Did Christ Redeem Us From Our Diseases?-- Part 2

Those who believe in faith healing say it is unscriptural to pray, “If it be God’s will.” Their argument consists of statements such as these: (1) Would a mother say, “Oh God, save my child, if it be Your will”? (2) The argument continues by saying such praying would be in vain in light of II Peter 3:9—“The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance” (NASB). (3) They say that such praying as “if it is Your will to save” would be a slander on God’s love, an arrogant denial of His Word, and an insult to His honor.

Faith healers continue their argument by quoting Matthew 8:16 and 17—“And 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 ill in order that what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, saying, HE HIMSELF TOOK OUR INFIRMITIES, AND CARRIED AWAY OUR DISEASES” (NASB). They say this proves healing is in the atonement. The advocates for healing being in the atonement say that there is no need for Christ and His people both bearing their sicknesses; and therefore, it is unnecessary for Christians to pray, “If it be Your will.” Christ taught us to pray, “Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (Matt. 6:10 NASB). They say that no one can pray the prayer of faith if he adds “If it be Thy will.” They state that God corrected the false theology of the leper in Matthew 8:2—“Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean” (NASB). Christ replied in Matthew 8:13—“And Jesus said to the centurion, Go your way; let it be done to you as you have believed. And the servant was healed that very hour” (NASB).

It is true that every spiritual deliverance comes to the elect from the redemption that was accomplished by Jesus Christ on the cross, but let us not forget that this covers the kingdom which is future. Therefore, we must conclude that the full blessings of Calvary are not yet realized and will not be until it can be said, “It is done” (Rev. 21:6 NASB). If we were enjoying the full blessings of accomplished redemption now, then we would be in the kingdom. Present day conditions do not correspond to the Biblical description of the coming kingdom.

Christ’s redemptive work is absolutely perfect; therefore, the faith healers say, “Since the cause has been removed, the effect has ceased.” This argument appears to be valid to all who follow such teaching. The Biblical answer can be given in one simple question, Has death ceased? Since physical death is a part of the curse, why aren’t faith healers consistent? God did not promise to save His people from death. What about Psalm 23 and I Corinthians 15:20-58? The inspired Word says, “And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment, so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, shall appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him” (Heb. 9:27, 28 NASB). God did not promise to save His people from sickness and death, but He did promise to save them through sickness and death (II Cor. 4:16-5:10).

It has been said, “Either God has the power and does not care, or God cares and does not have the power.” However, there is the third alternative. It must be understood that a superficial inspection of God’s government leads finite minds to make false conclusions, because they cannot comprehend the infinite mind of God. The covenant God inspired Isaiah to write, “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways” (Is. 55:8 NASB). For example, election does not make God a respecter of persons as Arminians charge. They claim that such doctrine as election makes God guilty of injustice in that He gives to equal persons unequal things. However, it must be understood that God is not bound to any person. He alone has absolute freedom. Therefore, no person can go to law with God because He is His own law. Hence, there is no law higher than Himself. God’s purpose of election is not a decree of justice, but a decree of God’s sovereignty. Justice always presupposes debt, but God could not be a debtor to man because man is dependent on God. Thus, the decree is not a matter of right and wrong, because it is God’s free favor. The objector of election cannot understand the methods of providence in all its different instances. Will anyone be so foolish as to say it is unjust for God to determine to save some, when it would have been just if He had destroyed all? (Read Rom. 3:9-20.)

Listen carefully to what Paul said to the Corinthians: “For the word of the cross is to those who are perishing foolishness, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written, I WILL DESTROY THE WISDOM OF THE WISE, AND THE CLEVERNESS OF THE CLEVER I WILL SET ASIDE. Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. For indeed Jews ask for signs, and Greeks search for wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block, and to Gentiles foolishness, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised, God has chosen, the things that are not, that He might nullify the things that are, that no man should boast before God. But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, that, just as it is written, LET HIM WHO BOASTS, BOAST IN THE LORD” (I Cor. 1:18-31 NASB).

A superficial inspection of God’s government leads to false conclusions. Nothing is more natural than the government of the infinite God presenting mysteries to finite minds. Men are in no position to form a correct estimate of God’s proceedings, because finite minds cannot comprehend the infinite mind of God. Let us never forget that God’s ways are not man’s ways. Sinners have no right to favor from God. If the sovereignty of God is classified as partiality, the Bible is full of partiality. Christ said, “All things have been handed over to Me by My Father; and no one knows the Son, except the Father; nor does anyone know the Father, except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him” (Matt. 11:27 NASB). God has the right to do what He desires with His own (Matt. 20:15). All respect for persons is not sinful; if it were, there would be no place for authority in either the assembly or civil government. On the other hand, if the wicked man is great in wealth and exalted in social influence and political power, there is a tendency in all ranks below to overlook the wickedness for the sake of advantage.

When redemption is applied to either soul or body, the Bible teaches that it is complete and forever. Truth promotes conflict between truth and error. When truth appears, error becomes aggressive. That is why Christ said, “Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword” (Matt. 10:34 NASB). The unregenerate want peace at any price. However, peace at the expense of truth is not peace. The idea that Christ’s first advent would bring peace on earth has proved to be false. Furthermore, the following verses concerning peace do not contradict Christ’s statement in Matthew 10:34—“…To guide our feet into the way of peace” (Luke 1:79 NASB). “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased” (Luke 2:14 NASB). “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives, do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful” (John 14:27 NASB). “For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one, and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall” (Eph. 2:14 NASB). “And through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross…” (Col. 1:20 NASB). These verses distinguish between individual and universal peace. There will be no universal peace until the second advent of Christ.

There are some unavoidable conclusions. If sickness, being a part of the curse, is removed through the atonement, then why are not the following all brought to a conclusion: the pain of childbirth, the curse of the creation, subjection of the woman to the rule of man, creation groaning because of its subjection to futility, and even death itself? In other words, why does not Christ’s atonement do for man’s body what it does for his soul? (Study Gen. 3:9-19; Rom. 8:18-23; I Cor. 15:20-57.) By what process do the faith healers exclude the other things mentioned in the curse? Where is there any consistent logic in their teaching? Is salvation from sickness in the atonement in the same sense as salvation from sin? Where is it found in the New Testament? It has been truthfully said that the advocates of such teaching are woefully truants to their so-called “calling” to be preachers, ministers, apostles, and prophets. They have a favorite saying today: “God will heal you wherever it hurts.” Unite that with another of their favorites, “Something good is going to happen to you today.”

If physical healing is in the atonement of Christ, in the same sense as salvation from sin, God must disapprove absolutely the use of any means of any kind other than Christ’s finished work. This brings up several questions. (1) Was Luke wrong in being a physician? Besides Luke being the “beloved physician” (Col. 4:14), he is said to be Paul’s “fellow-worker,” along with Mark, Aristarchus, and Demas (Philemon 24). He was Paul’s personal physician and co-laborer in the Lord’s work, and he is the author of both Luke and the Acts of the Apostles. (2) Will the faith healers say that Christians who suffer from some physical illness are not in proper relationship to God? What about Paul (II Cor. 12:7-12), Timothy (I Tim. 5:23), Trophimus (II Tim. 4:20), Epaphroditus (Phil. 2:25-30), and Gaius (III John 1, 2)? Believers alone know the difference between the transitory state and a blessed eternity for which they were created and the true aim of life in time.

What Moses prayed for was a wise reckoning of time (Ps. 90). There is a limit to man’s days and the uncertainty of life which shall teach us how precious life is. Fear was more justifiable in Hezekiah than in us. Paul gives the answer when he said, “Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, or of me His prisoner; but join with me in suffering for the gospel according to the power of God, who has saved us, and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity, but now has been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death, and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, for which I was appointed a preacher and an apostle and a teacher” (II Tim. 1:8-11 NASB).

Faith healers say, “Living faith makes disease impossible. Living faith will annihilate a cancer, a tumor, or any disease under the sun. Even now it is our right to claim a full and complete deliverance from sin and disease.” If this is true, then how can a believer ever die? Why does a person die of old age? He dies for lack of health. Scripture teaches the body was included in redemption, but it is something for which the redeemed soul waits (Rom. 8:23; 13:11). Redemption is applied to the soul of the elect at God’s appointed time. It is applied to the body when the believer steps out of time into eternity.