Faith and Healing

Some Christians say that all sickness originates from Satan. They conclude then, that because Jesus, through His wounds, bore our sickness on the cross (Matthew 8:17) and Satan was defeated, logically those who really believe it, won't have any sickness or physical ailments. In principle our health therefore is dependent solely upon the extent of our faith. Is that correct? An illness can also be the result of sin (1 Corinthians 11:28-32) or to teach us something (James 5:15-16) or the aging process and the therewith associated diseases of the body. The psychological damage which this type of ironeous statements and false doctrine can cause to sincere Christians is really bad. Whilst it is true that sometimes miracles don't happen without faith (Matthew 13:58), firstly Jesus also healed people regardless of how much or how little faith they had and secondly Jesus healed in order to fulfill the prophecies with regard to Himself (Isaiah 53:4). People need to recognize Him as the Messiah. That we are “healed through His stripes” (1 Peter 2:24) is not natural but spiritual understanding, just as we don't physically partake in “flesh and blood” at communion, but spiritually and in faith experience the death and resurrection of Jesus, confessing visibly (Luke 22:19-20). God can certainly cure an ill Christian and lengthen his life, if he asks for it. I have witnessed this. A faith-filled man suffering from cancer asked God to lengthen his life so that he would have more time to spend with his grandchildren. God heard his prayer and cured him of cancer. A few years later, without any notice, he fell over and died during a prayer meeting at the church. With God all things are possible, however it is not our right to be free of pain, sickness or death (this is in accordance with Romans 6:23, the wages of sin), because we have to go through it – yet continue to hope with confidence!

Christians have received forgiveness for their sins, but we must still bear the consequences because we are made of flesh and blood. Thus it is determined for us to die once (Hebrews 9:27). It is unscriptural and arrogant in the highest degree, as well as loveless and inhumane to call a permanent disease a lack of faith and tell others so. Jesus certainly brought salvation to the entire (believing) person (in other words mentally, spiritually and physically) but we will only come to know what this really means in all its totality in heaven. We are still waiting for our physical renewal. There are no Christians on earth who have not been sick at one time or another. Jesus came to us, in the first instance, to seek and find that which was lost (Matthew 18:11). He came to set us free from sin. Although Jesus died for our bodies, we will still suffer illnesses, still have a sinful nature and will physically die some day (except if the Rapture happens first). Even those people who Jesus healed in His time on earth died at some stage – including Lazarus who Jesus raised up from the dead who died twice (John 11:43-44). The best example that one can't simply pray sickness away or believe it away is the Son of Man, who was fully divine yet also fully human yet he experienced fear. He was just as tempted as we are yet without sin (Hebrews 4:15). Jesus, despite all his suffering, was only concerned with doing the will of His Father. In Mark 14:36 Jesus prayed “Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt.'' Where we bow to God's will in faith, accepting our lives as it presently is, we also receive the inner strength to continue on our pre-destined path. Then we also mature in the grace – become spiritually strong. This hope (to be carried by God) and His strength which is made perfect in weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9) will not put us to shame, regardless of what happens (Romans 5:5).

Jörg Bauer