Bible Foundations lesson 23 – subject: Healing

 

Bible Foundations lesson 23 – subject: Healing

Is God in the healing business? Is God concerned about our physical needs? Does God Heal today?

Why do some receive healing and others don't? Is sickness from God? How can I be healed?

There are some of the questions in people's minds today. Our physical needs are very real and very important, especially to the one who is sick. The only way to determine the will of God and find answers to these questions is to consult the Bible and lay aside all Un-scriptural teachings we may have been subject to in the past.

1. God is in the healing business. God has been concerned with man's physical health since the beginning of time. However, it was not until after the fall that healing was necessary.

God healed Israel as a nation. Psalms 105:37  And there was not one feeble person among their tribes.

God promised health if His people continued to follow Him.

Exodus 15:26  “If you diligently heed the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the Lord who heals you.”

Exodus 23:25-26 Worship the LORD your God, and his blessing will be on your food and water. I will take away sickness from among you, and none will miscarry or be barren in your land. I will give you a full life span.

God is concerned about our physical needs today and He has made provision for us.

James 5:14 Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.

Mark 16:18 - - they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

God not only wants to heal us, He wants us to be healthy all the time. 3 John 1:2 Beloved,

I pray that in every way you may prosper and enjoy good health, as your soul also prospers.

Healing is part of our Salvation. The very words “saved and salvation” are from two Greek words “Sozo” and “Soteria” which include in their full meaning healing, spirit, soul and body.

Divine healing is part and parcel of the Gospel.

Luke 4:18-19 Jesus quoted Isaiah, “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners  and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free,

Matthew 10:7-8 And as you go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely you have received, freely give.

Jesus bore away our sickness and infirmities, it is done, and we don't have to bear them.

Isaiah 53:4-5 Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken,  smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.

Matt 8:16-17 - - and he cast out the spirits with a word and healed all who were sick.  This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah: “He took our illnesses and bore our diseases.”

Healing is as much a part of the atonement as is the removal of sin. Isaiah 53: 5-6 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.  All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

God still heals today. He is constant. If it was His will to heal once, it is still His will to heal now. Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday today and forever.

Jesus said, it was His will to heal. Mark 1:40-41 A man with leprosy came to Jesus and begged him on his knees, “If you are willing, you can make me clean.” Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cleansed.

Jesus healed all who came to him for healing. Matt 12:15  A large crowd followed him, and he healed all who were ill.

Luke 16:19 Everyone tried to touch Jesus, because healing power went out from him, and he healed everyone.

There are special gifts of Healing, and it is one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit to the church. Certain ministers will operate in a specific gift of healing and often it seems to be a strong point, such as healing for cancer, healing for deformities, or various ailments.

1 Corinthians 12:9  The same Spirit gives great faith to another, and to someone else the one Spirit gives the gift of healing.

Sickness is NOT from God. Satan, the devil is the author of disease and death. He is the destroyer, and he comes to lie, to steal, to kill, to ruin and deceive.

Jesus said, I am come that you might have Life and life more abundantly. Jesus said healing was the children's bread. Jesus came to do the will of His Father and part of that was to heal and to deliver and set the captive free.

What are the scriptural methods for receiving healing? Elders anointing with oil, and by the laying on of hands. Often a small cloth or handkerchief is prayed over and sent to the afflicted person.

If the sick person is living in sin or is holding forgiveness toward someone, this could be a problem. It is good to repent and good to forgive and then expect healing.

Regardless of the method, God is the healer, and we activate healing by our faith. Confession is a factor. We must confess what the Bible says about healing and not our symptoms or words of doubt and unbelief or man's opinion.

With our Mouth we confess salvation - and we must also confess healing. We learn how Abraham felt about God's promises, even when he could not see the answer, Abraham believed God and called those things that be not as though they are, and they - - became - -