Subject: If we ask for healing does God answer no |
Bible Note: Greetings Mitch! First of all, welcome to the forum! Secondly, I have been following your posts as time permits, so I am not sure if anyone has responded to your Scripture references or not. So, I would like to quickly address them. 1) Ex. 23:25: The context of this verse is in God's dealings with the nation of Israel as He prepares to lead them into the promised land. These promises are part of His covenant with them. They are not a promise for everyone. 2) Ps. 107:20 is a historical affirmation, not a promise. 3) Ps. 118:17 is another historical affirmation. The author did in fact die at some point in the future. So, this is not a promise for all. 4) Prov. 3:7-8: Proverbs are very general promises. These two verses indicate that living in fear of the Lord is healthier than not living in fear of the Lord. We can certainly all agree with this premise. But, there is not specific promise of healing for all people at all times. 5) Prov. 4:20-22: Same as above. 6) Mt. 8:16-17: Again, this is an historical statement, not a promise. It records one event where Jesus healed all who were brought to Him. However, nothing in the passage states that this will be normative for all people. 7) 1 Pet. 2:24: This is one of those great examples where people claim that the verse means something without really thinking about what they are claiming. This verse, if it is taken to refer to physical healing, would indicate that a Christian CANNOT get sick! :-) If physical healing is part of the atonement, then faith or no faith, once a person becomes a christian, all physical problems should be healed and that person should never get ill again, nor would that person die. This is pretty good evidence that these verse has been misinterpreted. :-) 8) 3 John 2: Again, this is not a promise, but a greeting from one friend to another. It is interesting that you were asked to provide Scriptural references that state that God always heals everyone, but not one of these verses says such a thing. :-) Let me state publically that I certainly do believe that God can and will heal. I have seen it many times in my life. However, I also believe that Scripture does not guarantee us healing. We are servants of God. If He wills to heal us, then so be it. If He does not, then so be it! :-) Like Job, either way I will praise Him. The only harm to what you are teaching is that it sets up a false reality. I have been on the receiving end of this kind of teaching. My wife and I lost a son to congential heart defects. David only lived to be 9 months old. Everyone was praying for him. God choose not to heal him. But, according to your teaching, it is always God's will to heal. Those with whom I fellowshipped at the time also believed this lie. We heard all the comments. We must not have had enough faith. :-( Yet, our faith in God was strong enough to carry us through our loss. It was strong enough to enable us to minister to other's who had lost children. It was strong enough to teach us empathy for those who have suffered loss. What I am trying to say my friend is that we need balance in this area of doctrine. Yes, God heals. Yes, He would probably heal more often if we would really believe. But, Scripture never promises us that everyone will always be healed. Sometimes, God works through the sickness and even the death of a saint. Your Brother in Christ, Tim Moran |