I have not been following the posts in this strategy except for the few I see pinged to me, but apparently there is a conflict as to whether God always heals, and the reason why one does not receive his healing.
On this, I will say that I believe that healing is definitely provided for in the atonement, (Isaiah 53:4, 5; Matthew 8:17; James 5:14-16) in that while it is consistent with God’s nature and will to heal, manifesting his grace and power, and lack of faith and obedience can indeed prevent deliverance, healing, victory, etc.but it likewise is consistent with the nature and will not to heal, as he has higher purposes in mind, and which can take more faith especially enduring faith - then it may for one to be delivered. And thus lack of faith and obedience prevents what God is seeking to perfect in us. And I can testify the reality of both victory in faith and the lack of victory because of an evil heart of unbelief.
These two aspects of faith, that of deliverance, and that of enduring until deliverance, is see in the hall the faith of Hebrews 11. In which some,
“through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. Women received their dead raised to life again:” (Hebrews 11:33-35a)
But then there is the keyword “others,”
“...and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection: And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment: They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. “ (Hebrews 11:35b-38)
Yet these all obtained a good report through faith, (Hebrews 11:39) though being before Christ they received not the promise, but awaited his death and resurrection, wherein he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto , and entered into the glory of God, which is another study.
The point is that by faith, we may escape the edge of the sword as well as be able to endure being sawn into two, and the latter is not because of lack of face for the former.
There was a book called Streams in the Desert, by Mrs. Charles E Cowman, a missionary evangelists with her husband in Japan (one of the cofounders of the Oriental Missionary Society, now the One Mission Society; formerly OMS International), which I read daily a few years ago while I was going through a long time of seeking the Lord.
They believed in divine healing, and were hard-working missionaries in a hard mission field, which required and saw much faith. However in his late 40s shells began to have any heart problems. They spent a little time back in America are seeking to recover but soon returned to campaign more for Christ in Japan.
Having returned to America numerous heart attacks forced him to rest at his home in California and he suffered in great pain during the next six years, yet he always kept a positive attitude while continuing his work for the Lord. “Although broken in body, he kept an oversight of the home office and every department of work on the field, dictating letters by the hundreds.” Finally, a stroke paralyzed his entire left side, and a few weeks later he died.
But apparently during this time Mrs. Cowman, “Lettie, “collected many different articles on faith and patience from the many Christian periodicals to that period of time (and which I think was toward the end of the golden age of Protestant evangelical faith). That Mrs. Cowman believed in divine healing is clear from her October 30 entry, (http://www.crosswalk.com/devotionals/desert/streams-in-the-desert-march-30-11535966.html)
Yet like so many others of strong faith before them, he received the reality of divine healing in this life, but awaited the future revelation, when is faith would be made sight.
And it was because of her husband’s old prolonged illness that Mrs. Cowman would provide to the Christian world oneof the most famous daily devotionals ever written. The reality is that if everyone was healthy and wealthy then we would be a most shallow people, as suffering within the body of Christ is actually necessary to enlarge our hearts. For as the Scriptures teach, this fosters interdependence and community, “For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked: That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another. And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it. “ (1 Corinthians 12:24-26)
And in our quest for a immediate deliverance and healing, we miss the greater priority God’s, who has predestinated us to be “joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together,” (Romans 8:17) For this is a attribute of saving faith.
“There is a spiritual law of choosing, believing, abiding, and holding steady in our walk with God, which is essential to the working of the Holy Ghost either in our sanctification or healing.” Charles E Cowman
Now for me to walk in it as i should.
Well put.
That IS quite a devotional.
Thx.
You made excellent points. Well said.
Also, I think we would see a tremendous growth in our faith if we were more like Job who said, “Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him.”