Refusing medical treatment

[Splayd]

A lot of christians that deny medical treatment might refer to James Chapter 5 where he says:

Are any among you sick? They should call for the elders of the church and have them pray over them, anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord. The prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise them up; and anyone who has committed sins will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective.

James' advice is great and true but doesn't exclude seeing a doctor. In fact, James' message wasn't entirely new or original. Both Jesus and James would have been quite familiar with Sirach 38 which says:

9 My child, when you are ill, do not delay, but pray to the Lord, and he will heal you.
10 Give up your faults and direct your hands rightly, and cleanse your heart from all sin.
11 Offer a sweet-smelling sacrifice, and a memorial portion of choice flour, and pour oil on your offering, as much as you can afford.

While many of us today don't consider Sirach scripture, it does represent the thinking of the day amongst the Jews and was widespread amongst the early believers. James' words almost mirror Sirach here, but what's more interesting to this discussion is the context of these verses:

Sirach 38:1 Honor physicians for their services, for the Lord created them; 2 for their gift of healing comes from the Most High, and they are rewarded by the king. 3 The skill of physicians makes them distinguished, and in the presence of the great they are admired. 4 The Lord created medicines out of the earth, and the sensible will not despise them. 5 Was not water made sweet with a tree in order that its power might be known? 6 And he gave skill to human beings that he might be glorified in his marvelous works. 7 By them the physician heals and takes away pain; 8 the pharmacist makes a mixture from them.

9 My child, when you are ill, do not delay, but pray to the Lord, and he will heal you. 10 Give up your faults and direct your hands rightly, and cleanse your heart from all sin. 11 Offer a sweet-smelling sacrifice, and a memorial portion of choice flour, and pour oil on your offering, as much as you can afford.

12 Then give the physician his place, for the Lord created him; do not let him leave you, for you need him. 13 There may come a time when recovery lies in the hands of physicians, 14 for they too pray to the Lord that he grant them success in diagnosis and in healing, for the sake of preserving life.

 

[Celticflower]

I don't know of a single scripture that applies here.
When I had my lung cancer, it never entered my mind.
When a desease like this comes about, it is usually unexpected. Mine was.
I am a Charismatic Catholic and believe very deeply that God heals. I also know that God uses doctors to heal.
I could have refused to have a portion of my lung taken out and I surely could have refused being burned to a crisp with Radiation therapy. It might have been easier on me. But these deseases do not just hit the person with the illness but the entire family and community.
The family deserves better than that.
Please don't get in my face, I have been there. I have seen the eyes of my dear ones, my husband, my sons and daughter in law and my grandson who had lost far too many folks that he loved, in his 14 years.
This wasn't just about me. It really wasn't. It was about me and everyone who loved me.
I had to fight with every gift and tool God had provided. One of those gifts were my doctors and WE WON!
Have your brother ask his Oncologist, how many folks survive stage 2 lung cancer.

Tell him to stop the stupidity and take treatments. And if he don't believe you, tell him to contact me.

Tell him not to put God to the test. Silly silly man!

He won't talk to me like he talks to the rest of you because he knows I have been there.

Sounds like Peaceful Dove is ready to kick some butt!

I can only speak from the other side of this issue. My mom is a breast cancer survivor, my sister wasn't so lucky. Both fought against the disease with the help of doctors, and even when my sister's fight was not going well she encouraged a friend to seek treatment. This friend was afraid and was just going to let God handle it, but my sis showed her that the treatment was survivable and would give her a chance to see her children grow up. Sometimes the outcome may not be what we hoped for, but the extra time gained is precious. (My sister was given 6 months to live at one point -- she lived a year and a half beyond that)

 

[JVarner83]

My step-brother has been recently diagnosed with an aggressive form of leukemia. The doctors tell him with out treatment he will die. He is claiming “If it’s God’s will, God will heal him” and so he thinks he doesn’t need any treatment. Can anyone help me find verses to show him that refusing medical treatment isn’t scriptural? I mean wasn’t Luke a doctor? And there certainly aren’t any verses saying you should refuse treatment. I know this isn’t probably the right place to post this, but you guys seem to know your way around the bible pretty well.

I like his faith

(Phi 1:21) For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

(Dan 3:14) Nebuchadnezzar spoke and said unto them, Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, do not ye serve my gods, nor worship the golden image which I have set up?
(Dan 3:15) Now if ye be ready that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of music, ye fall down and worship the image which I have made; well: but if ye worship not, ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?
(Dan 3:16) Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter.
(Dan 3:17) If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.
(Dan 3:18) But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.

If I go or if I stay I'm a winner eaither way!

 

[WarriorAngel]

Are any among you sick? They should call for the elders of the church and have them pray over them, anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord. The prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise them up; and anyone who has committed sins will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective.

Interesting that this is where the CC sacrament of the anointing/last rites comes from.


I did pray today. God Bless.

 

[HolyGuardianAngels]

My step-brother has been recently diagnosed with an aggressive form of leukemia. The doctors tell him with out treatment he will die. He is claiming “If it’s God’s will, God will heal him” and so he thinks he doesn’t need any treatment. Can anyone help me find verses to show him that refusing medical treatment isn’t scriptural? I mean wasn’t Luke a doctor? And there certainly aren’t any verses saying you should refuse treatment. I know this isn’t probably the right place to post this, but you guys seem to know your way around the bible pretty well.

There are Scriptures that support ones' RIGHT to REFUSE "treatment" . . .


And we have the vast amount of HEALING,
which our Lord Jesus Christ performed,
giving us the example . . .


HE sent NO one to anyone else, for a "cure" . . . In the Book of Acts, the Precious Holy Spirit is credited w/ the healing.


Of course, to get a "cure" today, COSTS BIG MONEY
and it's a BUSINESS not a Holy Work . . .



When you put the words BIG BUSINESS and physicans, psychaitry and medicine and drugs into the same sentence, you can SEE more clearly, right . . .

 

[JonF]

Thanks for all the support and verses you all gave me . Dove I may take you up on your offer, thank you so much.

 

[JimfromOhio]

When I was healthy physically, I had learned nothing except my deafness which is not an illness but rather a disability. Looking back. I was very healthy until I was diagnosed with MS a few years ago. I was unable to learn anything from my healthy body. Its just that I was able to do many things that an unhealthy person could not do. (which I learned later). 3 John 1:2 Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well. Mark Pickup said it perfectly when he was healthy at one point, “I have been more service to God disabled than during my able-bodied years. This didn’t happen despite my disability but because of my disability.”

Jesus said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick." Joni Tada: "Sometimes God will use suffering and affliction to sandblast us to the core and get us seriously thinking about larger than life issues of heaven and hell, I just don't know that we would think about these issues were it not for an ice-cold splash of suffering waking us out of our spiritual slumber. God's purpose in redeeming us is not to make our lives happy, healthy, and free of trouble. It is not an escape from our physical pains. His purpose is to make us more like Christ. He will chose to allow spinal cord injury or multiple sclerosis or blindness or stroke or Alzheimer's or whatever to not only teach us, but also our loved ones, about what it means to become more like him." Suffering produces perseverance, character, and hope. Romans 5: 1-5 (NIV) "Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us."

Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead. Philippians 3:12-14 (NIV) "Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."

God have provided great talents like Dr Luke and other great doctors and medical staff around the world. God also created herbs and similar plants to provide us proper medicine for our health. In case you don't know, many drug companies are using God's creations to make better drugs. Drugs do not come from empty air.

I remember this funny quote and I think this applies:

Get Your Own Dirt

One day a group of scientists got together and decided that man had come a long way and no longer needed God. So they picked one scientist to go and tell Him that they were done with Him.

The scientist walked up to God and said, "God, we've decided that we no longer need you. We're to the point that we can clone people and do many miraculous things, so why don't you just go on and get lost."

God listened very patiently and kindly to the man and after the scientist was done talking, God said, "Very well, how about this, let's say we have a man making contest." To which the scientist replied, "OK, great!"

But God added, "Now, we're going to do this just like I did back in the old days with Adam."

The scientist said, "Sure, no problem" and bent down and grabbed himself a handful of dirt.

God just looked at him and said, "No, no, no. You go get your own dirt!"

No matter what we do, God is always guiding us through our circumstances (good and bad). Nothing is impossible for Him. God is Good and at the same time, God is Holy and Sovereign. The Apostles, Joseph, Joshua, Daniel, Job, David and other great biblical characters lived in the same world, but how differently they interpreted their relationship with God. Learning from them, I can see that circumstances did not control them; it is their reaction to circumstances that determined what kind of people they were and most importantly, how faithful they were.

I have multiple sclerosis (MS) and taking expensive treatments for it. I will not reject what God have provided through great people who came up with medicines to help us.

There were number of Christians in the Bible who were sick (i.e. 2 Timothy 4:20 Erastus stayed in Corinth, and I left Trophimus sick in Miletus.) 1 Timothy 5:23 Stop drinking only water, and use a little wine because of your stomach and your frequent illnesses.

Trusting God is important when you are sick but at the same time, use God's people who have spiritual gifts (talents) to help others.

If I was going to die anyway, I would chose not to take drugs so I can "enjoy" my life until the day I die ONLY IF I knew the drugs would keep me in bed and not living my life while not knowing if the drugs will help or not. The odds of dying will be determined my decision.

Here are my thoughts from my experiences:
A Christian has the responsibility to put his faith in Christ, but God gives him the ability to make that decision through the Holy Spirit. Proverbs 16:33 The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD. Romans 8:28-29 "And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them." Proverbs 20:24 How can we understand the road we travel? It is the LORD who directs our steps.

When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider: God has made the one as well as the other. Therefore, a man cannot discover anything about his future.(Eccl 7:14). In Proverbs 16:9 We can make our plans, but the LORD determines our steps. We don't know God's will specifically but we will know what directions we should be going.

To be grateful to God's servants is to be grateful to God in all circumstances. Thanking God shows humility and acknowledges His rightful aurhority as the Sovereign Lord and the giver of every good and perfect gift (James 1:17). We are to be thankful in ALL circumstances.1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

I may not be feeling well physically today but I have learned to be thankful anyhow and to rejoice in the promises of God. God's eternal blessings do not depend on how I feel today. If my eternal hope rested on how I felt physically, which is temporal, I might as well forget eternal blessings. The point is this: my feelings (i.e. cope) in no way change my eternal blessings because of great examples in Hebrews 11. I will NOT dare not relate my faith and hope to my emotions of the moment and to how I feel today or whatever the circumstances I am facing. My eternal hope depends on God's Word and His decisions because He will make good on His eternal promises at HIS time, not mine. The subject of my human emotions and circumstances, God does not play on our emotions to bring us to the point of His spiritual decisions. God uses circumstances for His glory, not ours.

 

[ElijahFalling]

Some people believe certain types of medical treatment to be un-natural and a violation of bodily sanctity. There's nothing wrong with that. Let people make up their own minds and don't try to cram your beliefs down their throats if they have their own.