Divine Healing (Part I)

Lesson Content

Divine Healing is the healing received by a person through faith, who when he becomes physically ill, places all his hope upon God, Who is the Lord both for the body

and the soul. Since such people trust in God alone, they will not turn to doctors or resort to medicines. Though the body of man is corruptible, his soul is eternal. Therefore the Lord first begins the work of healing in the inner man of a person who waits upon God for his physical healing. In other words, divine healing begins in the soul. The apostle saying, “... I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth” (III Jn.2) can refer to this. I There are several causes for one to fall sick. Of these, the main causes are:

1. Lack of hygiene, gluttony, tobacco and alchohol and transgressing the laws of nature.

2. Sin and disobedience (Deut.28:15,22,27).

3. Direct affliction of Satan (Job 2:7).

4. Trial of faith (I Pet.1:7).

5. As a judgment of God (Num.12:1-10; II Kgs. 5:22-27; I Cor.11:29,30). II Some instances of the healing of the sick as mentioned in the Scriptures:

1. The household of Abimelech healed by Abraham’s prayer (Gen.20:17,18).

2. Miriam’s leprosy healed by Moses’ prayer (Num. 12:13-15).

3. Those bitten by the fiery serpents lived when they looked to the serpent of brass made by Moses and set upon a pole (Num.21:6-9).

4. Jesus healed the sick who came to Him (Matt.8:16).

5. The apostles healed the sick (Acts 5:15,16; 14:8-10). III Do the Scriptures approve of our resorting to medicine for healing?

1. In Exodus 15:26 God says, “I am the Lord that healeth thee”. Therefore the healing of the children of God should not be through medicine.

2. In II Chronicles 16:12, it is written that in his sickness, Asa, “sought not to the Lord but to the physicians”. From this we understand that the Scripture does not approve of our resorting to medicine. IV The ways in which the children of God receive Divine Healing:

1. Confess faults one to another and pray one for another (Jam.5:16).

2. Call the elders of the church and pray (Jam.5:14,15).

3. When the sick pray for others who are in trouble, they receive deliverance for themselves (Job 42:10). V Do the sick always receive instantaneous healing? No. When God performs miracles, they can be healed instantly. But instantaneous healing is not a must. Examples:

1. St. Paul left Trophimus sick at Miletus (II Tim.4:20).

2. St. Paul was given a thorn in the flesh. In spite of his praying thrice, he received no immediate deliverance (II Cor.12:7-9). VI The benefits of waiting for Divine Healing:

1. Faith is built up.

2. It helps to know and realize our sins, to cleanse and to be reconcil ed one with another.

3. Fear of God increases.

Moral

When God made man, medicine was not in the scheme of His creation. He provided man only with food to eat and water to drink. Before man committed sin, he was not sick. As there is deliverance from s in through Calvary, the death of the Lord on Calvary is sufficient also for the healing of sickness, which is the result of sin. Therefore, other than eating to satisfy hunger and drinking to quench thirst, resorting to medicine for sickness is not the counsel of God.