DIVINE HEALING
by Ken Bell
DIVINE HEALING
A PROVISION OF THE ATONEMENT OF CHRIST
S
ICKNESS, physical limitations, and demons, this power was limited to the was bruised for our iniquities; the chas-
terminal illnesses are blights upon early church and is not applicable today. tisement for our peace was upon Him,
the human race. The Bible admon- Those who hold this view believe the gift and by His stripes we are healed” (NKJV).
ishes us to pray for the sick. Occa- of healing was merely a temporary sign to After Christ’s suffering, Simon Peter
sionally, the sick are miraculously restored establish the authority of the apostles. wrote, “He himself bore our sins in his
to health, oftentimes to the amazement own body on the tree, so that we might
of those healed and those who prayed for
Confidence in Divine Healing
die to sins and live for righteousness;
the healing. On other occasions, the sick The Church of God teaches that the by his wounds you have been healed”
are not healed and live a life of pain and healing of our body by divine intervention (1 Peter 2:24, NIV). As Christians, we have
suffering or soon pass away. is provided for the believer through the the privilege of seeking God for divine
There are two opposite views in atonement of Christ. The death of Christ intervention in our trials, our sufferings,
regard to divine healing. First, there atoned for humanity’s sin and its conse- and our diseases.
are those who believe the sick should quences. We also believe it is the nature
be healed each and every time they are of God to heal. He is called “the Lord who
The Causes of Sickness
prayed for. If healing does not come, heals you” (Exodus 15:26, NKJV). To understand why some are healed
blame is placed on the lack of faith on Healing is accomplished through the but others are not healed, we need to con-
the part of the sick individual or on the sufferings and sacrifice of Christ. He bore sider briefly the causes of sickness. To say
part of those who prayed for the sick our sicknesses in His own body, and by that sickness stems from the original sin of
person. On the other hand, there are the stripes He suffered we are healed. Adam and Eve is biblical, but to say that
those who believe that even though Jesus Isaiah 53:5 gives us a prophetic picture of sickness is always the result of a suffering
healed people and gave His apostles the Christ’s suffering and its significance: “He person’s sins is not scriptural. Sickness or
power to heal the sick and to cast out was wounded for our transgressions, He physical limitations can be caused by sinful
8 EVANGEL • FEB 2010
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