Monday, September 17, 2012

"By His Stripes We Are Healed" | Does Faith = Healing? (Part 3)


For this last post, I'd like to look at a few more passages and then wrap it up.

Paul tells the Corinthians: "As servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: by great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger..." (II Cor. 6:4-5).

A few chapters later he adds, “[I endured] far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death. Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches. Who is weak, and I am not weak?” (II Cor. 11:23-29).

I just can't see Paul following up a paragraph like that by saying: "But God really wants us all physically and financially prosperous in this life. No Christian would suffer terribly in this life if they would simply trust in God’s goodness and pray."

In fact, in the very next chapter Paul pleads with the Lord three times to remove the "thorn" in his side. But God refuses. "My grace is enough. My power is made perfect in your weakness." Paul prayed earnestly and in faith on three occasions and God said, "No, I'm not taking the thorn away. It is going to humble you. But, I will give you enough grace to endure it."

Now, I believe God can and does heal. I also believe we can and should pray for healing. But I do not think God promises to heal us as long as we have enough faith and pray sincerely. Some people pray in faith and are healed; some pray in faith and aren’t. I think Hebrews 11 really speaks to this.

The whole chapter of course is about men and women of faith in the Old Testament. Verses 32-40 say that some people by faith conquered kingdoms, stopped the mouths of lions and escaped the edge of the sword; however others by that same faith suffered mocking, flogging, chains and imprisonment, and some were even killed with the sword. The chapter ends by saying that "all of these were commended through their faith." By faith some escaped the sword and by faith some died by the sword - but all of them were commended through their faith.

I don’t think the Prosperity Gospel of our day can account for that second category of faithful believers. They only account for the first. Prosperity preachers say that our faith allows us to shut the mouths of lions, like Daniel, not that it may end up getting our heads cut off, like John the Baptist. I feel like the prosperity gospel doesn’t tell the whole truth. And their half truth does become a harmful and destructive lie.

So, yes, I do know of many cases where someone was sick and people prayed for them and God miraculously healed them. That does happen and I don't want to minimize that. I pray for God to heal people often when I hear they are sick. I just don't believe God promises to always heal in this life. I think the promise of healing, when every tear will finally be wiped away and suffering will be destroyed, is being reserved for the resurrection when Jesus returns. I believe then all disability, sickness, and disease will be gone for those who are in Christ. By his stripes we will finally be healed forever.