It is important that it be established in the minds and hearts of everyone that it is still the perfect will of God as in the past to heal all who have need of healing, and to fulfill the number of their days. The greatest barrier to the faith of many seeking physical healing in our day is the uncertainty in their minds as to it being the will of God to heal all. Faith begins where the will of God is known. The Word of God is the will of God. Faith comes by hearing (knowing) the Word of God (Rom. 10:17). God's promises are each a revelation of what He is eager to do for us. Faith for the appropriation of God's promised blessings is the result of knowing and acting on God's Word. Freedom from sickness comes from knowing and acting upon the truth (John 8:31,32). God invites and delights for us to enter into His promises (Mark 11:23,24; John 15:7; Heb. 4:14-16). Divine healing is a part of "so great salvation". It is a gift of God bestowed through faith; it is not deserved, cannot be earned. It is given through the grace of God.

        The cross was a perfect remedy for the whole man. Jesus Christ went to the cross--spirit, soul and body, to redeem man--spirit, soul and body. Therefore, the cross is the center of the plan of salvation for the man--spirit, soul and body. Jesus Christ went to the cross to redeem all of mankind from the curse of the law (Gal. 3:13). Sickness as well as sin was included in the curse of the law (Deut. 28:15-68).-- Redemption is synonymous with Calvary, therefore, we are redeemed from the entire curse--body, soul and spirit, solely through Jesus' atonement made on the cross. After being sufficiently enlightened, our attitude toward sickness should be the same as our attitude toward sin. Our purpose to have our body healed should be as definite as our purpose to have our soul healed. We should not ignore any part of the gospel.-- Christ's bearing our sins and sicknesses is surely a valid reason for trusting Him now for deliverance from both.

        Only divine promises can make our faith steadfast. Between the time we definitely commit to God the healing of our body, and the completion of our healing, it is essential that we learn one of the most valuable lessons of our Christian life--to carefully observe Hebrews 10:35, 36.-- God's promises work their wonders while we see and act on eternal realities of His promises, being fully convinced in our hearts that they are real and true and refuse to be affected by temporal things to the contrary. We must refuse to doubt the Word of God even in the face of apparent failures in the experiences of other Christians (Rom. 3:4). God always fulfills His promises when He can get the right cooperation (II Cor. 1:20). He accepts us and undertakes for us when we observe Mark 11:24 and Hebrews 10:35, 36. God gave us very comprehensive instructions as to how to receive healings: "If ye abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you." (John 15:7). "Attend to My words; incline thine ear unto My sayings. Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart. For they are life unto those that find them and health to all their flesh." (Prov. 4:20-22). It is important that adequate time is taken to carefully observe these instructions. We must observe them continuously, not occasionally.-- The reason why many have failed is because they have not done this. Every Word is "spirit and life" and will work in us when we receive and attend to it.

SOME OF THE PROMISES OF GOD
CONCERNING DIVINE HEALING:

        (Ex. 15:26) "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 healeth thee."
 
        The above healing covenant is extended to include the Gentiles through Jesus Christ. (Gal. 3:13, 14, 29)
 
        (Gal. 3:13) "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us".
 
        The curses of the law are listed in Deut. 28:15-68 which include all manner of sickness and diseases. This is what Jesus Christ redeemed us from.
(Heb. 13:8) "Jesus Christ the same, yesterday, today and forever" (The same now as when He was on earth, not just yesterday and some future time as some teach or practice).
 
        (Isaiah 53:4, 5) "Surely He (Messiah) hath born our griefs (Hebrew word choli meaning literally sicknesses) and carried our sorrows (Hebrew word makob meaning literally pains] yet we did esteem him stricken (plagued), smitten of God, and afflicted. 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" (there is healing for us).
 
        (Matt. 8:16, 17) "When the evening was come, they brought unto Him (Jesus Christ) many that were possessed with devils; and He cast out the spirits with His Word, and healed all that were sick; that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias (Isaiah) the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses."--quoting Isaiah 53:4.
 
        (Isaiah 53:10) "Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise Him; He hath put Him to grief (again Hebrew word choli literally meaning sick or sickness: He (God) hath made Him (Messiah) to be sick).
 
        In II Cor. 5:21, we see that Jesus (Messiah) was made to be sin for us (bore our sins). In Isaiah 53:10, we see that Messiah (Jesus) was made to be sick for us (bore our sicknesses).
 
        (Psalms 103:3) "Who forgiveth all thine iniquities and who healeth all thy diseases."
 
        (John 10:10) "The thief (devil) cometh not, but for to steal and to kill, and to destroy: I (Jesus Christ) am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." (Life includes healing and health)

        (Acts 10:38) "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." (destroying the works of the devil)
 
        (I John 3:8) "For this purpose The Son of God was manifested that He might destroy the works of the devil." In every case, Jesus healed all who came to Him believing. He never turned anyone away.
 
        (Luke 10:19) "Behold, I give unto you power...over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you." Jesus has given the believer power and authority over Satan and his works. Believe it and use it.
 
        (James 5:14,15, 16) "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; 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. Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervant prayer of a righteous man availeth much". (There are several scriptural ways to receive healing).
 
        (Mark 16:17, 18) "And these signs shall follow them that believe in my name...they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover."
 
        (Rom. 10:9) "If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved"--(Greek word sozo a verb meaning saved, healed, protected, made whole).-- (Same word sozo is used in Acts 14:9 referring to the healing of the man lame from birth).
 
        (Rom. 10:10) "For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation", [soteria - Greek noun of synonymous verb sozo]-- (We can see that these verses include full redemption of spirit, soul and body, not just the soul as many think).

    Note the important faith principle that believing and confessing brings possession

        (Mark 11:23; II Cor. 4:13)
        The question is, are all the promises of God (including healing) that have been given always a definite yes, yes to us or are they sometimes yes and sometimes no to us? II Cor. 1:17-20 in The New Testament from 26 Translations answers this question clearly.
 
v. 17 Do you think that my plans are formed on mere impulse saying yes, yes and changing to no, no, according to circumstance?
 
v. 18 As surely as God is faithful, our word to you was not one of the yes and no variety.
 
v. 19 For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us never wavered between yes and no but it is always yes with Him.
 
v. 20 For in Him is the yes that affirms all the promises of God (including healing). Therefore, through Christ again, let the Amen (so be it or acceptance) rise, through us (all of us) to the glory of God. (Used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers)
 
King James translation states it: (II Cor. 1:20) "For all the promises of God in him are yea (yes) and in Him Amen (so be it) unto the glory of God by (for) us."

 HOW TO RECEIVE HEALING

        1.Be convinced from the Word of God that it is God's will now to heal until one has lived out his allotted span of life. "Now faith is (Heb. 11:1), "Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of (soteria) salvation." (II Cor. 6:2)
 
        2.Be sure you are right with God because our redemptive blessings are conditional. There should be no compromise toward Satan (the devil) or sin in our hearts. "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me." (Ps. 66:18) However, "Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God." (I John 3:21)
 
        3.Appropriate the above Scriptures for yourself--whole heartedly accept their provision for your needs and receive healing for yourself now by faith from The Living Healer, Jesus Christ. Say to Him, "I receive my healing now which you provided for me."
 
        4.Fully expect (not merely hope) to receive what God promises when you pray (Mk. 11:24). Faith never judges according to the sight of the eye nor by feeling. Faith is the evidence of things not seen or felt but promised by God in His Word (II Cor. 5:7; Heb. 11:1)
 
        5.Confession is made unto (soteria) salvation--full redemption of spirit, soul and body. Say what God's Word says about you. "By His stripes we (I) am healed." Do not under-estimate the importance of speaking many times a day the promises of God concerning you and your needs.-- Refuse to confess the opposite (sickness, doubt, etc.) (Rom. 4:17)
 
        6.Start praising God in advance for His blessings. We act our faith by praising and thanking God in advance for the answer. Praise the Lord because to withhold praise will show either unbelief or ingratitude. God inhabits the praises of His people. (Psa. 22:3; 67:3, 5, 6)
 
        7.Do not listen to the devil (voice or impressions of doubt). "Resist the devil and he will flee from you." (Jas. 4:7) You resist him by steadfastly believing and acting on God's Word. Keep looking at the promises of God. Your state of mind about your healing should be the same as Noah's when he was building a big ship on dry land with no sea close by. In his mind the fact of the coming flood was fully settled and God's Word was the sole reason for this state of mind. "Hold fast that thou hast." (Rev. 3:11)

SOME REASONS WHY SOME FAIL
TO RECEIVE THEIR HEALING

        As you read the following list, some might feel a hopelessness or discouragement of ever being able to meet God's requirements. It is not too hard. The secret is in turning our lives over to Jesus Christ and letting Him live His life through us. We can daily deliberately yield ourselves to the Spirit of God. Then, it becomes God's own righteousness, not our own that makes us worthy to receive from Him--"But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption..." (I Cor. 1:30)
 
1) Known unrepented or unconfessed sin--wrong, negative or critical attitudes--judging or condemning of others
 
2) Looking for a sign or evidence rather than the Word of God (John 4:48; John 20:29)
 
3) An unforgiving spirit toward others, God or self (Mark 11:25, 26; Luke 6:37; Eph. 4:32) "faith--works by love" (Gal. 5:6b; Col. 3:12-14; I Tim. 1:5; Jno. 4:7,11,12,20,21; Jas. 2:8)
 
4) Failure to obey the known will of God (Matt. 12:50)
 
5) Failure to turn from and renounce cults, the occult and false religious teaching
 
6) Failure to maintain morally clean hands and a pure heart (Psa. 24:3-5)
 
7) Failure to resist the enemy of doubt (Jas. 4:7; Eph. 6:11; Rom. 3:3,4)
 
8) Fear or anxiety about their condition after they have committed it to the Lord (James 1:6,7; Phil. 4:6)
 
9) Teaching received from the traditions of men, such as, sickness can glorify God more than being well (Mk. 7:13)
 
10) Deliberate refusal to obey known natural laws of God proper diet. rest, hygiene, etc. (Jas. 4:17)
 
11) Undue influence toward doubt by well-meaning but unbelieving relatives or close friends
 
12) Lukewarmness of heart towards the things of God--also wanton laziness and wasting time (Lk. 10:27; Matt. 6:33; Prov. 13:4)
 
13) Erroneous belief that you do not have enough faith for healing (Rom. 12:3b; 10:17)
 
14) Allowing the mind to be ruled by the physical senses which bring uncertainty
 
15) Failure to hold fast the confession of God's Word about healing (Mk. 11:23; Heb. 4:14)
 
16) Losing the will to live or to be healed
 
17) Failure to have a willing and obedient heart attitude towards God in eagerly hearing and receiving the truth of His Word and doing it. (Matt. 13:14,15; Jas. 1:21-24)
 
18) Failure to maintain a constant and abiding relationship with Jesus Christ (Jno. 15:7)
 
19) Failure to have a wholehearted desire for being healed (Deut. 4:29; Psa. 37:4; Heb. 11:6)
 
20) Robbing God of tithes and offerings (Mal. 3:8-10)
 
21) Unrepented sin of pride and self-righteousness
 
22) Failure to properly discipline one's own appetites--eat-
ing, sex, etc. (Phil. 3:19; Lk. 21:34; Rom. 13:13-14)
 
23) Not feeling worthy or righteous enough to receive heal-
ing (I Cor. 1:30; Col. 1:12; Rom. 5:17, 19; Rom. 9:30; Rom.
10:4; I Jno. 1:9)
 
24) Failure to provide for one's own family (I Tim. 5:8)
 
25) Dishonoring of husband or wife (I Pet. 3:7; Col. 3:18)
 
26) Dishonoring father and mother (Eph. 6:2, 3)
 
27) Thinking that one can earn or buy healing through good works or even giving money to God's work to get it
 
28) Selfishness, self-centeredness, unwilling to give of one's time and money to others in need
 
        If any of these reasons is quickened to your spirit as a personal hindrance(s), don't give up or remain condemned and defeated. Deal forthrightly with each one quickened to you by repenting (turn away from the sin in your heart) with all your heart and accept God's gracious and merciful forgiveness. Next, commit it (them) to God. Then, forget them; God does. When you appropriate the shed blood of Jesus Christ by faith for your sins and iniquities, His blood washes them away and He forgets them (Rom. 4:7; Heb. 8:12; Heb. 9:22; I Jno. 1:7). You, too, must forgive yourself and put away from your mind your past sins. Finally, seek to obey God's Word and do what is right in His sight.

TRADITIONAL OBJECTIONS MOST OFTEN RAISED
AGAINST THE MINISTRY OF DIVINE HEALING

        Two of the most prevalent objections raised against the healing ministry today are "Job's sickness" and "Paul's thorn in the flesh." The widespread false teaching that God is the author of disease and that God has desired some of His most devoted children to remain sick to glorify Him in their sickness is no doubt responsible for such notions that God caused Job and Paul to be sick for His glory.
 
        The Bible clearly teaches that to fear man or evil circumstances is wrong. Again and again the Scriptures admonish us to "fear not". Fear paralyzes faith so that it cannot operate. Without faith (or exercising faith) we cannot please God (Heb. 11:6).-- Fear of evil consequences can bring on evil consequences. Job said, "For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me." (Job 3:25) David declared in Psalms 23:4, "I will fear no evil." God allowed (not caused) evil to come upon Job just as He allows all evil that ever happens, but Job's own confession declared that the evil he feared came upon him.-- "God has not given us the spirit of fear." (II Tim. 1:7) Job's fear came from Satan. After Job entertained the thoughts of fear from Satan and believed them, Satan smote Job with sickness and great calamity; but God delivered Job out of all his trouble.-- Deliverance and healing was God's will for Job.
 
        Man's tradition says that Paul's "thorn in the flesh" was a sickness for God's glory that God put on Paul and wouldn't take away even after Paul had asked God three times to remove it. The Scripture reference is II Cor. 12: 7-12. In verse 7, Paul tells us exactly what the thorn was: "the messenger of Satan to buffet me". The figure of the thorn is used in several places throughout the Scriptures, but not one instance is it used as a figure of sickness. Without an exception, in all cases, the "thorns" are personalities or caused by personalities resulting in external afflictions. The Greek word for "messenger" is Angelos, or translated by others as "the angel of the devil", "Satan's angel". Throughout the Bible Angelos is a person that one person sends to another, and never a disease. The word "buffet" means to inflict blow after blow. Weymouth translates the verse as "Satan's angel dealing blow after blow". To describe the work of a disease as "buffeting" would be improper and incorrect. Paul distinctly states that his "thorn" was the angel of Satan sent to buffet him. It was an evil angel or demon spirit sent from Satan to make trouble for Paul wherever he went. In the context of II Cor. 11 and 12, Paul describes the many persecutions, perils, reproaches and afflictions which he continually endured. Paul said in II Cor. 12:9, 10, "most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore, I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, then am I strong." When Paul suffered in persecutions, God gave His divine strength to Paul for endurance to make him victorious in his trials and to be an overcomer.
 
        Man's tradition has also misapplied the words of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane to try to prove it's not always God's will to heal. In Matt. 26:39, Jesus said, "0 my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt". What cup? The context of this scripture passage in no way refers to Jesus' need of divine healing, one of God's promised provisions. Jesus was not physically sick then. The passage only refers to Jesus' seeking God's will, direction and purpose concerning His involvement in events immediately about to transpire which God had revealed to Him.
 
        In Matt. 8:2, a leper came to Jesus not knowing the will of God concerning the healing of his leprosy. The leper said, "If thou wilt, thou canst make me clean". Jesus made clear God's will concerning the healing of this leper in order to remove the doubt and uncertainty in the leper's mind before healing him. Jesus said, "I will (or I want to); be thou clean".-- God is no respecter of persons. God has made His will clear about divine healing in the scriptures. Healing is provided for all. God wants to heal all.
 
        To pray, "if it be Thy will, heal me" when God has already made His will clear about healing in His Word only shows ignorance, confusion or doubt about receiving a provision that God has already made for us through the atonement of Christ on the cross and therefore hinders faith for receiving
the desired healing like in the leper's case. The same attitude toward eternal salvation would prevent one from receiving it also. Christ prayed to God, the Father, "Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven". There is no sickness in heaven. The Lord's prayer therefore shows what God's will is toward sickness on earth.
 
        In Heb. 3:15, we are admonished to hear God's voice. In Heb. 4:2, God says we must mix faith with the hearing of His Word in order to receive from Him. To receive and accept as truth certain dangerous traditional teachings of men about the scriptures can cause the heart to become hardened through such deceit. A condition of spiritual blindness and unbelief toward the real truth in those areas then follows. In Heb. 3:12, God warns us to avoid the dangers of an evil (sinful) heart of unbelief. It robs us of receiving what God has provided for us. (Heb. 4:1)
 
        Many ask, "If it is not God's will for Christians to be sick, how then will they ever die?" It is true that although the Bible reveals God's perfect will for man, many Christians live only in God's permissive will. While many Christians die from sickness, nowhere in God's Word does He indicate that to be His divine will for man. In Psalms 104:29, God makes clear His plan for man's normal death on earth. "Thou takest away their breath, they die, and return to their dust."

HOW TO KEEP YOUR HEALING

        Is it possible to lose your healing? Yes, through spiritual carelessness, ignorance, neglect or open, willful sin (Heb. 2:1; John 5:14; Luke 11:24-26). You need not let that happen though. The thief (devil) still tries to steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10). Satan (the devil) comes as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour (I Pet. 5:8). Being diligent in faith is the way to keep your healing and please God (Heb. 11:6).
 
        As long as we actively exercise our faith by putting our faith strongly in God's Word and in Jesus Christ, Satan is powerless to defeat us (Eph. 6:11-16). We keep and maintain our healing the same way we receive it--by faith, not by sight (or feeling). Continue to carefully observe John 15:7, Prov. 4:20-22 and Heb. 10: 35-36.
 
        If Satan tries to come to you through lying symptoms of sick or painful feelings after you have received tangible evidence of healing, rebuke the symptoms. Refuse them.-- Remember the devil is a liar and deceiver (John 8:44). Resist the devil (Jas. 4:7; I Pet. 5: 8-9). His purpose is to try to get you through fear or panic to accept them back. Fear paralyzes faith so that it cannot function. Do not fear or panic. Take a strong, confident stand against Satan. Ignore what your feelings may be telling you. Put your faith into action. Fight Satan with your faith in God's Word (I Tim. 6:12). Let the peace of God reign in your heart. Rise above the apparent storm that rages in your mind and body. Maintain calmness in your heart toward God. Show strong confidence toward God and His ability to keep you in the testing.-- God will reward your faith (Heb. 11:6).
 
        Be careful not to make a negative confession of doubt or defeat. Guard your tongue (Prov. 18:21, 13:3, 12:13; Matt. 12:37). Give no place to the devil (Eph. 4:27). To speak doubt or unbelief is to speak evil (Rom. 14:23b). Keep your tongue as Joshua commanded the people to do during their test before Jericho's walls tumbled (Josh. 6:10).
 
        Start agreeing with and confessing what the Lord says about your body or mind. He says, "By My stripes you are (were) healed". You say and believe that, too. You say, "Jesus bore my sicknesses and pains, therefore I don't have to bear them", etc. If you stumble or fall, quickly repent.-- Get back under faith's protection. Spend much time praising God in deep abiding confidence in His strength. Get your mind off the symptoms and on to Jesus Christ and His promises.
 
        God sees and speaks of you as healed and whole through His eye of faith (Rom. 4:17). See yourself healed and whole by faith just as God does. Sanctify your imagination. Use it constructively in a positive way. God gave it to you so you could creatively see good when as yet it doesn't tangibly exist. Develop a faith image seeing yourself only as healed and whole (Mark 11:24). Refuse to see yourself any other way. God always honors persistent, steadfast faith in His Word and brings it to pass (Jer. 1:12; Heb. chapter 11).
 
        Self condemnation plagues many with very tender or sensitive hearts. After receiving divine healing by faith, Satan will often try to force some to do something beyond their own faith to "prove" their faith or "earn" their healing.-- This will only bring them back under guilt, condemnation, bondage and defeat. Be aware of Satan's devices in this area.-- Your healing doesn't depend upon you to quit taking medicine, take your brace off, or quit wearing glasses. If your faith is firmly rooted and grounded in God's Word and His promises alone, the physical condition can improve even as you take medicine or wear glasses for a time until they are not needed anymore. This applies to all physical impairments as well. Do not quit taking medicine unless you definitely feel led to do so by the Lord. Be sure it is the Lord.-- Guard and carefully examine your thoughts. Meditate and obey His Word. Seek the Lord diligently for each step you are to take and only do as the Lord directs and not as man says or not from some condemning thought or feeling.
 
        Remember that Satan is a defeated foe: He has to leave if you give him no place, no entrance (Jas. 4:7). Learn to live in the spirit of faith (II Cor. 4:13) even when there is no physical need. Learn to abide in Jesus Christ and meditate in God's Word letting His Words abide in you. You can be victorious in Christ. You can receive all that God has provided for you through Jesus Christ.
 
        Paul, the apostle, said, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel (good news) of Christ: for it is the (dunamis) power of God unto (soteria) salvation to everyone that believeth" (Rom. 1:16). What kind of power? The same Greek word dunamis (power) is used in Luke 5:17, "the power of the Lord was present to heal" and in Luke 9:1, "He...gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases".-- Healing is a part of the gospel of Christ. Have you been ashamed of this part of the gospel of Christ? Don't be ashamed any longer. Put aside all religious traditions, intellectual pride, and unbelief. In all meekness, accept, embrace and be a partaker of the whole gospel of Jesus Christ, who has provided full redemption for the whole man through the power of God.
 
       
        Warren Black has been a Regional Spiritual Life Director for the 700 Club. He has been healed of a lung condition, an enlarged hernia and a life-long speech impediment, through Jesus Christ.

A set of teaching tapes or CD's on divine healing by Warren Black are available.