Or do you not know
that your body
is the temple
of the Holy Spirit
who is in you,
whom you have
from God,
and you are
not your own?
For you were
bought with a price;
Therefore glorify God
in your body
and in your spirit,
which are God's.
1Corinthians 6:19-20
The Reverend Charles Spurgeon delivered a sermon, September 2, 1855, to New Park Street Chapel, Southwark, England; and I quote part:
"Lay aside your prejudices: listen calmly, listen dispassionately: hear what Scripture says; and when you receive the truth, if God should be pleased to reveal and manifest it to your souls, do not be ashamed to confess it. To confess you were wrong yesterday, is only to acknowledge that you are a little wiser to-day; and instead of being a reflection on yourself, it is an honour to your judgment, and shows that you are improving in the knowledge of the truth. Do not be ashamed to learn, and to cast aside your old doctrines and views, but to take up that which you may more plainly see to be in the Word of God. But if you do not see it to be here in the Bible, whatever I may say, or whatever authorities I may plead, I beseech you, as you love your souls, reject it; and if from this pulpit you ever hear things contrary to this Sacred Word, remember that the Bible must be the first, and God’s minister must lie underneath it. We must not stand on the Bible to preach, but we must preach with the Bible above our heads. After all we have preached, we are well aware that the mountain of truth is higher than our eyes can discern; clouds and darkness are round about its summit, and we cannot discern its topmost pinnacle; yet we will try to preach it as well as we can. But since we are mortal, and liable to err, exercise your judgment; “Try the spirits whether they are of God”; and if on mature reflection on your bended knees, you are led to disregard election—a thing which I consider to be utterly impossible—then forsake it; do not hear it preached, but believe and confess whatever you see to be God’s Word. I can say no more than that by way of exordium."
The confusion that abounds and is disconcerting to many in regards to the gift of the Spirit towards healing and is understandable for too often this gift is taught without explanation by means of exegesis, only by a presupposed belief that it is right. This doctrine of healing is rejected outright by some because they are fearful: 1. That to teach that God heals is to admit that these healing crusades, meetings, etc., are not Scriptural; they are not, but to throw out healing is wrong. 2. For some it is that there is a possibility that intimidates them in a fear that their prayers will not be heard by God; they are heard by God. 3. Some had hopes for a healing that did not occur and with their hopes rejected they become troubled and refuse any doctrine that God can or will heal. The Bible is clear and plain: God heals! By means of His infinite wisdom, He chooses to heal some and not to heal others. This may seem unfair and in the natural I will admit that this is unfair. Yet to admit that this is unfair is to remove from God His Sovereignty over all His creation and to make God mutable because any purpose He may have is subject to change; and as the pagan religion teach about their gods is that they do things according to how they feel at the moment. God by His Holiness, and by His Providential care has determined and decreed all things. Because we do not understand does not negate the fact that God has a purpose for everything, controls everything, even those secondary causes. Therefore He may say yes to healing or no to a healing; God is good and all that He does is good, and if we do not believe that fact then we do not believe in the God of the Bible. We must not ever, shy away from prayer to God for Him to heal the sick, to intercede for the afflicted because we do not know God's answer.
Misinterpreting Scripture is the biggest fault for the misuse and wrong practice. One such misinterpreting of Scripture is that to be found in the Book of James: "And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven" (James 5:15). The misinterpretation of this Scripture is that James is speaking of physical ailments that are a result of sin. Here is the problem with this interpretation; the modifier "if" that is misconstrued. This passage of Scripture does not indicate that physical illness is always, or even usually, due to sin.
It is true that God wants us to be well, physically, and of course spiritually and it is only by His will whether or not He intervenes and heals a person. Now put on your thinking cap and listen, or read, carefully: What about the gift of healing? The Bible does not speak of such a thing. Whoa! you may say! Read carefully: the Bible does not refer to "THE gift of healing." The word for gift is in the plural: gifts, and does not have the definitive article "the." There is not a singular gift of healing, rather by being in the plural without the definite article "the" has the suggestion that healing is transient, an occasional gift. This gift can be exercised by any person, according to the will of the Holy Spirit. Only Jesus healed 100% of the time. James exhorts us to call on gifts of healing, to pray for the sick and infirm. We pray with expectancy and with faith, but not presumptuously and arrogantly. God can use us to perform miraculous healing, but this happens only in accordance to His will, His timing, not ours. Miraculous healing does occur, even this fact is noted in medical journals. Here is the core: Gifts of healing present us with a great opportunity to share the Gospel and the mercy of God, our Lord and Savior. We are to be faithful in our exercise of this gift and recognize that any healing is of God, and know that God's purposes will done.
Blessed be the LORD,
Who has not given
us as prey to their teeth.
Our soul has escaped
as a bird from the snare
of the fowlers.
the snare is broken, and we
have escaped.
Our help is in the name
of the LORD, who
made heaven and earth.
Psalm 124:6-8
May the blessings of the Lord be upon you
Richard L. Crumb
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