This is how it is for those of us who are born of the spirit but who have not learned how to walk after the spirit. When we were in flesh we walked after the flesh. Spiritually dead, the natural world was the only world we knew and we relied on our five senses to live. But when we were born again we were given a new life with new senses. Like the blind man in the story, we can now live in two worlds: the natural world and the spiritual world; the seen realm and the unseen realm (Heb 11:3).

We use our natural senses to navigate the natural world but in the spiritual world we walk by faith. It is only by faith that we can make sense of things we do not see (Heb 11:1). The trouble is faith often runs contrary to our natural senses. This is why the Bible challenges us to live by faith rather than by sight (2 Cor 5:7). Lean on your own carnal understanding and you will never live the abundant life that God has promised. It is only by faith that you can receive what He offers.

In the last few posts we have looked at what it means to walk according to the flesh. (If you missed them, a list of posts is found below.)  To walk after the flesh is to be mindful of natural things – what we see, hear, touch, etc. But to walk after the spirit means we are mindful of spiritual things – what God has said and is now saying, what God has done is now doing. I’m not talking about being born again. Your new birth was a one-time work of the Spirit (Jn 3:5). But once you have been born of the Spirit, you need to learn how to walk in the spirit. It’s a completely different way to live.

If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. (Ga 5:25, NKJV)

You have a choice

The unsaved person cannot walk in the spirit. The natural world is the only world he knows. But when you have been born of the Spirit you have a choice. You can interpret any situation with your natural senses or with faith. Let me illustrate. Suppose you go to the doctor and he shows you an x-ray of your brain, says you have a tumor, and tells you that you have a week to live. If the natural world is all you know, you’d better start wrapping up your affairs! Everything you have heard and seen is telling you that you’re going to die. You can choose how you’re going to die – bravely or fearfully – but that’s about the only choice you have.

The spirit-conscious person, on the other hand, has options and he will not accept the doctor’s report as the last word. He might say, “I need a second opinion. What does Dr. Jesus say?” Do you see what he’s doing? He’s switching his attention from the natural realm to the spiritual. He’s looked at the x-ray he’s now fixing his eyes on something unseen and eternal. His spirit is one with the Holy Spirit and through that connection he is being reminded of some life-giving promises pertaining to healing (e.g., Is 53:4, Ps 103:3). Although in the natural he is battling anxiety, he strives to enter that rest which is found only in Jesus. He begins to think about Jesus who carried his infirmities. And as he sets his mind on things above he begins to sense supernatural peace and faith stirring within him.

When you walk according to the flesh, life always has the last word. The circumstances of your life will tell you when to be sick, poor, and anxious. Enemies of sickness and poverty will seek to rob you of your appetite, sleep, and joy. But when you walk according to the spirit you will find yourself talking back to your circumstances. You’ll argue with doctors. You’ll speak to your bank account. You may even shout at sickness. If you think that’s weird, consider Jesus. He spoke to trees and storms and said we’d speak to mountains! The spirit-conscious believer talks back because he knows that life does not have the last word. He refuses to let his circumstances dictate his actions.

Walk the talk

Learning how to walk is a skill. It takes practice. In my next post I’m going to give you some classic examples of walking in the spirit from the Bible and then, in the post after that, I’m going to give you three keys to help you on your way. But I know you can’t wait. You want to know how to walk in the spirit right now. So here’s the short version from Proverbs:

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. (Pro 3:5-6, NIV)

The operative word in this passage is “acknowledge.” It does not mean tipping your hat to Jesus whenever you go charging off on a scheme of your own invention. Neither is it saying “I want to thank the Lord Jesus” in all the little victory speeches of your life. Acknowledging the Lord means knowing Him in all your ways. Here’s the same verse in a literal translation:

In all thy ways know thou Him, And He doth make straight thy paths. (Pro 3:6, YLT)

When the doctor has just pronounced the sentence of death, you want to know the Lord – what does He say on the matter? It’s His word that counts. When you’ve been offered a promotion or you’ve just met the perfect man or woman and it all seems good to you, you want to know the Lord – what does He think about this? The spirit-conscious believer is not the slightest bit interested in what his experience or natural understanding tells him. His sole desire is to know and follow Jesus every day.

Knowing the Lord as you walk through life will make a crooked path straight. When you know the Lord you’ll walk through the valley of the shadow of death with no fear and you’ll feast in the presence of your enemies.
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Recent posts on walking after the flesh:
- How to walk after the flesh in 20 easy lessons
- When doing good is bad for you
- 12 infamous examples of walking after the flesh
- Romans 7: The Flesh Test

(a) conclude that it’s not God’s will to heal all the sick?
(b) tell the father that God can heal but He is not going to heal your son right at this moment – maybe in eternity?
(c) speculate that the son has some unconfessed sin in his life?
(d) declare that the boy is healed even though he is still writhing on the ground?
(e) be puzzled?

If you chose (a), then you’ve built a theology based on your experience that is contrary to the promises of God (Acts 10:38, 1 Pe 2:24). If you chose (b), then you’ve joined the ranks of those false comforters who say things like, “God used to heal in the Bible, but now He’s on a break.” If you chose (c), then you’re saying sin can stop the power of God, which it can’t – otherwise no sinner could get saved. If you chose (d), the father would think that you’re nuts. If you chose (e), then your reaction is the same as the disciples’ when they were confronted with this situation.

Perhaps you are familiar with the story of the man who brought his troubled son to the disciples for healing (Lk 9:37-43). It was an intense encounter for the boy was afflicted with a demon that threw him into convulsions and made him scream and foam at the mouth (Lk 9:39). The disciples tried to drive out the demon but failed. So Jesus stepped up, rebuked the demon and healed the boy.

Have you ever wondered why the disciples were not able to heal this boy? After all, they were the same disciples who had previously gone from village to village driving out demons and “healing people everywhere” (Mk 6:13, Lk 9:6). They weren’t rookies; they were seasoned ministers of the gospel. It was because they had been successful elsewhere that they were puzzled when they failed on this occasion:

Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?” (Mt 17:19)

Jesus’ answer to their question may surprise you. It may also answer questions you have about why more people aren’t healed today. So why did the disciples fail to heal this boy? Contrary to what you may have heard, the answer has nothing to do with their faith. Indeed, the disciples had faith to heal and deliver. They had performed many miracles and could not have done so without faith in the name of Jesus (Acts 3:16). So what was the obstacle in this case? In his book God Wants You Well, Andrew Wommack identifies two clues from the story:

1. Jesus rebuked the disciples for their unbelief

In response to their question, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?” Jesus answered:

“Because of your unbelief…” (Mt 17:20)

We tend to think of faith and unbelief as opposite ends of the same pole, but according to Jesus it’s possible to believe and doubt at the same time:

Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done.” (Mt 21:21)

Of course it’s important to have faith, to believe. As Jesus said to the boy’s father, “everything is possible to him who believes.” But the father, like many of us, wanted God to take responsibility for the healing. “Lord, help us!” Yet Jesus said, “If you have faith, you can heal him.” We think healing the sick is God’s job, but He wants us to do it (Mk 16:18). Look at how the father responded:

“Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!” (Mk 9:24)

The father is saying he has faith, but he also has unbelief. Unbelief nullifies faith. Wommack says it’s like having two teams of horses hooked up to the same wagon and pulling in different directions. One team negates the other. If you have faith in God’s word (“by His stripes you were healed”), but you’re also putting stock in the contrary word of doctors (“you’ll be dead in a week”), then your mountain’s not going anywhere. Your unbelief is canceling your faith.

2. Jesus said even little faith was enough to get the job done

“Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.” (Mt 17:20)

After identifying the problem (“your unbelief”), Jesus assured the disciples that their faith was not the issue. Even if their faith was the size of a little mustard seed, it would be sufficient to move mountains. The real obstacle was their unbelief. Jesus called them an “unbelieving and perverse generation” (Mt 17:17). He was saying, “you had faith, but it was undermined by your unbelief.”

Note that some translations interpret “unbelief” as “little faith.” So Jesus’ answer in verse 20 begins, “Because of your little faith.” But this is a poor translation that makes Jesus sound like He’s contradicting Himself. The Greek word for unbelief (apistia) in the passage above is the same word used by the boy’s father when he says, “help my unbelief.”

Some translators equate unbelief with little faith, but Jesus clearly says that little faith is not the issue. If little faith can move a mountain, it can surely heal one small boy. It’s not about the the size of your faith (we all have the same measure as Jesus anyway), but whether your faith is handicapped by doubt and unbelief. Pure, childlike faith, untainted by grown-up unbelief, is what moves mountains. Pure faith is strong faith.

Why was unbelief a problem for the disciples in this case?

In his book You’ve Already Got It, Wommack identifies three different kinds of unbelief. There’s unbelief that arises from ignorance (“I didn’t know God heals the sick”); unbelief that arises from bad theology (“I don’t believe God heals the sick any more”); and unbelief that arises from our natural senses (“look at the size of that growth!”). What kind of unbelief undid the disciples? Wommack speculates that they may have been unnerved by the sight of a convulsing, frothing child. A seizure in a child is not a pretty sight, especially if there’s a demon behind it. Natural unbelief is fueled by what we see and hear. We get a bad report, x-ray or scan and believe the worst. We’re now walking by sight rather than faith (2 Co 5:7). Even if we have faith, our unbelief will send us to the Internet looking for reassurance and hope. We may be declaring the promises of God over our situation but at the same time we’re feeding our doubts by heeding our circumstances.

How do we deal with unbelief?

Starve it!

And He replied to them, “This kind (of unbelief) cannot be driven out by anything but prayer and fasting.” (Mk 9:29)

Unbelief that arises from ignorance and bad theology can be corrected by showing people the truth (Mk 6:6), but overcoming natural unbelief may require prayer and fasting. If the Internet is fueling your doubts, then stay off the Internet! If your “faith sense” is dull because of your natural appetites, then curb your appetites. If your body is telling you what to think and believe (“I’m hurting – I’m not healed at all”) then deny your flesh by going without food. Your flesh needs to learn that it is not in charge – you are! By fasting for a time you are telling your five senses that there’s more to life than bread (Mt 4:4); you’re saying that you prefer to live by the spirit.

Three months ago I had the opportunity to pray for a man with a life-threatening head injury. I boldly declared that Christ has provided for his healing and recovery. Using the authority given to me as a believer, I commanded life and the complete restoration of his damaged brain. My faith felt strong, yet as soon as I finished praying I had the following thought; “When he dies, you’re going to look foolish. It’s this sort of praying that gives Christians a bad name.” Whether this was the devil or the voice of reason I’m not sure, but my spirit reacted violently. “No! I will not accept that.” I hadn’t yet read Wommack’s book but my spirit knew that unbelief was not welcome in my mind. So I sent that thought packing and from that moment onward I felt complete peace. I just rested in what Christ had done and what we had received by faith. I didn’t even sense the need to pray for him again. And three days later the doctors declared that the man would recover.

Here’s Wommack:

“Your prayer and fasting doesn’t move God. Neither does it move the devil. Fasting and prayer moves you. It affects you… You don’t have a faith problem. What you have is an unbelief problem. Instead of trying to build bigger and bigger faith, we need to stop feeding unbelief. (God Wants You Well, p.121,124)

Fix the right problem

Today there is much emphasis on faith and getting more faith. This sort of teaching will leave you thinking, “I’m not healed because I lack faith.” Like the disciples we pray, “Lord, increase my faith” (Lk 17:5), and Jesus responds, “Your faith is not the problem – even little faith will get the job done” (Lk 17:6, my paraphrase). Why is our faith not the problem? Because it’s His faith. Paul said he was justified by the faith of Jesus Christ and now lived by the faith of the Son of God (Gal 2:16,20, KJV). He understood that his faith was a gift from God (Eph 2:8). If you think there’s something wrong with your faith, it’s like saying God gives faulty gifts. When Peter healed the crippled man outside the temple, he gave all credit to the faith that comes from God:

“By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through Him that has given this complete healing to him, as you can all see.” (Acts 3:16)

When there’s a problem, a strategy of the devil is to get your attention onto fixing the thing that’s not broken. If Christ lives in you, then there’s nothing wrong with your faith. But you might have a problem with unbelief. God is faithful and His will is to heal every sick person every single time, but unbelief will limit the power of God in your life. So stop worrying about your faith – you already have enough to move your mountain – and apply the hammer of God’s word to your unbelief.
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Related posts:
- Taking communion in an unworthy manner
- Dealing with unanswered prayer
- Does God give and take away?

“The Lord did not kill your son. He didn’t allow this to happen. Satan was the one who snuffed his life out. Even though the devil may have won this battle, he didn’t win the war.” (p.45)

Wommack walked away from that experience motivated to learn. Evidently he’s learned much because he’s spent the past four decades healing the sick and raising the dead. I imagine that thousands of people have received physical healing as a result of his ministry. In his recent book, God Wants You Well, Wommack distills some of the lessons he’s learned about healing the sick. Here’s lesson number one:

“It’s God’s will to heal every single person every single time.” (p.89)

Healing is a done deal. It’s part of the salvation package. Look at the meaning and use of the word “saved” (sozo) in the Bible and you will find that it covers forgiveness, healing, and deliverance. It means to be “made whole” in every aspect of life. In Psalms 103:3 and 1 Peter 2:24, the benefits of salvation are described as the forgiveness of sins and physical healing. You cannot separate one from the other. It is offensive to Jesus and His finished work to treat healing as merely a fringe benefit. There are at least 17 occasions in the Gospels, where Jesus healed everyone who came to Him sick. It was His habit to heal everyone!

So why isn’t everyone healed today? What about that four year old boy? Is God in charge or isn’t He?

“We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one.” (1 Jn 5:19)

Sickness is part of sin’s curse. You could say it was Satan’s ministry, his evil gift to the world. Jesus said the devil is a thief (Jn 10:10) and he’ll try and rob your health. Yet many believe that sickness is from God. They think that God makes us sick to us to teach us humility. According to Wommack this makes about as much sense as thinking that God would cause us to get drunk and murder people to teach us character. He no more leads us into sickness than He leads us into sin. So here’s the next lesson:

“In the same way that I should resist sin, I should resist sickness.” (p.36)

Nobody ever wonders, “Lord, is it your will for me to sin?” Neither should we wonder whether it’s His will for us to be sick. It isn’t! But if you are uncertain about this – if you think sickness is all part of His mysterious plan – it’ll make you passive. You won’t resist the devil and he won’t flee from you (Jas 4:7). Your neighbors will come to you sick and you’ll send them to the doctor. (I’m not against doctors!) They’ll come battling mental illness and you’ll send them to the psychiatrist. But Jesus didn’t carry our griefs and infirmities to turn us into advice-givers. The Bible tells us that He…

“…gave Himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father.” (Gal 1:4)

The Bible describes this age as evil and the whole world as being under the control of the evil one. This is why people get sick and die. God’s solution is found in the cross. Through His atoning sacrifice, Jesus provided us with everything we need to overcome sin and sickness. So why aren’t we seeing more people healed? Perhaps the number one reason is unbelief arising from ignorance. Many people – Christians included – aren’t fully aware of what Christ did on our behalf. Wommack is quick to admit his own failings in this area:

“I’ve failed. I don’t see healing come to pass. I’ve seen some people very close to me die, family and friends I’ve loved with all of my heart. I’ve had to accept partial responsibility. It’s a complex issue. I’m not saying that it was all my fault, all their fault, or anybody’s fault. We’re still learning… (On one occasion where a girl died) I believe I did fail… But am I condemned by that? No, I’m not condemned at all. I believe that God loves me.” (pp.87-88)

One of the things I admire about Wommack in this book is that he’s more interested in finding answers than in making excuses. How refreshing! He wants to know “what works?” while others are making theologies to explain “why doesn’t it work?” Those who refuse to believe that God is in the healing business often point to Paul’s thorn in the flesh (2 Cor 12:7) or Timothy’s tummy troubles (1 Ti 5:23). Wommack deals with these and other chestnuts (e.g., Trophimus, Paul’s eyes) thoroughly. A “thorn in the flesh” is an Old Testament idiom (Num 33:55, Jud 2:3) that refers to persecution, not sickness, while Paul told Timothy to drink fortified wine and avoid the local water so he wouldn’t get “Delhi Belly” when he travelled.

Perhaps the most interesting part of Wommack’s book is his discussion of the laws of the kingdom that govern healing. These laws, like the laws of physics, are consistent and universal. They describe the way that God releases His power. For instance, faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of Christ (Rm 10:17). If you haven’t heard that Christ has carried your infirmities, then you’re going to have troubling believing that He did.

“This is one of God’s laws that many people violate. They want to receive from the Lord, but they don’t spend any time in His Word. They may say, ‘Well I believe that the Bible says somewhere that by His stripes we’re healed, but I’m not sure if that’s an exact quote or not.’” (pp.145-146)

Jesus said you need to exercise your God-given authority and speak to your mountain (Mk 11:23). In a manner of speaking, this is His law for dealing with mountains. You don’t have to understand how that works anymore than you need to understand how electricity works in order to benefit from it. Another law connects faith with action – you need to act on your faith. If you believe that you’re healed, but “continue to think sick, talk sick, and act sick,” then you won’t see the manifestation of your healing.

The laws of the kingdom, like the laws of electricity, have always been there. It’s just that we’re still learning how to apply them. God is not capricious and He loves us just the same whether we get it right or die trying. But His plan has always been for the Church to reveal His “complicated, many-sided wisdom” in accordance with the work He accomplished in Christ Jesus (Eph 3:10-11, AMP). This book makes the wisdom of God plain and easy to understand. When I finished reading I felt like a New Guinean tribesman that had just encountered electricity for the first time. I may not understand everything about healing the sick, but I am definitely inspired to step out in faith and heal the sick. Read this book and you will be inspired too.

One of the greatest tragedies of the modern church is that we’re ignorant of God’s will and His ways. Ignorance is deadly, and that’s why God Wants You Well is such a good book. It illuminates. It provides clear answers to everyday questions. It’s also waffle-free. You can read the entire book in one sitting and you’ll learn plenty. Even if you don’t agree with everything Wommack says, you’ll come away marveling at the potential for life and wholeness that was made available to us through the cross. Jesus didn’t give Himself merely to rescue us from hell in the next life. He also came to rescue us from the evils of the present one.
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Related posts:
- “Bodily Healing and the Atonement” by TJ McCrossan
- “Grace – The Power of the Gospel” by Andrew Wommack
- see all of E2R’s book reviews here

Aaargh! How I wish I could take those words back! Could I not see the staggering ungraciousness of my comments? Was I blind to the unholy line I was drawing between Us (welcome to take communion) and Them (not welcome)? Jesus died for all people, but not all were being invited to remember his death. How did I get so mixed up?

Like many pastors I was confused about the meaning of Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 11:26-32. I understood that the Corinthians had been making fools of themselves by gorging and getting drunk at communion, so I thought that Paul wrote to warn them of the dire consequences of acting irreverently:

“He that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself…” (1 Cor 11:29 KJV)

I now understand that Paul was saying something completely different and wholly liberating about proclaiming the Lord’s death. He wasn’t condemning the Corinthians for their poor behavior. He was trying to free them from the condemnation of their ignorance and unbelief. This distinction is obvious when you think about it. I mean, how could Paul preach condemnation to the Corinthian Christians in one letter while preaching no condemnation to the Roman Christians in another?

Somehow Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 11 have been twisted into a worthiness test for communion. “Examine yourself before you eat the bread and drink of the cup.” Okay, but how do we do that? How do I know if I’m worthy or about to eat and drink damnation to myself? Some denominations helpfully mandate minimum standards of worthiness. They say you must be a believer or a baptized believer or a welcomed member of the church or what-have-you. But the lines are blurry. The standards differ even within denominations as many individual churches have the freedom to set their own worthiness benchmarks.

Perhaps what we need is some kind of Christian caste system. India’s caste system is pretty good at separating the rabble from the rest. Maybe we can learn from them. At the bottom would be sinners because someone who rejects Jesus is obviously not worthy. That’s basically what I was saying in my church. By telling visitors (they might be sinners! who let them in here?) that they were “free” not to partake of communion I was sending the message, “this is not for you – you’re not good enough for Jesus.” I was judging them as unworthy of the body and blood. Of course I didn’t think of it in such terms. I thought I was honoring Jesus and protecting sinners from judgment. Slowly it began to dawn on me that there was something odd about denying communion to sinners. Afterall, didn’t Jesus die for sinners?

Religion draws lines between us and them, but grace tears down dividing walls (Eph 2:14). Nowhere in the Bible will you find any hint of a suggestion that we should exclude people from communion. This is a death-dealing tradition of man. When I said communion was for us but not for them, I was acting religiously and in a manner wholly opposed to the Spirit of grace. Happily, I repented. I changed my tune and began saying, “all are welcome.” I then watched amazed as the Holy Spirit revealed the love and grace of God to those who didn’t know Him.

Who can partake of communion?

Communion is when we remember Jesus’ death on the cross. So who’s it for? Obviously it’s for all those He died for. It’s for everyone. But I want to single out two groups who can especially benefit from communion:

“It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” ~ Jesus (Mk 2:17)

1. The sick

Sickness and death are part of sin’s curse (Ge 2:17). In Deuteronomy 28:15-68 there is a long list of curses that result from disobedience to God’s commands. These include “severe and lingering illnesses” along with “every kind of sickness not recorded in the Book of Law” (v.59-60). There is no sickness that is not part of the curse. Even modern-day sicknesses (e.g., anorexia, HIV, DVT) are covered.

During His time on earth Jesus healed every sick person who came to Him (Mt 12:15, Mk 6:56). Not one person went away unhealed. Jesus did this to demonstrate His complete and irresistible power over sin and all its effects. So before you eat and drink, examine yourself to see if there are things in your life – sickness, disease, afflictions (Is 53:4, AMP) – that Jesus carried in His body and paid for in His blood. If you are sick, proclaim His death and triumphant victory over sin and death! Identify your illness as a defeated enemy and lift up the Name of Him who is above every sickness. He was wounded that you might be healed, and cursed that you might be blessed (Gal 3:13, 1 Pe 2:24). Take your Jesus’ Medicine and be well!

2. Sinners

In the old covenant, sinners and unclean people were kept far away lest they contaminate the righteous. If there had been communion back then, they would not have got it! But Jesus was a friend of sinners. He went into their houses and broke bread with them. He met with thieves, adulterers and murderers and “contaminated” them with His righteousness. Sinners were radically changed by His awesome grace.

By saying “communion is only for the worthy” we have turned a new covenant blessing into an old covenant curse and denied grace to those who need it most. If communion is only for the deserving, who can qualify? Outside of Christ there are no worthy people! If you think you are worthy because of your religious performance, then you disqualify yourself, for Jesus did not come to call the self-righteous.

Here’s the good news: Jesus is still a friend of sinners! He died for us while we were sinners and He reconciled us to God while we were His enemies (Rm 5:8,10). People who hesitate over communion – both saints and sinners – do so because they are distracted by their imperfections. They draw back like Old Testament lepers because they believe that they are unclean. But you have been redeemed by the most precious commodity in the universe – the infinitely precious blood of Jesus (1 Pe 1:19). If God loves you enough to die for you, then in His eyes you must be really something special. And you are!

Communion is not a time for self-examination but Jesus-examination! The only thing that will empower you to overcome sin is the grace of God and it’s not stored in your navel. Look to Jesus! His blood bought your forgiveness and His death triumphed over all your sin. See yourself crucified with Him (Ga 2:20). Reckon yourself dead to sin and alive to Christ (Rm 6:11). He is our perfect high priest, a Lamb without blemish or defect. Don’t draw back but come boldly to the throne of grace for Christ Himself qualifies you.

The next time someone says “communion is only for the worthy,” don’t be distracted by your sin – it’s been done away with by the blood of Jesus and God remembers it no more (He 8:12). Instead, remind yourself that Christ died for the unworthy. Tell yourself, “He died for me, and because of Him I am now the very righteousness of God, holy and blameless (Eph 1:4). Glory to God and thank you Jesus!”
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Related posts:
- 1 Corinthians 11:26-32
- The Gospel in one word, two words…
- Taking communion in an unworthy manner

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In my last post I looked at what it means to take communion in an unworthy manner. Contrary to what you may have heard, this has nothing to do with examining yourself to see whether you are worthy or not. (Jesus died for unworthy people!) To take communion in a worthy manner is to honor the body and blood of Jesus that was sacrificed for your salvation. A proper definition of salvation includes forgiveness, healing, deliverance, indeed, everything that is part of the abundant life that Jesus promised (Jn 10:10). Because of Jesus’ costly sacrifice, you have full rights to every spiritual blessing (Eph 1:3), along with healing (1 Pe 2:24), forgiveness (Eph 1:7), a guilt-free conscience (He 10:22), and unrestricted access to the throne of grace (He 4:16).

You will never take communion in a worthy manner until you appreciate and value His worthiness. If you are in the habit of asking Him for things that He has already provided (e.g., healing, forgiveness, provision), then you are not attributing to Christ the full worth of His sacrifice.

A big part of the communion-confusion stems from a misreading of Paul’s instructions to the Corinthians. As I have not found a good translation of 1 Corinthians 11:26-32, I have provided my own paraphrase above. (I looked at the meaning of the original Greek behind some of the words in my earlier post.) Take care when you quote me for I am not a Greek-speaker. I am sure I have missed some things. But I daresay my rough paraphrase may be closer to Paul’s original meaning than many of the English translations we have today. Paul never wrote to condemn Christians. He wrote to free them from sin and all its effects. If you are not being set free when you read his writings, something is wrong.

Incidentally, if you do find a good translation of 1 Cor 11:26-32 – and by that I mean a translation that releases life and freedom clearly, in plain English, and without ambiguity – let me know and I will paste the link here.

Finally, I will paste here Joseph Prince’s rearrangement of 1 Cor 11:29-30. Sometimes it helps to read things back-to-front to arrive at the intended meaning. This is one of the best reasons for remembering the Lord’s death through communion:

“For he who eats and drinks in a worthy manner eats and drinks God’s favorable judgment to himself, discerning the Lord’s body. For this reason many are strong and healthy among you, and many live who would otherwise be dead.”

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Related posts:
- Not by sight
- A better way to pray
- Taking communion in an unworthy manner

1Co 11:26  For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
1Co 11:27  Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord.
1Co 11:28  A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup.
1Co 11:29  For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself.
1Co 11:30  That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep.
1Co 11:31  But if we judged ourselves, we would not come under judgment.
1Co 11:32  When we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned with the world.

Thankfully, I was wrong.

This scripture above must be one of the most abused and misunderstood passages in the entire Bible. It is regularly used to deny communion to those who need and it is frightening to 10 year olds. As we will see, it is one of the most liberating scriptures in the Bible, yet many believers are condemned by it. Doesn’t this seem a bit odd to you? Afterall, this passage was written by the same apostle who said, “there is now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus.” So what’s going on here? Did Paul have a change of heart? Is he now saying that God will condemn us if we partake of communion in an unworthy manner? No he is not.

I suspect that the problems began 400 years ago when the translators working for King James chose words that conveyed a sense of punishment and condemnation. Look at the word judgment in verse 29 above, which is taken from the NIV translation. In the original Greek the word is krima. When the King James translators were looking for an English word corresponding to krima, they chose the word damnation and the verse became,

For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself… (KJV)

That sounds seriously bad! But krima can also be translated as decision or decree. Think of a judge presiding in a court. His decision is called a judgment or krima. As I have said elsewhere, when you have been raised on the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, it is natural to assume that all judgments are bad. When a cop waves you over, you automatically think the worst. But a judgment is not inherently bad; it’s just a decision.

Similar words are found in verses 31 and 32:

For if we would judge (diakrino) ourselves, we should not be judged (krino). But when we are judged (krino), we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned (katakrino) with the world. (KJV)

If you click on the Greek words italicized above, you will see that diakrino and krino mean to distinguish and decide, while katakrino means to give judgment against or condemn. In other words, the only time Paul refers to explicitly bad judgment (the condemning, punishing kind) in this passage, is when he is referring to the world and not the Corinthian Christians. Contrary to what you’ve heard, this is not about examining yourself to see whether you’re worthy of communion and Paul never says we damn ourselves by taking it in an unworthy manner.

So what sort of judgments or decisions does Paul want us to make when taking communion? And what does it mean to proclaim the Lord’s death? To answer these questions we need to look at the two mighty deeds Jesus’ accomplished when He went to the cross. These two deeds are represented in communion by the bread and the cup.

The bread

At the Last Supper Jesus handed out the bread, said it was His body, and told the disciples to eat it in remembrance of Him (Lk 22:19). He didn’t say much else because no doubt they could all recall the fuss that happened the last time He said He was the bread of life:

“I am the bread of life… I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world… I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.” (Jn 6:48,51-54)

As a result of these words many disciples turned away from following Jesus (Jn 6:66). To them, the idea of eating His flesh and drinking His blood was repelling. They did not grasp that Jesus was referring to His impending sacrifice – that He would give up His body in fulfillment of Isaiah 53:4-5 so that we might have life. But the lesson wasn’t lost on Peter for he later quoted Isaiah when he wrote, “by his wounds you have been healed” (1 Pe 2:24).

What does it mean to eat the flesh of Jesus? It means to behold Jesus and all that He has done for you, both at the whipping post and on the cross. In communion the bread represents His body which was broken so that you might have life and health. This is good news for the sick, but it will have no effect in your life unless you believe it. In the passage above, Paul is basically exhorting us to judge whether sickness or health is from God. Sadly, many believers are confused about these things. They think that God wants them sick so they can learn stuff. They don’t recognize (diakrino) that Jesus gave His body so that we might be healed. By failing to honor His body and blood they take communion in a less than worthy manner. It’s like saying, “Jesus was wounded for nothing,” or “by His wounds I have not been healed.”

Sickness and death are part of the curse of sin (Ge 2:17). Jesus died to set us free from sin and all its effects, but we won’t be free unless we put our faith in His work. The good news profits nothing unless it is mixed with faith in them that hear it (He 4:2). The Corinthians were suffering unnecessarily because they were not recognizing or discerning the Lord’s body. “This is why many among you are weak and sick and some have even died.” It wasn’t that God was judging them for getting drunk at communion. No, they were suffering the effects of sin because they did not properly value what Christ had done on their behalf at Calvary. Because they were not judging themselves in light of the finished work of the cross (forgiven, accepted, blessed, healed), they were still experiencing the punishing effects of sin (rejection, sickness, condemnation). Because they weren’t attributing to Christ the full worth of His sacrifice, they were still suffering – in the language of King James – the effects of damnation.

The cup

At the Last Supper Jesus took the cup and announced a new covenant based on His blood:

“This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” (Mt 26:28)

In fear of eating and drinking in an unworthy manner, many Christians treat communion as a time of somber reflection. But proclaiming the Lord’s death should be an occasion of great joy and celebration! Was there ever a better reason to party than this? Think about it: We who were once defiled by sin have been washed white as snow (Is 1:18). Our guilty consciences have been cleansed and our forgivenness has been eternally secured by the precious blood of Jesus (He 10:22, 1 Pe 1:19). This is the good news in a cup!

I will provide a line-by-line paraphrase of 1 Corinthians 11:26-32 in my next post, but Paul’s message to the Corinthians can be summed up like this: Judge yourself in light of Christ’s perfect sacrifice. Because of His body and blood, you are forgiven and healed. Learn to discriminate what is from God (e.g., healing) and what is part of sin’s curse (e.g., sickness). Understand that anything that is not God’s will in heaven (there is no sickness in heaven) is not His will here on earth. When you learn to distinguish what is from God and what is not you are chastened or disciplined (paideauo, literally, trained up or instructed) of the Lord and escape the adverse effects of sin that the rest of the world suffers.

Communion = good news for the sick and unworthy

Are you battling sickness, condemnation and guilt? Then prepare a communion table in the presence of these your enemies and proclaim the Lord’s death! Don’t look at communion as merely a churchy-ritual; make it a bold declaration of faith! As you take the bread, behold the Lord’s body that was broken so yours could be whole. As you take the cup, discern the Lord’s blood that was shed one time for all your sins (He 10:12). Remind your enemies that they were thoroughly defeated at the cross (Co 2:15). Because Jesus has triumphed we can reign in this life (Rms 5:17). There is no grief or sorrow He did not carry; there is no curse He did not redeem you from (Is 54:4). Judge yourself as God judges you – perfectly righteous, eternally forgiven, and completely whole!
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Related posts:
-    Are sinners forgiven too?
-    Who can take communion?
-    1 Peter 4:17: It’s judgment time!
-    Nothing but the blood of Jesus: 5 reasons to thank Him

“The person who trusts me will not only do what I’m doing but even greater things, because I, on my way to the Father, am giving you the same work to do that I’ve been doing. You can count on it.” (Jn 14:12, MSG)

I suspect the chief reason why many Christians live no different from their unsaved neighbors is they don’t know about the awesome authority that God has given us. So instead of healing the sick, as Jesus instructed us to do, they’re asking God to heal the sick. Instead of proclaiming life over their hurts, they’re complaining and speaking death over themselves.

In this short series on prayer, we have contrasted the Biblical way with the traditional way to pray. In Part 1 we saw that there is a difference between praying with hope and praying with faith. In Part 2 we learned that faith doesn’t move God – He’s already moved! In Part 3 we saw from scripture that answered prayers are sometimes delayed by the devil. The enemy is surely opposed to our prayers, but he’s probably not the main reason why our prayers aren’t answered. No, the hindrance to most of our prayers lies between our ears. The problem is we don’t appreciate what God has already done for us. More to the point, we don’t know how awesome and powerful is the One who now lives within us.

“Children, you belong to God, and you have defeated these enemies. God’s Spirit is in you and is more powerful than the one that is in the world.” (1 Jn 4:4 CEV)

Who do you think you are?

In Part 3 the punch-line was resist the devil. Here’s today punch-line: Renew your mind and learn to interpret your circumstances through the finished work of the cross. What do I mean by that? I mean it should be normal for you to see yourself as completely forgiven, sanctified, righteous, healthy and prosperous – all because of Jesus. Is this how you see yourself? Here’s a simple way to find out. When you get sick, which of the following statements best describes how you respond?

(1) “I am sick but I’m going to ask God to heal me.”
(2) “I am healthy but the devil’s trying to rob me.”

If you chose response No.1 then you’re starting from a place of defeat. By asking God to do something He’s already done, you are confessing ignorance of what Jesus has accomplished on the cross. Maybe you’re not sure of what He’s done. Then you had better find out because faith, by definition, is being sure (He 11:1). How can you be sure when you’re unsure? Look at what you’re saying: I am sick… The focus is squarely on your physical condition. Do you know what the King Jimmy Bible calls it when we are more mindful of our physical circumstances than God’s word? Carnal mindedness. And you know what that means, right?

“To be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace” (Rms 8:6, KJV).

Do you know that you can be in the Spirit yet walk after the flesh? This happens when you put your feelings (what you see and hear etc.) ahead of your faith in God’s word. In effect, you are trusting in your praying performance instead of resting in His finished work. Pray like this and you will reap nothing because your faith is misplaced. Instead of standing on what Christ has done, you’re essentially saying God needs to act again and He won’t unless I first do something. You have more faith in you’re doing than in what Jesus has done.

If you want to release life and peace into our circumstances, be spiritually minded. That doesn’t mean “think spiritual thoughts.” To be spiritually minded means be led by the spirit. Your renewed spirit, like the Holy Spirit, already trusts God regardless of the circumstances. To be spiritually minded is to walk by faith, not by sight. So speak to your condition and say, “By His stripes I have been healed” (1 Pe 2:24).

If you chose response No.2 then you’re starting from the place of victory. You might declare, “As He is so am I in this world. The old man who suffered sin’s curse is dead and buried and I am a new creation. Sin and sickness no longer have dominion over me.” I’m not asking you to deny your physical reality but to have faith in a higher reality. I’m not saying the problem you are facing isn’t nothing; I’m saying that this Jesus who lives in you is Really Something! Here’s Andrew Wommack writing in Grace – The Power of the Gospel:

“I’ve changed. I know now that I’m not the sinner trying to become holy. I am the righteous whom Satan is trying to make unholy. I’m not the sick trying to get well. I am the well that the devil is trying to make sick. I’m not the poor trying to be prosperous. I am the prosperous that the Enemy is trying to make poor. This is a totally different attitude and mindset. But I’ve found it much easier to fight from the position of victory than to try to fight to obtain a position of victory. It’s infinitely easier to release something I already have than to go get something I don’t.” (pp.117-8)

When you’re sick your flesh will pull in one direction (“I need healing!”) but your spirit will pull in the other (“By His stripes I am healed!”). Flesh and spirit are opposed to each other and you will have to choose (Gal 5:17). The carnally minded believer will heed the flesh, but the spiritually minded believer will heed God’s word. This is not a question of having more or less faith – you already have the same measure of faith as Jesus (2 Pet 1:1). This is about putting your faith to work and releasing what God has already given you.

Plant this seed

In this short series I’ve given you some keys on how to pray effectively. I have given you truth in seed form. Perhaps you’ve been blessed reading these posts. Maybe you even clicked the “like” button or forwarded posts to your friends. But understand that nothing will change in your life unless this seed takes root in your heart and grows. It’s now up to you. Are you content to live no differently from your unsaved neighbors? Or do you want to see the Kingdom come and His will done in your world?

Be warned that neither the devil nor your flesh will like what you’ve read here (Ga 5:17). Jesus said the devil is a thief who likes to steal seed (Mk 4:15). Right about now this thief will be suggesting you go visit Facebook or he’ll be reminding you to take care of some task that really needs to get done. He’ll do whatever it takes to get your focus off Christ and the cross. But we are not ignorant of his schemes.

I began this series with Wommack and I’ll finish with him. Here he is writing in Spirit, Soul and Body:

“I’d confess aloud, ‘By His stripes I was healed.’ My body would counter, ‘Oh no you’re not!’ Then I’d answer, ‘Yes I am – the Word says so!’… You will have to overcome the same conflict! You don’t just say, ‘All right, I see the truth. Flesh, I now renounce you and choose to walk by the spirit!’ No, it’ll be a traumatic experience when you turn around and head the other direction. Your mind and emotions have been indulged now for many years. They’ve always said that whatever you see is more real than what’s invisible. There’s going to be a fight.” (p.117)

The good news is it’s a fight you can win, for greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world. Have faith in Jesus! Speak to your mountains! Heal the sick! Rebuke that storm! Change the world!
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If you missed them, here are the other 3 posts in this series:
1. A better way to pray
2. Speak to your mountain
3. Dealing with unanswered prayer

If you’ve been following this short series on prayer, I’m hoping you can spot at least two things wrong with these statements. First, it is always God’s will to heal the sick just as it is always His will to save the lost. Jesus died to save us and His atonement provides for our forgiveness, healing, deliverance and provision. Second, there’s no power in asking God to do something He’s already done. As we saw in Part 1, Jesus instructed us to “heal the sick,” not “ask God to heal the sick.” And as we saw in Part 2, Jesus wants us to speak directly to our mountains.

On my journey I have discovered that there is a huge difference between the traditional view of prayer and what the Bible teaches. We have already looked at six differences. Here is one more:

Traditional: Sometimes the answer is no
Biblical: God is faithful!

Some people will tell you that God hasn’t answered your prayers because you are not doing enough works. They’ll say you’re out of fellowship with Him or you haven’t pounded the gates of heaven or you haven’t confessed all of your sins. Others will try and manage your expectations with doctrine based on their experience rather than His word. Listen to these sorts of people and I guarantee it’ll neutralize your faith.

We need to rest in Jesus’ promise that whatever we ask in His name we shall receive (Jn 14:13, 16:24). “Ask me,” says Jesus, “and I will do it” (Jn 14:14). What is the key to doing the works and greater works of Jesus? It is simple faith in Jesus Christ (Jn 14:12). But sometimes we pray and there is no immediate manifestation. The sickness lingers. Does that mean God said no? Not according to Matthew 21:22 and John 16:24. Let God be true and every man a liar! God’s faithfulness is the one constant in the equation. He is the Rock on which we stand.

Daniel famously prayed two prayers that were both answered instantly. But the manifestation of one prayer took a few minutes, while the other took three weeks (Dan 9:23, 10:12). What was the variable? Not God! In Daniel’s case there was demonic resistance to the second prayer.

One reason why our problems sometimes linger is because the enemy is challenging our authority. He wants to see how serious we are. What should we do? Should we quit? Should we ask God to take over? No. Be encouraged. The devil will flee when we resist him and we do that by submitting to God and His rock-solid promises (Jas 4:7). That sword in your hand isn’t for decorative purposes. Use it! Here’s Andrew Wommack in his book A Better Way to Pray:

“When I minister healing to someone, I’ll pray for them two, three, four, or more times. I don’t care! I’m willing to pray for them until I rub all the hair off of their head! However, I’m not going back to God and saying, ‘Father, it didn’t work the first time. Let it work now, please!’ No! I believe it happened because God is faithful. He gave, but something’s wrong with our receiver. So I work on it. If the devil withstands one dose of the Holy Spirit, I’ll shoot him again! Just like Jesus did with the blind man of Bethsaida (Mark 8:22-26), I pray until I see the answer manifest. You need to get this attitude that God is faithful and He’s already met your need before you ever had it.” (p.125)

Understand that we’re not fighting to get the victory; we’re fighting to enforce the victory that Christ has already won. Satan and sickness were disarmed at the cross (Col 2:15). That’s why we’re called to stand rather than advance (Eph 6:13). We’re not taking ground, we’re holding ground that’s already ours through Christ. So stand firm and declare God’s word over your circumstances. Your tongue holds the power of life and death (Pro 18:21), so proclaim life and grace and health and freedom over your situation.

If the devil’s one variable, guess who’s the other? We’ll find out in the fourth and final part of this series.
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Related posts:

I have had many good teachers but much of what I write here has been inspired by Andrew Wommack’s helpful book, A Better Way to Pray. If you want to dig deeper or if you have questions, I strongly recommend that you get a hold of this book.

In Part 1 of this study I outlined five contrasts between the traditional and Biblical ways to pray. Probably the most important lesson I have learned so far, is that Jesus wants us to speak directly to our mountains.

“Have faith in God,” Jesus answered.  “I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” (Mk 11:22-24)

When you are faced with a mountain-sized problem, the temptation is to run and tell God all about it. But He already knows about your problem and He’s already provided everything you need to overcome it. Perhaps you need healing. He has already provided it (1 Pe 2:24). Perhaps you need finances. Already done (2 Co 8:9). As usual, your heavenly Father is a million steps ahead of you.

Don’t talk to God about your mountain; talk to your mountain about God! Okay, so what do you say? How do you talk to a mountain? Well you could talk about your mighty King whose name is above every name (Ph 2:9). Your mountain has a name. Cancer has a name. Depression has a name. God has commanded that all these things must bow to the name of Jesus (Ph 2:10). Wommack suggests you could pray like this:

“Father, thank You that Your name is above every name… These things the doctor told me are in my body have names. You are above them all! Thank You that You are greater, stronger, and more powerful than all of this.” (pp.33-34)

Notice how we have begun by focusing on our mighty Father and not the problem. In small groups there is a temptation to gather around our problems, but in that way lies death. We are to gather around the name of Jesus. Sometimes this is not easy! When we’ve heard bad news there is often a battle between fear and faith. We have to strive to enter His rest. But don’t pray while you are full of fear. Fear will get you speaking worry and negativity turning your prayers into words of death. “What he says will happen,” said Jesus. So watch your words and take care where you put your faith.

The best thing to do with your anxieties is cast them on the Lord (Ps 55:22). Fortify your mind by declaring God’s promises to yourself. When I’m battling with a bad report my two favorite words are, “Surely He…” (Is 53:4). He surely did! Praise Him for it. Then when faith has risen in your heart, you are ready to deal with the problem:

“Father, this is so small in comparison to what You’re able to do. I shouldn’t even have to ask, but the doctor did say I’m going to die. So since Jesus has already provided my healing, I’ll just receive it!” (p.34)

Traditional: Faith moves God.
Biblical: Faith moves mountains.

God has supplied everything you need by grace (Eph 1:3). Faith doesn’t move God to do what He’s already done; faith moves mountains. Praise the Lord for carrying all your infirmities on the cross and then command your mountain to bow to Jesus. Jesus said all authority on heaven and earth had been given to Him (Mt 28:18). He has jurisdiction everywhere and there is no place your mountain can hide from His authority. The problem you are confronting may be the result of a generational curse, bad DNA, bad behavior or whatever. It doesn’t matter. Jesus is Lord. Period. When we pray in Jesus’ name, we are re-presenting His cross-wrought victory and His irresistible authority:

“I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.” (Lk 10:19)

Have faith in God and speak to your mountain! “Rebuke with all authority” (Tit 2:15) and send it into the sea.

In Part 3 of this study, I want to look at how we can respond when our prayers seem to go unanswered. Stay tuned!
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Related posts:

If I could go back in time and give that green and keen couple one book to read, it would be Andrew Wommack’s, A Better Way to Pray. It would have led to radical changes in the way we did things. I now know that there is right way and a wrong way to pray. Jesus said as much in Matthew 6:5-8. One way pleases the Lord and results in supernatural transformation; the other way achieves nothing of lasting significance.

I have learned much in my grace walk, but learning how to pray effectively has probably led to the biggest changes in the lives of those I touch. Just the other day I prayed for a man who had come out of a car crash with serious head injuries. He was in a coma heading for death, but I prayed and now he will live. God is good!

I want to list some contrasts between what I learned as the traditional way to pray and what I now understand is the Biblical way to pray. I’m not saying I have discovered the best way to pray, but it is definitely better. As Wommack says, I haven’t arrived – but I’ve left! If you find these contrasts helpful, I recommend reading Wommack’s book. If you can’t afford the book you can read a short article with the same title by Wommack or listen to his MP3 teaching. But the book is worth its weight in gold.

Traditional way to pray: Pound the gates of heaven with persistent prayer (like the widow) until you get your breakthrough.
Biblical way to pray: Ask and you shall receive. Every time.

God is not an unjust judge who must be badgered into responding. He is our good Father who longs to bring justice quickly into our situations (Lk 18:8). It is a mistake to think that God rewards our praying efforts. Jesus said the pagans pray long prayers thinking they will be heard for their many words. Don’t be like them (Mt 6:8). Instead, have faith in a good God who does not need to be begged or cajoled into blessing His children. Here’s Wommack:

“From God’s perspective, praying an hour a day has no value in and of itself!… There is absolutely no virtue in long praying! Jesus normally kept His prayers short. Only twice in the New Testament did He pray all night. Since both are recorded in all four Gospels, you might think it was eight. Really it was just two different occasions… The shorter the prayer, the greater the faith!… ‘HELP!!!’ is a great prayer!” (p.14)

Study the scriptures and you will never find Jesus begging God to heal people. Jesus said “everyone who asks receives” (Mt 7:8). What is the condition for receiving? Asking! How many times do you have to ask before you’ve asked? Just once! We must settle it in our hearts that Jesus’ words are true and that whatever we ask for in prayer, we will receive, and quickly (Mk 11:24). Sometimes there may be a delay in the manifestation of the healing (more on this later), but God is never the reason for the delay.

Traditional: Pray with hope.
Biblical: Pray with faith.

Much of what passes for prayer is wishful thinking. “I know God can heal you, I’m just not sure that He will.” Or how about this one, “God wants to heal you, but if He does it now no one will be more surprised than me!” You can pretty much guarantee that these sorts of prayers will change nothing, because they are empty of faith. James 5:15 says “the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well.” If you are not sure that God will answer your prayers, He probably won’t (Jas 1:6-7). You have hope but no faith. Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we don’t yet see (He 11:1).

Traditional: Pray “if it be thy will.”
Biblical: Pray according to His will.

How can we pray in faith if we are uncertain about His will? One of the greatest tragedies of the modern church is that so many are uncertain regarding God’s will for forgiveness, healing, deliverance, and provision – despite the emphatic promises in His word.

“Surely He has borne our griefs (sicknesses, weaknesses, and distresses) and carried our sorrows and pains [of punishment]…” (Is 53:4, AMP)

Praying “Lord, if it be thy will, heal this person” is utterly faithless. He already did! Jesus made full provision for everyone’s salvation at the cross, and that includes healing. He has already carried all our sicknesses and by His wounds you have been healed (1 Pe 2:24). As TJ McCrossan said, the real question is not “God, can you?” but “do you believe?”

If you want to know the Father’s heart, look at Jesus. He healed every sick person who came to Him (Mt 8:16, 12:15, 14:36). He never gave anyone leprosy to teach them character and neither will He make you sick to teach you things. His will for healing and deliverance is inseparable from His will for salvation. He wants everyone forgiven, healed, delivered today! What’s the hold up? We are! A broken creation eagerly waits for the sons of God to rise up in this revelation and enforce Christ’s victory in every place where the kingdom has not yet come.

Traditional: Ask God to forgive/heal/provide/deliver/pour out His Spirit.
Biblical: Thank Him that He has already done all of those things!

If one tragedy is being uncertain of God’s will, another is being unaware of what He has already done. The cross really did change everything! Jesus is not coming back to wave a magic wand over your problem. He already did everything He needed to do at the cross. Here’s Wommack:

“God has already done everything He’s ever going to do! He moved once and for all in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Through the atonement, God has already forgiven and healed every person who will ever be forgiven or healed. He doesn’t even have to lift his little finger now to cause a healing or salvation! As far as God is concerned, the sins of the entire world have already been forgiven… As Christians, we are to instruct people to believe and receive what God has already done for them through the atonement.” (p.4)

It’s pointless asking God to do something He’s already done. Look at the way Jesus prayed and you will see there was very little asking and a whole lot of thanking and commanding. Jesus has given us clear instructions. He said: “heal the sick” (Mt 10:8). He didn’t say “pray and ask God to heal the sick.” No, you heal them. The problem with that prayer meeting I mentioned above was that we spent all of our time asking God to do something He had commanded us to do. We were passing the buck and denying the finished work of the cross. So how do we heal the sick? A good place to start is by thanking and praising Him for what He has already done.

Traditional: Talk to God about your mountain.
Biblical: Talk to your mountain about your God!

So much of what passes for prayer is complaining to God about our problems. The doctor gives us the sentence of death and we repeat his death-dealing words in prayer. This is not wise:

“Most people who think they’re praying are really just griping, murmuring, and complaining. They are releasing the power of death into their lives through their negativity in prayer. God is not pleased with that!” (p.23)

God doesn’t need to be informed about your problems – He already knows! When we are faced with a mountain-sized problem, the average believer says, “God would you move this mountain for me?” But Jesus told us to speak directly to our mountains and command them to be cast into the sea (Mk 11:22-23).

So how do we speak to our mountains? I’ll look at that in Part 2 of this study.
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Related posts:

Many sincere believers struggle to see healing because of false teaching. They’ve been told that it’s not God’s will to heal everyone, or that God wants them sick to teach them character, or that God used to heal people but He doesn’t anymore. Through an in-depth study of scripture, TJ McCrossan demolishes all of these misconceptions. He writes that sickness is ultimately the devil’s work. (We have sickness and death on account of sin (Rms 5:12), but it was Satan who led our first parents to disobey God. Thus Satan is the originator and propagator of sickness.) McCrossan notes that Jesus rebuked sickness in the same way that He rebuked evil spirits – harshly and with authority. Sickness is not something we should learn to live with, but something we need to learn how to eliminate through faith in Christ.

Jesus healed the sick (Mt 4:23), He commanded His disciples to heal the sick (Mt 10:8), and He said that we would heal the sick (Mk 16:18). So why are we unsure about His will for the sick? His will is that we heal them!

Probably my favorite part of the book was the section on God’s will versus our will. Many believers pray with the proviso if it be Thy will. As McCrossan explains, this is faithless, irresponsible praying. It is giving voice to doubt and abdicating our God-given mandate to heal the sick. The Bible is full of promises and instructions regarding healing. We have no excuse for imitating the father in Mark 9:22 who asked Jesus, “if you can do anything…” If you can?! Of course He can – He’s God! He can heal and He wants to heal. The real question is not “God, can you?” but “do you believe?”

Jesus died for all sinners but not all are saved. Why not? Because of unbelief in the goodness of God. Similarly, Jesus died that all might be healed, but not all are healed? According to TJ MCrossan, it’s the same reason:

“Every saint has a blood-bought right to be healed, but thousands do not know that they must exercise the very same appropriating faith in the bruised body of Christ for their healing as they formerly exercised in His shed blood for their salvation.” (p.64)

On the whole I am greatly inspired by Bodily Healing and the Atonement, but I sense there is a danger that some readers might trip up if they are not already acquainted with the gospel of God’s grace. For instance, the author lists a number of conditions for being healed. The first requirement is “keeping all of God’s commands and doing only what was right in His sight” (p.64). This comes from 1 Jn 3:22; God answered John’s prayers because John kept God’s commandments. But what the author neglects to mention is that the commandments John is referring to are not the commandments of the Old Testament. John is saying we must believe in Jesus Christ (see 1 Jn 3:23). If you don’t believe in Jesus, you’re going to have a hard time receiving the healing that He provided for you at the cross.

We are not healed on the basis of our law-keeping, but on account of God’s grace revealed to us through Christ. Yet God’s grace will be of no effect to you unless you respond positively in faith (Eph 2:8). The gospel of Christ reveals the power of God for salvation – forgiveness, healing, deliverance – for everyone who believes (Rms 1:16), and ultimately this is the message of Bodily Healing. If you are battling with long term illness or know someone who is, get them a copy of this book. Then go heal them.

Postscript: If you aren’t able to get a hold of Bodily Healing and the Atonement, but want to know more about God’s will for healing, read this helpful article by Andrew Wommack.

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Related posts:
- Exodus 4:11
- Jesus’ Medicine: Tastes like Ribena
- see all E2R’s book reviews here

Christmas is the time when we celebrate God’s good gifts embodied in His Son. Of the many gifts God has given us, forgiveness is the first. It is the gift that unlocks all the other gifts. Do you need healing? Then take heart – your sins are forgiven! If Jesus has borne your sins, He is has borne your sicknesses as well (Is 53:4). In Christ you have been forgiven of sin and set free from all its effects including sickness. However, if you don’t know for sure that you have been forgiven, then you will have a hard time receiving healing. You may even think that you deserve your sickness or, worse, that God made you sick.

Forgiveness is the gift that everyone needs, but you will never receive it if you think you have to do something to get it. In Part 1 of this study, we looked at three reasons why Christians can never earn God’s forgiveness through confession. In today’s post we will look at three more reasons why Christians never need to confess-to-be-forgiven. Before you write in and tell me that you find confession helpful and liberating, let me reiterate that I am not against confession. It is good to be open and transparent about our weaknesses and failings. What I am opposed to is the lie that says Christians must confess, or do anything, to maintain their forgiveness. If you routinely confess-to-be-forgiven you’re actually disobeying God and cursing what He has blessed. Instead of being a stepping stone to your deliverance and healing, the Bible teaches that this sort of confession will actually empower sin and minister death to you.

The remedy for any lie is the truth. So following on from Part 1, here are three more wonderful promises regarding your forgiveness:

4.   You were forgiven completely for all time

“But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God.” (Heb 10:12)

Jesus’ death on the cross was a once-off sacrifice offered for all time. It was perfectly perfect in every respect and there is nothing you can do to improve upon it. Those who take 1 John 1:9 as their justification for trying to earn what we’ve already been given, need to pay more careful attention to what John is saying: the blood of Jesus purifies us from “all sin” (1:7) and cleanses us from “all unrighteousness” (1:9). All means all. “All sin” includes the sins we haven’t done yet and all the sins we have never confessed.

Jesus went to the cross as humanity’s sinless representative. With His dying breath God the Son asked God the Father to forgive us (Lk 23:34). Then having fully satisfied the requirements of the law that stood against us, and having forged a new covenant in His blood, Jesus declared “it is finished” and gave up His spirit. His redemptive work complete, Jesus now sits at the right hand of God waiting for His saints to rise up boldly in their forgiven-ness and put His enemies – sickness, poverty, oppression – under their feet and His.

Jesus will never go to the cross again. If you sin today, He is not going back to Calvary tomorrow. Asking Him to forgive you again is like saying His first sacrifice was not enough – that you really need Him to get back up on the cross. This is disgraceful (Heb 6:6), but “we are confident of better things in your case” (Heb 6:9). Rejoice that His one-time sacrifice paid for it all and you are eternally forgiven. When you sin, guess what – you are still forgiven! God’s grace is greater than your sin. I’m not encouraging sin and if you are choosing to live in sin then you are unacquainted with the grace of God that teaches us to say no to sin. But if you trust in Jesus and His finished work, then rest assured that nothing in the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither life nor death, can separate you from God’s forgiveness. Hallelujah!

5.   You were forgiven in accordance with the riches of God’s grace

“In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.” (Eph 1:7)

What is the limiting measure of God’s forgiveness? Is it our performance? Is the state of our confession? No! We are forgiven according to the riches of God’s grace. God is not stingy with grace. How do we know God is gracious? Because He has forgiven us and His forgiveness is 100% a gift. If you have to do something to get it, then it is no longer a gift but an obligation, and God owes you nothing.

Jesus forgave the paralytic before the man had uttered a single word. He forgave the adulterer who was speechless with sin. One didn’t say anything and the other couldn’t say anything, yet Jesus forgave them both. Jesus forgave to demonstrate that He had authority to forgive. Forgiveness is His business, His decision, His initiative, and His gift to us. The only thing you have to do is receive it, and the only way you won’t receive it is if you try to earn it through confession or other dead works.

6.   Your sins are long gone

“But now, once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.” (Heb 9:26b)

In the Bible, the word “forgive” literally means to send away. You sin hasn’t merely been overlooked, it has been abolished (AMP), put away (ASV), and removed (GNB). Neither has God put away your sins in the same way that you might put your rubbish in a bin by the back door – close by and smelly. He has removed them from you as far as the east is from the west (Ps 103:12). If you were to go looking for your sins, you wouldn’t find them. They’re gone! They’ve all been blotted out (Is 44:22).

You may ask, but what about the sin I did just this morning? Like all your sin this one was dealt with at the cross. It was not recorded as a black mark next to your name because God is not in the business of imputing sin (Rms 4:8). God’s got better things to do than count men’s sins against them (2 Cor 5:19). It is human nature to keep score but this is not God’s nature. God is love and love keeps no record of wrongs (1 Co 13:5). Your Father is not a fault-finder. If you were to ask Him about this morning’s sin, He would say, “What sin? I have no record of that sin. Stop looking for it and look to Jesus.”

You did have a sin problem, but God dealt with it by nailing it to the cross (Rm 6:6). This circumcision of your old nature was not done by the hand of man, but by Christ Himself (Col 2:11). You have been given a new nature with new desires. As you renew your mind you will come to see that although sin is destructive and best avoided, it cannot touch His love for you. God is quite able to deal with your sin and the axe of His forgiveness has already been laid at the root of that bad tree!

Jesus – not confession – is the cure for condemnation

The amazing thing about Jesus is that He forgives us in advance. We “go and sin no more,” not to get free from condemnation, but because we are free from condemnation. The secret to overcoming sin is not found in making promises we can’t keep, but in knowing that Jesus believes in us! Stop examining yourself and examine Him! He’s altogether wonderful. Stop confessing your sins and confess Jesus your Redeemer. Confess that He is your wisdom from God – your forgiven-ness, your righteousness and your holiness (1 Cor 1:30).

In the next part of this study, we will look at two of the biggest misconceptions people have about God’s forgiveness.

(PS: If you want to be among the first to read new posts from E2R, put your email address in the subscription box found near the top of the sidebar on the right.)

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Related posts:
- Two religions: Works and blood
- By which gospel are you saved?
- God doesn’t do half-jobs: Why partial forgiveness is completely bogus

Now there’s a troubling verse! Does God really kill babies? My first response is yes, no, and I don’t know. Yes, because God is on the throne and nothing happens unless He allows it. No, because He is a good God, everything He does is perfect, and He has no dark side (Deut 32:4, Jas 1:17). I don’t know, because God could stop bad things from happening yet He often doesn’t and only He knows why.

You might say to me, Paul, how can there be any debate? It’s right there in black and white – “the Lord struck the child.” God clearly kills babies because He killed David’s baby. Well if we are to take that verse at face value, how are we to account for this verse:

“For the LORD is good and His love endures forever…” (Ps 100:5)

Either the Lord is good or He kills babies. I’m going to go with the Lord is good. The Bible exhorts us to rejoice in His goodness (2 Chr 4:41). How are we to do that if we’re not certain that He is good? But the good news is that God is good and He never changes. God is not good on Sunday and then bad on Monday. He is 100% good 100% of the time. Neither is He willing that any should perish (2 Pet 3:9). So if God were killing people He would be acting contrary to His own desires. He gives life, not death.

Sin kills babies

God told Adam and Eve that death would be sin’s wage. People die because Adam sinned. We think it’s a tragedy when a baby dies, but it’s a tragedy when anyone dies. Death is the most unnatural thing in the world for people created in the likeness of immortal God. And if you think David’s baby had to die because he was living under law, then read Deuteronomy 24:16. Under the Law of Moses, children weren’t punished for the sins of their fathers. So if God killed the baby because of David’s sin, as Nathan implied, then He was acting out of character and violating His covenant to Israel.

I believe the whole Bible to be infallible and inspired, but I won’t build a theology on the basis of a single sentence written by someone who probably never knew Jesus. When I wrote in another post that God doesn’t give us bad gifts like death, a few readers wrote in to complain. Then when I wrote that God doesn’t give and take away, there was more murmuring. Apparently, I don’t know the Bible very well. But here’s the thing; do you try to interpret God based on what you see in scripture, or scripture based on what you see in God? The Author is greater than His book! Unless the Holy Spirit gives you revelation, the Bible is just words. There’s only One person in the Bible who gives us a clear and undistorted view of God’s character, and He never killed or robbed anyone.

Who killed David’s baby? I don’t know. Perhaps it was Nathan. There’s life and death in the power of the tongue and he was the one who pronounced the sentence of death (see 2 Sam 14). There’s no doubt that David’s sin had tragic consequences, but I didn’t write this post to talk about David’s baby. I want to talk about yours.

What do you do when your baby or loved one is dying? Do you blame God? Some of you reading this are going through trials right now. What do you do when you are walking through the valley of shadow of death? You’ve got two choices:

1.    you can lie down passively under the bulldozer of your circumstances, or
2.    you can interpret your circumstances through God’s good character.

Option 1 is the faithless response. It’s what you do when you’re unsure about God’s goodness or when you think you’re being punished for your sins. This is not the option that David took.

In the Bible there are several stories of children being raised from the dead. Sadly, this is not one of them. After seven days, David’s baby died. But for as long as the baby lived, David contended in prayer. This is very significant!

To put this in context, remember that David has just been exposed as an adulterer and murderer. He has been told by the prophet that because of his sin, the baby will die. In short, “God’s will is for your son is to die.” Surely the right thing to do here is meekly accept God’s will. But David doesn’t. By his actions he shows that he does not believe God is a killer. Indeed, David believes that “the Lord is good.” So he falls on his face, searches out and pleads with God for his son. Later he explains his actions:

“While the child was alive, I fasted and wept; for I said, ‘Who can tell whether the LORD will be gracious to me, that the child may live?’” (2 Sam 12:22)

David did not know whether God would be gracious and save His son, so he went looking for grace. If this is the behavior of a sinful man who lived under a condemning covenant, how much more should we, who live under a superior covenant of grace, stand on the goodness of a good God who longs to be gracious to us (Is 30:18)? There were two men in the story of 2 Samuel 12. One was a faultless prophet whose ministry brought death to babies; the other was a sinner who threw himself at God’s mercy, sought grace and prayed for life. Guess which one was known as a man after God’s own heart.

God longs to be gracious

If you think God is behind your suffering, or if you think you’re getting what you deserve, you won’t fight back when the enemy attacks you. You won’t resist when life dishes out its worst. But Jesus came to show us that our heavenly Father is not a baby-killer. He loves you with an everlasting love and He loves your kids (Jer 31:3, Is 49:25).

Jesus took our sins and our infirmities to the cross. He didn’t do this just so you could get a ticket to heaven. He did it so you could bring heaven to earth. This means when we see a sick kid, we don’t say, “it’s God’s will.” No! We heal them! If some someone speaks death over the child, we rise up with faith and proclaim life and health in Jesus’ Name. Ephesians 4:29 says that our words impart grace to the hearers. Let life come from your tongue.

Perhaps this suffering is the result of someone’s sin. Doesn’t matter. God’s grace is greater than man’s sin. It doesn’t matter what the circumstances say. It only matters that we interpret our circumstances through our Father’s unchanging character. He longs to be gracious to us. Have faith in His goodness and provision.

God gives life to dead babies

A few days ago an infant drowned in Christchurch, here in New Zealand. As the father was handed the blue and lifeless body of his son, the Holy Spirit spoke clearly to him saying: “Be at peace. Do not be anxious.” The Holy Spirit then told the father to command life over his son. Within minutes, the son started breathing again. And because God’s ways are always perfect, the resurrected son is in better shape than he was before he drowned. He’s now mentally sharper, faster and more alert. That’s a great testimony, but what might’ve happened if the father was not convinced that God is good? God longs to show grace to you but you have to believe it. Do you? (The father in this story was Jason Westerfield and you can watch him tell the story of how his baby Justice was resurrected from the dead here.)

God is not a baby-killer. He is our perfect and eternally good Father. Speak boldly to your circumstances. Tell them about this great and mighty Father of yours who loves you and who sent His Son to die so that you and your kids could live!

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Related posts:
- Exodus 4:11
- God is good, but how good is He?
- Jesus’ Medicine – tastes like Ribena

“You see then that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.” (Jas 2:24)

In Part 1 of this study we saw how a preacher of works could misuse this verse to drive people back under law. In Part 2 we learned that James and Paul (in Romans 4) were probably both writing in response to something that Jesus had said about the “works of Abraham.” What were these works? Abraham believed and was fully persuaded that God would deliver on His promises, even when reality said otherwise.

A few points to clarify before we press on:

• James quotes Genesis 15:6 when he says that “Abraham believed God and it was credited to him with righteousness” (2:23). What works are listed in connection with Genesis 15:6? Only one: Abraham believed God.
• James, like Paul in Romans 4:3, says that Abraham was counted righteous when he believed and before he was circumcised and before he had tried to sacrifice Isaac.

Now we are ready to study the four most “difficult” verses in James 2:

21. “Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar?
22. “You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did.
23. “And the scripture was fulfilled that says, ‘Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,’ and he was called God’s friend.
24. “You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone.”

The key verse in this sequence is verse 23. Remove this verse and you have a text to support a grace-killing theology of works. (And if you preach works, you’d better put human sacrifice on your to-do list – see verse 21.) But verse 23 cannot be removed! Verse 23 says that Abraham was counted righteous when he believed and before he offered Isaac on the altar. Verse 23 is where James says, “I’m with Paul on this matter of righteousness.”

So why does James confuse us by mentioning the thing Abraham did later at the altar? Why not just say, “Abraham was credited righteous when he believed?” The reason has to do with his audience. Which was who?

“James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes scattered among the nations: Greetings.” (Jas 1:1)

James was writing to Jews. Why is this significant? Because being Jews, they already knew that Abraham was credited righteous when he believed – they were Jewish! They knew the Torah inside and out. So why did they need to be reminded? It’s my conviction that James was writing to address an epidemic of unbelief.

The dynamic duo: Paul and James?!

The traditional view is that Paul wrote about faith and James wrote about works. It’s up to us to balance their teachings and to find a middle ground. Only you can’t put faith in both grace and works. What man calls balance, God calls mixture. There is no middle ground – you’re either resting in faith or you’re engaged in dead works. Anything not done in faith is sin (Rms 14:23). No, the issue is not faith versus works, but faith versus unbelief.

In the beginning of his letter James talks about the testing and proving of your faith. He’s asking, how’s your faith? or are you expressing your God-given faith? God gives us faith for a reason – that we might reveal Him and His will on our planet. When believers step out in faith, heaven comes down. When they don’t, nothing changes. Faith that takes no risks is dead.

What are we supposed to do with our faith? Well, for starters, James says we can ask for things:

1:6 “Let him ask in faith…”

4:2 “You do not have because you do not ask.”

The number one reason why prayers aren’t answered is because prayers aren’t asked. God loves us and wants to reveal Himself to us, but He waits to be asked. When should we ask?

5:13 “Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray.”

You would think that is obvious, but it’s not. Many suffer in silence. Many just sit there and take it thinking that it is God’s will for them to suffer. James is saying, have a little faith in God! Here’s my paraphrase of James 2:14:

“What does it profit, my brothers, if someone says he is fully persuaded regarding God’s promises but then does nothing about them, never steps out, never takes a risk? Can such ‘faith’ make any difference in his life? Can it sozo (save, heal or deliver) him?”

James makes it clear in this verse that he is talking about more than who’s saved and who’s not. Throughout his letter he lists things we can ask God for, including healing, deliverance, wisdom, indeed, every good and perfect gift which comes from the Father. Why ask?  So that we might be His firstfruits, His trophies of grace, His living testimonies of transforming power (Jas 1:18).

Whose glasses are you wearing?

A performance-oriented believer will come away from James with a list of things to do for God. But one who is standing firm on grace will come away inspired to pursue God and to prove His will through prayer:

5:16-17 “The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain…” (NIV)

I live in one of the rainiest cities on earth. It seems every Sunday during winter it’s pouring with rain when it’s time to go to church. Yet we never get wet. Why not? Because my 5 year old daughter knows how to rise up in her God-given authority and rebuke the rain. She doesn’t ask God to take the rain away; she just commands the rain to stop and it does. She is fully persuaded that Christ in her has authority over the rain and that it’s not His will for us to get soaked right before church.

Two preachers, one message

I’ve said that Paul and James were on the same page regarding grace. How do I know? Because James says things like “we’re righteous” and “Elijah was a man just like us.” To the Jews, this would’ve been scandalous! How could James compare us to Elijah? Maybe if we dedicated our lives to serving God, maybe one day, if we were really good, we could become like Elijah. But no, James says the great prophet Elijah is like us. We are the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. If you thought the prayers of Elijah were powerful, how powerful do you think our prayers will be seeing we are clothed with Christ’s righteousness? Be encouraged – your prayers avail much!

So why aren’t we seeing more miracles? Because we’re not praying for things! We’re not asking! Our faith is locked up inside, reduced to a mere set of beliefs about what God can do, not what He wants to do right now. We dither over questions like “does God allow sickness?” or “is it God’s timing to heal this person?” It’s funny, but Jesus never seemed to be uncertain about these things.

By the way, is James saying that the more we pray, the more likely our prayers will be heard? Does God reward our praying effort? He does not. Jesus told us not to pray like those who think they will be heard “because of their many words” (Mt 6:7). No, James is saying we should pray as a people who are fully persuaded regarding God’s will. When you are fully persuaded your prayers will be bold and effective.

Unbelieving believers

I know you will find this hard to believe, but I have heard of Christians who claim to have faith, but they don’t heal the sick. “Now listen,” as James would say, if you are fully persuaded that God heals the sick, then act on that persuasion and start healing the sick!

5:14: “Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray…”

What so special about the elders? Well hopefully they will be fully persuaded that God wants to heal you! Elders lead by example. I led a church in Hong Kong for 10 years. When sick people walked in I would offer to pray for them like this: “I’m not praying because I’m supposed to pray. I’m praying because I fully expect you’re going to get healed right now.” The person I was praying for might not have been fully persuaded that God heals, but I was, and people got healed – not all of them, but certainly more than would’ve been healed if no one had prayed. That reminds me of something Bill Johnson often says:

“I learned a long time ago that more people are healed when you pray for more people!”

Some people are not entirely sure that God still heals the sick. They’re in two minds about this healing business. They are not fully persuaded. When they pray people don’t get healed and their doubt becomes self-fulfilling. James writes about this:

“Let him ask in faith, with no doubting for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.” (Jas 1:6-8)

What limits our faith? Unbelief, or to use James’ words, doubt and uncertainty. To the degree that you are uncertain about God’s will, to that degree you are handicapped by unbelief. The devil wants you uncertain, but God wants you to be sure about His good will (Rms 12:2). If you’re not sure, then James says, “Pray, ask God for wisdom – and ask confidently! – receive what God gives you, then act on it.”

Finally, James 2:24…

The essence of James 2:24 is this: a believer isn’t one who merely believes God in his heart, he reveals God through his actions. The difference between you and your unsaved neighbor is not just a set of beliefs, it is the life of Christ in you and revealed through you. You not only think differently, you act differently and what you do flows from what you believe. If you don’t believe God heals the sick, you won’t pray for the sick and they won’t get healed. You are no different from your unbelieving neighbor in this regard. But if you do believe that Jesus provided for our healing 2000 years ago (1 Pet 2:24), then you will pray for the sick and you will heal them.

To the church James is saying, don’t just believe God, reveal Him! Speak to your mountain, heal the sick, drive out demons, raise the dead! If you are fully persuaded, that God can heal the sick, but you don’t pray for the sick – something is wrong. Your faith is not being expressed. It’s lifeless, powerless and incomplete. It’s like a fig tree that never bears fruit. If you are fully persuaded that God will do what He promised, then act on it and receive your miracle. Why wait? Abraham didn’t linger. He got up early the next morning and marched off fully persuaded that God would raise the dead.

We haven’t been called to do works for God, but to do the works of God. The work of God is to believe in Jesus (Jn 6:29). He who believes Jesus saves will be saved and will save others. He who believes Jesus heals will be healed and will heal others. If you are fully persuaded that Jesus is our wisdom from God – that He is our righteousness, our holiness, our redemption, and our victory – it will be evident in how you live.

Faith resides in the heart, but the fruit of faith can be seen. Abraham was credited righteous when he believed in Genesis 15, but his faith was seen when he offered Isaac on the altar in Genesis 22. His faith was made complete or consummated by what he did. Again, this is not a challenge to get busy for Jesus, but to abide in Him. You can bear no fruit by yourself. Only God can do the work of God. Our role is to rest in Him, trust Him, and reveal Him. When we do that His kingdom comes, the blind see, the lame leap, and the dead rise. Sometimes it even stops raining.

So far in this study we have been looking at the faith of righteous Abraham. In Part 4 we will look at the faith of unrighteous Rahab.

Related posts:
- Jesus’ Medicine: Tastes like Ribena
- How do we pervert the gospel of Christ?
- When Heaven Invades Earth, by Bill Johnson

“Who gave man his mouth? Who makes him deaf or mute? Who gives him sight or makes him blind? Is it not I, the LORD?” (Ex 4:11, NIV)

This time we can’t use the excuse, “the speaker didn’t know Jesus,” or “this is what God looks like from a distance,” because it is God himself who is doing the talking.

Neither is this an obscure scripture recorded by some prophet whose name no one can remember. These words were spoken to Moses by the Lord out of the burning bush. It’s one of the most famous dialogues in the whole Bible!

But does God really make people deaf, mute and blind? And if he doesn’t, how are we to account for this Scripture which seems to say that he does? Surely God is good and his word is true. Thankfully we don’t have to choose. God is very good and the Bible is accurate.

Here I will outline four reasons proving that God doesn’t make people deaf, mute and blind. Working from this foundation, I will then give you an interpretation for this “problem” scripture that is consistent with God’s character. As we will see, instead of setting limits to God’s goodness, this Scripture massively affirms that God is good and that he loves us.

God does not give people physical handicaps

1. Whenever we have any confusion about what God might or might not do, we should look to Jesus. Jesus is the “perfect imprint and very image of God’s nature” (Heb 1:3, AMP). Can you imagine Jesus going around and making people deaf, mute or blind? No. In fact, Jesus did the exact opposite:

“Great crowds came to him, bringing the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute and many others, and laid them at his feet; and he healed them.” (Mt 15:30)

“People were overwhelmed with amazement. ‘He has done everything well,’ they said. ‘He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.’” (Mk 7:37)

Jesus did not make healthy people sick; he made sick people well. And Jesus is just like his Father (Jn 14:9).

2. If God is not making people deaf, mute or blind, who is? Physical ailments are a part of the death-dealing curse we inherited from Adam. God made man glorious, good and immortal, but man rebelled and chose the way of death. Sickness in any form is part of the corruption that we chose, not the life God gave us (Gen 3:19).

Physical handicaps can also be demonic in origin:

“When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the evil spirit. ‘You deaf and mute spirit,’ he said, ‘I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.’ (Mk 9:25)

Physical illness and handicaps also arise from guilt and self-condemnation.

“My guilt has overwhelmed me like a burden too heavy to bear. My wounds fester and are loathsome because of my sinful folly… My back is filled with searing pain; there is no health in my body… I am like a deaf man, who cannot hear, like a mute, who cannot open his mouth.” (Ps 38:4-13)

Some people are born disabled. Others become disabled as a result of accidents, injuries and sickness. Wicked people were blinded by Elisha (2 Kgs 6:18), Paul (Acts 13:10) and angels (Gen 19:11). But these were relatively rare instances of godly men and angels prevailing over evil (see Is 54:17). An angel rendered Zechariah mute for a time (Lk 1:20) and Saul was temporarily blinded by a light from heaven (Acts 9:9). But no one has ever been crippled by God.

3. In the passage above, God is speaking to Moses. If God was in the business of afflicting healthy people with physical disabilities and imperfections, surely Moses would not have later said this about God’s character:

“He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he.” (Deu 32:4)

Even without knowing Jesus, even living under the Old Covenant, Moses knew that God is the author of perfection, not imperfection. God is good and everything he does is good. He is light and in him there is no darkness at all (1 Jn 1:5).

4. Here’s a simple question: Is there deafness, muteness, or blindness in heaven? Of course not. If God does not permit these things in heaven, why would we think they are his will here on earth? Isaiah prophesied that one sign of the kingdom of heaven coming to earth would be the end of physical handicaps:

“In that day the deaf will hear the words of the scroll, and out of gloom and darkness the eyes of the blind will see.” (Isa 29:18)

God is not an under-cover agent. He doesn’t operate one way in one place and another way in the other. He is the unchanging Rock. His will on heaven is the same as his will for earth. Moses knew it, the prophets declared it, and Jesus showed it.

What did God really say in the burning bush?

The Scripture I quoted at the top of this post comes from the New International Version of the Bible. Let’s take a look at the same scripture as translated in the New King James Version:

“So the LORD said to him, ‘Who has made man’s mouth? Or who makes the mute, the deaf, the seeing, or the blind? Have not I, the LORD?’” (Ex 4:11, NKJV)

Did you spot the difference? One version says “the Lord makes him deaf or mute,” while the other version says “the Lord makes the deaf and the mute.” Big difference! God does not make people deaf or mute, but he does make all people – including those who, for whatever reason, happen to be deaf or mute.

If you have grown up with a physical handicap or deformity, you may think that you are a mistake. Perhaps society has told you that you are an imperfection or a drain on its resources. But you are not! God’s message to you today is, “I made you! You are mine and I am with you!” God is not surprised by your weaknesses. He knows you inside and out. He knit you together inside your mother’s womb. God made you and everything God makes is good.

God’s abilities are greater than your disabilities

Moses considered himself a handicapped person. He complained to God, “I am slow of speech and tongue” (Ex 4:10). Evidently he had some kind of speech impediment. Perhaps he stuttered. Whatever it was, his impediment caused this prince of Egypt do draw back from speaking in public. Look at God’s response to Moses’ complaint:

“I made mouths and I made yours! Go, I will help you speak.” (Ex 4:11-12, my paraphrase)

There is a double revelation for us here. God is both our Maker and our Helper. You are not a cosmic accident and you are not helpless. You are God’s handiwork and he is with you!

Moses was slow to get it, but eventually he learned to rely on God’s goodness in his hour of need. After years of trusting in God’s help, Moses declared to the whole assembly of Israel:

“He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he… Is he not your Father, your Creator, who made you and formed you?” (Deu 32:4,6)

God doesn’t make people deaf and mute, but he did make you. In whatever state you find yourself in, know that he is your Father and Creator with abundant grace to help you and heal you.

Related posts:
- Does God give and take away?
- Building ramps for the mentally ill
- God is good, but how good is he?

God has given us minds to think, but we are not led by our our thinking. We are called to live by the Spirit rather than the cerebellum. Our spirits are made new the moment we are born again but from then on our minds have to play catch-up. They have to be renewed. We need to take on new attitudes, new ways of thinking. We need to cultivate the habit of saying yes and amen to the promises of God. We need to call things that are not as though they are. We need to believe we can do the works and greater works of Jesus, just as He said we would.

In the past few months I have read two excellent books about the mind of the believer.

The book I have just finished is The Supernatural Power of a Transformed Mind by Bill Johnson of Bethel Church. My favorite line in the whole book is, “God is changing the way Christians think about the so-called impossible” (p.30). Certainly the so-called impossible seems to happen all the time at Bethel Church. It happens so frequently that they have a member of staff whose sole job is to record the miracles taking place.

Many people distrust their own minds, but Johnson writes that the mind is actually a powerful instrument in the hands of God. So, what are we supposed to do with it?

“Our job is to tap the revelation of the Lord in our area of talent or gifting so that we can accurately and powerfully reflect the King and His Kingdom.” (p.75)

Johnson writes about the three kinds of leaven mentioned by Jesus. The leaven of Herod is a godless belief in the strength of man and man-made systems like politics and persuasion. Christians who hold such beliefs are indistinguishable from their atheist neighbors when dealing with problems.

The leaven of the Pharisees represents the theory of God but not the experience. It’s lifeless religion based solely on reason. Reason-minded Christians provide explanations for the way things are, but no solutions.

The leaven of the Kingdom is the faith-provoking revelation. It is revealed in the life lived from the Kingdom toward earth. Consider Jonah and Jesus sleeping in their boats during storms. Jonah slept to escape an unpleasant reality. Jesus slept because He was Kingdom-minded Kingdom and in the Kingdom there was no storm.

Johnson compares powerless preaching to a vacuum cleaner salesman who throws a handful of dirt on your floor, promises his cleaner is powerful enough to remove everything in sight, hands you’re a brochure and then leaves. That’s what we do when we merely tell people that the King heals all their diseases and delivers them from all their torments. How much better if we showed them!

A startling insight in this book is the idea that God is enamored with our desires, that He longs to see what makes us tick. Before we were saved our desires were corrupt. But when we are intimate with the Father our desires are pure. Perhaps your mind wanders when you pray. Just maybe, says Johnson, it’s not the devil distracting you but God leading you to creative solutions to problems.

Transformed Mind will certainly make you think! You will never look at your desires and daydreams the same way again.

Last year I read So You Think Your Mind is Renewed? by Cornel Marais. This book starts from the same place as the other one – God calls us to do humanly impossible feats – but it has a heavier emphasis on healing. If you are sick, or know sick people, or ever pray for sick people, read this book! If you can’t afford to buy it, go to Charisma Ministries where you can download a free copy up until 28 May 2010.

In his book Cornel asks, “Would you go fly a plane after having only read a book about flying?” Of course not. So why do Christians think that just reading the Bible is the answer? Mature Christians exercise. They act on what they believe. They reconcile, they set free, they save, heal and deliver. They do unto others as they would have others do unto them.

This book provides a sound introduction to the gospel of grace (“grace upon grace”), demolishes a few mindsets (“sickness is never from God”), then gets down to the business of training people how to do the works and greater works of Jesus. It’s “be, know, do,” just like in the army.

Don’t ever wonder if it’s God’s will to heal someone. The root word for “heal” in the Greek is the same as the word for “save.” Just as it is God’s will to save everyone, it is His will to heal everyone.

“Healing is not our privilege, it is our right. Jesus didn’t suffer and die for you to have the privilege of maybe being healed. He died so you could be well!” (p.92)

There are no formulas in this book. The message has not changed since Jesus first uttered it: “only believe.” But aside from the boost to your faith, you will learn some practical tips that will help you get healing for yourself or those you pray for.

It was time for Jesus’ Medicine!

It might surprise you to learn that in the cupboard we have some divine medicine that is super-effective for healing. It goes by the name of communion, which last night meant Ribena and pita bread. This is what the Bible says about communion:

“Whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.” (1 Cor 11:26)

Do you know what it means to proclaim the Lord’s death? It means we are proclaiming that Christ’s body was scourged for our healing and his blood was shed for our forgiveness.

Most people understand that Jesus died for our sins. But he also died to deliver us from all the effects of sin, including sickness and disease.

“Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows… and by his wounds we are healed.” (Is 53:4-5)

When we take communion we are proclaiming his death which brought us life – abundant, healthy life. To take communion when you’re sick is to exercise your God-given faith. It’s like saying, “I don’t identify with these symptoms. I identify with Jesus who was wounded that I might be healed.”

When those sickness symptoms try and tell you that you are not going to be healed, don’t agree with them. Say instead, “Jesus paid for my healing. I have a right to healing.” Command those lying symptoms to go. Confess God’s word over those symptoms. “Surely he took up my infirmities.”

But what about the other part of that scripture in 1 Corinthians 11, the bit that warns against taking communion “in an unworthy manner”?

When I started leading Island City Church in the late 1990s, I used to wonder about this passage. I wondered whether we should be offering communion to sinners who happened to be visiting the service. Are sinners worthy of communion?

You know what? It’s silly to withhold communion from unworthy people. Christ died for unworthy people! It is unworthy people who most need to hear Christ’s death proclaimed. When I realized this it set me free. Communion went from being solely a time of worship and became an opportunity to preach the good news. Since then I have also come to see communion as an opportunity for healing miracles. The result is that Jesus is worshipped even more.

So last night we took communion as a family right before dinner. Stina immediately perked up, like within a minute. She went to her seat and wolfed down her meal. Then she had seconds which she rarely does. She was her usual cheerful self. And when she went to bed she thanked Jesus for healing her.

If you’re reading this and you’re sick, get something red to drink and something bready to eat – it really doesn’t matter what the symbols are made of – and proclaim the victory that Christ won at the cross.

Thankfully we serve a Greater King than this usurper! We worship a servant-King who gave His life that we might live whole and healthy:

“He used his servant body to carry our sins to the Cross so we could be rid of sin, free to live the right way. His wounds became your healing.” (1 Pet 2:24, MSG)

About 10 years ago I heard a pastor of an Australian church say that mental illness was a big need in their city. I was young and strong back then so the picture that came into my head was that he lived in some crazy town of wackos. Now I know better. Depression is one of the giants of our day. I’ve heard it said that in modern society one in twelve people suffers from some form of mental affliction. If you have 60 friends, chances are that five of them suffer from mental illness. Do you know who they are?

For many people mental illness is taboo. It’s the sickness no one talks about until it’s too late. In face-conscious Hong Kong you won’t know that a person is suffering until they’ve thrown their kids out the window then leapt after them. Mental illness is bad enough, but keeping it wrapped up in secrecy and misunderstanding only makes it worse.

There is a huge opportunity for churches to make a difference in this area. How do we do this? By building ramps. Just as we have access ramps for wheelchairs we need ramps for the mentally ill. By ramps I mean we need to make it as easy as possible for the hurting to come in and find comfort and friendship and healing. Here are 5 ramp-building ideas:

1. Send the message: “come as you are”. People who struggle should not be told they are only welcome when they’re feeling “up”. If blind people are allowed to bring their seeing-eye dogs to church, then people who suffer from depression should be allowed to bring their black dogs. Of course we want to get rid of the dogs. But I’ve studied the Bible and learned that people who came to Jesus were much more likely to get healed than those who stayed away.

Are we making it easy for people with bipolar disorder, agoraphobia, post-traumatic stress disorder, OCD, ADHD, etc. to come to church just as they are? Or are we sending the signal that you must be walking in victory every single day? We need to get real.

2. Cultivate transparency and reality. Think about the sicknesses that are getting prayed for in prayer meetings. If the majority of them are physical ailments and you don’t live in the third world, something is wrong. Chances are that those struggling with mental disorders are keeping quiet out of embarrassment or fear.

People outside the church will pay thousands to have a caring counselor listen to their struggles. In the church we listen for free. Create a safe environment where hidden weaknesses can be talked about. We don’t gather around our problems – we meet around Jesus – but bringing problems into the light is the first step towards healing and deliverance. Be quick to listen, slow to speak, keen to pray.

3. Become dealers in hope. Hope is the first casualty of depression. People who suffer from mental disorders often battle to see hope in their situation. When the battle is in the mind, perspective is easily lost. So what hope can we give to sick people? Isaiah 53:5 tells us that Jesus died for us that we might be free from sin and sickness.

I really love Joseph Prince’s take on this scripture. He says that Jesus identified with us in our frailties so that we might identify with him in glory. Don’t identify with your illness. Identify with Jesus. When the doctor speaks a negative diagnosis remind yourself that “as Christ is, so are we in this world” (1 Jn 4:17). Jesus is not depressed. Jesus is not anxious or stressed. Make Jesus your hope.

Incidentally, never tell a sick person that God made them sick to teach them something. He didn’t. Do tell them that the Greek word for salvation covers every aspect of life including healing. On what basis are we healed? On the basis that Jesus was wounded for us (Is 53:5). Stand with them on that promise. In his book So You Think Your Mind is Renewed?, Cornel Marais says:

“Healing is not our privilege, it is our right. Jesus didn’t suffer and die for you to have the privilege of maybe being healed. He died so that you could be well.”

4. The strong need to help the weak (Rms 15:1). Some in the Bible were so helpless that they needed determined friends to rip open roofs to break through to Jesus. We need to cultivate a similar attitude of perseverance when we come along side those who are struggling. Have faith for their healing, be fervent in praying on their behalf and don’t give up. Celebrate victories but don’t throw in the towel if there are set-backs.

A literal reading of James 5:16 says that the energetic prayers of the righteous are effective. That is an awesome promise to stand on. But take care not to impart guilt or condemnation if the person you’re praying for doesn’t feel as passionate or as chirpy as you do. And don’t tell them to throw away their medication if they don’t have a conviction about it. Encourage them in the Lord but don’t put pressure on them. Be the ramp that lifts them up to Jesus.

5. Encourage them to step out of their comfort zone. Some people aren’t going to get healed the first time you pray for them, or the second time. Does this mean they’re to sit on the sidelines of life waiting for their healing? Absolutely not. God can use us for His glory no matter how strong or weak we feel. In fact, God can use us more when we’re weak than when we’re strong (2 Cor 12:10). He surely used Paul:

“We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, as you help us by your prayers.” (2 Cor 1:8-11)

As Steve McVey has recently said, you can be very low emotionally and still be strong spiritually. I would go further and say that you can be depressed out of your skull and still be a menace to the enemy. You may not be able to lift your head but you can still lift your hands saying, “Lord, here I am, use me.”

A whispered prayer of praise in the midst of suffering is worship in its purest, truest form. It’s an act of faith that defies circumstances and says “no matter what happens, He is worthy and I will praise Him.” It’s my conviction that God finds this kind of faith irresistible. When His children who are in pain praise Him, He is moved. Prisons tumble, graves open, the dead rise, and the depressed rejoice. He is the glory and lifter of our heads (Ps 3:3).