If you’ve ever struggled repeatedly with health issues and wondered if they were God’s way of punishing you, you’re not alone. We live in an environment that lacks biblical understanding of healing and how to lay hold of it. Some people think God made them sick because of something sinful they did in the past. For born-again believers living under the covenant of grace, this isn’t true.

Illness and disease as a form or punishment was true under the law, but Jesus changed all that. During His ministry, Jesus traveled from place to place healing the sick; He hadn’t died yet, so the people He healed were still sinners. They were healed simply because they believed. Jesus emphasized the role of faith when He healed a man of palsy, a woman who had been bleeding for many years, and the blind who sought Him out. 

Under grace, there’s no link between sickness and sin. God doesn’t send bad things, but He’s well able to use them to show His mercy and compassion. When Jesus passed by a man born blind, His disciples asked whether his blindness was due to the man’s sin or his parents’. Jesus answered that it was so the works of God could be revealed in him.

God wants us healthy, not sick. Jesus is God’s will in action, and He powerfully demonstrated that. When He encountered doubt or uncertainty in this area, He emphatically answered, “I am willing, be cleansed.” We can therefore be confident that if we ask for anything according to His will—including healing—He hears us.

The truth about healing for new-covenant believers is expressed in John’s letter to Gaius, when he prayed that he would enjoy good health. It’s God’s will that we’re healthy in body and strong in spirit. Genuine belief in this truth, with no trace of doubt, keeps us from ever having to question Him concerning our health and wholeness.

Prayer:

Lord, Jesus’ death and resurrection changed the truth about healing. The focus shifted from doing to believing. Thank You for giving us Your Word on this as expressed in Your Son. Thank You for healing us. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Scriptures:

Matthew 9:2, 22, 29  

Mark 2:5

Mark 5:34

Mark 10:52

John 9:1-3, NKJV

Luke 5:13, NKJV

1 John 5:14

3 John 1:2, NIV

3 John 1:2, NLT