Divine Healing

Opening illustration: Tuesday night encounter with a runaway 11 year girl, the police in our neighborhood had been searching for her. Karen is able to locate the girl and cares for the soul. What I got from that incident was that this young girl, her mom and the family needed some serious emotional and spiritual healing in their dysfunctional lives. The answer is not found with the doctors, psychologists or shrinks but with God alone!

Introduction: The lame man who begged for alms was commanded by Peter and John to walk in the name of Jesus. Peter wanted to make that point clearly and quickly before there were any false assumptions. The manifestation of God's power was not a sign of his personal godliness. The healing was the result of God's purpose in His timing by means of faith in Jesus's name, a faith that comes through Him. That passage contains many implications. But if it says anything, it is that the miracle was not about Peter or about promoting his spirituality. It had to do with God and His purposes.

What does divine healing entail?

1. Not a sign of Personal godliness (v. 12a)

What is personal godliness? Personal godliness is first determined by our relationship with God and our relationship with mankind as stated in the Great Commandment of Jesus Christ. It is a response in obedience out of a committed love for God, man, and God’s purpose for man. It is the result of the Holy Spirit working in and through the life of the believer as the believer grows more Christ-like in his behavior and character. Personal Godliness is the willing spirit of the believer to be used, guided, and empowered by God’s Holy Spirit.

Peter refutes that this could play a role in the person who is the vehicle from whom God worked to accomplish this healing. The reason is simple … the credit will be given to the person’s godliness rather than to God himself.

2. Not about the person whom God uses (v. 12b)

What about the person who was God’s vehicle to carry out the healing? Yes, God used him in a mighty way just because he was humble and open to what God wanted to get done. We must also understand that these things are not possible without fasting and prayer as mentioned in Matthew 17: 21 and Mark 9: 29. Above all these things are only possible with God’s grace and mercy upon our lives, operating our gifts in love and for the edification of the church and the glory of God. No credit can be given to us … it is the mere mercy of God who found us capable and gave us the privilege to exercise the gift of healing in faith.

Obviously we also know that in Matthew 10: 1 it says, “And when He had called His twelve disciples to Him, He gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease.” Therefore God has not withheld that power from his people and each one of us can be instrumental in fulfilling that role. Jesus also mentions in John 14: 12 that “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.” Thus assuring us and validating the contemporary manifestation of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Here also letting us know that it is not about us but is all about God the Holy Spirit.

Therefore under no circumstances it is about the person whom God used as a vessel to impart healing upon another soul. I know many of you are inquisitive to know how does it work … God knows! When it works? I have no idea … but I know that it is God’s discretion depending on our faith, the faith of others and sometimes none of the above … it is his mercy alone!

3. It is all about God, His purpose and timing (vs. 13-16)

If you keenly scrutinize the passage, you will see that divine healing is all about the Great Yahweh Rapha our Healer – God Himself! Wherever Jesus went, He ministered with compassion and healed the sick. Christ’s example showed an interconnection with salvation as many believed following their healing.

But when God begins to work powerfully in a people, they begin to see things they have not seen before. We begin to see people we haven’t seen before. We begin to see issues we haven’t seen before. And we come out of a sense of complacency and “business as usual” to get really on with the work the kingdom is about. The church is not a museum. It’s a lifeguard station. In that lifeguard station, we have a responsibility before God and the community to take our perch and see who’s in trouble. If we don’t see that, then we have a responsibility to wait on God until He begins to show us who’s in trouble, and to ask God to put the ministries and more important than the ministries, the heartthrob of people among us whom God will raise up to minister to the community.