Monday, August 2, 2021

The theology of sickness and disease: Is it God's will for everybody to be healed?

 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. Acts 10:38 MEV

Dear Friend, I pray that in every way you may prosper and be in good health,  just as your soul is prospering. 3 John 2 Mounce Reverse Interlinear New Testament 

 The truth of how good and loving our Father in Heaven is is not something we should ever compromise or shrink back from. We must boldly proclaim to a lost and hurting world that God is Love. That He is for them and never against them. That He loves everyone with an unmatchless love. 

 Certainly, God is not always pleased with the thoughts, words, and actions of the world. However, His great love perceived and received in its fullness will bring wholeness and new life to whosoever will partake of it. This is why it's imperative we share this love. 

 One way to reveal His love is to proclaim His all the time goodness. We must show this lost world that God is a Good God. When the Church preaches the concept that God is angry, vengeful, full of wrath, and is the bringer of destruction and the author of sickness and infirmity we are causing the lost to flee from God not run to Him.

 When we expose the truth of the Word to the religious misconceptions that God gets glory from people being sick, that He punishes or instructs and trains through disease, or that He makes people sick for some mysterious purpose strongholds are broken. People's minds are set free. They can then see God with clarity and receive His love and goodness in its fullness.

 Upon the exposure of the Word, religious concepts of God fade away in our thinking. His goodness received replaces religious traditional thinking. With His goodness revealed, received, and embraced we can now ask and answer the question that many have, is it always God's will to heal? Or rather the question is more personal, is it God's will to heal me?

 How do we discern or determine God's will? Is it by our reasonings? Is it by our intellect? God's will isn't understood by looking to emotions, experiences, or intellectual rationale and reasonings. His will is understood and determined by His Word and the person of Jesus, the Son, the Word made flesh.

 Jesus is the will of God in action, in manifestation. Traditional religion attempts to gain understanding by the means they are most comfortable with, intellectual rationale, and not with the Spirit. For instance, they only see Jesus healing and working miracles because He wanted to simply confirm that He was the promised Messiah and not because He was God in the flesh revealing a loving Father who is merciful and full of goodness.

 Jesus brought about miracles of provisions, cast out devils, raised the dead, and healed multitudes because He was doing the will of His faithful, loving, and Good Father. Jesus healed and alleviated suffering because of the compassionate love He had for all those He encountered. He healed, not to confirm His identity as the Son of God, the promised Messiah, though He was, but because He was moved with compassion and mercy. 

 So is it God's will to heal you? Let me answer it this way, is God any less compassionate today than He was then? Is He any less merciful today? Is God not as good today as He was when Jesus was on Earth? Is He somehow less willing to heal and make whole today? When did God change? 

 40 On one occasion, a leper came and threw himself down in front of Jesus, pleading for his healing, saying, “You have the power to heal me right now if only you really want to!” 41 Being deeply moved with tender compassion, Jesus reached out and touched the skin of the leper and told him, “Of course I want you to be healed—so now, be cleansed!” 42 Instantly his leprous sores completely disappeared and his skin became smooth!   Mark 1:40-42 TPT

 This is Jesus' attitude about healing. Jesus is revealing He is willing. God is no respecter of persons. If He is willing to heal this man, He is also willing that you receive your healing always and forever.

 Throughout the Gospels, we can clearly see Jesus' attitude about healing and sickness. Look at this account of the healing of the centurion's servant here. Did you see Jesus' attitude about sickness and healing?

 The first words out of Jesus' mouth when he heard there was a man sick, were "I will come and heal him." Jesus revealed this was something He wanted to do. This was something He took delight in. Your healing is what brings Jesus joy, not you being vexed or grievously tormented by sickness and disease. 

 God's good pleasure is to see you healed and whole. God wants you healthy, full of life, vigor, and strength. God's plan of redemption included the healing of your body. Jesus bought and paid for your health and healing in the Finished Work.

 How can I be so confident that healing is God's will for everybody? First, because of the Goodness of God revealed in His Word. Secondly, because of the compassion of Jesus seen in Him ministering healing, provision, and wholeness to the multitudes. Lastly because of the perfect work of redemption where Jesus bore all mankind's sin, spiritual death, sickness, disease, and poverty and declared it is Finished!

 God is a Good God. His great goodness and love are manifest in the healing of the sick and afflicted. This was the motive of Jesus on earth to heal. 

 And when Jesus went out He saw a great multitude; and He was moved with compassion for them, and healed their sick. Matthew 14:14 NKJV

 This is the revealed will of God. God wants you well. Put your Faith in His Faith and Finished Work and receive your healing and wholeness. It doesn't matter how the sickness got there. It doesn't matter how long it's been there. It only matters that Jesus purchased your healing. When you accepted Christ, you partook of all His redemption. You're already the healed in Him. Just receive the manifestation.

 In summation, is it God's will to heal? Without question, it is always His will to heal. Just like it's God's will for everyone to be saved, it is God's will for everyone to be healed, and it's God's will for everyone to be blessed in Christ! We have the witness of the Word, the witness of God's goodness, the witness of Jesus' compassion on earth, and we have the witness of the Finished Work. It is God's will for everyone to be healed. 
 

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