Ron Dunn Podcast - Does God Heal Today - Part 4

Episode Date: January 8, 2025

Why does Go heal some and not others? Ron Dunn seeks to help us understand the answer to this important question.

Now, in our final session this morning, we're going to look at a biblical view of healing and the body. In other words, what should my attitude as a believer be towards this body of mine, this physical body? What should my attitude be towards sickness? What should my attitude be towards sickness? What should my attitude be towards healing? The first three messages that we've given on this subject have of necessity been largely negative because, first of all, I felt like it was important that we answer some of the claims of atonement healing and deal with some of those related areas.

But now in this final message, I want us to be positive in our approach to it and to formulate a biblical attitude towards the body and its healing. And so the first thing that I want to do is to give four or five basic biblical propositions, statements concerning our body, and then I'd like to make some suggestions on our attitude towards sickness and towards healing and towards praying for our healing. So first of all, what is the Christian's relationship to his body? What does the Bible have to say about this physical body in which we live? The first thing is this. This body in which you and I now live was affected by the fall. There's no doubt about that. And as affected by the Fall,

is right now subject to the ordinary processes of death and decay. I think it is important for us to realize that the body of the Christian does not differ from the physical body of the non-Christian. That even though we are new creatures in Christ, our bodies are still subject to the ordinary processes of death and decay that even unbelievers are subject to. For instance, in 2 Corinthians 4, verse 16, Paul says, Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. 2 Corinthians 5, verse 4, the apostle says again, For indeed, while we are in this tent,

we groan, being burdened, because we do not want to be unclothed, but to be clothed, in order that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. In Philippians 3, verses 20 and 21, Paul again says, For our citizenship is in heaven, from whence also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of his glory by the exertion of the power that he has even to subject all things unto himself. Now, the phrase that I want you to notice especially is this one, where Paul describes our body as the body of our humble state. And then one more passage in this area.

In Romans chapter 8, verses 21 through 23, Paul says the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. And not only this, but we also, ourselves, having the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body. Now, I think that is significant because Paul says that even we ourselves groan. First of all, he describes the whole creation as having taken part in the fall of Adam. The whole creation

groans and we also, even we who have the Spirit, groan also. The New Testament teaches that salvation at the present time is largely related to the spiritual part of man. It's confined almost exclusively to the spiritual part of man. Our physical body does not differ from that of an unbeliever. And the pain that a believer suffers is just as real and is the same as the pain that an unbeliever suffers. Of course, with the exception, with the difference that God has given to us spiritual resources that enable us not only to endure suffering, but to emerge from it victorious. So I think the first thing that we have to recognize, if we're going to form a biblical view of healing,

the first thing we have to recognize is that our body is a human body, a fallen human body, and it is subject to all the ordinary processes of death and decay. I think I mentioned before the fellow that I met in Colorado a few years ago, and after we had visited for a while and prepared to leave, he said to me this parting shot. He said, well, Ron, keep loving God, keep hating sin, and watch out for trucks. Now, I like that. That rather impressed me because, you know, sometimes you might get the idea that if we love God and hate sin, we don't need to watch out for trucks. That if a person loves God and hates sin, then he doesn't have to be bothered

by the same things that other people are bothered with. Therefore, he is immune to trucks. The fact of the matter is, we're not immune to trucks nor disease, that we still are a part of this human situation. We're involved in a common humanity, and therefore our bodies are still subject to the ordinary processes of death and decay. Of course, I think this is one reason that atonement healing has such universal appeal. I think this is why it's so popular, because there is within all of us that perhaps unconscious desire to escape these things, to rise above the common humanity. And this teaching appeals to that desire that somehow we have been granted an immunity,

an exemption, that we can rise above these things, that we can transcend all of the ordinary processes of human living. But the truth is, the Word of God does not teach that. Now, the second point. This body, even though it is right now affected by the fall and subject to death and decay, this body is yet to be redeemed. The body is yet to be redeemed. Romans chapter 8, verse 23, we read it a moment ago. Paul says, And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves grown within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body. Now, Paul says there is coming a time when that body will be redeemed, but right now we're waiting for it and we're groaning while we wait for it. In 1 Corinthians chapter 15, the great resurrection

chapter, Paul tells us that one of these days in a moment in the twinkling of an eye at the last trumpet for the trumpet will sound and the dead will be raised imperishable and we shall be changed for this perishable must put on the imperishable and this mortal must put on immortality

that's verse 53 and then 1st Peter chapter 1 1 1 Peter chapter 1. First of all, in verse 5, Peter says that we are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. And then in verse 13 he says, Therefore gird up your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace

to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. All the way through the New Testament, the writers make reference to a future day when we shall experience redemption to wit the redemption of the body. First, Revelation chapter 21, verse 4. And John sees the new heaven and the new earth coming down.

And he sees the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven. And then he hears God say in verse 3, And I heard a loud voice from the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven. And then he hears God say in verse 3, And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and he shall dwell among them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be among them. And then verse 4, And he shall wipe away every tear from their eyes, and there shall no longer be any death, there shall no longer be any

mourning or crying or pain. The first things have passed away. There is coming a glorious, a blessed day when God himself shall wipe away every tear from our eyes, and there will be no longer any death, nor suffering, nor pain, nor crying. But that is yet future. Until then, our bodies will have in them the consequences of sin and of the fall. One of these days, the tears will be wiped away, and there will be no more suffering, and no more pain, and no more death.

But that is yet future. You see, even if we were to say that healing is in the atonement, we'd have to say so is heaven. There are a lot of things that Jesus Christ has made possible for us that we do not yet possess. We do not yet possess everything that the death of Jesus Christ purchased for us. The abolition of death, being taken away even from the presence of sin, having a glorified body, heaven, all of these things are wrapped up in the benefits of the atonement of Christ, but we do not yet have all those things.

Number three, this body, even though it is subject to the fall and subject to decay, this body belongs to God and should be surrendered to Him to use for His glory. I'm impressed by how much the Bible has to say about the physical body. The Word of God teaches us, for instance, in 1 Corinthians 6, verses 19 and 20,

that our bodies have been purchased and they do not belong to us. Paul says, you know you're not, that you are not your own. You have been bought with a price. We don't even belong to ourselves. He says in that 19th verse, don't you know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price, therefore glorify God in your body. And in the 13th verse of that same chapter, Paul says, food is for the stomach, and the stomach is for food, but God will do away with both of them. Yet the body is not for immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord is for the body. The body is not for immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord is for the body.

The body belongs to the Lord Jesus. It belongs to God because it has been purchased by his blood. In Romans chapter 12, verse 1, the Bible says, Therefore I beseech you, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice. In 1 Corinthians 9, verse 27, the Bible tells us that we are to keep our body under subjection, that we are to control it and to possess it and keep it in control. And in Philippians 1, verse 20, Paul said that his great desire, whether he lived or died, was this, that Christ should be magnified in his body, whether by life or by death. which we dwell belongs to God by right of redemption, and it is to be surrendered to him, presented to him, and it is to be used for his glory. Now, I think that it is significant that with all of these exhortations, there is missing a certain promise.

I made reference in one of the earlier messages that one of the proof texts that atonement healing proponents use is over there in Exodus chapter 15. It's in verse 26 when God says, If you will give earnest heed to the voice of the Lord your God, and do what is right in his sight, and will give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have put on the Egyptians, for I the Lord am your healer. And that is often used by those who say that if we

will obey God and live as God wants us to and keep his commandments, none of these diseases will come upon us and the Lord will be our healer. And I made mention of the fact, I believe, in one of the earlier tapes that this is one of those occasions where a promise was made to Israel but does not necessarily apply to the church. It was made at a specific time in a specific situation for a specific purpose. And notice he's not here referring just to the keeping of the Ten Commandments, but he says, I want you to keep all the statutes which I've given you, including all of the ceremonial laws. And yet none of us today believe that we are bound to all the ceremonial and ritual and

religious laws and statutes that were present under the dispensation of Moses. Of course not. This is one of those promises that was made, limited by time and space to the people of Israel, because God does not today ask us to keep all of those commandments and statutes and ceremonial laws and observances that were included in that promise. Now, the point that I was making is that when you come to the New Testament and you find all of these statements concerning the fact that we belong to God and that our bodies are to be presented to him as a living sacrifice and used for his glory, it is significant that with all these exhortations, there is not one single promise that if a believer is obedient to them, he

will be exempt from bodily ills. Now, to me, that is highly important to recognize that with all of these statements, the commands, the exhortations, not a single one of them is accompanied by a promise that if we obey these, then God will put none of these diseases upon us and that he will be our healer. This body belongs to God, must be surrendered to him to use for his glory. Now, this leads me to say that if I am going to present my body to God as a living sacrifice and say that, Lord, you can take this body, it is yours, and you can use it in any way that you want, then I have to recognize that God sometimes uses sickness and affliction for his glory and our good. We've already made mention of John 11 when Lazarus fell ill,

and Jesus said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God. And in John chapter 9, the man was born blind, and the disciples said, Lord, who did sin, this man or his parents? And Jesus said, neither did this man nor his parents sin, but that the works of God might be made manifest. And in 2 Corinthians chapter 12, Paul's thorn in the flesh was used to bring about in Paul's life a new experience of the grace of God. And it might shock some to realize that Paul's thorn in the flesh was a gift, a divine gift.

Paul says, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh. It was the messenger of Satan. Satan wanted to use it to hinder Paul, but it was a divine gift, and God intended that it should come to Paul as a means of introducing him to a new dimension of the grace of God. And as we quoted earlier, Paul said that his prayer, even while he was in prison and facing almost certain death, his prayer was that Christ should be magnified in his body. You see, to say that all sickness is of the devil and that God always wants us to be well is to rob God, if I can use that phrase, to rob God of one of the most effective means he has of ministering grace to us. For one of God's most effective ways

of teaching us his way is through affliction or sickness. To say that all sickness is of the devil and that God never desires us to be sick casts doubt upon the character of great saints who've been known for their suffering. What are you going to do with people like David Brainerd and George Matheson and Fanny J. Crosby and Francis Ridley Havergill and Annie Johnson Flint, saints like these and others who we understand and revere today

as being holy men and women of God, and yet they endured untold physical suffering. Are we to say that somehow or another they were not what they appeared to be, that there was some secret sin hidden about in their life, and that they were living outside the will of God? I'm not prepared to say that. God is owner of our bodies, and whatever promise he makes, and to whomever he makes that promise, you can rest assured he never

does so at the expense of his own sovereignty. God doesn't relinquish ownership or control of our physical body. They belong to him, and he is free to use them in any way that he sees fit to bring about his glory and our good. Number four, God often heals the body in answer to prayer. Number one, this body is subject to the processes of death and decay. This body is yet to be redeemed. This body belongs to the Lord, purchased by his blood, and is to be surrendered to him for his glory to manifest himself. And number four, God often heals the body in answer to prayer.

Now, that may come as a surprise to some of you that I would say this. They have been so negative in these studies that you've gotten the idea that I don't believe in divine healing. And I've said all the way through, I do believe. I do believe that God heals. I've seen God heal. I've seen God heal. I've seen God do miraculous things in the human body. I believe that. I believe that God often heals the body in answer to prayer.

In Acts chapter 28 and verse 8, for instance, you have an example of Paul himself involved in this. Paul, of course, is in his prison house in Rome. And the 8th verse says, And it came about that the father of Hubulus was lying in bed, afflicted with recurrent fever and dysentery. And Paul went in to see him, and after he had prayed, he laid his hands on him and healed him. And after this had happened, the rest of the people on the island who had diseases were coming to him and getting cured.

Now, this is an example of Paul exercising, I believe, his gift of healing and healing those that were diseased. And these were not necessarily Christians either. But yet Paul was exercising his gift and healing them. In Philippians chapter 2, verse 25, you have another example of healing. Paul says, But I thought it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother and fellow worker and fellow soldier,

who is also your messenger and minister to my need, because he was longing for you all and was distressed because you had heard that he was sick. For indeed he was sick to the point of death, but God had mercy on him, and not on him only, but also on me, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow. Now here is an instance where Paul's fellow laborer, someone very dear to the Philippians, was sick to the point of death, and yet God intervened and restored him to health. But I think it is noteworthy to mention that from Paul's viewpoint, the healing of Epaphroditus wasn't a matter of naming and claiming something that was his birthright inheritance. Notice Paul describes it as an experience of sovereign grace.

He says, God had mercy on me, and not only on him, but also on me, in that he healed them. Paul didn't say, I knew that his healing was his birthright and inheritance, and he had a right to demand his healing, and so he named it and claimed it. That wasn't Paul's attitude. He said it was strictly an act of mercy upon God's part, but yet God did heal him. The Bible teaches that God does often heal our bodies in answer to prayer.

Now, I want us to look at James chapter 5, which is probably the most famous, familiar passage on healing in the New Testament. James chapter 5. We'll begin reading with verse 13. Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is any cheerful?

Let him sing praises. Is anyone among you sick? 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 offered in faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him. Therefore confess your sins to one another and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man

can accomplish much. Now, here is a glimpse into the early church and the apostle is saying that if there are certain things that we ought to do in response to our situation, if we're afflicted, if we're suffering, we ought to pray. Not necessarily does he tell us to pray for the suffering to be alleviated. He just says we're to pray.

That is the Christian's great resource. If we're happy, if we're cheerful, we ought to sing praises. And if anyone among us is sick, we are to call for the elders of the church and let them pray over us and anointing us in the name of the oil, in the name of the Lord. Now, let me just point out several features of this passage. you'll notice that in this particular passage, there is a great deal of reference to sin. For instance, in verse 17, it says, And the prayer offered in faith, or the prayer of faith, will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him. Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. I think that there are times, I think the Bible teaches this in 1 Corinthians chapter 11,

where those were sick because they had eaten unworthy of the Lord's Supper. I think there are times when God uses sickness as a means of disciplining us, of chastening us. And it may be the case here. And he says, and if he has committed sins, the Lord will forgive him. I think also it points out that not every sickness is a result of sin. James says, and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him. Then he says in verse 16, confess your sins one to another and pray for one another so that you may be healed. I think in the instance where God sends sickness as a means of disciplining us or chastening us because of sins, when we get right with God, confess those sins, then I think that in those

instances, God will bring about the healing because the sickness has done its task. Of course, this is not always the case. We've already seen this, that not all the time, because a person is sick, doesn't mean he has committed sins. That's the first thing that we want to notice in this. The second thing is this, that the person who is sick is supposed to take the initiative. It is not the elders of the church who are to take the initiative. James is not advocating that elders or preachers or ministers go around with cruises of oil, taking the initiative and setting up their stalls and inviting the sick to come to them. You'll notice very clearly stated here that it is the ill person who is to take the initiative. If any among you is sick, let him call for the elders of the church.

And then notice that it is the elders of the church that are to be called, not just any of the members, not just anybody, but rather it is the elders of the church who are to be called. And notice they are to anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. Now, I do not believe we can take this passage and say that you always ought to anoint people with oil. We've already seen in an earlier message that Jesus, as far as we have any record of, never anointed anybody with oil.

We have no record of Paul doing it in every instance or situation. This, as a matter of fact, is about the only place you'll find it in the New Testament. And there's a great deal of discussion, controversy about what this oil means. And personally, I don't think that it's possible to be dogmatically certain exactly what the oil refers to here. My own feeling is that the anointing with oil was a ritual expressing faith, symbolic of the Holy Spirit. I think the oil itself has no purity powers, has no magical powers. It's not a blessed oil. There's nothing mystical or magical about it. I think simply it is a ritual, a ceremony that is a visible expression of our faith, symbolizing the work of the Holy Spirit in bringing about prayer and healing.

Now, the most important phrase, I think, in this whole passage is that one in which the apostle says, and the prayer of faith shall save the sick. The prayer of faith shall save the sick. Now, what is the prayer of faith? Is James here saying that if we come to pray for some brother who is ill, and if we really believe, and believe with all our heart that God will healing, that praying with that kind of faith, then he will be healed. I do not believe that is at all what James is referring to. When he says the prayer of faith shall save the sick, he says the prayer of faith shall save the sick. There is the definite article, not only in the English translation, but also in the Greek text, which is very significant. Those of you that are

familiar at all with the Greek language realize that the definite article always refers to a special or specific identity. When James does not simply say any prayer of faith or a prayer of faith, he says the prayer of faith, indicating that James is talking about a special faith or a special prayer. I believe that what James is referring to here is that kind of faith that God himself imparts, the prayer of faith. This isn't working yourself up to believe. It's not the kind of faith that originates with us, but rather it is faith that God himself inspires and imparts. It is a faith that we cannot have unless he gives it to us. Now, I want to be careful and make careful this distinction.

James here is not saying that, man, you just got to believe that people be healed when you pray for them. Do you believe? Yes, I believe. And you've got to believe with all of your heart, and if you just believe, well, then you can pray for anybody, and if you believe they'll be healed, then they'll be healed. That's not what James is saying. He is referring to a special kind of prayer and a special kind of faith. It is that prayer of faith that God himself imparts to us,

enabling us to pray for the healing of a sick person. One of the most helpful books that I have found on this subject of healing is a book by R.V. Bingham. It's a book that's out of print. The name of it is The Bible and the Body. And Mr. Bingham makes this observation in his book. He says, the question of whether God intends to heal along natural or supernatural lines will be generally indicated in the consciousness of those called in to pray. God sometimes moves out in the faith that is able to claim instantaneous healing, and when such an inspired prayer is offered,

the answer immediately comes and all other means are unnecessary. On the other hand, we have been present in meetings where for hours prayer has been made for an afflicted child of God when they claimed that they were standing on atonement ground and therefore insisted that they had the right to claim the healing and nothing has moved even though they stirred themselves up to most zealous earnestness. Now I think that most of us have witnessed the same thing. There have been those times when suddenly there comes that amazing faith and boldness to pray for a person's healing. You don't struggle to believe.

There is no trying to maintain your faith or hold fast your faith. There is suddenly given to you that amazing confidence and boldness to pray for a person's healing, and they're healed. And then there have been those other times when we have struggled to believe, and we have prayed and fasted and prayed and fasted, and we've called all of our friends together and we have sought the Lord and we have prayed and prayed and prayed and fasted and prayed,

and yet the healing has not come. I think that James here is saying that the prayer of faith will save the sick. Of course it will. But it is that special faith, that special prayer, that gift of faith, if you please, that God imparts to a person, an elder at the time, that gives him that boldness and confidence to pray.

It is faith that is inspired and imparted to us by God. I remember the very first time I experienced anything like this was a number of years ago. I was visiting in a children's hospital. One of our families had a little child, a little boy around four years of age that was seriously, seriously ill. And the doctors were not able to find out

exactly what was wrong. They couldn't find out what kind of treatment to give him. And the parents, of course, were in great despair. And the little boy's life was in danger, and I went to see them, and I had no thoughts of doing this at the time, but we visited for a while, and then I stood to leave, and as I was standing beside suddenly there came to me, the only way I know to describe it would be this prayer of faith,

that God suddenly spoke to my heart and there came to my heart a boldness, a confidence, a knowing, a knowing that God wanted to raise this child up. And I just, without thinking about it, without worrying about it, I just laid my hand over on that little child, and I prayed and asked God to raise him up, asked God to heal him. And I've prayed for healing before, but this was different. There was an assurance. There was a confidence. There was a boldness. There was a knowing, and God healed him. God raised him up. Now, I wish I could say that

that happens all the time, but it does not. There have been a great many that I have prayed over. I have struggled, and I have strained. I've fasted. I've gone through long processes of searching my heart and purifying my life and cleansing my life as best I knew how, getting myself in a position where I could pray effectively and I have prayed and prayed and prayed and the person has not been healed because I did not believe it was God's will for them to be healed.

You cannot pray in faith without praying according to the will of God. And my dear friends, it is just not always God's will for someone to be healed. The prayer of faith will save the sick, but you can't pray in real faith without a knowledge of the will

of God in that particular situation. And I believe that James here is referring to that kind of faith that is inspired by God and is imparted to us by God. It isn't a faith that we work up or create or originate within ourselves. And notice again, and I want to emphasize this, that it is the faith on the part of the elders, not faith on the part of the sick person. Just again, this last week, I heard this tale of someone who was not healed and the person who had laid hands on them and anointed them with oil and prayed for them laid all the fault on the sick person. Well, you just did not have enough

faith. Friends, if we're going to be biblical, we have to say if that fellow was not healed, it wasn't the sick man's faith that was in trouble. It was that preacher's faith that was in trouble. If that was the explanation, the lack of faith. It is the elder's faith here that does the job, you see. Now, I think those who are called upon to pray, the elders, whoever is called upon to pray, will be given by God that sensitivity to know whether or not they can pray for his healing. This is just something that you know in your own consciousness and you just trust God to make you aware of it

and trust the Holy Spirit to make you sensitive enough to know this. I do not believe that every person who calls upon the elders to pray for him is going to be healed. He doesn't say that you call for the elders of the church to pray for you, and they'll anoint you in oil and pray for you to be healed. He says after they've done that, after they have anointed you in oil, with oil in the name of the Lord, then the prayer of faith shall save the sick. But if the prayer of faith is not given, then that ill person will not be healed, will not be raised up. So in conclusion, let me say God does heal.

He does heal today. Now, very quickly, I want to try to tie all this together and offer some suggestions as to our attitude towards healing and sickness and praying for healing. First of all, let me say that all healing is from God. All healing is from God. I believe that God heals by supernatural means and by natural means. By this, I mean, I think that there are times, I believe the Bible teaches there are times when God heals a person miraculously, supernaturally, without any medicine

applied, without any help from a physician. But I think the Bible also teaches that God will heal us through natural means. For instance, Paul again writing to Timothy, and Timothy had trouble with his stomach, and Paul says, take a little wine for thy stomach's sake. In other words, Paul was saying, use some medicine, use some kind of means, some kind of help. I think when a person is sick, they go to the doctor and the doctor gives them medicine and the doctor treats them and over a process of time they are healed, I believe

that that healing comes from God. All healing comes from God, whether it be supernatural intervention or whether it be by natural means. Sometimes the healing is complete and at once. Other times it is gradual through means and medicine. I have some very dear friends who have been ill and they have taken the medicine, they have followed the doctor's order and they have gradually recovered and gotten better, I believe that that healing came from God.

Now, that would not be what we would call a miraculous divine healing. Usually, we'd say, well, the person got better because of the medicine, but I believe all healing comes from God. And, of course, there are those times when a person is healed instantly and completely and all at once in that way. I have a good friend who is a pastor, and he was suffering from crippling arthritis. And he woke up one morning, and it was gone. God had touched his body. Now, he had been taking medicine and treatment from the doctor, and the doctor attributed the healing to the medicine,

and of course the pastor attributed it to God. But it was both. God uses medicine. See, all healing comes from God. I think any time we're healed, whether it be by the laying on of the hands of the older or by taking the medicine that the doctor gives us, we can give God the glory and the praise for he has healed us. But there is that supernatural healing which comes instantaneously apart from any medicine or physician, and then there is the natural healing that comes not as much from God, but it comes through physicians and medicines.

Sidlow Baxter in his book on divine healing has what I believe is a good statement concerning this. He says, We may take it as settled that even our infinite God never does the superfluous. He will not intervene to work a miracle where human medication or contrivance can effectively meet the need. I believe that Christian praying for healing should go hand in hand with the human physician or surgeon

when the required answer can come that way just as much as we should pray when healing is sought from some malady which is beyond human skill to heal. Now, what I want you to pay special attention to and I think is very important, Dr. Baxter says, God will not intervene to work a miracle where human medication or contrivance can effectively meet the need. I believe that's generally so. I generally agree with him. I don't think we can ever say that God will never do this or God always does this, but I think, generally speaking, that is correct. That where medicine will do the job, where physical or medical treatment will bring about the cure, I believe that God rarely intervenes in some miracle.

And I've known some who've prayed for their healing simply so they could escape the inconvenience of a hospital or the inconvenience of surgery. And I have talked to some who were really holding fast their confession and believing God for healing so they wouldn't have to go through surgery. It was not that they had an incurable disease, and it was not that the surgery would not heal them, but they just didn't want to be bothered by the inconvenience of a surgery. Now, I think in those instances, we're not on very solid ground, for I do agree with Mr. Baxter that where medicine will work, where surgery will do the job, where those means that God has given us through humans

will do the work that God rarely, if ever, brings about some miracle to intervene. Now, having said that, which I know some of you are not going to agree with, but that's by the by, having said that, let me offer some suggestions on our attitude towards sickness. What happens when I get sick? Why do I get sick? What should my attitude be? Well, as I've said over and over again, sickness is a part of human living. You and I are subject to infirmities and sicknesses. We are still a part of this human

situation. That's why Christians get sick. Some Christians get sick simply because they're human beings. Some Christians get sick because they don't take care of their bodies. Then I think that there are times when God permits sickness for his glory, and I believe we ought to view any illness that comes to us as an opportunity to experience the sustaining grace of God. God will permit sickness for his glory. Sometimes it is for our chastening, as we've already indicated, and I think that the Holy Spirit will let us know. I believe that if I have been disobedient to God, if there's some sin in my life, and I have been stubborn and hard-headed and not being responsive to the conviction of the Holy Spirit.

And I believe that if God sends upon me some malady, some illness, some affliction, in order to discipline me back into holiness, I believe the Holy Spirit will let me know that's the purpose of the illness. And I think that when a Christian wanders around without knowing, and God hasn't given him any specific reason that there's any sin or any disobedience or any discipline that God's bringing about in his life, I think then the Christian has the right to assume that God is doing this and allowing this to happen simply so that this believer might

grow, that he might learn to trust God, and that somehow God can be glorified. I believe that when God is chastening us with illness, he'll make it unmistakably clear. But we need to view sickness not as an evil always that comes from the devil. Sometimes it is a gift of God's grace that is brought to us to do us good, to minister grace to us. And we must remember and we need to remember that God always gives us strength to bear it. The promise of God is true and is good that God will never put upon us anything that he does not by his grace enable us to bear. So we need to have a biblical and godly view towards our illness. That sometimes our illness comes, number one,

simply because we're human beings and human beings get sick. Sometimes it comes as a means of discipline. Sometimes it comes as a means of developing us in God's grace to strengthen us, to teach us to trust Him, give us an opportunity to manifest the glory of God. I think some of the greatest witnesses I've ever seen to faith and trust are those who have suffered, and yet in spite of their suffering, they have continued to believe.

Like Job, though he slay me, yet will I serve him. And then we need to remember that whatever God puts upon us, whatever God allows to come into our lives, he gives us strength to bear it. And that Paul says that the sufferings of this present time are not to be compared with the glory that is to follow. And then finally, some suggestions on praying for the sick. I doubt seriously if there is any situation in the life of a believer that is not at once both frustrating and heart-crushing as seeing a loved one, a mother or father, a husband or wife, a son or daughter

going through some suffering of sickness and feeling so helpless. Never, never is our desire to pray and to see God answer prayer as strong as when it comes to this matter of praying for healing. And some, sooner or later, all of us are going to be in this situation. And as I've already said, and I continue to emphasize, I believe that we ought to pray for those that are ill. And I think that many a time God does heal in answer to prayer. So these are just some suggestions.

I'm not saying this is the only way to do it. I don't know if there is just one way to do it, but some suggestions on praying for healing. And the first one is this. I believe that when we approach this matter, the first thing we have to do is to accept the will of God in advance, whatever it is, to recognize and acknowledge that the will of God is always

best, that whatever God has purposed for us, whatever His ultimate will is in this sickness, that His will is always best. And accepting that in advance, even before we know what it is, I believe is one of the conditions for knowing the will of God and for having God to sensitize us to the impression of the Holy Spirit. And at the same time, I don't think that there is ever a situation where it is more difficult to discern the will of God as in the case of healing. Because when I see one of my children on that bed of affliction, and I see them suffering, I cannot imagine that it would be God's will for them not to be healed. I so desperately myself want them to be healed that it makes it that much more difficult to discern the will of God.

It is such a subjective matter. It is almost impossible for us to be objective when a loved one is involved in this. And so many a time we're going to come away convinced that it is God's will for this person to be healed. We just have no doubt about it whatsoever. And yet eventually the outcome reveals that it was not God's will. And we sit back with absolute shock and amazement. We were so certain that it was the God's will, and we sat back with absolute shock and amazement. We were so certain that it was the will of God. So we need to understand that when it comes to discerning

God's will in relationship to the healing of a loved one, that we're not objective, that we're so subjective and impossible not to be that way. And I think this again makes it necessary that even before we approach the matter of prayer, that we accept the will of God, whatever it is. Understanding that in the viewpoint of the Christian faith, that there are some things that are better than being healed, and that for the Christian, suffering for the glory of Christ are going to be in the presence of Jesus. From the biblical standpoint, Paul said that is far

better. And of course, it is difficult for us to accept that, and yet many a time we must. So first of all, there must be an acceptance of God's will in advance. Secondly, I believe that there ought to be a seeking of God's guidance, a waiting upon him, allowing the Holy Spirit to speak to our hearts, to give us some leadership and guidance. It's a matter of coming into the presence of God, asking for his direction, asking for his leadership, for him to reveal his will to us and to show us what is the proper way to pray. Waiting, seeking, allowing God to impress us as to the direction we should pray. And then number three, I think we should always pray in the direction of our burden and pray to relieve our burden. I don't know that we always can accurately ascertain the will of God in every situation. Sometimes, as I've already said,

because our own human feelings are involved, it is difficult for us to be objective. And I think that what we must do is to pray in the direction of our burden and pray to relieve our burden. And if I have a loved one that's sick, I want to pray for them and pray that God would heal them. But in the process of praying for that, I must be sensitive to the Holy Spirit. And if suddenly God seems to take away the peace, the liberty that I have in praying for that person's healing, then I need to be honest with myself and back off from it. And if I cannot know what is the right way to pray, if I have no sense of direction, if I cannot discern whether this is God's will for this person to be healed or not,

I think I ought to pray that God would take this illness and use it for his glory, that God would use this to accomplish whatever purpose he has in mind, that he would make his presence especially known to the suffering person during this time. I think we ought to pray for what we know is God's will. And I always can know that it is God's will that he be glorified in an illness and that it accomplish whatever ministry it has. And so there are times when I think we will just not know for certain what is the will of God. So we pray in the direction of our burden and pray to relieve our burden. Now, number four, I said earlier in a message about this matter of holding fast your confession, and it may have seemed at that time

that I did not believe in holding fast your confession, but I believe there are occasions when we do, so to speak. I think sometimes as we're praying, God gives us a word. He speaks to our heart and gives us the assurance that this person is to be healed. Maybe not right now, but God is going to work a miracle in this situation.

And I think at that moment, we agree with God. We claim that on the basis of what He has spoken to us. And then as time passes by, we will find our faith sagging, and the devil will come and whisper words of doubt into our ears. And at that time, we need to shore up the walls of our faith by reminding ourselves of what God has promised and making confession of our faith to him and to ourselves. In that situation,

I think it is right and good when God has given us a specific word that this is his will. Now, these are just some suggestions on praying for those that are sick. And as I've already said, this isn't the only way to do it. And I think when you don't know what else to do, just go ahead and pray. I've always felt like you just shoot down the hole and if the devil's there, you'll get him. And if he's not, you've not wasted anything. I think we always ought to pray to relieve the burden that is upon our heart and trust God in the midst of that praying.