The Gifts: Healing

Wednesday Evening Bible Study

January 26, 2000

Introduction

A gift of the Holy Spirit is a special ability given to a believer by the Holy Spirit.

It is not a natural born talent, like music is for some people. A person may indeed be "gifted" in music, but it is not part of our list of gifts imparted by the Holy Spirit.

It is not some kind of earned "merit badge" for good Christians. It is a form of "grace". One of the Greek word for "gifts" is charismata, or, "workings of grace".

The purpose of the gifts in the church is to build up the church.

(1 Cor 12:9) … to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;

gifts – charisma – a favour with which one receives without any merit of his own; the gift of divine grace; the gift of faith, knowledge, holiness, virtue; grace or gifts denoting extraordinary powers, distinguishing certain Christians and enabling them to serve the church of Christ, the reception of which is due to the power of divine grace operating on their souls by the Holy Spirit. The word here is in the plural form. It’s not a single "gift", but several "gifts".

healing – iama – a means of healing, remedy, medicine; a healing. This word is plural too, literally, "gifts of healings".

We often think of a person who is used to bring healing as having the "gift of healing", and I’m not sure that isn’t possibly the case. But it could very well be that the person who is healed is the one who has received the gift, and the idea that these gifts are plural, many, is that God offers healing to all of us. Possibly even the idea that there are different kinds of healings: Different physical diseases, emotional, social, spiritual...etc.

Why do people get sick?

1. Because of sin

James 5:15 and the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him.

2. To test and purify us

James 1:2-4 Consider it all joy, my brethren, then you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

Job 42:5 "I have heard of Thee by the hearing of the ear; but now my eye sees Thee"

Job said this after his life had been ruined and his body wracked with illness.3. That God would be magnified in our weakness

2Cor.12:7-9 And because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to buffet me - to keep me from exalting myself! Concerning this I entreated the Lord three times that it might depart from me. And He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness." Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may dwell in me.

Paul’s thorn in the flesh was thought to have been an eye problem. Note that Paul did ask God to take away the problem three times. But when God chose to not heal him, Paul accepted it. He didn’t "claim" that he was healed when he wasn’t.

Does everyone get healed?

No. Many people teach today that God will heal everybody, all the time, all they need is faith.

They teach that when a person is not healed, then there is either unconfessed sin in the person’s life, or they lack faith.

When a person says that you lack faith, just say, "Okay, then we’ll use your faith".

Though it could be true that a person isn’t being healed because of their lack of faith or because of unconfessed sin, it could also be that God doesn’t want them healed, or at least not yet.If God heals everybody, and all you need is faith, then why doesn’t Paul just tell Timothy to claim his healing? Instead, he says,

1Tim.5:23 No longer drink water exclusively, but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments.

There is a doctrine that teaches people that they need to believe that they are healed even when they don’t feel healed. This is a damnable heresy that makes people deny reality. They are taught that if they ask for healing and don’t keep confessing that they are healed, then they lose it.

There are no instances in scripture of a person getting "healed" who needed to be talked into believing that they were healed.

Old Testament healings

Abraham prayed and Abimelech’s wife and maidservants were healed (Gen. 20:17).Miriam, Moses’ sister, was healed from leprosy (Num. 12:13-15)Naaman was a Syrian general with leprosy. He finally gave in and went to see the prophet in Israel, Elisha. After dipping himself in the Jordan river, he was healed (2Ki. 5:14)Hezekiah was going to die from a boil. He prayed. Isaiah put a plaster of figs on the boil and Hezekiah was healed (2Ki. 20:5-7)New Testament(Mat 8:16-17 KJV) When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick: {17} That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses.

Matthew tells us that Jesus’ healing was a fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy, quoting from Isaiah 53:4 –

(Isa 53:3-5 KJV) He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. {4} Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. {5} But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

(Isa 53:4 NIV) Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted.

Peter also quotes from this same passage, a little further on (Isa. 53:5)

(1 Pet 2:24 KJV) Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.

I’ve heard it taught that this is only referring to a spiritual type of healing, but I beg to differ. If Matthew saw verse 4 as applying to physical healing, why not verse 5 as well?

I think there is a sense in which the price for our physical healing was paid for when Jesus was whipped by the Roman guards, laying the "stripes" upon His back.

I think this means that healing is available to us, based on the work of Jesus, not upon our own goodness.

I do not think that this means that we are always going to be healed.

(Mat 9:35 KJV) And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.

There were some times when Jesus healed all that came to him.

Jesus didn’t heal everyone. We know that sometimes it was because of a lack of faith. This is what happened when He went to His home town of Nazareth (Luke 4:16-27). He even commented to the people that even in Elisha’s day, only one leper was healed, not all of them.(Luke 5:12-26 KJV) And it came to pass, when he was in a certain city, behold a man full of leprosy: who seeing Jesus fell on his face, and besought him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. {13} And he put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will: be thou clean. And immediately the leprosy departed from him.

We might look at this and draw the conclusion that Jesus wants us healed. But the lesson is that we need to be willing to submit to His will.

{14} And he charged him to tell no man: but go, and show thyself to the priest, and offer for thy cleansing, according as Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them. {15} But so much the more went there a fame abroad of him: and great multitudes came together to hear, and to be healed by him of their infirmities. {16} And he withdrew himself into the wilderness, and prayed. {17} And it came to pass on a certain day, as he was teaching, that there were Pharisees and doctors of the law sitting by, which were come out of every town of Galilee, and Judaea, and Jerusalem: and the power of the Lord was present to heal them. I like this concept. God’s power was present to heal.

{18} And, behold, men brought in a bed a man which was taken with a palsy: and they sought means to bring him in, and to lay him before him. {19} And when they could not find by what way they might bring him in because of the multitude, they went upon the housetop, and let him down through the tiling with his couch into the midst before Jesus.

God can use you to bring healing to your friends. The paralyzed man had no way to get to Jesus except to have his friends carry Him there.

{20} And when he saw their faith, he said unto him, Man, thy sins are forgiven thee. {21} And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, Who is this which speaketh blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone? {22} But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, he answering said unto them, What reason ye in your hearts? {23} Whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Rise up and walk? {24} But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power upon earth to forgive sins, (he said unto the sick of the palsy,) I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy couch, and go into thine house. {25} And immediately he rose up before them, and took up that whereon he lay, and departed to his own house, glorifying God. {26} And they were all amazed, and they glorified God, and were filled with fear, saying, We have seen strange things to day.

Sometimes healing is tied to forgiveness. Sometimes our illnesses can be related to sin in our lives (Jam. 5:15)(Luke 6:17-19 KJV) And he came down with them, and stood in the plain, and the company of his disciples, and a great multitude of people out of all Judaea and Jerusalem, and from the sea coast of Tyre and Sidon, which came to hear him, and to be healed of their diseases; {18} And they that were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed. {19} And the whole multitude sought to touch him: for there went virtue out of him, and healed them all.

virtue – dunamis – strength power, ability; inherent power, power residing in a thing by virtue of its nature, or which a person or thing exerts and puts forth; power for performing miracles. Power or ability. Virtue. Jesus promised us power when the Holy Spirit would come upon us:

(Acts 1:8 KJV) But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

Jesus sometimes healed by simply speaking a word, even long distance, as when He healed the centurion’s servant from a distance (Luke 7:1-9) (Luke 8:43-48 KJV) And a woman having an issue of blood twelve years, which had spent all her living upon physicians, neither could be healed of any, {44} Came behind him, and touched the border of his garment: and immediately her issue of blood stanched. {45} And Jesus said, Who touched me? When all denied, Peter and they that were with him said, Master, the multitude throng thee and press thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me? {46} And Jesus said, Somebody hath touched me: for I perceive that virtue is gone out of me. {47} And when the woman saw that she was not hid, she came trembling, and falling down before him, she declared unto him before all the people for what cause she had touched him, and how she was healed immediately. {48} And he said unto her, Daughter, be of good comfort: thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace.

She was healed when she touched the hem of His garment. It was her faith reaching out to Jesus.

(Luke 17:11-19 KJV) And it came to pass, as he went to Jerusalem, that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. {12} And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off: {13} And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us. {14} And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go show yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed. {15} And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, {16} And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan. {17} And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine? {18} There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger. {19} And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.

They were healed in their obedience to Jesus’ command. They took a step of faith and were healed when they obeyed.

(John 5:1-14 KJV) After this there was a feast of the Jews; and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. {2} Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches. {3} In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water. {4} For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had. {5} And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years. {6} When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole? {7} The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me. {8} Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk. {9} And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the sabbath. {10} The Jews therefore said unto him that was cured, It is the sabbath day: it is not lawful for thee to carry thy bed. {11} He answered them, He that made me whole, the same said unto me, Take up thy bed, and walk. {12} Then asked they him, What man is that which said unto thee, Take up thy bed, and walk? {13} And he that was healed wist not who it was: for Jesus had conveyed himself away, a multitude being in that place. {14} Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.

Jesus went to a place where people seemed to be relying on something that bordered on superstition. It’s interesting that He worked a healing there.

He asked the man if he wanted to be healed. Do you want to be healed? Sometimes we can grow quite comfortable in our illness, we can get lots of sympathy for it. There are a few cases where people would actually rather stay ill than face wholeness.

I’m not sure that the man was expecting for Jesus to heal him. It seemed that he didn’t know who Jesus was. I’m not sure this healing was because of the man’s faith, but because of Jesus’ power.

(John 9:1-7 KJV) And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth. {2} And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind? {3} Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him. {4} I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work. {5} As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world. {6} When he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay, {7} And said unto him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam, (which is by interpretation, Sent.) He went his way therefore, and washed, and came seeing.

Talk about an unconventional method of healing!

With all these accounts of Jesus’ healing, what do they have in common? Was there a formula that Jesus spoke to bring healing? Was there a certain thing He did to bring the healing? No. There is no pattern. The only thing these things have in common is that Jesus did the healing.How to receive healing:Notice how many different ways Jesus healed people. Don’t put God into a box to think that He must heal you a certain way. God can do and use anything.

1. Ask God to heal you.

2Cor.12:8 Concerning this I entreated the Lord three times that it might depart from me.

2. Ask someone else to pray for you.

James 5:16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.

3. Laying on of hands

Mark 16:17-18 And these signs will accompany those who have believed: in My name they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues; they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly poison, it shall not hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.

4. Ask for the elders of the church and the oil.

James 5:14 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; and the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him.

elders (pl) - that way you don’t focus on one person being the "healer"