One of the great controversies brought to the Church by cessationists is that healing is no longer available to us as it was in the days when Jesus walked the earth, or when His disciples spread the good news as recorded in the Book of Acts.
It’s an incredible thing that even believers would negate the Biblical truth that one of the names attributed to God is Yahweh-Rapha, which essentially means, I AM The Healer. It would be a brave Christian who would state before God that He is no longer who He says He is.
The attribution ‘Yahweh’, or ‘Jehovah’ literally means I AM WHO I AM. In other words it is a continuous, eternal, unchangeable name. His name resides in the past, present and future.
This alone tells us that God is not only the Healer, but that He is willing to heal. Cessationists will tell you that this is dependent on His sovereign will, by which they mean He may heal some people but not others depending on His decision at the time.
But God has declared that He is not a preferrer of persons. He treats us all the same, based on His Word to us. His Word and His Will are established and available to all who will believe. His Will is written. His Will can never counteract His Word, nor can His Word contradict His Will. He is not a man that He should lie, He informs us.
Does the Word of God make provision for healing? This what we should discuss. We should never make up doctrine based on our own limitations or opinion. Doctrine can only be established on what is written in the Word.
We have to face the fact that sometimes our doctrine doesn’t fit with the Word. In this instance it is not the Word that has to be manipulated to suit our doctrine, but our doctrine has to be adjusted to match the Word.
It is surely a huge stretch to deny the character of God as revealed to us so many years ago. God is the Healer. Let’s not lose sight of this. Let’s agree, rather, with the Psalmist who told us to never forget the benefit of God’s healing virtue.
Bless the LORD, O my soul;
Psalm 103:1-5
And all that is within me, bless His holy name!
Bless the LORD, O my soul,
And forget not all His benefits:
Who forgives all your iniquities,
Who heals all your diseases,
Who redeems your life from destruction,
Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies,
Who satisfies your mouth with good things,
So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
Photo: Gerardo Gómez for pixabay
