All the evils suffered by humanity are the consequence of sin and man’s revolt against his Creator. Since sin entered the world, God has subjected man to what the apostle Paul calls “the bondage of corruption” (Romans 8:20-21), which results in death, natural disasters or disease.
Romans 8 : 20-21 « 20For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, 21Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. » KJV
Sin and disease both have the same origin: Satan. The Bible presents illness as an oppression of the devil (Acts 10:38) and as to be healed and destroyed by faith, prayer and special gifts (Mark 16:17-18; James 5:15)
Luke 13 : 16 « 16And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day? » KJV
Acts 10 : 38 « 38How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him. » KJV
Mark 16 : 17-18 « 17And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; 18They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. » KJV
James 5 : 15 « 15And 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. » KJV
From the day our two ancestors, Adam and Eve, chose to disobey God, Satan thus became «the god of this world». It is no longer God who reigns on earth since the day Adam gave his authority to Satan.
The Christian does not escape the human condition and, therefore, the disease. It is the lot of all earthly life, by definition ephemeral, precarious and perishable. The body we currently possess deteriorates over the years with, as a result, the appearance of pathologies. Paul, in 2 Corinthians 4:16, formulated it as follows: «our outward man perish».
2 Corinthians 4 : 16 « 16For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. » KJV
As long as we «inhabit» this corruptible body, we will experience all kinds of suffering, diseases and death. But one day, God will wipe away every tear, make every disease disappear and eliminate until death. The Lord Jesus “will change the body our vile body, to it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body” (Philippians 3:20-21).
Philippians 3 : 20-21 « 20For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: 21Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself. » KJV
God allows sickness
We often have a responsibility in the evils that strike us (because of overexertion, lack of body exercise, sleep, etc.) and sometimes it is enough to put a little order in our lives to regain health. But we must also know that God allows sickness.
Philippians 2 : 27 « 27For indeed he was sick nigh unto death: but God had mercy on him; and not on him only, but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow. » KJV
The best known example of a man declared upright by God Himself, who experienced the worst misfortunes, is undoubtedly that of Job.
Job 1 : 8 « 8And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? » KJV
Unfortunately, far too many Christians believe that God has a plan of salvation for them through illness. In the Scriptures, the disease is never presented as a blessing from God. They never taught that God wanted to use it to transform a person’s character, or produce repentance. But He can use illness to allow the believer to observe a time of meditation and spiritual inventory; and the consequences of this time would be eternal for his soul. God never reveals Himself in our diseases. To say that He can make a person sick and then cure him, is a counter-truth.
The Healing Ministry of Jesus Christ
Jesus Christ is God. His earthly ministry was the will of God in action. It was God doing everything Jesus did.
Psalm 107: 20 says: «He sent His Word and healed them». The Word that’s spoken of under the Old Covenant, that was proclaimed by the prophets, came under the New Covenant in the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the Word of God, the Living Word.
The whole earthly ministry of Jesus was but a demonstration of His infinite compassions to those who suffer. However, Jesus did not heal all the sick, feed all the hungry that he met, and even less raise all the dead during His three and a half years of ministry. His miracles were above all the seal of God on His Messiah, a confirmation of the Father that the Son was indeed He whom the prophets of the Old Testament had announced.
The many healings accomplished by Jesus demonstrate His absolute power over all diseases – whatever they may be – on the spiritual world and even on death. He also sent His disciples to heal the sick, to raise the dead and to proclaim the good news, thus demonstrating that the kingdom of God had approached men (Mark 16:15-20).
Mark 16 : 15-20 « 15And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. 16He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. 17And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; 18They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. 19So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God. 20And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen. » KJV
Every excellent grace and every perfect gift descend from above (James 1:17).
James 1 : 17 « 17Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. » KJV
Diseases and infirmities do not come from Heaven, since there are none in heaven. On the other hand, healing came from Heaven through Jesus Christ who came from Heaven, who took our infirmities and bare our sicknesses (Matthew 8:16-17).
Matthieu 8 : 16-17 « 16When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick: 17That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses. » KJV
And since the Lord Jesus participated, as a man on earth, in all the sufferings that are our part here below, He can help us in full knowledge of our situation and our difficulties.
Isaiah 53: 4-5 and 1 Peter 2: 24 teach us that our healing is intimately linked to what Jesus paid for. The healing has already taken place, two thousand years ago, at Calvary; and it is manifested to anyone who believes. It already belongs to us, but we still have to take possession of it.
Isaiah 53 : 4-5 « 4Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. » KJV
1 Peter 2 : 24 «24Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. » KJV
