Sickness IS NOT the will of God for His people

Sickness IS NOT the will of God for His people. IT IS THE WORK OF THE
DEVIL. It is the will of God that His people prosper and be in health — ”Beloved, I
wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul
prospereth.” III John 2. So, God’s people should come to Him for healing, or for
any other need (if they have paid the price for God’s faith) WITHOUT
WAVERING—IN FULL ASSURANCE THAT OUR PRAYERS WILL BE
HEARD AND ANSWERED.
“And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask anything
according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us,
whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of
him.” I John 5:14, 15.
According to the testimony of God Himself, Job was a perfect and upright
man, “ . . . one that feareth God, and escheweth evil.” Job 1:8. No divinity was
attributed to Job. No superhuman perfection was attributed to him. Any Christian
can and should be at least as perfect as Job was, for our opportunities, privileges, and
power are far ahead of his. Jesus left us this commandment to be “ . . . therefore
perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” Matthew 5:48. The
Scriptures, which Job never had the privilege of reading, because he lived before they
were written, were given “That the man of God may be perfect, . . .” II Timothy
3:17.
We may need to say with Paul, “Not as though I had already attained, either
were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which I am
also apprehended of Christ Jesus . . . but this one thing I do, forgetting those things
which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press
toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God . . .” Philippians 3:12-14. Our
goal should be kept before us at all times. PERFECTION IS THE GOAL! NEVER
MAKE EXCUSES FOR IMPERFECTIONS.
God accounted Job as perfect, because he sincerely feared God, and eschewed
(shunned, found no pleasure in doing) evil. However, there were reasons enough in
Job himself for his trouble being allowed to come upon him. God does not submit
His faithful and beloved followers to the tortures of Satan for no better reason than
to merely prove a point to the devil. Job’s faithfulness WAS proved, and Satan’s
boast proved empty, but a far greater issue than that was involved in the trial of Job.
EVEN A PERFECT MAN CAN KEEP GROWING IN FAVOR WITH GOD.
While Job was commended for his fear of God, that was not Job’s ONLY fear.When he found that he was bereft of family and possessions, suffering in body,
scorned by his wife, misunderstood and accused by his friends, he cried out, “ . . . the
thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come
unto me.” Job 3:25.
Fear is not faith. Faith is our protection against sin and sickness. Faith is our
defense when these enemies lay hold upon us. Satan saw it as a hedge around Job,
through which he could not penetrate, but fear, being opposed to faith, makes an
opening in the hedge through which Satan may enter. Job is not to be condemned for
his attitude, for he had not the Scriptures we have today. His knowledge of God and
His dealings with Job came only from oral tradition, and an incomplete direct
personal revelation of God. (The book of Job is generally recognized as the first
written book of the Bible.) Since “ . . .faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the
Word of God,” it is little wonder that Job should have failed to have faith sufficient to
protect him from Satan’s attack.
Having God’s wonderful promises so easily accessible, WE SHOULD GRASP
THEM BY FAITH AND STEP FORTH INTO THE GLORIOUS LIBERTY OF
THE SONS OF GOD.
God did not afflict Job — Satan did, but with God’s permission.
“So went Satan forth from the presence of the Lord, and smote Job with boils
from the sole of his foot unto his crown.” Job 2:7.
In his desperation, Job examined his attitude toward God, and through the
struggles of his soul, he found a new relationship with God. He had feared God; he
had striven to do right; and he had avoided evil. But now, when his wife urged him to
curse God and die (“ . . . Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die.”
Job 2:9), and his friends accused him of every kind of sin (calling them by name), Job
discovered that only one thing remained a firm anchor in his fast changing world. In
his anguish he cried, “Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him . . .” Job 13:15. GOD
COULD NOT DISREGARD SUCH FAITH AS THAT. Immediately God began to
work toward Job’s deliverance. He revealed Himself to Job in such a splash of
splendor as has seldom been equaled in His dealings with any one man. In the light of
this revelation, Job had an opportunity to compare his own righteousness with that of
his Maker, and found himself sadly lacking. He then approached God in a spirit of
true humility and repentance mixed with faith, “Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent
in dust and ashes.” Job 42:6.
Job was even willing to pray for his accusers, and “ . . .the Lord turned thecaptivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends: . . .” Job 42:10.
After Job had repented of his self-righteousness and lack of trust, proven his
humility and forgiveness by praying for his friends, and God sets him free from the
CAPTIVITY OF SATAN, we see Job restored to all his former status, plus even
more than he had at the beginning. He lived another one hundred and forty years, and
there is no record that he ever had another boil to annoy him in all those years.
Student, if you have been down in an ash heap moaning over your fate, and
blaming it on God, or some one else, TAKE ANOTHER LOOK AT JOB —
PLACE YOUR TRUST IN GOD, as Job did, THOUGH IT MAY SEEM TO
LEAD ONLY TO DEATH. Start searching the Scriptures, reading them prayerfully,
and as though you had never heard those explanations men have added by their
traditions. Look to God HIMSELF to find the cause of your sickness, other
bondages, or lack of faith, AND WHEN YOU HAVE FOUND THE CAUSE, GET
RID OF IT. Like Job, you will be set free, for GOD IS THE SAME TODAY AS HE
WAS IN JOB’S DAY.
Some people even say Paul had his own private physician, Luke, who traveled
with him to watch after his health. Luke HAD been trained as a physician, “Luke, the
beloved physician, . . .” Colossians 4:14, but there is as much reason to declare that
Jesus took Matthew with Him as His private tax collector, as to say that Luke was
chosen to go with Paul because of his skill as a physician. There is no record in the
Scripture that Luke ever treated Paul or any sick person in any place that they visited,
in the capacity of a physician. As the author of his writings in the Bible he records
many miraculous healings. NEVER ONCE IS IT MENTIONED IN THE BIBLE
THAT LUKE OR ANY OTHER PHYSICIAN APPLIED ANY MEDICAL AID
AS SUPPLEMENTAL TO THE MIRACLE-WORKING POWER OF GOD. No
doubt, Luke, being a physician, was especially impressed with the ease with which
Christ and His Spirit-filled disciples relieved diseases that the physicians had spent
much time and effort trying in vain to heal. In fact, it is Luke who records that “ . . .a
woman having an issue of blood twelve years, which had spent all her living upon
physicians, neither could be healed of any, Came behind him, and touched the border
of his garment: and immediately her issue of blood stanched.” Luke 8:43,44.
Faithful physicians have relieved much human suffering, but there are many
people in the world today who have never heard or learned of the healing power of
God, who can keep all the physicians busy, fully justifying the existence of physicians
in the world. As Christians, we should know THE GREAT PHYSICIAN, wait at His
feet and find relief, FULL AND FREE, WITHOUT MONEY OR PRICE,
WITHOUT MEDICINE OR SURGERY, that our bodies may be well and strong forHis glory.
If your body needs healing wait upon God — heed His directions and carry out
His commands and you will be healed. If there is ANY need in your life, YOU CAN
HAVE FAITH TO BELIEVE GOD FOR THE ANSWER — WAIT UPON HIM
— WHEN HE SHOWS YOU THE PRICE YOU WILL HAVE TO PAY TO
HAVE THAT FAITH — PAY THE PRICE REQUIRED AND RECEIVE FROM
GOD THAT WHICH YOU NEED. Examine yourself according to the Word of
God. FIND WHAT HE SAYS TO DO AND DO IT. Believe the Word of God
— do not believe the traditions that have been built up around the Bible. As you pay
the price God asks you to pay, the flame of your faith will be made to burn brightly,
no longer wavering, and you may ask God WHATSOEVER HE HAS PROMISED
AND IT SHALL BE DONE UNTO YOU!
Jesus once said to a man whose faith was weak, “ . . . If thou canst believe, all
things are possible to him that believeth.” Mark 9:23.
The man replied, with tears, “ . . . Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.”
Mark 9:24.
Jesus immediately helped his unbelief. His faith sprang up. He received the
faith God gives, and the thing he desired became a reality. HIS SON WAS
DELIVERED FROM SATAN’S POWER.
REAL FAITH WORKS! “ . . .faith without works (faith that doesn’t work) is
dead.” James 2:20. REAL FAITH BRINGS RESULTS, FOR GOD IS FAITHFUL
AND HE HAS PROMISED THIS TO US. Real faith is NOT HOPE — IT IS
REALITY!
Student, if you measured up to all that God requires of you, and your faith is
still weak it is because you have not asked for it- “ . . . ye have not, because ye ask
not.” James 4:2.
Two blind men were sitting by the wayside, and hearing that Jesus was passing
by, began to cry out, saying, “ . . . Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou Son of David.”
Matthew 20:30. They were speaking to the right person, but they had not really asked
Jesus for anything. Jesus asked them, “ . . . What will ye that I shall do unto you?”
Matthew 20:32. When they asked Him to open their eyes that they might see, He
immediately opened their eyes –
“So Jesus had compassion on them, and touched their eyes: and immediatelytheir eyes received sight, and they followed him.” Matthew 20:34.
When you come to God, state your need definitely, God’s promise is, “ . . .
whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in
the Son.” John 14:13.
A man came in the healing line in one of my services who was deaf in one ear,
blind in one eye, and had rheumatism in his knees. As he came, he asked for
deliverance for his ear, which had been totally deaf for a number of years. As prayer
was offered and Satan’s power was broken, he received his hearing. This so inspired
his faith that he had courage to ask for healing for his eye. When this prayer was
answered, his faith was strengthened yet further, so that he asked for deliverance for
his crippled knees and received it. There was no real new need in the man, nor any
new willingness on God’s part to heal Him, but as each need was presented definitely,
God was true to His word, and DID EXACTLY WHAT WAS ASKED IN JESUS’
NAME.
The failure to make a definite request is often due to a lack of faith. When a
person comes to God believing that whatsoever he asks he shall receive, will naturally
ask for the things he desires.
The central secret of answered prayer is PRAYING IN GOD’S WILL. If you
are not sure it is God’s will for you to have what you’re asking, YOU CANNOT ASK
IN FAITH. No one can persuade God to do anything contrary to His will.
People who feel that they should add, “If it be thy will,” while asking God for
something, quote as an example the prayer of Jesus in Gethsemane, When He cried
out in agony of soul,
“ . . . Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my
will, but thine, be done.” Luke 22:42.
Jesus was not praying for something God had promised. He was not praying
with a desire to change the circumstances. Although this prayer was prayed by the Son
of God Himself, IT DID NOT BRING ABOUT THE CHANGE SUGGESTED
IN THE PRAYER. This was never intended to be a prayer to change things. It was
simply the agonizing cry of a struggling soul.
How different was the triumphant prayer at the tomb of Lazarus.
“ . . . Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. And I knew that thouhearest me always: . . . Lazarus, come forth.” John 11:41-43.
It is right that we should be concerned to know the will of God. When we
pray, we should pray in accordance with His will. When we pray, for instance, for
healing, we are praying for that which God has already revealed to be His will. Why,
then, would we say, “If it be thy will?”
We read in James 4:13,15,
“Go to now, ye that say, Today or tomorrow we will go into such a city, and
continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: . . . For that ye ought to
say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.”
In this case, God has not promised, nor revealed His will in the matter, but
God has promised and revealed His will in regard to the healing of His people. WE
NEED NOT SAY, “If it be thy will.” Instead, we should say: “I thank you, Father,
that you have revealed your will concerning this matter in the Word, and I know that I
am asking in your will.”
The “if” in many prayers not only denotes doubt, but it is a loophole through
which many hope to escape any possible charge of unbelief or unconfessed sin. If
healing fails to come, the person who prays thus can always excuse himself by saying
it just wasn’t God’s will to heal him.
A person’s lack in understanding of how God deals in regard to healing is the
cause of many remaining sick. The person who has already set a pattern in his mind
that he feels is the only way God can or will work is in danger of losing confidence.
He may even get the feeling that his prayer has not been heard or will not be
answered when the answer doesn’t come according to his mental pattern. And since
healing can only come by faith, it is easy to see the importance of understanding
God’s methods of dealing, so that faith may not be shaken.
Many people have been heard to remark that if God does the healing, it will be
instantly complete. The fact that this is merely man’s theory, and not God’s constant
pattern, can be readily seen from the fact that Christ Himself did not always heal in
this way. Many times Christ did heal people instantly, and many healings are instant
and complete today, but other patterns apparent today were also apparent in the
ministry of Christ.
A certain nobleman, whose son was sick at Capernaum, met Jesus and
“ . . . besought him that he would come down, and heal his son: for he was at thepoint of death.” John 4:4 7. Jesus said unto him,”
“ . . . Go thy way; thy son liveth.” John 4:50a.
The nobleman believed Jesus and went his way. As he was going down, his
servants met him, and told him his son lived. He inquired of them the hour when he
began to amend. When they told him the hour the fever left the child, the father knew
this was the same hour Jesus had told him his son would live.
Although the boy was truly healed, it was not instantly done, but the fever left,
and he “began to amend”, and was on the road to recovery.
In many cases today, the cause of the disease is driven out, yet some time is
required before normal processes of growth bring about a state of full and normal
well being.
In dealing with people about their healing, we need to know there are two
dangers involved in failure to understand this truth about healing. First, the person
may lose confidence in the healing power of God, due to disappointment in failing to
be made perfectly whole as he had expected. The loss of confidence opens the door
for Satan to return and take possession again of that which had been taken from him.
“When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places,
seeking rest, and findeth none. Then he saith, I will return into my house from
whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and
garnished. Then goeth he, and taketh with him seven other spirits more wicked
than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is
worse than the first . . . .” Matthew 12:43,45.
This also accounts for many who testify at one time to having received a
“partial healing” and then in a little while are as bad, or worse than they were before.
There is the danger of accepting the partial deliverance as being all that God
can, or will do and failing to continue to stand against the devil by faith until the
healing is complete. If Satan cannot prevent a healing altogether, he will back up one
step, and try to hinder a person from receiving ALL that God intended for him to
have. God’s plan for healing is COMPLETE HEALING, whether it be instant or a
convalescent type of deliverance.
Student, in dealing with people for their healing, do not allow them to be
discouraged if they do not receive instant healing, but encourage them to keeppraising God by faith for that which has already been done in their behalf. Encourage
them to praise God, not only for the improvement they may feel, BUT ALSO FOR
THE STRIPES WHICH JESUS BORE AT THE WHIPPING POST IN
JERUSALEM TO PAY THE PRICE FOR THEIR DELWERANCE. Tell them to
keep right on looking to Jesus until the manifestation of their deliverance is complete.
As Jesus entered into a certain village, ten men who were lepers stood afar off
and “ . . . lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” Luke
17:13.
“And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the
priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed.” Luke
17:14.
Jesus did not tell them they were healed right there on the spot, but He did tell
them to go shew themselves to the priest, which they had no right to do UNLESS
THEY WERE HEALED.
As they started to the priest in obedience by faith, doing the thing they could
not do unless they were healed (although as yet there was no outward manifestation
of their healing), THEY WERE HEALED.
The healing of the lepers were not instant healings, BUT THEY WERE
GENUINE HEALINGS BY THE POWER OF GOD. THESE MEN TOOK
JESUS AT HIS WORD, AND IT DID NOT FAIL THEM. They acted their faith,
while it was not yet seen. As a result, in a very short time they SAW WHAT THEY
HAD FAITH TO BELIEVE.
Faith in God is more than faith in His promises. It is also faith in His