Introduction
For a long time, I have wanted to write about this subject, but time did not permit me. Finally, God has provided me the time and reason to write on this much disputed subject. I am not writing this article to defend the fact that God still heals today but what I write has more to do with progressive learning through word, action and experience. I know many out there believe that healing was done away with after the last Apostle died while some hold onto the belief that God is still in the business of healing. Along the way, I will provide scriptures for your reference and personal experiences that led me to conclude and be fully convinced of the fact that Jesus Christ who never changes, healed in the past, heals in the present and will continue to heal in the future all those who believe his word and approach him with an expecting heart.
The Word of God
What does the word of God say about healing? In Isaiah 53:5, we read:
"But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed."
The 'He" is this scripture is obviously Jesus. We get a very clear clarification of this in 1 Peter 2:24 where Peter looks back at what Jesus did for mankind and quotes the end of Isaiah 53:5 as being fulfilled by Jesus and presents the verse in past tense. Let's have a quick look at 1 Peter 2:24 for clarification:
"Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed."
Please pay attention to "by whose (Jesus) stripes (wounds) you were healed". Now I want to present to you what some theologians and scholars say about this verse. I have read this in some highly rated Study Bibles and Commentaries. Let me say this aloud, "They are dead wrong on what they are saying!". I will fully admit that I am not so smart like them all, but I have really spent a great deal of time on this subject and I have applied what the Bible says on receiving our healing and have experienced personally healing in my body and have witnessed firsthand other people receive healing right before my very eyes.
Before I get off track, let me get back to what some commentators and scholars say about Isaiah 53:5 and 1 Peter 2:24. They say that the healing it's talking about is spiritual healing. Their explanation is that Jesus shed His precious blood, so mankind could be healed spiritually since our problem is spiritual. They go onto saying that God is God and He can heal even today if He chooses to, but it seems to them that after the last Apostle passed away, healings and miracles also ceased to exist. Truthfully, if I was exposed to their interpretation of those verses, I also would have been convinced by their conclusion and gone through life thinking that the God of impossibility is limited. That really would be sad making our awesome God look so unawesome.
First, let me clearly point out that there is no such thing as spiritual healing. And I will prove it to you using scripture. Since mankind is formed in the image of God (Genesis 1:26), we are a triune being just like God is. The God of the Bible is One in Essence (the intrinsic nature) and Three in Person (Father, Son and Holy Spirit). Man (both male and female) is a spirit being who lives inside a body and has a soul. With his spirit, he contacts the spiritual realm. With his body, he contacts the physical realm and with his soul, he contacts the intellectual realm. When a person receives Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, they are born again. The important question to consider here is, what part of the triune being is born again? Is it the body? I have never seen anyone receive a new body when they received Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior. Have you? You might suggest, what about the soul? The word soul is the same word translated as mind in the Bible. They are basically the same thing. Paul writes about what we need to do with our mind in Roman 12:2:
"And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."
He also writes about it in Ephesians 4:23:
"And be renewed in the spirit of your mind...."
So, Paul's take on the mind is to renew it with the word of God. Well, if your mind was born again, there would be no need to renew it. The only part of the triune being we are now left with is the human spirit. But do we have a scriptural basis for this. Let us have a look at 2 Corinthians 5:17, to see what Paul had to say on this subject.
"Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."
This is a very interesting verse. Paul is talking about the person who receives Jesus as becoming a new creature. What exactly is the new creature? Can it be the body or soul? We already ruled those two options out. The only one we are left with is the human spirit. We receive a new spirit when we are born again. The new creature Paul is talking about is the spirit which receives the life of Jesus. In the Greek language, the word for God's life is 'ZOE' and that is what our new spirit is born of; the God kind of life. Now if the spirit is born again of God's life, then there is no need for spiritual healing. Think about it. Why would we need healing for a spirit that is born of God's life? This destroys the assumption that the healing in Isaiah 53:5 and 1 Peter 2:24 is talking about spiritual healing since there is no such thing as that according to scripture.
The real question that proceeds is, what kind of healing is Isaiah 53:5 and 1 Peter 2:24 talking about? I will prove it to you using scripture that those two verses are talking about physical healing. One of the principles that is used when studying scripture is to always look at the verses in context. In other words, it is always important to consider the verses before and after regarding the key scripture of your reference. In the case of Isaiah 53:5, let us see what Isaiah 53:4 says:
"Surely, he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted."
At a first glance, this verse does not seem to have anything to do with physical healing. The Hebrew word translated as 'grief' in this verse is 'choliy' which means disease and sickness. The Hebrew word translated as 'sorrows' in this verse is 'mak'ob' which means pain. If you have any doubts on what I am saying, please feel free to check out a concordance to verify. The words, "disease, sickness and pain' are related to the human body. No person in their right mind would say that their spirit is in pain or their spirit is sick or caught a disease. These conditions belong to the physical body. What will really surprise a lot of people is the fact that since this prophecy was fulfilled by Jesus, Matthew looks back at this event and writes in Matthew 8:17:
"That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses."
I want you to notice that this verse is in past tense and Matthew properly translates the key words into Greek which were accurately translated into the English words infirmity and sickness. Once again, these words describe conditions of the physical body. They have absolutely nothing to do with the human spirit. The conclusion which we draw from this is that Matthew 8:17 is a fulfillment of Isaiah 53:4 and 1 Peter 2:24 is a fulfillment of Isaiah 53:5. The healing in Isaiah 53:5 is a reference to Isaiah 53:4 which is talking about physical problems of the body which includes sickness, disease, pain, infirmity etc. The stripes or wounds of Jesus is in relation to the physical healing of our body. Hopefully this removes any doubt you may have about this subject. Yes, Jesus bled for the remissions of your sins, but he also bled for the physical healing of your body.
My Personal Experience
I would like to briefly share with you my first experience of Jesus healing a problem in my own body. I come from a very strong Hindu background. Someone I knew in my neighborhood gave me a Good News Bible to read as a story book. I loved reading, still do. He advised me to read the Gospel of John. I remember very vividly one particular verse that got framed into my mind. It was John 14:14 which says:
"If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it."
To me anything meant anything. Please keep in mind that I was not a Christian yet. One day while carrying a heavy object, I strained my shoulder. I tried to sleep off the pain only to find out in the morning that it became worse, almost unbearable. I went to take my morning shower and remembered what John 14:14 said. To me anything included healing as well. I took the words of Jesus very seriously. In the shower, I quoted to God what he said in his word and asked him to heal me according to that verse. Instantly, I felt a flow of warm over the region which was in pain and as the warm lifted off, the pain left. I could not believe it. Jesus had answered my prayer so quick. Was this just a delusion? I started to move my shoulders and throw my hands up and down to see if I was really healed. To my surprise, the pain was completely gone, and it seemed like the damage was healed from the inside out. I knew beyond a shadow of doubt that Jesus is real, and the Bible is truly God’s Word. There is a saying that action speaks louder than words. This experience fully convinced me that Jesus Christ is the one and only true living God and the Bible is indeed His Holy Word! I started to read other books of the Bible mostly from the New Testament. Once I completed the New Testament, I read the entire Old Testament although some things were somewhat hard for me to understand. I purchased Bible Study tools such as study bibles, commentaries, bible handbook, bible dictionary and a lot of Christian books on all different subjects to further my knowledge on the word of God. Sometime later, Jesus healed me of migraine followed by many eye witness accounts of people getting healed right before my eyes. What really shocked me at times was the fact that that Bible believing Christians did not believe in healing. Hopefully you see the dilemma here. You see, healing for your body is a gift from God. All an individual really does is believe and receive their healing according to Bible scriptures. They do not lose anything since God did not charge them a penny for it to begin with. Why some folks create such a big issue on something given free is one thing I have a hard time understanding? Is it because they are totally against a God who still heals or is it doctrinal pride? Next time I will ask them.
Healing in the Old Testament
It is very interesting to see that Healing was available to God’s people in the Old Testament. Have a look at Exodus 15:26:
"And said, 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 health thee."
God is saying to His people that He is the God that heals them. But what exactly does He heal them from? God does explain saying that he will not permit any of the horrible diseases to come upon His people that He permitted on the Egyptians. He is talking about physical healing here. As a matter of fact, one of God’s most beloved name is 'Jehovah Rapha' which means 'the Lord who heals'. What a beautiful name, full of promise and favor. Let us look at some more verses in the Old Testament that talks about physical healing:
Psalm 107:20 King James Version (KJV)
20 He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.
Psalm 103:3 King James Version (KJV)
3 Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases...
In the two verses above, notice that God promised his people healing for their physical bodies very clearly in His word. He was their personal healer!
Healing in the New Testament
Now let us consider what the New Testament says about the New Covenant we currently have:
Hebrews 8:6 King James Version (KJV)
6 But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises.
Please note two very important points that the writer of Hebrews is making in the above verse. One, we have a better covenant than what God's people had in the Old Testament. Two, we have better promises as well. If God's people in the Old Testament had healing as a part of their covenant and promise, would not the New Testament believers have it much better than them. Think about it for a moment! We have a better covenant with better promises. Would God exclude healing in the New Covenant which He included in the Old Covenant? That surely does not sound better, does it? Believe me, you don't have to be a genius to figure out that healing is a part of the salvation package believers receive in Christ. As a matter of fact, the Greek word translated saved in Roman 10:9 is 'sozo' which means heal and the Greek word translated salvation in Roman 10:10 is ‘soteria’ means health. If you have any doubts, please feel free to check any concordance for confirmation.
We already have discussed Matthew 8:17 which is a fulfillment of Isaiah 53:4 and 1 Peter 2:24 which is a fulfillment of Isaiah 53:5. I believe I have already done a wonderful job on making my point on those two verses. The Book of Acts has a very interesting verse on the ministry of Jesus. Let us have a quick look:
Acts 10:38 King James Version (KJV)
38 How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.
Notice some key points. One, Jesus did not operate as God on earth. He operated as a regular human being anointed with the Holy Spirit. Two, He went around doing good. The good he did included HEALING! As a matter of fact, healing is specifically mentioned. Now pay close attention to the next two verses from Acts 1:
5 For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.
8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
Jesus said that believers will be baptized with the Holy Spirit and they will receive power. But what will believers receive the power to do? To tell others about Jesus. I don't think that will work well unless the power is demonstrated. Just look at what the believers accomplished after receiving the Holy Spirit. People believed in Jesus because of the signs and wonders they witnessed being done by the hands of the believers. Phillip was not an Apostle. But what do we read about him in Acts 8:
5 Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them.
6 And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did.
7 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.
Look at the ending words in verse 7: HEALED. It is obvious that people were being healed of sickness, disease and infirmity. Let's see what Mark 16:17-18 says:
Mark 16:17-18 King James Version (KJV)
17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;
18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.
It says that one of the signs that will follow believers is that they will lay hands on the sick and they shall recover. Does anyone still have any doubt that healing is for today? Does anyone still have any doubt that God still heals? The writer of Hebrews has something very interesting to say about God's nature:
Hebrews 13:8 King James Version (KJV)
8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.
If God does not change, that means that He healed in the past, He still heals today, and He will continue to heal those who believe in His name in the future as well. Isn't that awesome news? That sure makes me stand up and shout, “Glory to God!”
Eye Witness Account of Healing
I want to share a true event that happened early in my Christian life. I received a phone call one day from a member of a Church I had recently started going to. The lady on the line said that an old woman needed someone to immediately go to her house to pray for her. The pastor was on vacation and she somehow got my number from someone. The old woman was in a lot of pain. The pain was so much that she could not lift her arms above her shoulders. The first thing that came into my mind was that she should be going to the emergency instead of finding someone to pray. Please don’t misunderstand me. I really do believe in the power of prayer but emergency cases like these are better off if attended by a medical professional. What if things got worse for whatever reason, wouldn’t that put me into trouble? Think about it? Anyways, I remembered the advice my Pastor had given me about ministering to people. He had told me never to go to anyone’s house alone. Always take someone with you. Well I was not married yet, so I decided to call one of the brothers from the same church to hop along with me. He agreed so I picked him up from his house and drove down to the old woman’s house who I now call grandma. I was new in the field of ministry, so I carefully thought of the pattern my pastor used every time I went with him to pray for someone. My pastor had clearly told me never to pray for anyone without sharing the word. Also, if permitted sing a gospel hymn or song within the process. I remember very vividly the day me and my church brother went to grandma’s house. We knocked, and she opened the door. We could see the level of her pain in her eyes. They were watery, and her face was very dull. She seemed very glad to see us but the pain in her shoulders was really reaching the extreme. I greeted her and quickly asked if she planned on seeing a doctor soon. She said that her daughter had made an appointment and she will see her personal doctor tomorrow. I forgot to mention to you all that I myself was also sick suffering from flu. I asked grandma if she had any olive oil. She did, and she brought some in a small bowl. The scripture I read that day was from the Book of James 5:
James 5:14-16 KJVS
[14] 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: [15] 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. [16] Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
This is a very interesting verse for several reasons. One, it says that the sick person should call the elders of the church. Well, I did not fit that position but the brother who was with me was surely an elder at least by age. Two, the verse mentions the use of olive oil as a point of contact. Three, the prayer of faith is mentioned. Four, Healing is guaranteed. Five, the one praying is promised healing as well. That’s just great. It sounds too good to be true, doesn’t it?
So, friends, I read those verses and explained it to grandma. I asked her if she believed Jesus can heal her, to which she answered with full confidence a big ‘YES’! Then we sang a Hindi Gospel Song titled ‘Yeshu Tera Naam’. Now I am not making this up. God himself is my witness apart from grandma and the church brother who went with me. In the middle of our singing, grandma threw up those hands that she could barely lift into the air and shouted, “thank you Jesus, I am healed”. These are not her exact words, but it was somewhere along that line. Now please understand that me, and the church brother went there to pray for her healing and yes, we believe that God heals but seeing it right before our eyes put both of us in total shock. The reason really being as some may have already guessed, “daaaa we haven’t prayed yet!”. You know my pastor taught us about the praise cure and had I known it was this effective, we would advise people to praise God instead of praying. Seriously, it works that well! The Bible does declare:
Psalm 22:3 KJVS
[3] But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.
There you have it folks. God dwells in the praises of his people. Isn’t that wonderful? This dear grandma got healed even before we prayed. Well after we all settled down, we and the church brother did pray for grandma anointing her arms and shoulders with olive oil. Believe it or not, grandma made tea and food with those very hands she could not lift afterwards and ‘boy’ we ate some delicious food and drank some yummy tea. All glory to God. After I came home, I realized that I was also healed. The flu had totally left me. Praise the Lord. I remembered the words of James which my pastor had taught saying that when you put others before yourself, God will answer your prayers much faster. As a matter of fact, the pastor advised me that if the answers to your prayers are taking a long time, start praying for the needs of others and see God intervene in your life.
My pastor is a great man of God. Whenever I talk to people about the Bible, I am always reminded of his advice and teachings. I would always stop and tell folks that I learned all these from my pastor and it has remained with me all these years. His teachings and advice continue to help me and many others in their spiritual walk with God! I sure hope you all liked the testimonies and the teaching which I put together. There is a lot more to say but time and space does not permit me to do so on this article. God bless you all and thank you for reading! Have a blessed day!