Question: Why are not more of God’s people getting healing for their bodies? Is it not His will to heal them? In the early days of the reformation they had some really outstanding healing services. Also, I read in the account of S. O. Susag of the miracles God performed at the hands of His servants, such as cancers healed, dead raised to life, insane people returned to their right minds, etc. So many are in need of these same works by the hand of God today. In Isaiah it says, “With his stripes we are healed.” Surely the Lord did not suffer those stripes in vain.
Answer: Of course, the Lord did not suffer those stripes in vain. He never did anything at any time in vain. Those stripes purchased healing for every one who will receive it. We must recognize that there are some conditions to receiving healing, or any other blessing from the Lord, and those conditions must be met. Before considering any of those things, I would first hasten to remove any stigma from God or His Son, Jesus Christ, for having changed His mind or altered His purpose or will. He said in Malachi 3:6, “…I am the Lord; I change not;…” Again in Hebrews 13:8, we read, “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and forever.” We must believe this and stand firmly upon it or we will have no way of knowing where we are. If He were to vacillate or change or waver in any degree from any of His plans, purposes, or promises on any point, we would never know if we could trust Him securely on other points. The Bible says that in Him is no variableness nor shadow of turning (James 1:17). That has to be so in all His plans, purposes, and promises. I believe and teach the people that whatever we read in the Bible that Christ was when He lived and walked among men in this world, He is that now. Whatever the Bible says He did when He was here on the earth, He does that same thing now. If He healed all manner of sicknesses and diseases when He was here, He heals all manner of sicknesses today, too. We see this going on around us and rejoice in it. But I hasten to say that it is not on as big a scale or as general as I would like to see.
I also hasten to add that if we allow the enemy to get our minds on this and our eyes on cases that have not been healed and get to wondering about that, we will rob ourselves of our own personal victories and blessings. I believe and teach the people that if all the cases they know of were not healed and they never knew or heard of anybody anywhere ever being healed, they still have a right to look to God and His Word and be healed of whatever sickness or disease they have if they will earnestly seek Him and believe His promises.
As to the whys and wherefores for any lack along this line of healing, I would say the causes could be as numerous as the cases. Every case is determined upon its own merits. We may not be able to discern the cause in every case. But God, who searches the heart and tries the reins of all, and who works according to certain fixed objectives, will determine what to do or not do in every individual case according to His own will and wisdom and whatever objective He is striving for. God deals with every person as an individual and not according to groups. So I say to every individual saint to just look straight to God and His Word and expect it to be fulfilled and verified to you.
I am reminded of when I was in Junior High school. At one time we had a problem in algebra which was quite complicated and a little tricky. I worked on it until a late hour at night and finally got is solved (so I thought) and came up with an answer. I was eager to go to class the next day because I did not think many would get that problem, and I had it (so I thought). Sure enough, I was called on the next day to work that problem out on the board and explain it to the class. I went forward with all confidence and put the problem on the board and began to explain it. The teacher interrupted me before long and wanted to know where I got all of that. I started over, thinking I might show him a thing or two, and got to about the same point when he stopped me again and said, “Where in the world did you get that?” By that time I began to lose my confidence. Then I discovered that this problem was contingent on the one before it, and we were to take the figure that we got in a certain step of solving that problem before it for a beginning point for this problem. Well, I had not solved the problem before it, so I did not have a proper beginning place for this one; therefore, all my working it out meant nothing.
We may in some sense have a situation like that to consider here. Individuals may have spiritual problems in their lives and the Church may have its problems also. But if we are passing over all of that and trying to solve this problem of healing and miracles, etc., it just will not work; we will not get the right answer. I say that healing and miracle-working power are just natural outflows of a Church in an up-tight spiritual condition, and the problems of lukewarmness, carelessness, indifference, laxity, and shabby living among many professed saints in our time must be solved before we have a proper beginning point to solve this problem. In III John 2 we read, “Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.” We see here that our health and other prosperities are contingent upon our spiritual condition and prosperity.
As to the things that were done in the early days of this reformation: I know of them principally from readings and writings of those early saints and ministers, and by word of mouth from older ministers that I knew in growing up. But along with that, I read in those early writings of the simple, consecrated, dedicated, holy lives those people lived in those days saints as well as ministers. In general they lived really close to God, and God shone forth the perfection of beauty out of Zion through them. In this age of affluence and easy credit when money is of such importance and people have to work all they can (overtime and sometimes two jobs) and in many cases husbands and wives both have to work in order to keep up all their payments and have money for living expenses, God is crowded too much out of too many people’s lives, and many have no time, or very little time, for God. You can see that we have a different situation than prevailed in the early days of this reformation. So we are not seeing healings on as broad a scale as in the early days of this reformation; but we are thankful and rejoice for what we are seeing, and recognize that God is doing a great deal for faithful saints in this day, too.
This may be a little severe, and it is; but you asked the question and I am answering it according to my best perspectives, and I doubt if many, if any, will gainsay it.
