Hard Questions

Honest Answers

SICKNESS & DIVINE HEALING

Question 1:

Why do people suffer from sicknesses?

This sounds like a simple question, but actually it is a very complex one… especially if we include issues related to suffering as well.  So, we will try to focus on sicknesses only.

Let us begin by looking at sicknesses objectively.  Sicknesses in general are usually caused by “external agents” such as bacteria, germs, and viruses.  Sicknesses could also be caused by cells in our own body that somehow have turned “unfriendly”.  Some sicknesses may be caused by traumas, both physical and/or emotional.  And other sicknesses may be genetically related, where we may be born with certain defects and/or may inherit some illnesses.  And also, sicknesses may be caused by our own habits; as in what we input into our bodies (like eating and drinking), and also the stuff we do or not do regularly (like worries and exercises).

Finally, sicknesses may have spiritual causes.  This could mean direct demonic activities (like possession or oppression) and/or our own spiritual negligence and sins. (like unforgiveness or resentment).  But I must remind us to be careful not to link all sicknesses to such spiritual causes.

At the same time, we need to bear in mind of the degeneration of our bodies with age.  This means that at a particular point in life, our bodies and respective organs will begin to deteriorate.  We may be able to slow down this deterioration process, but we will not be able to prevent it.  We need to accept and appreciate the fact that one day, our bodies and organs will cease to function properly.

With the basic understanding above, I think we are ready to move on to deeper issues…

Question 2:

Is there a root cause for sickness?  If so, what is this root cause?

A simple and honest answer is that the Fall of Humanity (Adam’s and Eve’s sin in the Garden of Eden) is the root cause of most sicknesses.  But this answer needs some explanations…

We will start with the simpler issues…  Laziness to do regular exercise, gluttony of over eating, and traumas caused by perpetrators can all be traced simply to the sinful nature in humanity resulted from the Fall.  I think there should not be too many differing views on this.

In regards to the degeneration or deterioration of the human bodies, I believe that this is directly linked to the Fall.  I believe that had Adam and Eve not sinned against God, their bodies would be capable of “living eternally” without “malfunctioning”.  These are my own personal views.

I personally believe that bacteria, germs, viruses, cells becoming “unfriendly” and genetic defects are also the direct results of the Fall.  I am not sure if bacteria, germs and viruses were present pre-Fall; but I believe even if they were, these were not harmful to Adam and Eve until after they sinned against God.

I think that sicknesses with spiritual causes are still linked to the Fall in that such sicknesses may “ride” on effects on the human body which resulted from the Fall.

Question 3:

How should Divine Healing be defined?  What is Divine Healing all about?

Divine Healing in the Christians context essentially refers to miraculous healing acts of physical and physiological illnesses which come through God’s interventions.  Divine Healing may also be referred to as Faith Healing.  Different denominations and churches have different theological understandings and stands on this matter.  Non-Christian faiths and religions may also have their own beliefs regarding divine healing.

Generally, Christians believe that divine healing may come through a combination of faith, prayers, fasting, and/or certain rituals such as laying of hands and anointing of oil (Jas 5:14).

Some Christians may hold to the teaching that those seeking divine healing should reject medicine and medical treatments.  Personally, I think this teaching is not Biblical.  I believe God could (and often would) use medicine and doctors to bring about healing.  It is good to note that Paul offered medical advice to Timothy (1 Tim 5:23) and that Luke is actually a physician (Col 4:14).

Question 4:

Does God still heal today?

Christians are quite divided on whether divine healing is still for today.  There is a range of theological stands on this matter.  Some say that the season for divine healing has completely passed with Jesus and the Apostles, or that divine healing is no more readily available today.  Others say that God still heals today, and some may even claim that Christians should not fall sick at all.

I think that Biblical support (if any) that divine healing is a thing of the past is minimal and quite weak.  But at the same time, I really cannot agree with Christians who insist that it is God’s will right here and right now for all to be healed…  I think we have missed the contexts of the Scriptures when we simply call God Jehovah Rapha (Exo 15:26), and then pronounce a blanket healing of all diseases for all people.  My comments here are based on my personal study of the Bible, observations and real life experiences.

So, what is my answer to the question?  I believe we can confidently affirm that God’s power to heal has never changed; and this means that God can still heal today.  I think we can also affirm that God’s intention to heal has never changed as well.  This means that God still wants to heal today, but this does not mean that all who pray for healing will definitely be healed right here right now.

Having said the above, perhaps the real issue lies with expectations regarding the “quantity” and “quality” of divine healing today as compared to Bible times…

Question 5:

Should we or could we expect divine healing today to match or exceed Bible times quality and quantity?

Some Christians teach that since we could do greater things than Jesus (John 14:12), Christians should and could perform greater and/or more divine healings today than Jesus.  Is this teaching correct?

Maybe it is good to start by examining specific healings that Jesus performed which are recorded in the Gospels.  Collating the four Gospels, I think there are about 24 specific incidents where Jesus performed divine healing.  These ranged from healing Peter’s mother-in-law of fever to raising Lazarus from the dead.  Of course, we have two occasions where the Scriptures generically said that many sick people were brought to Jesus and He healed them all (Matt 8:16-17, Mark 1:29-31, Luke 4:40-41, Matt 14:34-36 and Mark 6:53-56).

What about divine healings by the apostles?  We have about six specific healings records through the hands of Peter (3) and Paul (3) in the Book of Acts.  And again, there are two passages (Acts 5:12-16, Acts 19:11-12) where the Bible generically said that the apostles healed many.

Summarizing the above, in regards to Jesus Christ, we are looking at 24 specific recorded healings over a period of three years of active ministry; and for the Apostles, three specific records for Peter and Paul respectively from Biblical records of their works and ministries over a period of about 30 years.

If we were to compare the “ministry portfolios” above with what the post-Acts church have been doing thus far, what can we say?  In terms of quantity as in the collective total number of divine healings, we can be very sure that we have exceeded Bible time quantity.  But yet we have to be honest to say that nobody in any healing ministry today would dare say: “I healed everyone who was sick… (Matt 8:16)” or “They were all healed… (Acts 5:16)”

In regards to quality, this is something that will not be so easily assessed.  Do we know of any modern day verifiable records of divine healings that can match the resurrection of Lazarus (John 11), or the raising of Eutychus (Acts 20), or the restoration of sight to Bartimaeus, or the healing of Aeneas (Acts 9)?  Honestly, I do not think so.  Hence, it is my personal opinion that even if the church may have done more divine healings, I do not think any faith healers have matched the quality of those done by Jesus and the apostles.

Question 6:

If it is true that divine healings today are not matching Bible Times, why is this so?  Why is God not healing as He did previously?

My honest and simple answer is: Sorry, I don’t know…  But such a simple answer is really not adequate, isn’t it?  And so, we do need to explore and think deeper…

For a start, I think we may have given divine healing (and other spectacular miraculous acts) too high a position in Christianity.  Perhaps we have erroneously thought that miracles would help people believe in God and remain faithful to Him…  But in reality, this may not be so.  One good example would be in the Book of Exodus.  The Israelites who just experienced God’s mighty deliverance (the 10 plagues, the crossing of the Red Sea…) made a golden calf, while Moses was up in Mt Sinai talking to God!

Furthermore, it is good to reflect on what happened to the people Elijah, Elisha, Jesus and Paul healed and/or raised in the past.  The fact is that these people are all dead and gone.  Maybe we have forgotten that people who were healed and/or raised from the dead still died!  What does this say?  To me, it could very well mean that in God’s perspective (and in the context of eternity); getting healed, being raised from the dead, and/or staying alive may not be the heart of the matter.  In fact, all healings on this earth are temporal… it will not last… (with exception of the Rapture) we will all die, even after the most fantastic divine healing!

In the contexts given above, I think the expectation that God should heal in the same magnitude He had in Bible times may not be correct or Biblical.  And if my rationales here are not correct, I am confident that God has His good reasons regarding His actions or “inactions”.

Question 7:

Could the lack of faith be the cause of the lack of healing?

Many Christians who pray for the sick would emphasize the importance of faith.  These often preach that with faith, one can move mountains (Matt 21:21).  They may also teach about how faith should be expressed in positive confession (Pro 18:21).

Indeed, I do believe that faith is an important “factor” in the “equation” of divine healing.  But I also believe that the “equation” of divine healing (assuming there is one) is not a formula that would guarantee results when all the “factors” are correct.  In fact, I think it is wrong to assume that when we get all the factors right, then God has no choice but grant the demands of our prayers.

Let us come back to the faith factor.  In the context of a sick person coming to an altar call in a healing service, whose faith are we talking about?  When there is no healing, is it because of the lack of faith in the person who is sick, or the lack of faith in the faith healer, or maybe even the lack of faith in the congregation?!

Oh we may say that faith in all three parties is needed, but faith in the person seeking for healing is most crucial.  Hmmm… ok.  What about the case of the raising the dead?  Do we expect the dead person to have faith?  Can a person who is dead have faith?  If not, in such a case; (if faith really is a determining factor) could we not say that the miracle actually depends more (if not entirely) on the faith of the faith healer or the person praying?!

With these comments, some of us may need to reexamine our understanding of faith in the context of divine healing.

Question 8:

What could be reasons why prayers for divine healing are not answered affirmatively?

We have dealt with the faith factor above.  I would like to affirm in this question again that in the context of what I have said earlier, the lack of faith could be a factor in why prayers for divine healing may not be granted by God.  And the lack of faith (I think) could be in the faith healer, in the person seeking divine healing and/or even in the immediate circle of people (Matt 17:17-21; Matt 13:58).

There could be a few other hindrances to divine healing.  Personally, I think that while these hindrances seem true and reasonable, there are no strong and direct Bible texts on such hindrances.  (So, I think these hindrances may be non-Biblical but not un-biblical.)  Such hindrances may include the presence of un-confessed sins, generational bondages, the issue of timing, the lack of persistence and “wrong confessions”.

I must say here again that even when all the right factors are in place, no one can guarantee that there will be divine healing.  I believe this is simply because God has not promised to heal all who pray for divine healing right here right now.

Question 9:

What are your comments on faith healers?

Faith healers are Christians who believed that God has specially called them and/or given them the gift of healing so that they may effectively minister to the needs of the sick through signs and wonders.  I believe God has truly called some of us to this role.  And, there are heavy responsibilities that come with this calling and/or endowment of gift.

Foremost, I think faith healers must, must, must have a good and sound Biblical theology of divine healing.  Has God really promised divine healing to all?  If a faith healer believes God indeed has, and the faith healer proclaims this; then I think the faith healer also has the responsibility to give answers to every case under his/her prayer and ministry where divine healing did not take place.

Personally, I feel very strongly that we cannot simply just preach divine healing… call people out for prayers… and then conveniently walk away from those not healed!  (Or simply tell the sick that their healing will come progressively…)  I think many sincere people expecting signs and wonders are left sighing and wandering instead, when they did not receive the healing they are looking for.

On the other hand, if the faith healer’s theological understanding is that God indeed can heal, but yet (for reasons often unknown to us) there are times God may not heal; then I believe the faith healer should clearly communicate this to those he/she is ministering to.  This is not an easy thing to do…  And, saying such things or praying in this manner may seemingly project a lack of faith…

But let us be brutally honest.  Can any faith healer claim that every sick person he/she has prayed for received divine healing, whether instantly or subsequently?!  Can any faith healer affirm that none of the sick persons he/she has prayed for had died in their illness?!

Question 10:

So then, how should we pray for divine healing?

I have said that it is not an easy thing to pray honestly.  Let us continue to put ourselves in the shoes of the faith healer and see how we should or could pray.  Imagine a faith healer saying something like this, at the end of a healing service:

“Come to the Lord if you need a healing touch from Him… God is here… He can heal us… He wants to heal us… Come forward to the altar for prayers… Come by faith…”

Then he/she continues:

“I will lay my hands on you… I will anoint you with oil… I will pray for you… God could heal you right here right now… Yes, the Almighty God can do this if He wants… Let us trust Him with all our hearts… Let us call on His mercies…”

And then he/she should go further to say:

“But there are times for reasons we do not know or understand… God’s healing may be delayed… And also there are times too when God may not grant healing even though we pray in faith to Him…  In the course of my healing ministry, some have been healed instantly… Some received their healing at a later time… Some have not received any healing at all… And some have even died in their illness… As much as I am a servant of God, I cannot guarantee divine healing all the time…”

“But nonetheless I urge you to come… Come in faith… Come believing and praying… We will call on God to show us His power and mercy… And that He would touch us and heal us… according to His unsearchable will…”

I think the approach and prayer above would be an honest and responsible prayer for divine healing.

Question 11:

Do you have any final comments on this matter?

Based on my current understanding of the Scriptures, I believe that divine healing is God’s prerogative.  I believe His will in this matter is often unsearchable and incomprehensible.  By saying this, I am NOT saying that it is the will of God that we should remain sick, or that it is not the will of God for us to be healed.  What I am saying is that while it is God’s “ideal” that humanity should not be plagued with sicknesses, we will not be able to understand why many time divine healing does not happen, even with faithful and fervent prayers.

When divine healing does not take place, it is definitely NOT because God does not have the power to heal, or God is not able to heal.  And when divine healing is not forthcoming, it also MAY NOT necessarily be due to human faults.  I think a thorough understanding of all the related issues here would be helpful to all of us.

Having said all the above, I believe that we must continue to faithfully and fervently pray for the sick…  And we must continue to declare that Jehovah is the God who is capable of healing us…

IMPORTANT NOTES:

The HARD QUESTIONS HONEST ANSWERS is a series of articles Jason Fong hopes to develop to deal with various difficult theological and/or spiritual issues.  The first of this series on issues related to Divine Healing is prompted by the fact that his dear brother (Andy) was diagnosed with cancer recently (mid 2012).

The questions here were formulated with careful thought to cover the subject matter as properly as possible.  Therefore, the questions should not be examined in isolation, but as a whole in the context of this complete article.  Jason Fong is aware that this article is not an exhaustive study on the subject matter.  He welcomes your thoughts and comments for mutually edifying interactions.  Additional questions could be forwarded to Jason Fong accordingly.

Please note that the views and opinions expressed in this article may not necessarily reflect those of the Christian organization Jason works in, nor the church or denomination he belongs to.  In addition, theological understandings may often “evolve” in the course of one’s journey with God.  As such, please note that Jason’s convictions here are not cast in stone.

If this article has blessed you, or if you think this article would help someone; please feel free to forward it or used it in any way that would bring glory to God.  If appropriate, please acknowledge the source when quoting this material.