Most people know that Jesus is the Healer. He was sent to seek and save the lost of Israel, but, in this, He also brought healing to many, and opened the way for healing to be ministered through the Body of Christ.
All healing comes through God’s provision, naturally or supernaturally. He created all of nature and the way it functions. He set natural healing processes in motion, but we sometimes need more than natural cures for recovery from illness.
Faith moves obstacles
All healing that comes supernaturally from God involves faith; either the faith of the provider or the faith of the recipient. Preferably, both participants will engage in faith, to give and to receive.
Faith is the absolute key. Everything begins with faith in God. Jesus said “Have faith in God (Mark 11:22).” He was talking about faith that moves mountains, meaning obstacles to life, including those hinderances to health that make certain aspects of life prohibitive.
He said we should ‘speak to those mountains.’ He said we should not doubt in our heart but believe (Mark 11:23-24). Faith is of the heart, not the head. Our mind may do summersaults, but our heart can be filled with the Word of Truth and be steadfast and confident in God’s will for healing.
In those times when we need healing to complete health, what we speak out of our mouth will be determined by what we have in our heart (Luke 6:45). We need to guard our heart above all things (Pro.4:23). If our heart is filled with the Word we are more likely to have the faith we need for deliverance.
Sometimes critics claim that it is heartless to imply, even by Biblical evidence, that a person lacks faith and that is why they are not healed. But that is a harsh criticism of truth that is not consistent to Biblical teaching. No one his saying that a person who is not healed has no faith. That is a wrong perception and assertion.
It would be true to say, though, that we do need faith to be healed, either by the giver or by the receiver, especially where medical science has no known cure. Often we can find healing through medical advances, but it is also made available in the Word.
More than medicine
There are also occasions where we need something greater than known medicine can provide. Consider the ministry of Jesus which often defied known medical understanding of the time. Lepers were incurable, yet He healed them.
One leper came and declared, “Lord, if it be your will you can heal me.” These are words of faith. Jesus said, “I am willing, be cleansed (Mat.8:2-3).” This is God’s response to faith. It also determines God’s will to heal. It sets a precedent. If He’s willing to heal one, He’s willing to heal all.
The blind were incurable, yet He gave them their sight. The lame walked. The demonised were set free. It was His call, and is now our, according to His will (John 14:12).
There are Biblical instances where the faith of the recipient was not primarily evident, but the faith of the giver was certainly crucial to the result. There are instances where the faith of the recipient was the main cause of healing.
The reality is that everything in the kingdom of God requires faith. God gives each of us the measure of faith to accomplish this. Faith comes by hearing, as we have already seen. Not only this, but faith can be developed.
The Word cannot fail (Isa.55:11); only our lack of understanding of the Word or doubt in its efficacy can render it inert in our situation.
Unbelief is the enemy of faith
Even Jesus could do no mighty works when the people would not believe. In His home town they could only associate Him as the carpenter’s son, and not the miracle worker.
Now He could do no mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them. And He marveled because of their unbelief. Then He went about the villages in a circuit, teaching.
Mark 6:5-6
Jesus didn’t give up on them. The good news is that faith can be received, it can be added, and it can be increased. When Jesus could do no mighty works through their unbelief He went about teaching.
Like everyone, they could not believe without hearing the Word so He showed them how it worked and how to receive mighty works.
Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God (Rom.10:17). Without faith it is impossible to please God (Heb.11:6). The just shall live by faith (Rom.1:17).
The pattern, then, is for a person in need to hear the Word and believe to the point of acting on it. This applies to every aspect of kingdom living, including healing.
A person might have strong faith to receive Jesus as Lord and be saved, but have no understanding of what is needed for healing. Why? Because they do not hear, or have been talked out of it by poor doctrine or incorrect application of the Word, or because they do not believe or receive the Word or take it at face value.
Mix faith with the Word
There are many applications of the Word of God. All need to be mixed with faith. Israel failed to enter God’s Rest because the people did not mix faith with the Word.
For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it.
Hebrews 4:2
The Word of God is not profitable when it is not received in faith. We have to hear it and then we have to act on the Word for it to have an effect. So, yes, there is a part we have to play which is more than believing. It is receiving. It is acting.
Consider the woman with the issue of blood who was cured because she spoke words of faith. When she came to Jesus she came in faith. She knew exactly how she would receive her healing. She said to herself that she only need touch the hem of His garment to be healed.
Jesus appeared unaware that she had approached Him until she touched the hem of His garment. He asked who had touched Him. She said she had. He commended her faith.
He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction.”
Mark 5:34
The woman’s faith made her well. She was healed of her affliction. Faith plays a part in healing.
We have to decide to agree with the Word of God and act on it. Her action was to press through the crowd and touch Jesus’ garment.
When, after this, a man called Jairus, the ruler of the synagogue, came to Jesus because his daughter was seriously ill, a messenger arrived to tell him she had passed away, but Jesus said “Do not be afraid, only believe (Mark 5:36).” He took Peter, James and John and Jesus raised her from the dead. A key was Jairus’ faith.
There are other instances of people’s faith being commended by Jesus. He also rebuked people for their lack of faith. He wasn’t being angry with them, or ridiculing them. He was highlighting the crucial importance of faith in every situation.
This is not a message designed to condemn people if they aren’t healed, rather to encourage people to turn to the Word and believe God for healing.
We all have a finite time in the earth should the Lord tarry, and we’re all subject to the corruption that is in the earth through sin, including sickness and disease, but we should be able to believe God for a life of health and wellbeing.
Is everyone healed? Evidently not. Many factors can intervene. Is healing still available to us? Clearly, yes. How we access it is of extreme importance and it should never be dismissed as our primary option.
