TEXT: Numbers 23:19
TITLE: GOD DOES NOT LIE
SUBJECT: HEALING
No special healing evangelist has been called in tonight to pray for the sick. I am here as a messenger to deliver the Word of God. My assignment tonight is not to try and explain to you why some ore healed and some or not. My assignment is to deliver the Word and let you take action upon the Word. You are the recipient who will hear the Word of God. What you do with that Word will be up to you. You can let the Word pass through your brain or you can choose to believe it and act upon it.
The one thing I invite you to do tonight is listen, hear, take to heart what God’s Word, not mine has to say about healing.
Context: Balak the king of Moab sought Balaam out to curse Israel. This verse comes in the midst of his second prophecy to bless Israel and not curse them. Balak thought that God would change His mind if he kept on but God was determined not to curse but bless Israel.
It is in the context of this story that God lets Balak know that He is not about to reverse His Word. Balak thought that if Balaam would look at things from a different vantage point that God would change His mind.
So it is with us, God is not going to reverse His Word about healing. I know we can’t believe what God has said at times but we need to accept that God has not lied and God is not going to change His mind on what he has said. No matter from what vantage point you look at His Word what He has said will not be changed.
The NIV reads: God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man that he should change his mind.”
The Contemporary English Version (CEV): “God is no mere human! He doesn’t tell lies or change his mind. God always keeps his promises.”
If God didn’t mean what He spoke through His Word, then He wouldn’t have said it.
If God didn’t mean what He said, then He wouldn’t have preserved it in His Word which we call the “Holy Bible.”
Why would God tell us something that He didn’t mean?
Why would God want to lie to us? What would He have gained by lying to us?
Not only that, but when God tells you something He doesn’t change His mind and say, “I didn’t really mean it.”’
God means every word that is in the Bible.
Here is one way to express faith: Faith is expecting God to do what you know He has said in His Word that He will do. Faith is believing that God did not lie.
God has never asked that we exercise faith for something that He has not promised to do for us in His Word.
Always remember: God never asks us to believe He will do something for us unless He first promises to do it. Because of this fact, Paul has stated, “Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17). Faith does not come by hearing good testimonies or by praying; it comes from hearing the Word of God.
The only way for your child to know that they would receive a new car tomorrow is for you to promise it to them. They believe that you will not fail to keep your word; yet there is the possibility that you could be killed before tomorrow, or that you may have lied to them. But not so with the Lord.
Before any of us can have faith for the healing of our body, we must be rid of all uncertainty concerning God’s will in the matter. Appropriating faith cannot go beyond one’s knowledge of the revealed will of God.
Before attempting to exercise faith for healing, we must know what the Scriptures plainly teach; we need to know that it is just as much God’s will to heal the body as it is His will to heal the soul…It is only by knowing what God promises what you are seeking that all uncertainty can be removed and a steadfast faith is made possible.
His promises are each a revelation of what God is eager to do for us. Until we know what God’s Word says about a matter, there is nothing to base our faith on.
In the parable of the sower Jesus showed us that the Word of God is the seed. It is the seed of divine life. Until the person seeking healing is sure from God’s Word that it is God’s will to heal him/her, he is trying to reap a harvest where there is no seed planted. It would be impossible for a farmer to have faith for a harvest before he was sure the seed had been planted. What we want to do tonight is plant the seed of God’s Word in your heart, water it and watch it grow before we leave here.
It is not God’s will that there be a harvest without the planting of the seed – without His word being known about a matter, including healing, and acted upon. Jesus said, “You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” Freedom from sickness comes from knowing the truth. God does nothing without His Word.
Psalm 107:20 says, “He sent forth his word and healed them…” These are the words of the Holy Spirit. All His work is done in faithfulness to His promises.
For each sick person to know that it is God’s will to heal him is the “seed” which is to be planted in his mind and heart. And it is not planted there until it is known and received and trusted. No sinner can become a Christian until he knows that it is God’s will to save him. It is the Word of God planted and watered and steadfastly trusted, which heals both soul and body. The “seed” must remain planted and be kept watered before it can produce its harvest.
For one to say, “I believe the Lord is able to heal me” before he knows from God’s Word that He is willing to heal him, is like a farmer saying, “I believe God is able to give me a harvest, without any seed being planted and watered.” God can’t save the soul of a man before the man himself knows God’s will in the matter, because salvation is by faith that is, by trusting the known will of God. Being healed is being saved in a physical sense.
God’s Word does not leave a person in uncertainty or doubt about how He feels concerning our healing. I am going to read several scriptures here and I want you to let the seed of that Word get not just into your mind but also into your spirit.
II Kings 2:21 – “Then he went out to the source of the water, and cast in the salt there, and said, "Thus says the LORD: ’I have healed this water; from it there shall be no more death or barrenness.’" God healed water in the O.T.
Healed: A primitive root; properly to mend (by stitching), that is, (figuratively) to cure: - cure, (cause to) heal, physician, repair, X thoroughly, make whole.
Notice verse 22: “So the water remains healed to this day, according to the word of Elisha which he spoke.” When God does something He does it throughly, completely.
and cast the salt in there; which was an unlikely means of making bad water good, since that makes it brackish, and not so drinkable, and what makes ground barren; but this method, contrary to nature, was taken, that the miracle might appear the greater; or, as the Jews express it, be a miracle within a miracle.
Psalm 107:20 – “He sent His word and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.”
He sent his word, and healed them,.... It was his will and pleasure they should be healed, and accordingly they were; he issued his orders for the removal of the affliction, and it was done; diseases are his servants, which come and go at his command; so Christ, in the days of his flesh, healed by speaking a word, Matthew_8:3.
He sent his word, and healed them - He did it by a word; it was necessary for him merely to give a command, and the disease left them.
And delivered them from their destructions - From what would have destroyed them, if it had not been checked and removed.
Isaiah 53:5 – “But He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.” It is by His stripes we are healed.
Malachi 4:1-2 – “(1) For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, and all the proud, yes, all who do wickedly will be stubble. And the day which is coming shall burn them up," says the LORD of hosts, "That will leave them neither root nor branch. (2) But to you who fear My name the Sun of Righteousness shall arise with healing in His wings; and you shall go out and grow fat like stall-fed calves.”
Matthew 4:23 – “And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people.”
All:
Thayer Definition:
1) individually
1a) each, every, any, all, the whole, everyone, all things, everything
2) collectively
2a) some of all types
healing all manner of sickness, and all manner of disease among the people. It is in the Greek text, "every sickness and every disease"; that is, all sorts of maladies, disorders and distempers, which attend the bodies of men. It doesn’t matter what it is the Lord can heal it. It is just as easy for Him to heal a headache as it is a brain tumor; it is just as easy for Him to heal the common flue as it is for Him to heal cancer; it is just as easy for Him to heal a broken leg as it is for Him to heal a person of Aids.
Matthew 4:24 – “Then 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.”
Matthew 8:13 – “Then Jesus said to the centurion, "Go your way; and as you have believed, so let it be done for you." And his servant was healed that same hour.” (Do you believe – say it with me – “I believe!”)
Matthew 8:16 – “When evening had come, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed. And He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick.”
Matthew 12:22 – “Then one was brought to Him who was demon-possessed, blind and mute; and He healed him, so that the blind and mute man both spoke and saw.” What I want us to notice is that no matter what kind of sickness or disease it was or what kind of healing the person needed Jesus healed them. No matter what you need healing of Jesus is here to heal you today.
Matthew 9:35 – “Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.”
Mark 5:34 – “And He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction." (Say, “I have faith.)
Mark 6:5-6 – “(5) Now He could do no mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them. (6) And He marveled because of their unbelief. Then He went about the villages in a circuit, teaching.” (Say, “Unbelief be gone – I want my miracle tonight!”)
Mark 6:13 – “And they cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick, and healed them.”
Luke 4:40 – “When the sun was setting, all those who had any that were sick with various diseases brought them to Him; and He laid His hands on every one of them and healed them.”
Luke 9:6 – “So they departed and went through the towns, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere.”
Luke 9:11 – “But when the multitudes knew it, they followed Him; and He received them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who had need of healing.”
Acts 5:16 – “Also a multitude gathered from the surrounding cities to Jerusalem, bringing sick people and those who were tormented by unclean spirits, and they were all healed.” The healing of all continued even after Jesus ascended back into heaven.
Acts 10:38 - "how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.”
Acts 14:9-10 – “(9) This man heard Paul speaking. Paul, observing him intently and seeing that he had faith to be healed, (10) said with a loud voice, "Stand up straight on your feet!" And he leaped and walked.” (Say it with me, “I have faith to be healed!”)
Acts 28:8 – “And it happened that the father of Publius lay sick of a fever and dysentery. Paul went in to him and prayed, and he laid his hands on him and healed him.”
James 5:16 – “Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.”
Now that you have heard all of these scriptures listen to Proverbs 4:20-22 – “(20) My son, pay attention to what I say; listen closely to my words. (21) Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart; (22) for they are life to those who find them and health to a man’s whole body” (NIV).
The same Jesus, who always forgave sins, always healed sickness. It was the same Deliverer who said, “Arise, and take up your bed and walk” (Mark 2:9); and “Take courage, My son, your sins are forgiven” (Matthew 9:2).
The same scripture that says, “who forgives all your sins,” also says, “and heals all your diseases” (Psalm 103:3, NIV).
The same scripture that says, “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness,” also says, “by his wounds [stripes] you have been healed” (1 Peter 2:24, NIV).
Jesus came to rid us of sickness as well as sin. He took our sicknesses as well as our sins; He redeemed us from one, the same as from the other. Jesus Christ always defeated both, while here on earth, and He still wants to do the same today.
Let me remind you again, faith is only believing that God will do what He said in His Word that He would do.
Whenever we are fully convinced that the written Word of God’s revealed will to us for everything that He longs to do for us, then we will treasure that Word and stand upon it, fully expecting God to make it good, without wavering, doubting, or worrying. We should be able to sing the words to this song: “Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus, Just to take Him AT HIS WORD; Just to rest upon His promise, Just to know THUS SAITH THE LORD.”
The same commission in which Jesus said, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation” and then adds, “He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved,” also tells us that the disciples would “lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”
As long as it is scriptural to preach water baptism and salvation by believing on the Lord Jesus Christ, it is also scriptural to lay hands on the sick so that they may recover.
There are just two platforms on which to stand: the one is belief; the other, unbelief. Either the Word of God is true, or it is not true. God will either do what He has promised, or He will not. His promises are either reliable, or they are unreliable.
Will you choose to believe that the Word of God is true? Or will you choose to believe that it is false? If you believe that God is truthful, then you need not hesitate to obey and act upon His promises, regardless of whether or not you can see your way through.
The person who prays the prayer of faith calls upon God for what he needs and leaves the result with Him, knowing that, according to His Word, it shall come to pass.
We must believe the Word of God. I want to close with this illustration: Suppose a man, bound hand and foot and cast into prison, were to make an appeal for pardon; and the jailer was to come and present the paper showing that a pardon had been granted. Would he not feel grateful toward those who had granted the pardon?
The jailer reads the pardon, takes off the chains, unlocks the prison doors, throws them open, and says, “You are free; go you way in peace.”
But the man says: “I know the pardon says I am free, and I believe every word of it, but I am in prison.”
“The doors are open. Walk out!” says the jailer.
“I know the doors are open, and I know I would be free it I were out; but I am not out.”
“Well, walk out,” persists the jailer. “Do you not believe that what the pardon says is true?”
“Yes, I believe every word of it, but it seems as if I never will get out of here.”
A pardon would be of no benefit to such a man. By his own choice, he remains in prison instead of acting upon the authority of his pardon.
The Gospel of healing for the body is of no benefit to those who will not act upon it.
The scripture, “I am the Lord that healeth thee,” is of no value to those who will not accept that promise of God and act upon it.
“With his stripes you are healed” is worthless to the one who refuses to believe that all of his sicknesses were put away at Calvary.
Will you choose today to believe God’s Word?
