Evan W. V. Grant
SOME ARGUE THAT SICKNESS IS A BLESSING.
GOD SAYS THAT SICKNESS IS A CURSE (Deut. 28). Jesus was made a curse for us (Gal. 3).
Disease is a curse; health is a blessing. God says He sets before us a blessing and a curse: a blessing if we obey and a curse if we do not (Deut. 28). To say that sickness is a blessing is to say that the Devil blesses you, for he is the author of sickness (Job 2:7; Luke 13:10-16). “The blessing of the Lord, it maketh rich, and He addeth no sorrow with it” (Prov. 10:22). Disease brings sorrow. David said that healing is a blessing (Ps. 103:1-3). “I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth” Jn. 2).
If sickness is a blessing, then Jesus, the Holy Ghost, the Apostles, and the New Testament saints robbed people of their blessings by bringing them healing from God. Doctors, nurses, drug stores, and hospitals are robbing people of blessing by helping them to get well.
If you believe that sickness is a blessing, you will surely pray for a double blessing, for yourself and all your children. I’ll take healing for my blessing. Some argue that David said it was good to be afflicted. God says there is a difference in afflictions and diseases. God wants us to afflict our souls (James 4:9; Lev. 16:29) Samson, Jesus, and Paul were afflicted, but we have no record that they were diseased (Judges 16; Isa. 53; Ps. 119:67; II Cor. 2:4; Heb. 11:25).
Some say that Paul was afflicted. A Bible concordance says that afflictions are adversity, distress, calamity, grief, misery, sorrow, trouble, harm, depression, hurt or hardness. Paul had these things, but we find no mention of his being sick (II Cor. chs. 6 and 11; I Cor. 4:9-17). Paul’s enemies said that his bodily presence was weak, and his speech contemptible (II Cor. 10:10). Neither was true; Paul admitted weakness, in contrast to the power of God manifested through him, but this was not sickness. Some say that Paul had diseased eyes, but God says his eyes were healed (Acts 9).
SOME ARGUE THAT THEY HAVE A MINISTRY OF SUFFERING.
GOD SAID HIS CHILDREN WOULD SUFFER PERSECUTIONS, NOT DISEASES.
Sickness invokes sympathy; healing brings persecution. God’s Word fails to mention a ministry of suffering sickness and disease. There is a ministry of suffering such as Jesus, Paul, Peter, and others had for the sake of the Gospel, but God says He heals all our diseases and let’s no plague come near our dwellings (Ps. 103:3; 91:10). God never told anyone to stay sick in order to have trials, persecutions, or tribulations. The Christians in the early church were persecuted more than any group since, and received more healings. If you think that God gave you your affliction as a ministry, why do you take medicine, or have an operation?
SOME ARGUE THAT IF HEALING IS IN THE ATONEMENT, CHRISTIANS WOULD NOT BE SICK.
GOD SAYS, “ACCORDING TO YOUR FAITH BE IT UNTO YOU.”
Everything we have comes through the atonement, but it must be appropriated by faith. Through the atonement, Jesus purchased deliverance from Satanic oppression, the Holy Ghost baptism, and power to go to sleep in Jesus without suffering the horrors of death (Heb. 2:9; Acts 1:8). But who would dare say that one is not a Christian because he doesn’t have faith to receive the Holy Ghost which comes after conversion (Eph. 1:13) ? No one would brand a man a sinner just because he did not have enough faith to overcome the sting of death. James says a Christian may be sick with or without sin (James 5:14, 15). Paul says there are sick Christians, and some die before their time because they do not discern the Lord’s body which received “stripes’_’ for our healing. God gave Joshua a certain amount of ground for his inheritance, telling him he could have all he put his foot upon. We see that he did not take possession of all his inheritance; the heir does not always claim his inheritance.
SOME ARGUE THAT IF HEALING WERE REAL, ONE COULDN’T DIE.
GOD PROMISED US HEALING AND LONG LIFE HERE, NOT GLORIFIED BODIES.
Healing only restores one to normal for his age (Mk. 16:16, 17). As our fall was both spiritual and physical, so is our redemption. Since our inheritance is both spiritual and physical, we can receive the earnest of our inheritance here. If the body had not been included in the atonement, there would be no resurrection.
All the New Testament saints who received healing are now dead. As long as the Church is here, the gifts are here. It takes the parts to make the whole; gifts of healing are part of the Church (I Cor. 12).
You do not have to be sick and suffer to die. Jesus tasted death for us (Heb. 2:9). We can live out our lives and then go to sleep in Jesus.
Some folk do not live out half their days (Ps. 55:23);
we can lengthen or shorten our days according to the way we live (Eph. 6:3).
SOME ARGUE THAT SATAN DID NOT MAKE THEM SICK.
GOD SAYS THAT SATAN IS THE AUTHOR OF SICKNESS (Deut. 28; Job; Acts 10:38; Luke 13:16).
Jesus cast out the spirits with His Word and healed all that were sick. There is a vast difference between devil-oppression and devil-possession. Jesus was oppressed of the Devil for us (Isa. 53:7) ; the children of Israel were oppressed (Ex. 3:9). Sickness is oppression of Satan.
Get rid of your spiritual pride; discern the spirits and call them by name and you can cast them out with the anointing of the Holy Ghost through the Name of Jesus. Jesus gives you power over ALL the power of the Devil (Luke 10:19). You are the temple of the Holy Ghost; take possession for God!
SOME ARGUE THAT A MERCIFUL GOD SHOULD NOT PERMIT SICKNESS.
GOD SAYS THAT WE HAVE OUR CHOICE (Deut. 28).
If God robbed us of our power to choose between good and evil, we would be machines and not men. Man’s choosing to fall brought on sin and sickness; yet, God provided His Son as a remedy. After man chooses sin and sickness, God is merciful to bring salvation and healing (Isa. 53:5). Mercy is healing; healing is mercy (Matt. 15:22). His mercy endures to all generations (Ps. 136).
After you are saved or healed, you have your choice to accept the enemy back or to resist him (Matt. 12:44; James 4:7). God does not keep you against your will; He promises only to keep what we commit into His hand (11 Tim. 1:12). Commit your body and your way to Him.
SOME ARGUE THAT GOD MAY WANT TO WAIT AND DO A GREATER MIRACLE AFTER THEY GET WORSE.
GOD SAYS THAT NOW IS THE ACCEPTED TIME (II Cor. 6:2). Salvation includes both soul and body. Any of the people who received healing in Bible days could have made the above excuse. A sinner could do the same.
God heals (present tense) ALL our diseases and forgives ALL our sins, regardless of size (Ps. 103:3). He is a present help in time of need. What do you need? NOW is the time, and the only time He has promised to save, fill, or heal. Will you accept Him now?
Lean Not to Your Own Understanding
LEAN NOT TO YOUR OWN UNDERSTANDING
YOU SAY YOU CANNOT UNDERSTAND HEALING.
GOD SAYS THAT WHAT HE GIVES PASSETH ALL UNDERSTANDING (Phil. 4:7).
God does not require you to understand; He told you to receive it. We do not educate ourselves into salvation, nor healing. I don’t understand the resurrection, a born-again experience, or the peace which God puts into my soul, but I must accept these things if I am to be saved. Rabbi Nicodemus stood back and asked, “How can these things be?”, but the simple Samaritan woman merely said, “Give me this water.” Accept healing in simplicity.
I do not understand all about my car, radio, electric lights, or recording machine. People use thousands of things they do not understand, yet, when they come to God’s house, they refuse deliverance on the basis that they must understand it all before accepting it. He would not be God who knew no more than a man.
I don’t understand how a black hen can eat yellow corn and lay white eggs, nor how grass of the same pasture can produce feathers on a goose, wool on a sheep, bristles on a hog, and hair on a cow. I would be foolish, however, to refuse to sleep on a feather bed, wear wool clothing, eat pork, or drink milk. I don’t understand sunshine, but I know that it is essential to life, and I benefit from it; just so with healing.
The people of the early church did not have to educate themselves before receiving healing; when they knew it was God’s will, they believed and received. You help your child even before he has perfect under-standing of how or why you feed him; healing is the children’s bread.
YOU SAY, “I JUST CAN’T KEEP MY MIND ON THE LORD.”
GOD SAYS, “COMMIT THY WORKS UNTO THE LORD, AND THY THOUGHTS SHALL BE ESTABLISHED” (Prov. 16:3).
It is with the heart that a man believes unto righteousness (Rom. 10:10). Faith works through the soul (Ps. 103:1-3). Simon received nothing from the Lord by believing with his mind when his heart was not right (Acts 8). You will find Him when you search for Him with all your heart (Jer. 29:13). Your mind hopes; your heart believes.
It is not necessary for you to see a vision, a ball of fire, or a light to receive healing. You don’t have to fall in a trance; some seek feeling instead of healing. Your mind may wander, but God is able to do more than you think (Eph. 3:20).
YOU SAY, “GOD HEALS ANYONE WHO GETS WELL.”
GOD SAYS THAT HE HAS SET SPIRITUAL GIFTS OF HEALING IN THE CHURCH (I Cor. 12:9).
Any honest doctor will tell you that he cannot heal anyone. He only protects you while nature heals; it is God Who directs nature but that is natural healing. Some testify thus: “I went to the doctor and was operated on, but I believe it was God who healed me after all.” A bootlegger or drunkard could testify like that.
You may be too lazy to confess your sins, or fail to take time to pray through. You may risk dying before your time; but God will give divine deliverance to all who are in earnest and diligently seek Him (Heb. 11:6).
YOU SAY, “IT IS TOO SIMPLE AND EASY TO BE TRUE.”
GOD SAYS THAT IT IS THROUGH GRACE AND NOT OF WORKS. IT IS ALREADY PAID FOR (Isa. 53:5).
You cannot pay for your healing by being good, working long, yelling, crying, jumping, screaming, nor begging. It is done. The prophets of Baal cried aloud, did penance, and worked long, but Elijah simply stood on God’s promises. The Pharisee’s many words and long praying got him nothing, but the publican’s heart-cry received the promise (Luke 18:10-14). Many people today make long prayers; but the Apostles spoke the word, and people were healed.
Faith accepts healing at a command, a word, a touch, a look or a promise. If you were on an operating table, you would not try to operate on yourself. You would only hinder a dentist by trying to help him pull your teeth. You hinder the work of God by trying to help him heal you. You would not work long hours, trying to earn your inheritance; healing is your inheritance.
YOU SAY THAT THE REASON YOU ARE NOT HEALED IS THAT YOU ARE AFRAID.
GOD SAYS, “PERFECT LOVE CASTS OUT FEAR” (I Jn. 4:17).
Be anxious for nothing; cast ALL your care upon Him (I Peter 5:7). Faith drives out fear as light drives out darkness. Worry and fear cause sickness and disease.
Common expressions are “I have just worried myself sick,” and “He was scared to death.” Those statements may be true, sometimes.
Many times when God appeared to people, He said, “Fear not.” He still does. Fear produces poison in the body and affects the bloodstream. Worry causes loss of weight, disturbed sleep, and cancer; it reduces our strength as a battery’s energy is depleted by a short circuit. Ninety percent of our troubles are borrowed. Cross the bridges when you reach them, and then burn them behind you. Seventy per-cent of sickness is caused by emotional disturbances. Physicians tell you to get rid of your worry, fear, and resentment, to sing and be happy, and to listen to music or be in good spirits. God tells you to delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart. Rejoice evermore, and be content in any state. Murmuring and complaining cause sickness and disease, and become the greatest of sins. The joy of the Lord is your strength. Get the victory and stay full of the Spirit, and there will be no room for fear, worry, or complaining.
Fear is believing the devil; faith is believing God. Terrible fear has been known to bring complete paralysis and death. Contentment and cheerfulness tend to your physical well-being, aid digestion, quicken the mind, and strengthen the heart.
Be filled with the Spirit, speaking to yourselves in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord (Eph. 5:18-20).
YOU SAY, “OH, MY FAITH WEAKENS WITH MY BODY.”
GOD SAYS YOU CAN BE STRONG WHEN YOU ARE WEAK (II Cor. 12:10).
When Paul’s body was weak from fasting, he was strong in faith. It was when Job was nearly dead that he said, “I know you can do everything.” To the weak, dying, and diseased, Jesus said, “Great is thy faith.” If a dying woman with an issue of blood can press through and receive healing, so can you.
True faith will grow on trials; the trying of your faith is more precious than Gold. Faith is what is left after feelings are gone.
God said, “The prayer of faith shall save the sick.” If you do not have faith, just get the unbelief out of your heart and we can pray the prayer of faith for you.
YOU SAY, “I HOPE I WILL BE HEALED”
GOD SAYS THAT FAITH, NOT HOPE, BRINGS THE VICTORY.
Wait until your hope grows to faith to be prayed for. I can build hope; only God’s Word can bring faith. Lies build hope; truth builds faith.
Hope is in the future; faith is present.
Hope works through the head; faith through the soul.
Hope has enthusiasm: faith is calm.
Hope is a failure at present; faith possesses. Hope is human reason; faith is divine revelation. Hope wavers; faith is a creative force.
Hope has no present blessings; faith receives.
Hope believes symptoms; faith believes only God’s Word.
Hope struggles; faith rests assured.
Hope grabs for a straw; faith is anchored in the rock. Hope hopes it will be done; faith says it is done. Hope may deceive; faith will never.
Hope may be disappointed; faith cannot.
Hope begs; faith takes.
Hope may turn to discouragement; faith is courage in action.
Hope tells what the doctor says; faith what God says.
Lean Not to Your Own Understanding 11
Hope says, “I am trying to believe”; faith says, “God says.”
Hope says, “I ZIT feel any better”; faith says, “I am healed.”
Hope says what the preacher says; faith says what God says.
Hope is changeable; faith is unchanging. Hope desires; faith trusts.
Hope is desires; Faith trusts
CORRECT YOUR WAY OF THINKING
SOME SAY, “GOD HAS DONE ENOUGH FOR ME.”
GOD SAYS HE WILL WITHHOLD NO GOOD THING FROM THEM THAT WALK UPRIGHTLY (Ps. 84:11).
I asked a woman who had one eye burned out if she wanted healing. She said she was so thankful to God for leaving her sight in one eye that she vowed to Him she would never ask Him to heal the blind eye! She would have been doing God a favor by allowing Him to heal the eye, for He would have been greatly glorified in the healing.
In Bible days, Jesus never turned anyone away, telling him he had received enough. His promises are not modified by what He has already done for us. He delighteth in mercy (Mi. 7:18). The ones for whom He does the most love Him most (Luke 7:43). God is ever saying, “Ask of Me,” or “Ye have not, because ye ask not.”
Suppose a sinner would not ask for forgiveness because God had been good enough to him. That attitude keeps many from receiving the Holy Ghost. Suppose a mother would tell the Lord she wouldn’t ask Him to save the rest of her children because He saved part of them. Suppose you would say that about your food, water, sunshine, and eye-sight. Suppose your boy would eat no more bread because you had been so good to him. He would die!
And you will die without spiritual bread. Healing is the children’s bread (Matt. 15:26). Ask Him for bread; He will not give you a stone (Luke 11:10). Jesus is the Bread of Life. Don’t be satisfied because you ate last year; eat daily.
YOU SAY, “THEY HEALED EVERYONE IN BIBLE DAYS.”
JESUS SAYS, “ACCORDING TO YOUR FAITH BE IT UNTO YOU” (Matt. 9:29).
In one place Jesus could not do many works because of their unbelief (Matt. 13:58). Elisha could have laid hands on Naaman all day and he would have received nothing as long as he was in disobedience and unbelief (II Kings 5). Everyone in the New Testament who received healing had to obey God. Read Acts 4:9, 10 and see that faith is required. Everyone Peter prayed for received the Holy Ghost, as far as we know, except Simon. Peter could have laid hands on him all day long, yet he would have received nothing (Acts 8). Ananias could have laid hands on Paul three days before he did with no results (Acts 9). Peter could not bring healing to Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5). Jesus only healed one of the multitude of sick people at the pool (John 5), because the others had their eyes on the pool instead of on Him. Trophimus was left sick, because he disobeyed God (II Tim. 4:16). Yet Jesus heals all who come to Him in faith.
If we could cast devils out of, or heal, people while they are in disobedience we would be greater than God. We would empty out the jails and hospitals before tomorrow. David said if we regard iniquity in our hearts, God will not hear us (Ps. 66:18). God does heal ALL who seek Him with all their hearts and obey His commandments (Jer. 29:13). As many as touch Him by faith are made whole. Many thronged Jesus, but the woman with the issue of blood touched Him. So can you.
YOU SAY, “I KNOW GOD CAN HEAL ME.”
GOD SAYS HE DOES (present tense). See Ps. 34: 19; Isa. 53:5; Ex. 15:26.
A bootlegger knows God can. Modern ministers say that He can if He wants to, but that He doesn’t want to. I would not serve a God who could remove cancer or tuberculosis, and just wouldn’t.
A leper came to Jesus saying, “If thou wilt, thou canst . . .” (Mk. 1:40). Jesus already knew He could. Before He could heal the leper He had to first instruct him concerning His will. How can one have faith for something when he doubts it being God’s will?
Before you are healed you should read His will (Testament) until you can say, “He is willing; He is truthful; He is merciful; He is honest” instead of just saying, “He is able.”
If I promise my wife a new coat for Christmas, and tell her it is paid for, waiting for her at the store, she would only need to go after it. It would look bad for her to go over town saying, “I know he is able, but. . . .” I would rather for her to say, “I know he would keep his word if he were able; but he is broke.”
If you were able to save a man’s life and refused to do so you would be guilty of murder. If you were able to give your children bread and just would not you should go to prison. Healing is the children’s bread. Ask and He will give you bread (Luke 11:11; Matt. 15:26) ; if ye hunger ye shall be filled (Matt. 5:6).
If a rich man says he is able to give me $10,000, I would have no reason to believe that he would. If he says he is willing to give me $10,000 I would be happy and start for it. If he gives me a check for $10,000 I would be happy if I believed him. The rich man can lie; God cannot! I Peter 2:24 is your check. Believe it! Go after it! Cash it in! “With His stripes ye were healed.”
YOU SAY, “I JUST CAN’T GET TO THE HEALING SERVICES.”
GOD SAYS THAT THEY BROUGHT THEM IN THE BIBLE DAYS (Mk. 2; Acts 5).
If you believed that you would get healed by going to the doctors or the hospitals you would manage to get there if you had to travel thousands of miles. If you really believe in your heart that you will be healed, you will get to service if you have to get four men to carry you and let you down through the roof (Mk. 2).
But if it is impossible for you to be brought to the service, God can yet heal you. He says pray one for another that ye may be healed (James 5:16). We can send prayer cloths to you in Jesus’ name for your deliverance (Acts 19:1-6).
YOU SAY, “THAT MINISTER DOES NOT HAVE THE RIGHT GIFT FOR MY DISEASE.”
GOD SAYS THAT HE GIVES THE GIFTS (plural) TO ONE (I Cor. 12:9).
If it were as you say, some would have to die before they found the man with the right gift to heal their diseases. And if you had no Scripture to found your faith upon, you would be as the house built on the sand. You would fall!
Jesus and the Apostles are our examples. We do not read that each of them could only minister to people with certain diseases.
SOME SAY, “I WILL DO MY OWN PRAYING.”
GOD TELLS YOU TO CALL FOR THE ELDERS OR PRAY ONE FOR ANOTHER (James 5:14, 17).
He says, “To another gifts of healing” (I Cor. 12:9).
If you cannot exercise faith for yourself then you should obey the commandment and call for God’s servants.
SOME SAY, “I HAVE FAITH FOR OTHERS, BUT NOT FOR MYSELF.”
GOD SAYS, “NO PLAGUE SHALL COME NIGH THY DWELLING” (Ps. 91:10).
If you are not under condemnation, you have faith (I John 3:21). You mistake feelings for faith. You just shout more when it’s the other fellow who is suffering.
Faith is what is left after feelings are gone. That is why God has to remove feelings to try your faith.
“Thy faith has made thee whole.” If you do not believe God in one case you may doubt Him in another. If you believe Him at all you believe ALL He says. True faith works anywhere. If you have power over the Devil you have power over ALL his power (Luke 10:19).
Think as God thinks; say what God says; talk faith talk.
YOU SAY THE LAW OF AVERAGE PROVES HEALING IS NOT FOR ALL. (A pastor said that when half of the wheel chair cases were not healed.)
GOD SAYS HE WORKS BY THE LAW OF FAITH (Matt. 21:22). The law of the Spirit will make us free from the law of sin and death (Rom. 8:2).
We see some services where all the wheel chair cases or stretcher cases are healed. Some services not one is healed.
But I have seen services where every sinner in the house was saved; other services not one is saved.
Many lepers were in Elisha’s days, but only one met God’s condition and received healing (II Kings 5; Luke 4:27).
Some towns where Jesus went not one was saved healed. In one town Jesus led one man out of town to heal him. There is a condition of faith to meet. Electricity is no good without contact.
And look at the multitude of afflicted people at the pool, all seeking to be healed by God’s power (John 5). Only one man was healed, only after he became willing to get his eyes on the Lord and obey Him; all others were left sick. (Some would have said that that man’s healing was a fake because of the law of average.)
We go by the law of faith instead of the law of average.
This sermon comes from the book “Gift of Faith”
This is copyrighted and may be used for study and research purposes only.
