By Pastor Mitch Horton | August 2004 | Posted in • Archives | (1) Comments

In last month’s issue, we saw from the Word of God that healing is always the will of God for the believer. Psalm 103:3 declares, “Who forgives all your iniquities, who heals all your diseases.” Jesus said to a paralyzed man, “For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you’, or to say, ‘Arise and walk?’ But that you may know that the Son of man has power on earth to forgive sins - then He said to the paralytic, ‘Arise, take up your bed, and go to your house’” (Matthew 9:5-6).

Both healing and forgiveness are provided on an equal basis by Jesus, and both are received the same way, the way of FAITH. As believers, we know that God forgives our sins through the blood of Christ, and we have the faith to receive that forgiveness. Healing is just as simple to receive as forgiveness of sins!

Simply put, there are three basic reasons that believers are sick. Understanding these reasons will help you to understand how to receive the healing that belongs to you as a Christian. The three reasons are a lack of knowledge, a lack of faith, and disobedience. Let’s examines these three briefly.

The first reason believers may be sick is a lack of knowledge. Hosea 4:6 reveals, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.” Satan takes advantage of many Christians because they have never been taught the simple principles of the Word of God concerning healing. Many times they’ve been taught the opposite, that God wants them to be sick for a reason! And because they have never heard that God always wants them healed, they remain sick, and have no faith for God to deliver them.

I refuse to go to a church that will not teach the simple, clear will of God concerning a believer’s health. I encourage you to find a church that will boldly proclaim the healing power of Jesus! There’s no reason to perish due to lack of knowledge. Become informed! There are many good books, tapes, CD’s and resources that can enlighten you to the principles of God’s Word about healing. Take advantage of them!

The second reason a believer may be sick is because of a lack of faith. Jesus mentioned in various ways that it’s faith that receives from God: “.As you have believed, so let it be done for you” (Matthew 8:13); “.According to your faith, let it be to you” (Matthew 9:29); “.Daughter, your faith has made you well” (Mark 5:34); “.If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes” (Mark 9:23).

We must understand that there are different levels of faith: Great Faith (Matthew 15:28); Weak Faith (Romans 4:19); Strong Faith (Romans 4:20); Little Faith (Matthew 6:30); Shipwrecked Faith (1 Timothy 1: 19-20). What we receive from the Lord is determined by the degree of faith that we are able to exercise.

Faith is like a muscle. I’ll have a hard time lifting 150 pounds over my head if I have not yet lifted 75 pounds. For my muscles to develop as they could, I need to start by lifting 10 pounds repetitively, then twenty pounds, then 40, etc. If I will eat properly and exercise my muscles against the resistance of weight, then they will develop and grow. I will only frustrate myself if I try to lift too much too early.

In a similar way, faith for healing must be developed a little at a time. Start believing for the Lord to heal you from the common cold, or the flu, or a headache. Start with a small, non life-threatening sickness, and exercise faith in God’s Word to heal you from it. As you learn to believe you receive in the small things, your faith will grow to the point that you’ll be able to believe God for a tumor to disappear, or for a heart problem to be corrected.

Many people fail to receive healing because they try to believe beyond their faith. They struggle and struggle just like a person would who tried to lift more weight than they are able to at the moment. Then they quit with the attitude that the Lord will not help them. We must understand that we receive healing according to our faith. We need to regularly practice the Word and exercise our faith so that it will grow.

We need to ask ourselves the question, what can I believe? And then believe we receive according to Mark 11:24. As we do this, and receive in the small things, our faith will grow.

Disobedience is the final reason many do not receive healing. Isaiah 1:19, “If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land; but if you refuse and rebel, You shall be devoured by the sword; for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.” It’s difficult to receive God’s best unless we are following His plans for our lives. If we know that the Lord wants us to do a certain thing, and we refuse, then we compromise our ability to receive His best. We must choose to be willing to obey God! If we purposely refuse and disobey the known will of God as to what we are to do in life, it may eventually cost us our physical health!

In 1 Corinthians 5: 1-5, Paul turned a young man over to the devil because he was persisting in an unrepentant way in a behavior that was causing trouble to others in the church. His unrepentant disobedience opened the door to the enemy to steal his health. We must remember that “the thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy.”(John 10:10). Disobedience can open the door for the enemy to attack us physically. Of course, we also need to remember that there are two times Satan attacks us; when we’re in the will of God, and when we’re out of the will of God! Just because you’re attacked physically is no sign that you’re in sin! Sometimes Satan attacks just because you are humans and live in a fallen world!

We may also disobey the prompting of the Holy Spirit with respect to REST, EXERCISE and DIET, and it may eventually affect us physically. If we overwork, and don’t get the proper rest our bodies need, we may open the door to the enemy to attack. If don’t treat our bodies with care by exercising and eating properly, we can open the door for sickness. I have learned to listen to the Holy Spirit as to what I need to do to cooperate with Him in keeping myself well. I’ve had times that I needed to adjust my diet, that I needed to rest more, or just simply get the needed exercise before a particular symptom of sickness would subside.

God wants us to live in Divine health! He’s provided health for us through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross! And as we hear the Word and develop our faith in God for healing, and as we obey the promptings of the Holy Spirit to make lifestyle adjustments, we can walk in the health that He has promised us!