Faith vs. Sovereignty
Does this mountain moving faith have to go through Gods sovereign will to be released? This Charismatic thinks so. There are Scriptures to support the power of faith, the power of prayer and the fact that God always has the last say.
There are plenty of testimonies to support miracles as a result of faith backed prayer. My Grandmother was a very godly woman and was healed of cancer in the 60’s and had x-rays to prove it. But I also knew of other godly individuals that weren’t and I do not believe that it was a lack of faith, but an act of Gods will. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and compassion on whom I will have compassion, Ex 33:19.
Maybe, the why some are healed while some are not will never be answered. I was delivered from two addictions. One to tobacco and one to marijuana. I know Christians that wrestled in prayer and deed to get free of these and never could. God has no respect of people. He doesn’t love the godly Christian any more or less than the drunk on the street. He sent His Son to die for both.
I may have been delivered from those two addictions, but He never healed me from bi-polar depression, and I came very close to being suicidal. God is still sovereign and while it doesn’t make sense, it still is His choice and for some reason His answer is sometimes no.
Sin is usually the first suggestion to explain why some suffer until they read Job. Jesus disciples thought that blind man was blind because of sin in John 9:3, but Jesus informed them that God allowed it to manifest His glory. Consider Joni Eareckson. How could she have blessed so many Christians if God healed or didn’t allow her to be crippled?
Without faith it’s impossible to please God, but is there such thing as unrealistic or misplaced faith? I have faith that I can hit a golf ball 500yds, Tiger eat your heart out, ha, not!!! I believe Thomas Miller will go to the moon in 5yrs is probably unrealistic faith to trust in. If Faith the size of a mustard seed can move mountains, how small must my faith be? Faith is only as good as the object it is placed in.
Now, we can never go wrong with trusting Jesus. Yet, did Jesus in Matt 7:7 really say ask me anything and it will be done? Does one scripture make a doctrine or do we look at what the whole bible says about faith related issues. Take James 4:2 for example. Plenty of Charismatics love to quote the ask part and it will be done, and leave out the right motives bit. James 5:13 doesn’t say one word about Gods will. It looks like if you’re sick have the elders anoint you and you will be healed. My wife has suffered from many health issues and has been prayed over by several elders and has never been healed. It’s a terrible thing to suggest that she doesn’t have enough faith, that healing is within your grasp if you pray the right way or believe and not doubt, when sometimes God say’s no.
We will probably never have this question answered this side of Heaven. Why do some get healed and some not? Faith is very important, but there is no special formula, it is up to God’s sovereign will not just our faith. Faith without works is dead concerning salvation and faith without sovereignty is also dead concerning healing and other matters of the subject. God must approve it or it won’t be done. It’s as simple as that.
