This angered the crowd of people that Jesus was speaking to so they tried to murder Him. Jesus offended their false doctrines and traditions of men. “How dare He say that God didn’t want to heal our people or provide food for our people,” they may have said. But Jesus revealed both His Father and Himself to the people that day. God showed them that sometimes He will let His own people starve or remain diseased if their hearts are not right towards God. I suspect one might get a similar reaction from brainwashed crowds in the Charismatic Movement if this same message were to be preached before them today.

 Can God Give Sickness of Disease?

When asked this question, the same well-known minister in the Charismatic Movement said, “No, He’s not sick. You can’t give cancer if you don’t have it.” Again, the response to this question is human reasoning masquerading as wisdom. It only passes for wisdom if a believer does not know the scriptures (already referenced) or cannot think for themselves. Does God have a car? No, He does not drive a car around in Heaven and He does not have one. Could He give someone a car on earth if He chooses to, even though He doesn’t personally have one? Absolutely, He is God and can do whatever He pleases. Jesus told the church in Pergamum:

“But I have this [charge] against you, that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess [claiming to be inspired], and she teaches and misleads My bond-servants so that they commit [acts of sexual] immorality and eat food sacrificed to idols. I gave her time to repent [to change her inner self and her sinful way of thinking], but she has no desire to repent of her immorality and refuses to do so. Listen carefully, I will throw her on a bed of sickness, and those who commit adultery with her [I will bring] into great anguish, unless they repent of her deeds. And I will kill her children (followers) with pestilence [thoroughly annihilating them], and all the churches will know [without any doubt] that I am He who searches the minds and hearts [the innermost thoughts, purposes]; and I will give to each one of you [a reward or punishment] according to your deeds.” (Revelation 2:20-23 AMP)

Jesus tells the church that He will judge certain unrepentant believers by putting them in a “sickbed” and killing their (spiritual) children with pestilence. We are going to have to make a decision. Are we going to call God a liar by believing doctrine taught in the Charismatic Movement over God’s word? Or are we going to submit to the word of God and believe Him over “every wind of doctrine"? We will be judged accordingly for whatever we decide.

If we are going to preach “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever” in regard to healing, then we better preach that He remains the same as the righteous Judge. The scriptures are very clear that the Lord can strike someone with sickness as a judgment. Those who reject or ignore the scriptures to propagate “their” doctrine actually deny the fullness of the Godhead. These people preach a “partial” Christ and dishonor Him by doing so. He is both the Healer and the Judge:

“So the anger of the Lord was aroused against them, and He departed. And when the cloud departed from above the tabernacle, suddenly Miriam became leprous, as white as snow. Then Aaron turned toward Miriam, and there she was, a leper.” (Numbers‬ ‭12‬:‭9‬-‭10‬ ‭NKJV‬‬)

“Then the Lord struck the king, so that he was a leper until the day of his death; so he dwelt in an isolated house. And Jotham the king’s son was over the royal house, judging the people of the land.” (II Kings‬ ‭15‬:‭5‬ ‭NKJV‬‬)

“Then Nathan departed to his house. And the Lord struck the child that Uriah’s wife bore to David, and it became ill.” (‭‭II Samuel‬ ‭12‬:‭15‬ ‭NKJV‬‬)

Creating Evil

“I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me: that they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside me. I am the LORD, and there is none else. I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.” (Isaiah 45:5-7 KJV)

God’s word says that He created evil and He is not a liar. He did create Satan. Have you ever thought about that? The Lord knew that Satan would fall away from Him and turn evil, and then go on to deceive and destroy man; yet God chose to create this being to serve His eternal purpose. God did not make Satan evil but He did create him knowing what he would become and the events that would transpire. Sickness, disease, and death would all come from Satan and the fall of mankind. There would never have been any sickness or disease if God hadn't created Satan, and He certainly didn’t have to create him. So who is the source of sickness and disease? A created being or the Creator who knew what would occur as the result of His own creation?

Immature believers cannot accept some of the hard truths about God that are revealed in His word, so they create false doctrines to make themselves feel better. These delusions keep them in a state of spiritual immaturity, never empowering them to know God fully and grow up into the Head (Christ). Mature sons and daughters accept the truth about God and trust His eternal plan and purpose, even if they don’t fully understand. That is the true walk of faith—believing in the goodness of God even when we understand difficult realities about God that seem severe. Will we trust Him? Will we love all of who He is or just the part of Him that makes us feel good?

Unforgiveness Brings Demonic Torment

“And in wrath his master turned him over to the torturers (jailers) until he paid all that he owed. My heavenly Father will also do the same to [every one of] you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart.”” (Matthew 18:34-35 AMP)

Our Father will turn us over to demonic torment if we do not forgive others like our Father has forgiven us. Many times “the torturers” can inflict sickness and disease. Demons are the source of many illnesses that people are afflicted with. Unforgiveness is a sin and opens the door to physical afflictions. This judgment is allowed by the Father as the scriptures state. Unforgiveness in a person’s heart will also block that person from receiving healing.

Withholding Healing Because of Judgment 

Jesus did many miracles, works of power, and healings in the town of Bethsaida. Jesus is the greatest “revivalist” of all time. Thousands of miracles took place and yet the people did not repent. Because God’s people did not repent of their sins, Jesus (operating as a New Testament prophet) prophesied judgment over the entire city (Matthew 11:20-22). After Jesus released a prophetic word of judgment, healings and miracles stopped taking place in Bethsaida.

Jesus then encountered a blind man in Bethsaida (Mark 8:22-26). This encounter with the blind man occurred after Jesus had prophesied judgment and around the same time (chronologically) as Matthew 15:32-38 (right after Jesus performed the miracle of feeding 4,000 people).

“Then they came to Bethsaida; and some people brought a blind man to Jesus and begged Him to touch him. Taking the blind man by the hand, He led 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 people, but [they look] like trees, walking around.” Then again Jesus laid His hands on his eyes; and the man stared intently and [his sight] was [completely] restored, and he began to see everything clearly. And He sent him to his home, saying, “Do not even enter the village.” (Mark 8:22-26 AMP)

Since Bethsaida was under God’s judgment, Jesus had to take the man outside of the city in order to get him healed. Jesus actually had a difficult time getting the man healed and had to pray for him twice. Once the man was healed, Jesus told him not to enter the village (of Bethsaida). When a city, region, state, or nation has rejected God’s light and refused to repent, darkness sets in over the area and healings or miracles become rare. We do not get to continue having miracles and healings while living in sin and living in our own self-life. We can’t have it both ways. Either we repent and continue in the healing power of God manifesting among us, or we choose sin and face the consequences of the Lord withdrawing His miracles and healing power. Ever wonder why it’s so difficult to see healings and miracles in most places in the United States?

Praying against God’s Will (Healing)

Let’s say, for example, that the Lord is allowing someone to be sick so that person will repent of sin which is leading to eternal (spiritual) death. However, a believer prays for the sick person to be healed because of their theology and because of their human compassion. That praying believer looks really spiritual and full of faith because they are contending for the sick person to be made well. However, the reality is that they are actually in sin for praying against God’s will.

The Lord knows that if the sick person remains sick for another year (for example), they will repent and serve the Lord fully. However, if the sick person is healed now, they will continue in rebellion against God. The believer who is attempting to heal the sick person is actually fighting against God’s plan and unknowingly trying to destroy the soul of the sick person. This is why we must follow Jesus’ example of only doing what the Father is doing. Jesus didn’t do what He wanted and He wasn’t moved by human need. He was only moved by the will of the Father. 

Another example is: Christ allowing someone to be sick so that they die soon and go to Heaven. Maybe the Lord sees that this particular person will fall away from the faith, and so the Lord allowed this person to be struck with sickness so the person would die before they fell away from the Lord. God, operating in love, did this so the person could have eternal life instead of eternal torment. Now let’s say a believer comes and prays for this person to be healed. They are now fighting against God and His will. It’s like a child who thinks he understands his Father’s business but doesn’t have a clue. How can God give authority to children who can’t do what He is doing and follow Him in running the family business?

There are many other explanations for why the Lord may want to wait to heal a person. I don’t presume to know all of His reasons, nor will we know all of them. He may reveal more of His reasons to us over time regarding certain individuals. The point is that we must learn to trust His will, timing, and ways. We should not be praying for healing based on a theology taught in the church. We should be healing the sick based on a living relationship with Jesus Christ.

Raising the Dead

Jesus only raised three people from the dead during His earthly ministry (that was recorded). Jesus let many people die without raising them from the dead during His ministry. This shows us that it is not the Father’s will to raise everyone from the dead. There is a doctrine in the Charismatic Church in which groups are praying for everyone to be raised from the dead. This is foolishness. Most of the people who have been prayed for by these groups have not been raised from the dead, indicating that it was not God’s will. The Lord does not want us to be children anymore, simply going about “guessing” about who we should pray for. He desires that we grow up as mature sons and pray for the people who He shows us, tells us, puts His presence on, or leads us to.

Does God Cause People to be Born Sick?

“Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth. And His disciples asked Him, saying, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him. I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” When He had said these things, He spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva; and He anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay. And He said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which is translated, Sent). So he went and washed, and came back seeing.” (John 9:1-7 NKJV)

No, the Lord does not cause people to be born diseased to accomplish His will or plan. This man was born blind simply because of sin, evil, genetic mutation, and the fall of man. The Lord knew that this man would be born blind from the foundation of the world and predestined this circumstance to be used for the glory of God. This man would have been born blind without a purpose, but God in His foreknowledge, gave the man who was born blind a purpose from the foundation of the world. The purpose would be to glorify the Son of God through the works that the Son performed. God didn’t cause the blindness but He did use it for His purpose.

Healing Brings Glory to God

“When Jesus heard that, He said, “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” (John 11:4 NKJV)

God loves people and does want to heal them from sickness and disease. Obviously this is the case or Jesus would not have modeled this in ministry and sent His disciples to do the same thing that He was doing. However, the main focus of healing the sick should always be bringing glory to the Son of God. Our heart motives should and must be purified by the Lord. We must not heal the sick with the intention of promoting our ministries. Oftentimes healings and miracles have been used for promotion in the Charismatic Movement. Miracles are advertised in some church circles. 

Jesus led by example and never advertised miracles and healings. In fact, most times after He performed a miracle, He would tell the person not to tell anyone what happened. He modeled for us how to walk as men or women anointed with the Holy Spirit and power so as to keep ourselves from pride and exaltation. We must make sure that the Lord is glorified through healings and miracles.

Conclusion 

I believe in the goodness and mercy of God. I have personally experienced the love of the Lord for His people. He is for us and desires us to be transformed into the image of His Son. Every trial that the Lord allows in our lives is intended to bring us closer to Him. The Lord is with us and desires for us to experience healing in our bodies. He also wants to use us to heal the sick. As we seek Him and come to know Him, we will understand why He doesn’t heal some people, some of the time.

The following verses are the key to walking with the Lord in healing:

“If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.” (John 15:7 NKJV)

“Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.” (I John 5:14-15 NKJV)

““Most assuredly, I say to you, 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. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.” (John 14:12-14 NKJV)

As we abide in Christ, His desires become our desires. We know Him and His will. We connect with His life and come to understand how He wants to move and heal. Then we will be moved by Jesus’ will to pray for certain people, and He will hear us and heal the person we pray for. We will do greater works than Jesus did as we are connected to His life and ask in His name. We will do greater works because Jesus is doing the works through us so that the Father will be glorified in the Son.

-Ty Unruh (October 2023)