Christ the Healer - Part 2

I've long believed that God does heal and have heard many testimonies of this. Even as a child, I remember praying for my own healing for various colds and ailments. As I said in my last post, I think most Christians believe God can heal, I'm just not sure most believe He is willing to heal - every time.

Where does this mentality come from? One place that it comes from is our experience. When our experience does not line up with our doctrine, we tend to change our doctrine rather than demand an experience from our doctrine (thanks Bill). I'm not suggesting that we live in denial or that we should always understand every situation - I just think we should keep swinging. I once saw Joan Fitzgerald pray for a friend in a wheelchair - he was not instantly healed. Did she stop praying for the rest of the crowd around her? Nope. She didn't make any excuses or try to explain why he wasn't walking, she just simply moved on to the next person and kept praying. Just a few people down the line, was a girl with hearing problems. Her ears were instantly opened. I talked with her mother weeks later - the healing was real and lasting. I'm sure she was glad that Joan kept swinging!

If you look through the gospels, you will see that many times Jesus healed ALL who were brought to Him. He refused no one.

What assurances do we have that healing is available to us and everyone around us - without exception? Isaiah 53:4-5 states:

Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.

We like to do two things to this scripture:

1. Divide it into two pieces. We take the promise of forgiveness of our sins but leave the equally stated promise of healing of our sicknesses.


2. We tell ourselves that the healing mentioned is just spiritual, not physical.

Matthew 8:16-17 brings us the needed clarity:

When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to him, and he drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick. This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: "He took up our infirmities and carried our diseases."

Jesus bore our sicknesses just as He bore our sins. He came to redeem ALL that was lost. Healing is available to all who desire it - just as with salvation.