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example, the sin of gluttony impacts badly the beloved Gaius good health (3Jn 2).
on our wellbeing, yet it is hardly ever men- God can have “mercy” upon sick believ-
tioned from our platforms! Alcohol has its ers just as He had mercy on Epaphroditus
dangers too, physically, emotionally and (Php 2:27).
morally. Its perils are spotlighted right
from its first mention in the Bible (Gen Physicians
9:20); no one sets out to be an alcoholic! We have a God who heals and we have
The Gift of Healing the facility of prayer, but that does not rule
out medical practitioners or place a ban on
Generally, then, believers are as prone medication. A poultice saved Hezekiah’s
to illness as the general public, but they life (2Ki 20:7)! By inference, the Lord Jesus
can guard against unnecessary troubles. sanctioned treatment to fight infection and
The question arises, Is God still the Lord alleviate pain (Luk 10:34). What I am say-
who heals? Undoubtedly, He is. In New ing is that while it is the Lord who heals,
Testament days, the sign gift of healing He can use human agencies and humanly
was among other gifts of the Spirit that are manufactured potions. So if these can be
listed in 1 Corinthians 12 verses 9 and 28, helpful, it is not unspiritual to take ad-
and right to the final chapter of the book vantage. Asa’s sin was that he had gotten
of Acts there are stories of miraculous so out of touch with God that when “his
healings. I have called the gift a sign gift disease was exceeding great” he turned
on the basis of Mark 16:17-18: “these signs to his physicians to the exclusion of the
… they shall lay hands on the sick, and Lord (2Ch 16:12).
they shall recover.” Like the other sign
gifts, the gift of healing was phased out, Sometimes clinicians get it wrong, so I
and there was no expectation that saints am a little nervous about expressing the
who were unwell should be dramatically following lest it appear insensitive, but it
and instantaneously healed. The catalogue is on my heart. It is a loving appeal to dear
of afflicted believers in the previous para- readers who may suffer from depression.
graph gives evidence of this. On occasions I have witnessed dear folks
While the special gift of healing is re- in that situation abandon their medication
dundant, we believe that it is still God whenever they begin to feel somewhat
who imparts healing. There is a phrase better. It doesn’t end well. This is just a
in James 5 to substantiate this: “the Lord little exhortation to stick with what is
shall raise him up” (v15). Admittedly, prescribed until those who are monitor-
the circumstances there hardly describe ing your condition decide the best time
a routine illness. In my view, the brother for a change.
in the illustration is sick because of divine So then, we have a God who heals. He is
discipline, and lack of space prohibits omnipotent, but He is also sovereign, and
the development of that viewpoint; but on occasions we have to accept that it is
clearly, it is God who initiates the healing not His will to heal or preserve. He could
and we judge that it is the same in normal have rescued James from prison just as He
cases. This is why it is legitimate to pray did with Peter (Act 12), but He didn’t. In
for those who are sick just as John prayed circumstances like that it takes much grace
(most translations) that God would give to say, “Thy will be done.”

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