January 24th, 2023
by Chris Smith
by Chris Smith
Faith For The Miraculous
This is one I've wrestled with for my entire faith, not to believe it, but to see miracles happening the way God said they should. I've seen the sick healed, cancers disappear, babies born to barren wombs and demons driven out...but I've also seen it not happen more often than not. Now I get the reality that it's submitted to God's divine will and plan and there are circumstances in which the sickness is something God is using in the life of the sufferer or the onlooker and sometimes both. Yet I also KNOW that God wants to heal more, do more, reveal Himself more in the miraculous, to confirm His Word and draw the unsaved to salvation in Christ, so I, along with millions of other Christians long to see His power fully revealed in and through His church!
Below is a discussion between a couple friends of mine, one a South African pastor/business man and a Canadian pastor on the subject of the power of God to heal the sick. It is more of a 'door opening' than a conclusive discussion, but that leaves way for us to search the scriptures and our own hearts for the faith to see heaven break in upon earth.
"I make a few statements that you might find useful.
1) Word of God is the highest authority. We build our doctrine on the Word, not on theologians, or on experience. If the Word is different than our experience, we go with the Word.
2) Jesus only said and did what the Father said and did. If He healed and told us to heal, it MUST be the Father's will for everyone to be healed (Matt 10:7-8).
3) We are spirit, we have a soul (mind, feelings, emotions etc) and we live in a body (flesh). Spirit is renewed at rebirth (justification). It is made perfect in Jesus and all else is to line up with our spirit, which is in line with Holy Spirit. We need to renew our minds (soul) through the process of sanctification, to become aligned with our spirit. Body is to be brought in line with our soul (3 John 1:2).
4) "By His wounds we have been healed" (Isa53 AND 1Pet2). It is written in OT and NT, I guess we can take it as fact. This is the diagnosis of the Bible, any other diagnosis (personal or medical) has to be brought into contrast with this. It is our decision which diagnosis to believe.
5) Jesus said "heal the sick", as such we administer healing, we don't ask for it. We can't ask God to do what He told us to do. We speak to sickness and disease, and command it to respond to the power and authority that we have been given in Christ.
We (the Church) have been taught so many things that are not biblical. Men who do not see success, come up with explanations and these get taught as the truth. It is so sad.
The Bible says: "These signs will follow those who believe". We say that we believe the truth of the Word, but what if... What about... Does it mean... God's will... Sovereignty of God...
Some of these sound so godly, but it is not the truth. The Word of God is the truth.
I confess that I have been, and often do, believe these things. I do not want to be that way. I want to be influenced only by the truth and see miracles that glorify God.
Hebrews 11:1 (ESV) [1] Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
It is so easy to quote these scriptures, but it is now time to start living in the truth of them. We don't have to lie, we just have to start living in faith, once we have settled in our minds that we believe.
Two scriptures that come to mind:
1) Mark 9:23-24 (ESV) [23] And Jesus said to him, “‘If you can? All things are possible for one who believes.” [24] Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!”
2) Romans 4:17 (ESV)[17] as it is written, “I have made you the father of many nations”—in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and *calls into existence the things that …
[3] Psalms 103:2-3 (ESV) [2] Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits,
who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases,
Psalms 103:6 (ESV) [6] The LORD works righteousness and justice for all who are oppressed.
I don't understand it, but we have no problem telling an unsaved person that Jesus died for them and fully paid the penalty for their sins, thus providing their “salvation”, over 2000 years ago, and that He will never reject them if they accept His sacrifice. There is no question as to whether or not they can be saved. Yet the exact same wording is used for the healing of their physical sicknesses and diseases as is used for the “healing” of their spiritual sickness, sin."
Oh Lord, help me to believe, to have that faith that moves mountains, not for the sake of the miracles themselves, but for the sake of those who don't yet know you and know you are real! May we enter into the outpouring of miraculous healings and the transforming work of salvation in Christ, seeing millions coming to you!
Below is a discussion between a couple friends of mine, one a South African pastor/business man and a Canadian pastor on the subject of the power of God to heal the sick. It is more of a 'door opening' than a conclusive discussion, but that leaves way for us to search the scriptures and our own hearts for the faith to see heaven break in upon earth.
"I make a few statements that you might find useful.
1) Word of God is the highest authority. We build our doctrine on the Word, not on theologians, or on experience. If the Word is different than our experience, we go with the Word.
2) Jesus only said and did what the Father said and did. If He healed and told us to heal, it MUST be the Father's will for everyone to be healed (Matt 10:7-8).
3) We are spirit, we have a soul (mind, feelings, emotions etc) and we live in a body (flesh). Spirit is renewed at rebirth (justification). It is made perfect in Jesus and all else is to line up with our spirit, which is in line with Holy Spirit. We need to renew our minds (soul) through the process of sanctification, to become aligned with our spirit. Body is to be brought in line with our soul (3 John 1:2).
4) "By His wounds we have been healed" (Isa53 AND 1Pet2). It is written in OT and NT, I guess we can take it as fact. This is the diagnosis of the Bible, any other diagnosis (personal or medical) has to be brought into contrast with this. It is our decision which diagnosis to believe.
5) Jesus said "heal the sick", as such we administer healing, we don't ask for it. We can't ask God to do what He told us to do. We speak to sickness and disease, and command it to respond to the power and authority that we have been given in Christ.
We (the Church) have been taught so many things that are not biblical. Men who do not see success, come up with explanations and these get taught as the truth. It is so sad.
The Bible says: "These signs will follow those who believe". We say that we believe the truth of the Word, but what if... What about... Does it mean... God's will... Sovereignty of God...
Some of these sound so godly, but it is not the truth. The Word of God is the truth.
I confess that I have been, and often do, believe these things. I do not want to be that way. I want to be influenced only by the truth and see miracles that glorify God.
Hebrews 11:1 (ESV) [1] Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
It is so easy to quote these scriptures, but it is now time to start living in the truth of them. We don't have to lie, we just have to start living in faith, once we have settled in our minds that we believe.
Two scriptures that come to mind:
1) Mark 9:23-24 (ESV) [23] And Jesus said to him, “‘If you can? All things are possible for one who believes.” [24] Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!”
2) Romans 4:17 (ESV)[17] as it is written, “I have made you the father of many nations”—in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and *calls into existence the things that …
[3] Psalms 103:2-3 (ESV) [2] Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits,
who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases,
Psalms 103:6 (ESV) [6] The LORD works righteousness and justice for all who are oppressed.
I don't understand it, but we have no problem telling an unsaved person that Jesus died for them and fully paid the penalty for their sins, thus providing their “salvation”, over 2000 years ago, and that He will never reject them if they accept His sacrifice. There is no question as to whether or not they can be saved. Yet the exact same wording is used for the healing of their physical sicknesses and diseases as is used for the “healing” of their spiritual sickness, sin."
Oh Lord, help me to believe, to have that faith that moves mountains, not for the sake of the miracles themselves, but for the sake of those who don't yet know you and know you are real! May we enter into the outpouring of miraculous healings and the transforming work of salvation in Christ, seeing millions coming to you!
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