GOD IS A HEALING GOD
God is a healing God. In fact, He introduced Himself to Moses by saying, “I am the LORD who heals you,” (Exodus 15:26). The Hebrew name used here is Jehovah Rapha — the LORD your Healer. Healing is not merely something God does; it is part of who He is.
God’s Word is His written will, forever settled in Heaven. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8). Since Jesus was God manifested in the flesh and only did the will of His Father, we can be confident that it is still God’s will for you and me to be healed today — just as it was 2,000 years ago.
Some may agree that the Lord heals, but that healing is only for mental and emotional pain and suffering. While that is surely included in God’s redemptive work through Jesus, it is good to examine the scriptures and see that sickness, disease and pains were included in redemption.
Divine healing is an integral part of the gospel. Deliverance from sickness is provided for in the Atonement and is the privilege of all believers (Isaiah 53:4, 5; Matthew 8:16, 17; James 5:14–16). In the Atonement, full provision is made for our physical healing. Jesus paid the price for our physical healing as well as for our deliverance from the guilt, penalty, and power of sin. (Excerpt From Bible Doctrines, Revised Edition P. C. Nelson)
Isaiah prophesied in the Old Covenant exactly what the work of redemption includes in the substitutionary work of Christ. “Surely he hath borne our griefs and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed,” Isaiah 53:4-5.
First, notice the word borne. The Hebrew word for borne is nasa, and means “to lift up, to bear away, to convey or to remove to a distance.” Other translations say:
MATTHEW DIRECTLY CONNECTS ISAIAH’S PROPHECY TO THE HEALING MINISTRY OF JESUS. Jesus Christ is called the Word. “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth,” John 1:14. Jesus came as the Living Word to fulfill the will of God and he never turned anyone away who came to Him for healing. He was fulfilling everything written about Him in the Old Covenant.
When 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: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses. Matthew 8:16-17
Notice the word, took. It is the Greek word, lambano and means “to take, to seize or remove, take (away, up).” Other translations say:
PETER SPEAKS IN THE PAST TENSE — YOU WERE HEALED. Peter looks back to Isaiah 53:4,5 and Matthew 8:16,17. Healing is now a finished work! First Peter 2:24 says, “who 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.” The Wuest translation says, “...by means of whose bleeding stripe* (singular), you were healed.”
F.F. Bosworth says in his book, Christ the Healer, “The atoning death of Jesus Christ secured for us not only physical healing, but the resurrection and perfecting and glorifying of our bodies…. The Gospel of Christ has salvation for the body as well as for the soul.”
Healing is not an afterthought, but the Scripture consistently reveals: 1) God identifies Himself as Healer. 2) Isaiah prophesied that healing was included in redemption. 3) Jesus fulfilled that prophecy. 4) The apostles affirmed it. 5) We receive it through faith.
GOD’S HEALING WORD
This month, for your offering of $20 or more, we want to offer Trina’s book, God’s Healing Word. This is a great resource with testimonies, instruction, scriptures and confessions that will feed your faith about healing. Thank you for your faithful partnership with us. Together we are taking the message of faith around the World. We declare to you our partners the blessing from Philippians 4:19, “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”
In Christ,
Mark and Trina