What the Bible says about Sickness and Healing

Deuteronomy 11:26

            Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse; Deu 11:27 A blessing, if ye obey the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you this day:

Deu 11:28
And a curse, if ye will not obey the commandments of the LORD your God, but turn aside out of the way which I command you this day, to go after other gods, which ye have not known.
 
Deuteronomy 7:15
And the LORD will take away from thee all sickness, and will put none of the evil diseases of Egypt, which thou knowest, upon thee; but will lay them upon all them that hate thee.

This was Gods promise if they obeyed the law.

Deu 28:61
Also every sickness, and every plague, which is not written in the book of this law, them will the LORD bring upon thee, until thou be destroyed.

 

This was Gods promise if they did NOT obey the law.

            Clearly, sickness was part of the curse of the law. It obviously did not start with the law, it started after the fall but it was clearly a result of sin and the curse of the law.

            Galatians 3:13 “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is everyone that hangeth on a tree.

Isa 53:5 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.

            Some people try to say that this just means “spiritual healing”.  The problem is that the verse does not say that. We can’t go adding words to scripture to make it line up with our theology. If Christ did not redeem us from all of the curse of the law then He did not redeem us from ANY OF IT. It’s like when people say the “nice parts” of the bible are from God but the verses that spell out what sin is are somehow just from man. Either it’s all the word of God or none of  it is. Either Christ redeemed us from all of the curse of the law or He redeemed us from none of it.

 

           If Christ did not redeem us from all of the curse of the law then He did not redeem us from ANY OF IT.

Then I turn to the gospels. 
Joh 8:29
And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please Him.
Jesus ALWAYS did the will of the father. So, that being true whatever He did was the will of the Father.

Mat 12:15
But when Jesus knew it, he withdrew himself from thence: and great multitudes followed him, and he healed them all;

Mat 4:24
And his fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatick, and those that had the palsy; and he healed them.

Also note that He healed people with diseases, torments, possessions, and people who were mentally ill.
Mat 12:15
But when Jesus knew it, he withdrew himself from thence: and great multitudes followed him, and he healed them all;

Luk 4:40
Now when the sun was setting, all they that had any sick with divers diseases brought them unto him; and he laid his hands on every one of them, and healed them.

Luk 6:17
And he came down with them, and stood in the plain, and the company of his disciples, and a great multitude of people out of alll Judaea and Jerusalem, and from the sea coast of Tyre and Sidon, which came to hear him, and to be healed of their diseases;

 Luk 6:19
And the whole multitude sought to touch him: for there went virtue out of him, and healed them all. 

 

            Jesus healed everyone time and time again. Only one thing ever hindered Him from healing everyone and doing many mighty works, and that thing is unbelief.

Mat 9:29
Then he touched he their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you. Mar 6:1
And he went out from thence, and came into his own country; and his disciples follow him. Mar 6:2
And when the sabbath day was come, he began to teach in the synagogue: and many hearing him were astonished, saying, From whence hath this man these things? and what wisdom is this which is given unto him, that even such mighty works are wrought by his hands? Mar 6:3
Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him.

Mar 6:4
But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house.
Mar 6:5
And he could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them. 
Mar 6:6
And he marvelled because of their unbelief. And he went round about the villages, teaching.

That is the only thing that ever stopped Jesus from healing anyone, unbelief.
          This is by the way the only thing Jesus is ever recorded as “marveling” at, belief and unbelief.
            I know of no scripture anywhere that says that Jesus refused to heal anyone. Not one verse. Even people who were outside of the fold, foreigners who did not have any part in the blessings of Gods people, they pleaded with Him and He had compassion and healed them. EVERY SINGLE ONE!

Heb 13:8
  Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, and today, and for ever.

            So yes, I believe God wants every christian to be healed and live a healthy life. No, not all of them will but that is not Gods fault. However I do not presume that people who get sick or have diseases or die young are evil or backslidden or have no faith. Here is a question, do you believe God would like us to move on to greater heights of spiritual wisdom and understanding? Of course he does. Then why don’t we fulfill our absolute spiritual potential? Is it because He is holding back? Or is it us ? It is us. So it is with healing.
        But you know what? One day we shall know as we are known, one day we will have new glorified bodies that never get sick ever. So do I magnify physical healing over the rest of the word? Certainly not. Do I condemn myself or others for getting sick ? No I don’t. I just have a problem when people try to spiritualize sickness everytime as if it’s Gods will.
       If it is Gods will then why does He tell us to pray for healing? Why did  Jesus go around healing every person that asked for it? Jesus would have been a renegade against the will of God if that were true.
It doesn’t say “is there any sick among you? let him accept it as the will of God” it says,  

            Jas 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: Jas 5:15 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.

        People love to bring up the record of Job whenever this subject is brought up. They forget one thing. God healed Job!
         Obviously physical health and such things don’t have priority over spiritual things but it is wrong to imply that they are not a part of our redemption. Many people try to spiritualize everything and try to sound so pious as to excuse and cover up their lack of faith. I don’t claim to be a giant of faith but the word is the word. If my thinking or my believing isn’t up to it then I need to change myself, not the word of God.
             Yes there are people who overemphasize healing and prosperity. They elevate that above fellowship with God and holiness and love. But to go to the other extreme is just as wrong. To act as if God is fickle, like “maybe He wants to heal me, his child, maybe He doesn’t” is just as wrong and just as unscriptural.
           

             Again, this is what I believe but I did not die on a cross for anyone. Therefore, anyone who wants to disagree with me, that is their privilege. I welcome dialogue but there is a big difference between a dialogue and an argument, or worse, a fight. I am not interested in having an argument. I believe the bible forbids us as believers to “quarrel”. 

 May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you,

Paul