Jesus died for our sins, to give us life, not riches and perfect health.
I like where Peter quoted Isaiah 53:
1Pe 2:24 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.
Here we see Jesus suffering and baring in His body, not only our sins, but also our sickness. Some try and say that this refers to spiritual healing (whatever that is
sound new age to me). Yet Matt 7:18 also quotes the same chapter verses and specifically says that it refers to healing.
Mat 8:
16 When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick:
17 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses.
Physical death is inevitable for everyone.
Even that foe will be vanquished one day!
God does not heal everyone.
Only because they do not believe. It is His will that we all live in perfect health. That is a scriptural fact. That not all attain to that ideal is self evident. But it is faulty reasoning to say since everyone is not healed, therefore God does not heal all.
Paul was only without sight for three days:
Act 9:9 And he
was three days without sight , and neither did eat nor drink.
And he was in fact healed:
Act 9:12 And hath seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in, and putting his hand on him, that he might receive his sight.
Act 9:17 And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost.
18
And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales: and he received sight forthwith , and arose, and was baptized.
and He didn't heal Timothy.
We know the scriptures say that we have been healed by the stripes of Jesus. We also know that we receive whatsoever we ask in Jesus Name. James said:
Jam 5:
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:
Why Tim did not receive the healing promised him is mere speculation. It is clear that it was and is the will of God that we live in health. It is not good teaching to take the experiences of ourselves and others and try to define the will and nature of God by them. We are to walk by faith not by sight. Walking by faith means to walk by what the Word says, not by what we see, feel. or experience.
Does anyone suppose they were lacking in faith?
I would rather suppose that than to call God a liar. Why is it so hard to believe that people in the Bible might have failed? Every apostle, prophet, and King failed many times
including Paul and Timothy. Just because they failed to receive the blessings of God is no indicator that this was the will of God toward them or toward us. Peter denied Christ... does that mean we should? Moses murdered a man, should we? Judas betrayed Christ, should we take that to mean that this is the will of God for us also? I hope not! Yes, people in the Bible lacked faith sometimes; and failed more often than they were successful. But that does not change the will or Word of God. He always remains the same and always only sends good gifts from heaven.
Jam 1:
17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.
I find it strange that the majority of verses used to support health and wealth is from the OT, when many of these were promises made to Israel.
This is indeed an odd argument. Galatians Gal 3:13 says:
Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:
Go back and read what the curse of the law is in Deut 28. It includes every sickness that exists. If Jesus redeemed us from the curse of the law(and He did), then we are redeemed from all sickness! Praise Him! We have been made recipients of the blessings of the OT. That is one of the reasons He hung on that tree. We need to be careful not to slight or make light of the suffering our Lord endured on our behalf. When we make light of it, or count it as nothing, then we fail to partake of the benefits of it.
Jesus promised that we would never die spiritually and that is the gospel.
Amen! And Praise His name for it!!! Is that not wonderful!!
God heals and blesses materialistically according to His purposes, not our wants and desires.
Amen! So true. So lets look at the purposes of God:
3Jo 1:
2 Beloved,
I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth. That is a very strong indication of the will and purpose of God!
Psalms 35:
27 Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favour my righteous cause: yea, let them say continually,
Let the LORD be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant.
That is a good one too!I like the way darby renders it:
(Darby) Let them exult and rejoice that delight in my righteousness; and let them say continually, Jehovah be magnified, who delighteth in the prosperity of his servant.
He delights in blessing us!
Here is a very strong indicator that it is the will of God that we receive what we pray and believe for:
Mar 11:24 Therefore I say unto you,
All things whatsoever ye pray and ask for, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.
Again:
Mat 7:11 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children,
how much more shall your Father who is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?
I like the 'how much more principle' of God! God wants us to have good things! (Who am I to thwart His will???)
Psa 84:
11 For Jehovah God is a sun and a shield: Jehovah will give grace and glory;
No good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.
I would not want to be the one who said God withheld good things from us!
And this:
Mat 6:
32 For after all these things do the Gentiles seek; for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
33 But seek ye first his kingdom, and his righteousness; and
all these things shall be added unto you.
ALL these things shall be added. Nice.
And this one!!!
Mar 10:
29 Jesus said, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or mother, or father, or children, or lands, for my sake, and for the gospel's sake,
30 but he shall receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life.
That one is hard to refute
This is one of my favorites:
Joh 14:
12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto the Father.
13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
14 If ye shall ask anything in my name, that will I do.
Whatsoever is a big word! He said [GLOW=orange]"I Will Do!"[/GLOW]
He blesses us so that the Father be glorified in the Son.
That is a mighty good purpose!
I think the most powerful indicator of the will of God is in the Lords Prayer:
Mat 6:
10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so on earth
Jesus wants us to pray that the will of God in heaven be done on the earth also. Do you think there is any sickness or poverty in heaven? I do not.
I could go on and on. And will if need be.
We are promised that God will provide, not make us wealthy and healthy.
We are told that God has already provided.
2Pe 1:
3 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
I cannot think of a single thing that is not covered by the phase "life and godliness". Health certainly pertains to life. A home pertains to life. Food, clothing, and water pertain to life. Try living without any of these things? You will not last long... at least not in upstate NY. All we need to do is believe the Word. His will has already been established. His provision has already been made. We just have to believe and stop taking sides against His word.
Just like not all speak in tongues,
A little off topic.. but all can and should speak in tongues. It is a sign that follows all believers.
not all are healthy and wealthy.
All could be healthy and have all their needs met according to the provision that God has made. That they do not is self evident. But you have to believe what He said.
If anyone actually thinks the faith of a person and their standing before God, is reflected by their clean bill of health and/or their large bank account, I think that is truly a shame.
I do to. That is sad. It is also a straw man argument in that no one I know believes this. If you find someone, I will join you in helping them see the light. Our standing before God was established by the death, burial, and ressurection of our Lord Jesus. Amen!!!
Hobie
