7-2-23 Kasey Campbell: Willing to Heal

We’re back in our series today, talking about spiritual gifts. We’ve been walking through the gifts of the Spirit in 1 Corinthians. We’ve been talking about it for about 8 weeks now, and I’m in the second half of verse 9. So we’ve made it through 9.5 verses in 8 weeks. Pretty good for me, I think - I’m flying! We’ve covered Paul’s warning and his mandate that everything should be done in love and unity. We’ve talked about the word of wisdom, the word of knowledge, and the word of faith. Last week, Pastor Autumn started us talking about healing and helped us focus on Jesus' mission. He is the One who said that healing is a part of His mission. Luke 4:14-21 NKJV Then Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and news of Him went out through all the surrounding region. 15 And He taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all. 16 So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day and stood up to read. 17 And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written: 18 “The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; 19 To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD.” 20 Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him. 21 And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” Jesus said that part of His mission, His goal, was to preach the gospel of the kingdom and to heal the brokenhearted. And today I want to take a little bit of a sidebar and talk about healing. Healing is the next gift of the Spirit. 1 Corinthians 12:9 NKJV to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit.” I think it’s very important that we understand the biblical basis for healing. Because divine healing is actually a very controversial topic. You wouldn’t think that, because you came to church today; we are at a foursquare church, and one of the tenants is that Jesus Christ is our healer. He’s our Savior, Healer, Baptizer with the Holy Spirit and Soon-Coming King. But the fact that Jesus still heals people today is controversial. A few years ago, my wife and I watched a Christian documentary, and their conclusion was that it’s not always God’s will to heal people. It is always His will to heal people, by the way, even though not everyone gets healed. Not today, but as I preach a few more messages on healing we’ll get into that in more detail; what healing means, its relationship to faith, and why some people don’t get healed. So some don’t believe God wants to heal people. There are other groups in the body of Christ that don’t believe that healing was a provision of the cross. In other words, they don’t think the New Covenant in Jesus’ blood gives us healing. Basically, there’s confusion and controversy about healing because not everyone is healed, so some assume that God doesn’t want to or is unwilling to heal. Because, as they think, God could heal everyone if He wanted to, but he doesn’t. So I guess God just doesn’t want to. Biblical Basis for Healing | 1 That’s just not true. Jesus said part of His mission was to heal, and we are given the gifts of the Holy Spirit, one of which is the gifts healings. Remember this story; Matthew 8:2-3 NLT Suddenly, a man with leprosy approached him and knelt before him. “Lord,” the man said, “if you are willing, you can heal me and make me clean.” 3 Jesus reached out and touched him. “I am willing,” he said. “Be healed!” And instantly the leprosy disappeared. Jesus literally says He is willing to heal. He is also able. He has the power to do it. So when we talk about how ‘gifts of healing’ are given to us by the power of the Holy Spirit, I think it’s worth talking through the different, aspects of healing because we want to build our faith in Jesus and minister to others in a way that lines up with God’s heart and with His Word. Jesus, Paul, and the rest of the early church lived in regular expectation that God could and would heal people’s bodies and their hearts. Healing in its various forms was expected and waited for. And this expectation was based in part on the Old Testament promises that when the Messiah, the Christ, came, He would heal His people. That’s Isaiah 53:4-5 NKJV Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows, Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted. 5 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him.” In the New Testament, this passage is understood both as a metaphor for salvation and as a promise of physical and emotional healing. According to Acts, such healings accompanied Paul’s ministry. Only among intellectuals and in the ‘scientific age’ is it thought to be “too hard” or “too out there” for God to heal the sick, and to do it through His people when they pray.1 We say this a lot, but remember, Jesus heals people; we don’t heal people. But today, I want to dig into the biblical basis for healing. It’s important, and it’s a very important part of the gospel. So let’s pray before we jump in. PRAY So, first, let me start by showing you something that’s in our declaration of faith. If you didn’t know it, we fully believe in divine healing. We believe that healing is such an important part of the Gospel message that we put it in the cornerstone of our founding church and we stand on it. This is from our statement of faith: “We believe that divine healing is the power of the Lord Jesus Christ to heal the sick and afflicted in answer to believing prayer; that He is the same yesterday, today, and forever has never changed but is still an all-sufficient help in the time of trouble, able to meet the needs of, and quicken into newness of life, the body, as well as the soul and spirit, in answer to the faith of them who ever pray with submission to His divine and sovereign will.2” This is a long sentence, but basically, God is all-powerful, and He gives healing in answer to prayer to minister to those who are sick or afflicted. Affliction is a kind of old word, but it means that we are oppressed, we’re put down, we’re troubled, suffering evil, enduring hardship, depressed or downcast. Jesus came to heal the sick and the afflicted. Matthew 4:24 NKJV Then 1 Fee, Gordon D. The First Epistle to the Corinthians, Revised Edition, P658-659. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2014. McPherson, Aimee Semple. “Declaration of Faith.” Declaration of Faith, Los Angeles, CA, International Church of the Foursquare Gospel. 2 Biblical Basis for Healing | 2 His fame went throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics; and He healed them. Jesus is the same yesterday today and forever (Hebrews 13:8), which means He operates the same way now towards people that He did in the Bible. And When we’re in trouble, when we’re sick, when we’re suffering evil, when we’re depressed, Jesus is all-sufficient to help at our point of need. Whether we’re hurting in body, soul, or spirit, Jesus will help as we pray in faith and obedience. He’ll heal us physically, emotionally, and spiritually and He’ll be with us no matter what we go through. And it’s reasonable to expect God to heal us. It is. If we read scripture and just take it at face value, we’ll see that God is interested in our wholeness, our well-being, and our holiness. Holiness has to do with our ‘whole person’ being made whole, by the way, not just staying away from sin. We become whole (and holy) as we stay away from sin, of course, but the goal God has for us is to make our entire selves clean, whole, healed, and in relationship with Him. From the beginning of creation, God has shown His concern and care for the physical and emotional needs of humans. God’s promises to care for us in these ways have always surpassed our ability to receive His promises.3 And I want you to know that God cares about our bodies. Your body, just like your spirit, was made for the Lord. Our bodies are the temple that the Holy Spirit lives in. 1 Corinthians 6:13-14 NKJV Foods for the stomach and the stomach for foods, but God will destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. Paul’s point is that we can’t assume what we do with our bodies doesn’t matter. God sees our bodies as His dwelling place, and we are intended to serve Him through them forever. You’ll get a new, upgraded one at some point, so don’t worry if yours has high mileage on it. God created our bodies as a place for Him to live by the Holy Spirit, and so the Lord, not our own fleshly appetites, should govern the use of bodies. My point is that God cares about what happens to our bodies, and He cares about them being wholly free from sickness and affliction just like He wants our spirits to be free from sickness, affliction, and demonic oppression. The condition of the body affects the soul. Having a healthy body can lead to a cheerful disposition, while being sick can lead to sadness or even depression. Likewise, the condition of the soul and spirit also affects the body. Good news can produce in people a feeling of physical exhilaration, while sad news can lead to physical fatigue. The condition of the soul, spirit, and body are all interconnected. And God has made total and complete provision for all aspects of the human condition and cares about the spiritual and physical health of everyone.4 And to understand divine healing, we need to also understand where sickness comes from. When we know the origin of sickness, it will help us have more faith in God for healing. That may sound strange, but all sickness in the world comes as a result of sin and be traced 3 4 Duffield, Guy P., and Nathaniel M. Van Cleave. Foundations of Pentecostal Theology, P350. Foursquare Media, 2019. Duffield, Guy P., and Nathaniel M. Van Cleave. Foundations of Pentecostal Theology, P353. Foursquare Media, 2019. Biblical Basis for Healing | 3 directly back to the power and influence of satan. So if we understand how complete Jesus' victory at the cross is over satan and sin, it will inspire faith in our walk with God and our prayers. One way sin expresses itself is through sickness in the human body. Now, that doesn’t mean that every time someone is sick, it means they specifically have committed a sin. It just means that without sin in the world, there would be no sickness. Does that make sense? Sickness came into the world through the sin of Adam and Eve. If humans had never sinned, none of us would have ever had to suffer any pain, weakness, death, or disease. Romans 5:12 NKJV Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned.” Just as one man’s sin infected and brought death to the entire human race, it’s also possible for Jesus’ righteous act of living a perfect life and dying on the cross for our sins to bring healing, restoration, and righteousness to all who would put their faith and trust in Him. Adam’s disobedience resulted in all of his descendants being infected with a compulsive, rebellious nature, which caused us to sin. Sin in turn separates us from God. Since God is the source of all life, health, and holiness, separation from Him results in spiritual and physical death. Romans 6:23 NKJV For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. So apart from God, sickness (physical and emotional) is birthed, but connected to God there is life. Jesus came to ‘reverse the curse,’ so to speak. And part of reversing the curse of sin has to do with healing and restoration of our bodies and our spirits. So without sin in the world, there would be no sickness. And some sickness is the result of specific sin. I won’t stay too long on this point, because I think we understand it. Some of the afflictions Christians endure are the result of their own disobedience and sin. In praying for healing, these individuals need to repent. Many individuals have become well the moment they confess their sin and ask God for forgiveness. Others have been healed when they let go of hatred and forgive people who have wronged them. And it’s very important today that we understand the will of God regarding healing. Like I said, we will deal with why some people aren’t healed on this side of heaven, but it’s important that we understand how God feels about healing because it will help us have faith in the Healer instead of the healing. It focuses our faith on God, His heart, and His character instead of whether or not He does something on our timetable. Settle it in your heart today - it is God’s will and His nature to heal. This is an important issue to address because it will influence the manner in which we pray and seek healing. A poor understanding of God’s will may lead some to accept circumstances that are not part of God’s plan. Instead of praying and believing for healing, some might get fatalistic in their thinking, assuming that it is God’s will that they face perpetual misery, sickness, and sadness. Sadly, some people view every state or condition in life as simply the will of God to be accepted. Because of this errant view of God’s will, they do not seek God’s transformational healing. One commentator said, “It is impossible to boldly claim by faith a blessing which we are Biblical Basis for Healing | 4 not sure God offers because the power of God can be claimed only where the will of God is known. Faith begins when we know the will of God.” The flow of God’s healing can be a mystery, but not our instructions from God to pray for healing. James 5:13-15 NKJV Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 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.” One pastor who knew the pain of a lifelong struggle with a physical condition writes, ‘There’s a mystery at the intersection of suffering and healing. It’s a mystery that’s not solved by thinking bad things about God. And this mystery isn’t something that’s solved; it’s lived into. We live into this mystery by holding God as awesome, loving, and kind in our minds, coming to Him always with our requests, and if we don’t receive what we want in our timing or in our way, we count on Him to work it out and make sense of someday.” To embrace God’s will, to embrace His gifts of the Spirit for healing, for miracles, and for ministry, we have to remember the human condition: human frailty, struggles, suffering, sin, pain, heartache, and fragility. To gloss over it cheapens the depth of God’s grace, mutes the power of the cross, and denies the need for the incarnation; God becoming human, like us, suffering like us, feeling the fullness of pain and loss and sorrow and exertion so He could be with us in a relationship. And we’re called to do the same - know, acknowledge, identify, and walk in His power while also embracing His suffering. God is good, and He wants good things for His kids. 3 John 1:2 NKJV Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers. It is God’s desire to heal, and His children should earnestly seek it. Every sincere Christian should want God’s will for his or her life. The Word of God declares that healing has been purchased and promised to every believer. God is unchanging; therefore, believers can and should boldly ask the Lord to heal them on the basis of God’s promises in Scripture and God’s leading through the Holy Spirit. It is not necessary to doubt what God has promised. Just as individuals pray “Lord save us,” they should also pray “Lord heal us.” There is no need to add “if it is Your will.” It is God’s will to save and God’s will to heal. To effectively pray, individuals must exercise the faith they have been given. Healing is a part of who God is. He is The Healer. It’s in His character and nature to heal. He is the Lord, Yahweh Rapha. Exodus 15:26 NKJV and said, “If you diligently heed the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the Lord who heals you.” The same God who healed in the Old Testament is the One who heals in the New. And Healing is not so much an end in itself; it may rather be seen as the appropriation of one more vital aspect of the total victory of Jesus Christ at the cross.” Biblical Basis for Healing | 5 Isaiah 53 is the great atonement chapter of the Old Testament. It teaches that Christ bore our sicknesses and sins on Calvary. Through the eye of prophecy, Isaiah described the events that were to take place on Calvary hundreds of years after he prophesied. Look at it again; Isaiah 53:4-5 AMPC Surely He has borne our griefs (sicknesses, weaknesses, and distresses) and carried our sorrows and pains [of punishment], yet we [ignorantly] considered Him stricken, smitten, and afflicted by God [as if with leprosy]. 5 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our guilt and iniquities; the chastisement [needful to obtain] peace and well-being for us was upon Him, and with the stripes [that wounded] Him we are healed and made whole. The word “borne” is the Hebrew verb nasa, and the word “carried” is the Hebrew sabal. The verb nasa means to bear in the sense of suffering punishment for something. Christ bore the sins of humanity vicariously as a substitute for all humans at the cross. In the same way, He also vicariously bore the sickness of humanity. Matthew confirms this interpretation in Matthew 8:16-17 NKJV That evening many demon-possessed people were brought to Jesus. He cast out the evil spirits with a simple command, and he healed all the sick. 17 This fulfilled the word of the Lord through the prophet Isaiah, who said, “He took our sicknesses and removed our diseases.” The entire wounding or bruising of Christ (including the stripes that were laid on His back, the beatings, the plucking out of His beard, the nails driven into His hands and feet, the crown of thorns placed on His brow and the spear that was thrust into His side were for the purpose of bringing forgiveness and healing to all humans. 1 Peter 2:21-25 NKJV For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps: 22 “Who committed no sin, Nor was deceit found in His mouth”; 23 who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously; 24 who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed. 25 For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls. And I want to close with communion Sunday. That’s what we celebrate today. The Passover and the Lord’s Supper (or communion) both teach that God has made provision not only for spiritual deliverance but also for bodily health and strength. The blood of a lamb, which was slain on the night of the first Passover in Egypt, was sprinkled on the lintel and the doorposts of every Hebrew house. This was to ensure the sparing of the firstborn son of every household, who ultimately represented the entire family. Each family ate the body of the lamb so that they could receive physical nourishment and strength for the journey out of Egypt. The significance of the Passover is carried on for Christians in the observance of the communion. In celebrating the Lord’s Supper, Jesus made a distinction between the bread and the cup that signify His body and His blood. It seems He wanted His followers to realize that there was a difference in the provision made by each. As in the Passover observance, the blood is Biblical Basis for Healing | 6 for the forgiveness of sin and the sparing of life, while the body is for the health and strength of the individual. Paul seemed to have this great truth in mind when he wrote to the church at Corinth. Paul rebuked the Corinthian church for celebrating their feast of the Lord’s Supper in an unworthy manner. It seems some were consuming all the food and drink and leaving others with nothing. Paul warned them: 1 Cor. 11:29-30 NKJV “For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep.” Paul believed that many were weak and sick among the Corinthians because they were “not discerning the Lord’s body.” The sacrifice of the Lord’s body has provided physical strength and healing for humanity. Although healing is provided in the atoning work of Jesus Christ, we still have to appropriate by faith what Christ has made available to us. Biblical Basis for Healing | 7