A valid question is asked, “If it is God’s will for all of His children to be healthy, why do we get sick at all?”
I can think of two reasons, and there are probably more. One, we frequently walk outside of God’s clear direction for how to be healthy. In diet, exercise, stress loads and other ways, we break the ‘rules of the game’ and pay a price.
Secondly, the Word tells us that there is a second player in the game.
Satan is real, and he is looking for ways to “steal, kill, and destroy” us.
So as he has opportunity, he throws punches at us. For instance, in the spring of 2009 I was involved in a significant car accident in which I broke my neck in three places, including a “burst” fracture of C-1. Humanly speaking, I should be dead or at least paralyzed. Satan intended to kill me, but God said, “This far, and no farther.” My life was spared, I was healed and am back to full activities.
This incident helped me realize the reality of Satan’s desire to destroy us. As he has opportunity he will attack in many ways, with disease, with financial hardships, with relationship stresses, and more. But “greater is He who is in us, than he who is in the world.” So we can shelter in God’s protection, and when Satan attacks, we have the authority and the promises of Almighty God with which to fight back.
We can claim healing, provision, restoration and mercy in the face of any of the evil one’s most vicious attacks – all because Jesus paid for them for us with His life, suffering, and death.
A bit more on this topic, just to whet your appetite?
Of the 20 specific instances of Jesus healing people written of in the New Testament, there are some common denominators. Most of them clearly record the key ingredient of receiving healing to be the patient’s faith. A few more of the instances merely insinuate that the patient’s faith was a key component. Only three seem to be outside that pattern, and are considered examples of pure acts of mercy on the part of God.
It is interesting to note that almost every time Jesus healed, there came first a time of His teaching. What He taught on is usually not noted, but perhaps we can infer that since faith is necessary to receive healing, and faith is borne from hearing the Word of God, His teaching was designed to increase their faith to the point where they were in a place spiritually to receive the gift offered.
In several instances, Jesus had to remove the patient from the influence of unbelief (doubting family members or neighbors) in order to perform the healing. Again, the aim was to strengthen the faith of the one receiving the healing, and to minimize the factors that depleted the firmness of the faith through doubt or fear.
Yet another key principle in scriptural healing is
the concept of jurisdictions, authority, and how our free will impacts the ability of a ‘healer’ to bring spiritual power to bear on a situation.
The concept of jurisdiction goes all the way back to God evicting Satan from heaven and consigning him to earth. In that historical event he gave the earth to Satan. Then, when man was created, God gave authority to man to subdue and steward the earth. Next, man, in his sin, gave that authority to Satan once again, and in fact Jesus described Satan as the prince of the world in John 12:31. In His death and resurrection Jesus finally took the keys of authority back from Satan, and in our new birth in Christ, we are given authority once again in this world.
All of that shows how jurisdiction is an important legal truth in spiritual matters. This concept plays out in our ministering to others. As creatures of free will, each person has the right to choose whether to submit to God’s rule or Satan’s. This choice continues throughout life, and is what gives legal permission for either God or Satan to have access to our lives. This principle impacts everything that Christ purchased for us. While He died to save every person, only those who choose to submit to God’s plan will avail themselves of it. While He purchased healing with His stripes, only those who believe this truth and submit to the simplicity of receiving it will be healed. Even though these things are available to all, He will never force them on anyone.
Another excerpt from my book "The Rest of The Gospel"
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