Healing Sickness & Disease

For Christians, sickness and disease should be a sign, more often than not, that something is not right in our walk with the Lord. "And Asa in the thirty and ninth year of his reign was diseased in his feet, until his disease was exceeding great: yet in his disease he sought not to the LORD, but to the physicians" (2 Chronicles 16:12). Unlike king Asa, Christians should pray and enquire of the Lord as to the cause of the infirmity before running to the medicine cabinet, brewing their special herbal remedy, or visiting their doctor. Sickness and disease manifest in a person as a result of curses, sins, satanic attack, chastisement from God, a trial from God, unhealthy living, or natural causes. One easy way for a Christian to get sick is to invite in sickness: to give in to a satanic attack. Every autumn it is reported almost daily that it is flu season, but whose report will you believe? Did God declare it is flu season or man? Evil spirits "market and sell" certain feelings. How often has a feeling of sickness "come over" a person? To which an undisciplined Christian responds with something like "I'm feeling sick ... I think I'm getting the flu." The flu was not real, however, once the Christian agreed with the enemy, permission was granted to that spirit of infirmity and the sickness manifested. When a Christian "buys into" that temptation by agreeing, they open the front door and invite in that evil spirit, giving the spirit full access. This is why we must "Resist the devil, and he will flee from you" (James 4:7); tell that evil spirit to get behind you: "Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me" (Matthew 16:23). In short, whether curses, sins, satanic attack, chastisement from God, or a trial from God, the majority of causes for sickness and disease are spiritual not natural. As such, a natural cure (herbs, medicines, doctors, etc.) cannot combat what is probably a spiritual problem: "For unclean spirits, crying with loud voice, came out of many that were possessed with them: and many taken with palsies, and that were lame, were healed" (Acts 8:7). Just ask the woman who was beset with an incurable disease for twelve years: "And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years, And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse" (Mark 5:25-26). It should be noted that sickness in the children of Christians falls along the same line; however, before children reach the age of reason (eight), God does not impute sins to their account since they have no knowledge between good and evil (Deuteronomy 1:39). Thus, in the case of sickness due to sin, it is, more than likely, the sins of the parents, or generational curses, that cause the child to be sick. "And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth. And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind" (John 9:1-2)? Once the child reaches the age of reason and acquires the knowledge between good and evil, then sins begin to be imputed to their account. The relationship between sin and sickness is solidified in the Old Testament: "Therefore also will I make thee sick in smiting thee, in making thee desolate because of thy sins" (Micah 6:13). "And if ye walk contrary unto me, and will not hearken unto me; I will bring seven times more plagues upon you according to your sins" (Leviticus 26:21). In the New Testament, Jesus also makes a correlation between sin and sickness:

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. 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. 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. And when he saw their faith, he said unto him, Man, thy sins are forgiven thee. And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, Who is this which speaketh blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone? But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, he answering said unto them, What reason ye in your hearts? Whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Rise up and walk? 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. And immediately he rose up before them, and took up that whereon he lay, and departed to his own house, glorifying God. (Luke 5:17-25)

All curses are tied to the law. Even as a New Covenant Christian we can incur the curses of the law when we sin (disobey God) or when we put aside the New Covenant and embrace the law (see "Tithes & Offerings" and "Justified by the law?"). "Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law" (1 John 3:4). "For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them" (Galatians 3:10). "Yea, all Israel have transgressed thy law, even by departing, that they might not obey thy voice; therefore the curse is poured upon us, and the oath that is written in the law of Moses the servant of God, because we have sinned against him" (Daniel 9:11). Of course, punishment for sins from prior generations can be carried forward via a curse: "visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me" (Exodus 20:5). The many "incurable" diseases like HIV, Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), Alzheimer, Asthma, Autism, Bipolar disorder (Manic-depression), Cystic Fibrosis, Dementia, Diabetes, Ebola, Emphysema (C.O.P.D.), Herpes, High Blood Pressure, Infertility, Multiple Sclerosis (MS), Arthritis, Fibromyalgia, Psoriasis, etc. are curses from the Lord.

If thou wilt not observe to do all the words of this law that are written in this book, that thou mayest fear this glorious and fearful name, THE LORD THY GOD; Then the LORD will make thy plagues wonderful, and the plagues of thy seed, even great plagues, and of long continuance, and sore sicknesses, and of long continuance. Moreover he will bring upon thee all the diseases of Egypt, which thou wast afraid of; and they shall cleave unto thee. Also every sickness, and every plague, which is not written in the book of this law, them will the LORD bring upon thee, until thou be destroyed. (Deuteronomy 28:58-61)

"He cast upon them the fierceness of his anger, wrath, and indignation, and trouble, by sending evil angels among them" (Psalm 78:49). Spirits of infirmity are often associated with sickness and disease especially those caused by curses, sins or satanic attack. "And, behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself" (Luke 13:11). "Go up into Gilead, and take balm, O virgin, the daughter of Egypt: in vain shalt thou use many medicines; for thou shalt not be cured" (Jeremiah 46:11; Jeremiah 30:12-15). Of course, an incurable disease—a thorn in the flesh—may also be sent from the Lord as a form of chastisement to keep us from getting too prideful. An example of this is documented by Paul:

And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. (2 Corinthians 12:7-9)

One other avenue through which sickness and disease manifest in a person is through improper participation in the Lord's Supper—communion (see "The Lord's Supper"). First, non-Christians are excluded from participation for they do not discern the Lord's body (1 Corinthians 5:7-11; 2 Corinthians 6:14-18; Exodus 29:33; Exodus 12:48; Ezekiel 44:6-7). Second, Christians in sin should either abstain from participation or repent of their sins before participation. Finally, divisions in the church—differences in belief in the Word of God—may also cause the participants to be deemed unworthy (1 Corinthians 11:18-19). This last case is often ignored, even though it is written: "Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment" (1 Corinthians 1:10).

Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. (1 Corinthians 11:27-30)

Sickness or disease in a Christian should cause that Christian to seek the Lord to determine the true problem. The sickness is not the problem, rather, the sickness is the evidence that a problem exists; hence, "in the day of adversity consider" (Ecclesiastes 7:14). "Our adversities ought always to remind us of our sins, that the punishment may incline us to repentance."²³⁷ Seek the Lord first for all your cares: "The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much" (James 5:16). "Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God" (Philippians 4:6). In addition to prayer (confessing sins), fasting is an excellent means by which health can flourish: "Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the LORD shall be thy reward" (Isaiah 58:8). What's more, anoint the sick with oil (olive oil): "And they cast out many devils, and anointed with oil many that were sick, and healed them" (Mark 6:13). The anointing with oil of a physical object sets aside (consecrates) that object for the Lord's use. In other words, the object is bound to heaven: the kingdom of God is now responsible for the object (Matthew 18:18). The anointing with oil of the sick, preserves the person: they are delivered from the will of Satan. Unlike in the times of the Old Testament, it is not necessary to pour the oil over the head (Exodus 29:7) or even to sprinkle the oil upon the person (Leviticus 8:30): simply dip a finger in the oil and apply the oil to the forehead (or affected area as in John 9:6-7) as you pray for healing in the name of the Lord (Psalm 41:4; Psalm 6:2). Finally, the three key functions of church can be gleaned from Jesus' ministry: "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" (Matthew 9:35). Thus, if you are unable to hear from God or you still need help, then, go to the elders of your church who should have the power to heal (Matthew 10:8; Mark 16:18; Luke 9:2; Acts 10:38) through anointing with oil, laying on of hands and prayer. "Is any sick among you? 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 of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him" (James 5:14-15). An example is given of Paul healing the father of the barbarian chief: "And it came to pass, that the father of Publius lay sick of a fever and of a bloody flux: to whom Paul entered in, and prayed, and laid his hands on him, and healed him" (Acts 28:8).

And when he came to the den, he cried with a lamentable voice unto Daniel: and the king spake and said to Daniel, O Daniel, servant of the living God, is thy God, whom thou servest continually, able to deliver thee from the lions? Then said Daniel unto the king, O king, live for ever. My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions' mouths, that they have not hurt me: forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt. Then was the king exceedingly glad for him, and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no manner of hurt was found upon him, because he believed in his God. (Daniel 6:20-23)

In conclusion, being healed from sickness and disease is a wonderful reward from God for those who obey him. "If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee" (Exodus 15:26). In short, "When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance" (Mark 2:17). To ensure that curses, and sickness and disease caused by sin do not visit again, the warning from Jesus must be heeded: "And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years ... Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk. And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the sabbath ... And he that was healed wist not who it was: for Jesus had conveyed himself away, a multitude being in that place. 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" (John 5:5, 8-9, 13-14). To sin—to reopen the door to darkness—after being healed is to invite in more devils that are worse than the ones that were just cast out (Matthew 12:43-45).

DRAFT V2010-08-13T12:18:24 PM