## Divine Healing, Part 1

## Isaiah 53:5

Healing. Is it for real and is it for today, or is it something that God did in the past and has now delegated to doctors and health care professionals? There is much confusion over this matter of healing. There seems to be many "healers" today who rival the works that us did while here on earth. Thousands of people are "being healed", yet still there is an abundance of sickness and heartache. We have some of our own folks in the hospitals and in serious condition due to some illness or disease. What about this matter of healing.

Over the next few weeks I want to bring some studies on this very subject. We need to understand what God's Word has to say concerning healing. First of all, God has healed men of physical infirmities in the past, and He does heal today. However the question of men who possess the gift of healing today is another matter entirely, and one that is contrary to the Word of God.

Christ died on the cross for our sins, not for our sicknesses. As believers, we have the promise that one day we will be delivered from the very presence of sin and physical suffering will be done away with when we are transformed into His likeness. God can and does heal, but this does not mean that it is always God's will for His children to be physically well. We will explore some of these areas as we discuss "healing" over the next few weeks.

I. Physical Healing and the Death of Christ.

Why did Christ die? So-called divine healers answer that He not only died for the sins of men but also for the sicknesses of men. For the answer we must turn to our only authoritative source: God's Word.

A. The Possibility of Healing.

1. No true believer in the Bible could deny that God's power extends to His ability to heal the physical body as well as every other area.

2. God is omnipotent...all-powerful.

3. The issue is not can God heal...of course He can, and He does.

4. The issue is does the death of Christ guarantee the complete and present deliverance from all physical infirmities as it does the complete and present deliverance from the penalty of sin for those who receive forgiveness.

B. The Purpose of Christ's death.

1. Christ died to pay sin's wages and to make it possible for you and I to be forgiven and be saved.

2. Luke 19:10, "For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost."

3. The blood of Christ is never referred to as a sickness cure but as a sin cure.

4. 1 Jn. 1:7, "The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin."

5. Paul's testimony is that God made Him to be sin for us, not sickness. cf 2Co. 5:21

Conclusion: 1Co. 15:1-4 is generally referred to as the definition of the gospel. Paul makes it clear that Christ died for our sins. He never taught that His death and the shedding of His blood was to take away our diseases. We must be careful not to allow the word of men to supersede the Word of God in our lives. Scripture never guarantees healing as one of the immediate benefits of salvation. Next week we will consider physical healing and the will of God.