Chapter 4: What About Healing (Introductory Comments)?

Healing is a major facet (and attraction) of today's Charismatic Movement (CM). Many in the CM believe that modern day Christians should be able to do everything that “New Testament” era believers did during the early days of the church. They believe that following the events of Pentecost every real Christian has access to healing. More than a few believe that healing was an every day occurrence in the early church; therefore, healing should be an every day occurrence in today’s church.

Beloved, there is a need for healing in our fallen world. Many young children are born with birth defects and grave conditions exist among the elderly. Middle-aged people suffer from aches and pains resulting from the corruption of sin and its affects on our world. “Good people” have great needs. There are also many desperate people in desperate situations where modern medicine has run out of answers. Many people today need a miracle. Should they expect one?

Some say that God wants to heal everybody who is sick. Some say that believers in particular should never suffer from illness. Had they adequate faith they could heal themselves, or receive healing from a miracle-working healer. I have been told that as a “Child of the King” I should expect healing as part of my “inheritance.” I have heard people say to those seemingly impervious to a miracle-working healer’s “power” that they (the sick persons) simply did not have enough faith. They say if the sick person had enough faith they would be well. Can this be so? What does the Bible indicate? What is the testimony of Scripture?

These are important questions because the stakes can be quite high. They are important because at least one father in Wisconsin, the state where I reside, faced charges of reckless homicide for “expecting a miracle” and allowing his young daughter to die because he did not seek medical treatment for her. Instead, he expected a healing miracle. In a similar case, a man in Oregon faced similar charges in the death of his daughter. Should they have expected a healing miracle? Did their children die because either the parents or the children lacked enough faith? What about healing? Since our beliefs have consequences, let us look to the testimony of Scripture for our understanding and for the answers to these questions.

PS: We will post again on or before August 27.

As you prepare for this next post, prayerfully examine your beliefs about this topic and their ramifications.