Does God promise complete healing?
Luke Humphrey
Transcript
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Does God promise complete healing?
Man, this is an important question to answer—and it’s a question that is incredibly misunderstood by Christians across the world today.
There are many churches and pastors who preach that God does promise complete healing in this life. They would teach that if you believe by faith, then you will be healed. But this leads to a whole host of questions and confusion when Christians get sick or even die. Why would a Christian be sick or die if God promises to heal them? And what it often does is point the finger back at the sick or dead person (either explicitly or implicitly) and put the blame on them. They suffered because of a lack of faith—if they would only believe more, then they would have been healed.
God doesn’t promise complete healing in this life. In fact, the overwhelming teaching of Scripture is that Christians will suffer, and this includes physical sickness and physical wounds.
The Apostle Paul experienced a thorn in the flesh sent from Satan to afflict him. He pleaded with God for it to be removed and listen to what God said to him:
2 Corinthians 12:8–9 (ESV) — 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
Paul’s coworker Timothy experienced frequent ailments in his gospel ministry, and Paul doesn’t rebuke him but offers medical advice.
Paul was eventually executed. The Apostle James was killed by Herod. The Apostle Peter was crucified by the Roman Empire. The Apostle John died in exile.
But just because God doesn’t promise complete healing in this life doesn’t mean we are hopeless. In fact, the hope of Christianity is that death and disease have been ultimately conquered through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. One day, we will put off these natural bodies that experience sickness and pain and affliction and we will be clothed with immortal bodies that will be glorious. In this way, death is the pathway to glory. Our complete healing will be experienced in the resurrection and that is guaranteed through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 15:50–57 (ESV) — 50 I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 51 Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. 53 For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. 54 When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” 55 “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” 56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Right now death is still an enemy. But because Jesus has risen from the dead it is a conquered enemy. Christians will experience sickness and suffering in this life—in fact we are promised that we will experience sickness and suffering and persecution. But one day we will stand in the presence of Christ completely freed from sickness and pain in glorified and resurrected bodies:
Revelation 21:4 (ESV) — 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”