I Believe In Healing

TITLE: I BELIEVE IN HEALING

I came across an article in Christianity today called A SURGEONS VIEW OF DIVINE HEALING

The Doctor who wrote the article had some important things to say, but I believe he represented an extreme view of God and his activity in the world today.

– In that article the author quoted the following story from the Chicago tribune:

“David Gilmore told about an illness of his 15-month old son, Dustin Graham Gilmore, that began in April of 1978. At first the child came down with flu-like symptoms. The Gilmores took him to their church and the pastor prayed for him. Members of that church believed that faith alone heals any disease and that to look elsewhere for help—for example, to medical doctors—demonstrates a lack of faith in God. Gilmore and his wife followed the church’s advice and simply prayed for their son. Over the next weeks they prayed faithfully as his temperature climbed, prayed when they noticed he no longer responded to sounds, and prayed harder when he went blind.

On the morning of May 15, 1978, the day after their pastor preached an especially rousing sermon about faith, the Gilmores went into their son’s room and found his body a blue color, and still. He was dead. Again they prayed, for their church also believed the power of prayer can raise the dead. But Dustin Graham Gilmore stayed dead. An autopsy revealed the infant died from a form of meningitis that could have been treated easily.”

I believe that the reason why the doctor repeated this story was to shock his readers and get them to agree with his attack against those who hold (In His Mind) an unbalanced view of divine healing.

And it works…

The author says, “I believe the time has come to question the extreme faith-healing perspective with its bright promise that "confession brings possession."

However, the author then goes on to place all who believe in healing (basically Pentecostals and Charismatics) “into the category of extremists

He says

“Those who espouse divine healing have grown far more vocal in recent years. Publishers and religious broadcasters parade people before the spotlight to testify of remission from cancer, a lengthened leg, or deliverance from arthritis. One of the largest TV ministries claims to have files bulging with 60,000 reported cases of divine healing.”

Of course you know he is talking about Benny Hinn.

Not only is that statement unfair, but the even bigger problem with the article is that the author admits that for him believing in divine healing would be asking Him to put “…faith in something that ordinarily does not prove true in life.”

A Surgeon’s View of Divine Healing -Do doctors waste their time by doing slowly and painstakingly what could have been done in the twinkling of an eye? By Paul Brand with Philip Yancey | posted 07/10/2003 Christianity Today.com

ANY Extreme view of healing is wrong…

The view that would suggest that a person pray and never take their child to the doctor is an extreme view, and it should be rejected.

Even Jesus sent the lepers to the priest to be checked out (Luke 17:14)

Conversely

The view that would suggest that because we don’t see too many miracles any more

And that we ought to just face facts and accept our sickness

Should be rejected also

Each of these extreme views of divine healing is outside the bounds of sound doctrine

We must allow God’s word to speak

I believe in Healing

Because God declares that he is our healer

Ex. 15:26 says, “I am the God that healeth thee”

If we want to be healed we must move away from the extremes

And move toward GOD

PRAYER

I believe in healing

Because of the Atonement

Because of the nature of God

I. THE ATONEMENT.

The word ATONEMENT literally means PAID RANSOM,

And refers to the sacrifice of Jesus life

to remove sin and bring

reconciliation between God and man

Romans 3:25

God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished--

I LIKE TO PUT IT THIS WAY

• Jesus traded his life for our sins

• So that we might

• Trade our sins for new life

The ATONEMENT is the zenith of the life and ministry of Jesus

It was Jesus’ purpose and aim

To fully understand what Jesus fully did for us through the atonement

we must understand the totality of Jesus’ life and ministry.

I submit to you that ……….

The ministry of Jesus on the earth included a regular healing service.

Matthew 4:23

And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.