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Unbelief A
Primary Obstruction to Accessing God’s Healing Be reminded that
this world changed kingdoms—from God’s government to Satan’s government. And God delivered to Adam the catastrophic
news: “Cursed is
the earth because of you…”
(Genesis 3:17‑19). Corruption,
dis-ease, and death now reigned on the earth (Luke 4:1-13; Romans 5:12; 2
Corinthians 4:4; Ephesians 2:2; 6:12; 1 John 5:19). Adam and Eve were now
under a sin-cursed government authority system. Satan’s kingdom
could not freely provide what the human race needed, including health &
wellness. Stress (fear) came. Our health &
wellness are limited because of that impotent kingdom. This twisted
system is what we were raised in—it is ‘normal’ for us. Its mindset is deeply
ingrained in each of us. It even operates beyond the conscious level. And
because of this sin-cursed world system, fear (stress) is now ‘normal.’ Isaiah 9:6,7
promised this about Y’shua Messiah (Jesus the Christ): “Unto us a child is
born, unto us a son is given. And
the government [authority system] shall rest upon His shoulder… an ever
expanding, peaceful, never ending, fair, and just … kingdom.”
GOOD NEWS! Divine Healing and Health Divine healing and health is a definite act of God
through faith in Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit, the Word of God, and
the precious blood of Christ, whereby the human body is cured, healed,
repaired, delivered from health issues and their power, and made whole,
sound, and healthy. And God’s kingdom healthcare plan is already paid
for; Jesus the Christ paid the price in full! Faith vs. Unbelief Faith must be exercised without wavering (James 1:5-8) before God is obligated to any person in dis-ease who desires to be cured, healed, repaired, delivered from illness and its power, and made whole, sound, and healthy (Mark 11:24; 1 Peter 1:5; Ephesians 2:8; Romans 1:17; 10:10; Galatians 3:11). Doubt or Unbelief Obstructs
the Flow of Healing from God’s Kingdom Abraham’s heart of (active) faith gave
God legal and just access into this sin-cursed, fraudulent, world government
authority system to make a covenant with Abraham and his descendants. And
like Abraham’s active faith, our faith is also the legal conduit for the
Kingdom of God’s healing to manifest in this sin-cursed government authority
system (Mark 11:24; 1 Peter 1:5; Ephesians 2:8; Romans 1:17; 10:10; Galatians 3:11;
James 1:6-7; 2:17-26).
“…Your faith has made you
healed [whole]…” Conversely, doubt or unbelief obstructs our healing from God’s Kingdom. Doubt or unbelief continues the jurisdiction of Satan’s sin-cursed, twisted, government authority system (kingdom). Corruption and dis-ease now reign on the earth (Luke 4:1-13; Romans 5:12; 2 Corinthians 4:4; Ephesians 2:2; 6:12; 1 John 5:19). The following scriptural passages are recorded to edify: “…God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit
and with power, who
went about doing good and healing all
who were oppressed by the devil, for
God was with Him.” –Acts
“So Jesus answered
and said to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to
the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast
into the sea,' it will be done.’” –Matthew 21:21 “Jesus answered
and said to them, ‘Have faith in God. For assuredly, I say to you, whoever
says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in their heart, but believes
that those things they say will be done, they will have whatever they say.
Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will
have them.’” –Mark 11:22-24 “Later He [Jesus]
appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table; and He rebuked their unbelief
and hardness of heart, because they did not believe...” –Mark 16:14 "Lord, have
mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and suffers severely; for he often
falls into the fire and often into the water. So I brought him to Your
disciples, but they could not cure him." Then Jesus answered and said,
"O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How
long shall I bear with you? Bring him here to Me.” And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came
out of him; and the child was cured from that very hour. Then the disciples
came to Jesus privately and said, "Why could we not cast it out?"
So Jesus said to them, "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.” –Matthew 17:15-20 “And not being
weak in faith, Abraham did not consider his own body, already dead (since he
was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah's womb. He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God…” –Romans “…Because of unbelief
they [ “Beware, brothers
and sisters, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief…”
–Hebrews 3:12 “So we see that
they [Israel] could not enter in because of unbelief.”
–Hebrews 3:19 “Since therefore
it remains that some must enter it, and those to whom it was first preached
[Israel] did not enter because of unbelief…” –Hebrews
4:6 “Let us labor
therefore to enter into that rest, lest anyone fall after the same example of
unbelief.”
–Hebrews 4:11 “…Ask God in faith, with no doubting,
for the person who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the
wind. For people like that
should not expect to receive anything from the Lord; they are double-minded, unstable in all their
ways.” –James 1:6-7 “…As
you have believed, so let it be done unto you…” –Matthew “…According
to your faith be it unto you…” –Matthew 9:29 “But Jesus, being
aware of it, said to them, ‘O you of little
faith, why
do you reason among yourselves because you have brought no bread’”
–Mt. 16:8 “Now if God so
clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into
the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?” –Mt.
6:30; Luke 12:28 “But He said to
them, "Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?"…”
–Mt. 8:26 “And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, ‘O you of little faith, why did you doubt?’" –Mt. 14:31 Rationale for Unbelief
Explained With Scripture The following is not meant to condemn but to help
you access everything that our loving God has for you, including healing. If
you are a follower of Jesus the Christ, you have been justified (acquitted)
by His life, death, and resurrection (Romans 3:24; 5:1) and therefore there
is now no condemnation (Romans 8:1)! And, the truth makes us free (John
8:32). And if you are at all like the owner of this site, the truth may bring
conviction and that conviction may sting at first and cause some anger. See 2
Corinthians 7:9-11. May the following explanation make you free! 1. A very common rationale for unbelief is
that some of us are sick for God's glory. The favorite Scriptures that demons
use to persuade us that we are sick for the glory of God are John 9:1-3 and
11:4. It is argued that the blind man and Lazarus in these Scriptures were
healed for the glory of God and that it must have been the will of God for
them to be in the state of blindness and death before God could get glory in
healing them. This argument is half true. Naturally God cannot
get glory out of any healing if no one is ever sick, but this does not prove
that it is God's will for people to be sick so that He can heal them. If it
were the will of God for us to be sick, then He never would have healed
anyone to oppose His own will. God never would have sent Jesus to heal all
the sick against the will of God if it were His will for them to be sick. The
reason God healed was to prove to us that it was not His will for us to be
sick. The glory God got out of all the cases of healing
in Scripture was not in the health issues, but in the healing. If the
blind man had remained blind, or if Lazarus had remained dead, God would not
have been glorified. Satan would have been glorified, for his work would have
continued to be manifest in them. We can’t glorify God and magnify His work
until it is manifest in us. This should stir every child of God to refuse
such deception any longer, that of being sick for the glory of God. It is Satan and his sick system of government
(kingdom) that causes the health issues and then he tries to make the sick
one believe that God is responsible and that it is God's will for them to be
sick. As long as we think we are glorifying God and that we are in accord
with the will of God in being sick, let us never seek to get well by prayer
or by any other means. On the contrary, let us desire to become more sick in
order to glorify God that much more and in order to get into deeper accord
with the will of God. The fact is that no one can conscientiously believe
such a theory, but some of us think it convenient to accuse God of the work
of Satan so as to excuse unbelief and lack of fight against Satan. Suppose a rich man in a community would promise to
pay all hospital bills and buy new cars for all who got into a serious
accident. Suppose there were a number of accidents; should he be accused of
deliberately causing them just because he promised to help men out of their
troubles? Should he be accused of causing them just to get some praise for
helping his neighbors? It is true his goodness would be magnified by such
acts of kindness, but this would not be the cause of the wrecks. He does not
will such, and he would prevent them if at all possible. If he deliberately
caused the wrecks so that he could get praise for helping those who were
wrecked, all of society would rise up and reject such benevolence. So it is with God, that we get into sin and health
issues, or we are attacked by satanic powers and God helps us out of our
troubles and thereby receives the glory due Him for His goodness does not
prove that He wills the affliction or that He is the cause of the trouble. It
is simply the fact that God gets glory in spite of them, not because He is
responsible for them. Here is some cultural background information
regarding the
man born blind. 2. Another common rationale for unbelief is
that the sick one is under the chastening of God and that it would be
presumptuous to ask God to heal under those circumstances. This is when some
of us hide behind Heb. 12:5-10, but this passage compares the chastening of
God to that of human parents, and we know that no good, righteous human
parent will chasten any child by illness and disease. Is God less loving than
earthly parents? Jesus taught that He was more loving than people; so if
people will not chasten by such means, then we can immediately lay this
theory aside and quit being deceived by Satan. All we have to do is to
recognize that the source of our trouble is Satan and then co-operate with
God to defeat him so that healing will come and then God will get the glory
for healing. If we will not obey God or exercise faith in Him
and offer resistance to Satan, then God is not obligated in Satan’s domain,
and is constrained on our behalf. A good father will help a boy get out of
trouble but he will never be responsible for getting him into it. A father
will use the occasion of the troubles his children get into to teach certain
lessons and perhaps chastise them, but he will not deliberately will, or be a
party to destroying his children by disease. A father also will help rescue a
child when attacked and beaten by an enemy, but he will never jump on the boy
and help his enemy destroy him. Likewise, a child of God does not have to accept
health issues as a chastening from God. We need to realize we are set upon by
demons and not God, and that God is the source of our deliverance. Only one
passage on chastening in the New Testament could be used of physical health
issues and the cause of the failure to get healing here is not appropriating
healing from the wounded body and the shed blood of Christ, not to the
chastening of God (1Cor.
11:29-32). So the law of sowing and reaping had to be executed. They
could have believed God instead of being defeated through unbelief. The Greek word for chastening in Heb. 12:5-10 is paideuo
and it means child training. It is translated: instructing (2 Tim.
2:25), taught (Acts 22:3), teaching (Titus 2:12), learn
(1 Tim. 1:20), learned (Acts 7:22), chastened (1 Cor. 11:32; 2
Cor. 6:9; Heb. 12:5-10; Rev. 3:19), and chastise (Luke 23:16, 22).
Suppose we read into these passages the idea that the only way one can learn
anything is by illness and disease. We can then see how foolish is such an
idea. We can also see that this is not the way God chastises people and
people chastise each other as recorded in 2 Sam. 7:14; Prov. 19:18; Ps.
73:14; 2 Cor. 6:9; Heb. 12:5-10. It is true that God permitted people to be
punished by health issues, but in each case the person had sinned and broken
the law of God (principles of how He works) and this gave Satan a legal right
to attack them. In such instances, God simply used the trouble as an occasion
to teach certain lessons and to help the person out of trouble, just like any
other loving parent would do. When we say we are under the chastening of God, we
admit that we have sinned and rebelled against God to the point where we got
into the hands of Satan, and therefore, we think that God will do nothing
except permit us to reap what we have sowed. But in the circumstances we can
still repent and submit to God who will immediately heal us if we will have
faith (Job 33:14-29; Ps. 38; 51). Where no known sin has been committed and
yet we imagine we must be ill because of something that we have done, this is
a clear case of demon deception and attack which should be met by a vigorous
resistance in the name of Jesus and by faith in the blood of Christ. 3. The third rationale for unbelief is that
God is the one who does the afflicting so why ask Him to remove it?
Christians hide behind this reasoning because David said, "Many are the
afflictions of the righteous" (Ps. 34:19). Therefore, they think
afflictions are God's will and there is no use to resist them. “afflictions” here Hebrew: ‘ra`
(Original Hebrew language Strong’s Number H7451), bad; evil; adversity; affliction;
calamity; grief; sorrow; wretchedness (Ps. 34:19; 107:39; Jer. 48:16; Obad.
1:13; Zech. 1:15). It is never translated sin, though it may be the fruit of
sin through the law of sowing and reaping (Gal. 6:7-8). Sin (shortcoming continued) and Satan are to blame
for such afflictions as well as for chronic health issues. 4. Another rationale for unbelief is the claim that it
is not always God's will to heal. This is one of the greatest deceptions and
lies of Satan. See
definite proof that it is God’s will to heal. 5. Another rationale made for unbelief is that healing
is not in the atonement because all saints (followers) are not healed. One
might as well argue that forgiveness is not in the atonement because all
sinners are not forgiven. This is an illogical and unscriptural rationale.
The reason all Christians are not healed is because we fail to believe that
God heals, just like a sinner fails to believe God for the salvation of their
soul. Only those who have faith will access what they want. Healing is in the
atonement as proved in Isa. 54:4-5; Matt. 8:16-17; 1 Cor. 11:29-30, 1 Pet.
2:24, and therefore everyone who has faith in the atonement can access all
that it provides for them. Additional Proofs
That Bodily Healing is in the Atonement 6. One of the most unscriptural rationale for unbelief
today is that divine healing, gifts of the Spirit, miracles, and all
supernatural inspiration and manifestations ceased in 64 A.D. when the
apostles died. In the first place all the apostles did not die by 64 A.D.
Secondly, there is no one passage that teaches such a theory. The Bible
promises healing throughout this age, as we have seen. History has recorded
multiplied thousands of healings by God in this age since the apostles. The
owner of this website has been set free of two lethal diseases by the loving
power of God and I personally know of hundreds today that have been healed,
and can produce them to testify in any court that they have been miraculously
healed by God's power. Some use the case of Trophimus in 2 Tim. 4:20 to
prove that the day of miracles is over and that Paul and others had lost
their power by that time. But this example does not prove this. The Greek
word translated sick here is astheneo from asthenes,
meaning feeble, strengthless, and weak. It does not always mean that sickness
is from some disease. It is translated "without strength" (Rom.
5:6), "weak in faith" (Rom. 4:19; 14:1-2), "weak" law
(Rom. 8:3), "weak" conscience (1 Cor. 8:7-12), "weak"
people (1 Cor. 9:22), "Weak and beggarly elements of the world"
(Gal. 4:9), and "weak" in boldness (2 Cor. 11:21, 29; 13:3). It is
also used of humility and dependence upon God (2 Cor. 13:3, 4, 9). Not one time is
physical illness referred to in these passages. Trophimus was no doubt run down in body and had a
physical breakdown because of his many labors for Christ and he needed to
stay at Miletum to regain strength and rest a while. This is definitely
stated of Epaphroditus who was brought back to health by proper rest and
faith (Phil. 2:25-30). No doubt it is true that many people in Bible days did
not exercise faith and get healed, as is stated of many Corinthians (11:29-32),
but that does not do away with God's plan and provision for all who will
believe. Multitudes were not saved in Bible days and yet shall we say that
salvation ceased when the apostles died just because everyone was not saved
in their day? This would not be a logical conclusion and therefore it would
not be a good rationale for unbelief about healing. Divine healing does not give us liberty to abuse
our bodies and overwork day and night. We need proper rest and care for the
body if a breakdown is to be avoided. Just because Trophimus had to stay at
Miletum to regain bodily strength, this does not do away with the many
promises that God will heal all who pray in faith. Even if his case was that
of a disease it does not set aside one promise any more than the case of
Judas being lost sets aside the plan for salvation from sin. Such arguments
come solely from our unbelief in the whole Word of God and willful rebellion
against truth, or, if not from these, it comes from our willful lack of
knowledge of the Bible. 7. Another rationale for unbelief is that all persons
in the Bible were not healed, so all persons today cannot be healed. If we
tried to access healing today like Asa (2 Chron. 16:12-14), Ahaziah (2 Kings
1), we would likely fail to receive our healing. But if we will take all the
hundreds of examples in Scriptures and follow the means of healing they used
we would be healed. 8. Many of us excuse our unbelief by claiming human
remedies were used in Bible days instead of spiritual and divine means to
heal health issues. Hezekiah's poultice is used by some to prove God
commanded human remedies, but a casual reading of Isa. 38 will show that his
life already was prolonged fifteen years before the poultice was applied. And
it was used for cleansing only for there is nothing curative about such a
poultice. If this were not so, people would be using this particular kind of
poultice today to heal. In this case it was Isaiah who advised the use of the
poultice, not the Lord; God did the healing, not the poultice. If God had not
added fifteen years to his life all the poultices under the sun would not
have helped him. Some of us stumble over Timothy's stomach and
excuse our unbelief. We live with chronic health issues when we should be
well if we would only believe God. The admonition to Timothy in 1 Tim. 5:23
was to drink a little grape juice. We know that a little grape juice could
not cure a stomach condition. It is beneficial to
drink a little grape juice instead of "water only," (as the margin
of the Bible reads). One cannot believe the New Testament and think that Paul
taught Timothy unbelief, or that God would not heal any more, for Paul was a
great man in power with God (Acts 19:11-12; Rom. 15:18-19, 29). All of Paul's power would not take away such advice
to Timothy under the circumstances. The water of Asia Minor was bad at
certain seasons of the year due to the lack of rain and much suffering was
thus caused. This advice to Timothy must be understood in this light and it
should never be used to justify unbelief as is plainly the case when we are
seeking some kind of rationale for not asking God for healing. 9.
Some
people stumble over Paul's thorn in the flesh and claim that God will not
heal some people. 2
Corinthians 12:7-10 reads: “…Lest I should be exalted above measure [proud]
by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a
messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure [proud]. Concerning
this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me.
And He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made
perfect in weakness.’ Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my
infirmities [weakness;
strengthless], that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities [weakness; strengthless], in
reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For
when I am weak, then I am strong. Paul’s thorn in the flesh was plainly "an angel
of Satan," for the Greek word for messenger in verse 7 (“angelos”) means
angel and not a disease. This (demon) angel accompanied Paul and caused all
the sufferings he listed in his account leading up to that (2 Cor. 4:8-18;
6:1-10; Satan and his demons have a legal right
to try God’s people. Be reminded that Satan tried Adam & Eve, caused
their fall, and gained
dominion of the earth and all things therein (Gen.
3; Lk. 4; 2 Cor. 4:4; Eph. 2:2; 6:12; 1 Jn. 5:19; Rev. 11:15; 20:1-10).
James 1:2-4 states: “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall
into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith
produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be
perfect and complete, lacking nothing.” Romans 5:3-5 also teaches, “…we also glory in
tribulations [trials], knowing that tribulation [trials] produces
perseverance;
and perseverance, character; and character, hope.” The expression "thorn in the flesh"
should be understood in the same sense it is understood in Num. 33:55; Joshua
23:13; Judges 2:3; 8:7. In these passages no disease is mentioned for they
refer to the wars and hardships Israel was going to go through at the hands
of the enemy giants occupying the land. The thorn in Paul's flesh therefore, refers to the
sufferings the demon of Satan caused him to persevere as proved in 2 Cor.
4:8-18; 6:1-10; 11:16-33; 12:7-11; 1 Cor. 4:9-17. Also in 2 Cor. 12:7, the original Greek word huperairomai translated "exalted" is used. Used
only here and of Antichrist exalting himself above all that is called God (2
Thess. 2:4). God did not want Paul to exalt himself through the abundance of
revelations given him, so He permitted him to have the thorn in the flesh to
keep him humble. Repeating, the NIV reads, “to keep me from becoming
conceited” and the NLT reads, “to keep me from getting proud.” Pride would indeed be an issue (1 Tim. 3:6)
but it would not be a physical bodily disease. The word "buffet" used in 2 Cor. 12:7 of
Paul is never used of illness, as proved where it is used (Matt. 26:67; 1
Cor. 4:11; 1 Pet. 2:20). Further examination of Scriptures used to prove
Paul had a physical disease do not say one thing about bodily issues. The
original Greek word at 2 Cor. 12:10 for infirmity is astheneo
from asthenes, meaning feeble,
strengthless, and weak. And again, when we read through
Paul’s account leading up to that (2 Cor. 4:8-18; 6:1-10; 11:16-33; 12:7-11;
1 Cor. 4:9-17), we can plainly understand why he was feeble, strengthless,
and weak. Now the word weak in 1 Cor. 2:3; The words "affliction" and
"chasten" in 2 Cor. 6:4, 9 do not refer to disease any more than
the same words do in the other Scriptures explained in Points 2 and 3 above. The last passages that some have attempted to use
to prove Paul had sore eyes are Gal. 4:15 and Concerning Gal. 6:11, "Ye see how large a
letter I have written with mine own hand." The Greek word for
"letter" is gramma, meaning a writing, a letter, note,
epistle, book, bill, or document. It could not possibly be that Paul was so
blind that he had to write big letters in his words, for if he were as blind
as this, he could not have written an epistle at all. It would not have been
readable if he had written it. Galatians was a long epistle, longer than
seven of Paul's epistles and as long as two others. In some ancient
Manuscripts, Hebrews was attached to Galatians with this phrase, "Pros
Hebrios," to the Hebrews, and if this be the case, these epistles
together would make this writing of Paul longer than any of his other
separate works. At any rate, we can forget the sore eye theory, as there is
nothing to support it in Scripture. With respect, we would now like to underscore the
following reminders: Isaiah 53:5 predicts about Jesus the Christ that, “He
was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the
chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed.” That prediction was fulfilled early
on in Jesus’ ministry, recorded at Matt. 8:16-17. And 1 Peter 2:24
declares: “[Jesus] Himself took our sins away in His own body on the cross,
that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness — by whose wounds you
were healed.” See
also the New Covenant of Healing at James 5:14-16. The Apostle Paul’s body
was subject to the same Good News and bodily healing power. Therefore, now that you know the original language
and context of this passage, rest assured that the true interpretation of
Paul’s writing harmonizes with all Scripture. His thorn in 2 Cor. 12:7 was
suffering caused by a demon of Satan with permission to try Paul over time.
The suffering this demon caused was detailed in Paul’s accounts leading up to
2 Cor. 12:7. This was for God’s good purposes, permitted to keep Paul humble, not pride-full (1 Tim. 3:6). And the sufferings are summed up in 2 Cor. 12:10:
consistent “weakness, reproach, need, persecution, distress, for Christ’s
sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
Let us emphasize that if we will thus seek half as hard for rationale to believe God as we do to disbelieve Him we would access more of the benefits of the gospel. One of the greatest regrets of Heaven will be that when we get there and see how fully God had provided for our needs on Earth and how anxious He was to bless us with the abundance of everything, we will wish we had believed Him more in this life. Let us now wake to the greatness of His promises and refuse to let any person or demon rob us of the full benefits we can have now. 10.
“People won’t die if God always heals them.” People must die their appointed
deaths on Earth until the time of the rapture when this law that all people
must die will be broken (Heb. 9:27; 1 Cor. 15:51-58). God did not promise to
keep people from dying their own appointed deaths, for that would be breaking
His own Word, but He has promised to heal them and keep them in health until
natural death (Ex. 15:26; Ps. 91:1-12; 103:1-4, Matt. 8:16-17; 21:21-22; Mark
9:23; 11:22-24; John 15:7, 16; James 5:14-16; 3 John 2). He has promised to
take away health issues from us and that the number of our days He will
fulfill if we will meet certain conditions (Ex. 23:25-26; Ps. 90:10; 91:1-12;
102:24; 1 Pet. 3:10-12). 11.
What about chastening
and health issues? No
person needs chastening by intense pain unless he is a rebel against God as
stated in Job 33:14. In that case God allows Satan to afflict him
in a final effort to bring him back to Himself. God does not
permit any such affliction as described in Job 33:19-22 unless it is
absolutely necessary after rejection as in Job 33:14-18, the only exception
being this rare case of Job. The fact is that no other person, as
far as we know, has been tried in the way Job was-as an example for
others-and even this was not a chastening of God (see
Lessons from Job). We were given the book of Job that we might learn
from his experience. However, his life-story should not be used as an excuse
for unbelief. Job did not have the Bible and its faith-building promises
as we have today, so we are without excuse. Christians are to
resist the devil in his attacks and he will flee from them (James 4:7; 1
Peter 5:8-9). One can be quickly freed from the adversities Job endured by appropriating the benefits now revealed in both Testaments (Psalm 34:9-10; Psalm 37:1-8; Psalm 84:11; Psalm 91:1-12; Psalm 103:1-4; Matthew 7:7-11; Matthew 8:17; Matthew 17:20; Matthew 21:22; Mark 9:23; Mark 11:22-24; Luke 11:1-13; Luke 18:1-8; Luke 24:49; John 10:10; John 14:12-15; John 15:7,16; John 16:23-26; Acts 1:4-8; Acts 2:38-39; Acts 5:32; 1 Cor. 12:1-11; 2 Cor. 1:20; Ephes. 6:10-18; Hebrews 2:1-4; Hebrews 11:6; James 5:14-16; 1 John 3:21-22; 1 John 5:13-14). It is the blood-bought right, the promised right, the gospel right, and the divine right of Christians to have what is provided through the atonement. 12. Isaiah 45:7 records God stating: “I
form the light, and create darkness; I make peace, and create evil; I the LORD do all these things.” The Hebrew word
for ‘create’ is ‘bara' and it has two meanings in Hebrew. The
meaning here that applies ‘create’ to ‘darkness’ and ‘evil’ is,
‘to cut
down (a wood).’ The Hebrew word
for ‘evil’ is ‘Ra’ and is translated ‘evil’ 442-times
and never with the idea that it is created
by God. Therefore, an
accurate translation of Isaiah 45:7 is: “I [God] form the light and I
create the tearing down and the destruction of darkness. I make peace, and I
create the tearing down and the cutting down like wood of everything that is
evil. I am the author of the destruction of evil.” And that is good news!
See also James 1:13-17. Thank you Pastor Henry Wright.
Lastly, be
reminded of God’s law of sowing and reaping. If people sin and reap evil for
it, the responsibility for both is theirs. God simply made the law and
consequences for breaking it, which will always be in force. Be encouraged to
review the following principle: Psalm 119:67,72,75 contains a lesson about affliction and the purpose of affliction and why affliction comes in our lives and how we Christians should respond to affliction. After all, there’s nobody who won’t encounter affliction at some time or another in his or her life. Be encouraged to listen to what the psalmist says about affliction and what he learned from it: Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I obey your word. It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees. I know, O LORD, that your laws are righteous and in faithfulness you have afflicted me. Note that the psalmist didn’t view affliction as a disaster. He saw it as a kind of corrective medicine. It was something that he needed to adjust his life. He says, “Before I was afflicted I went astray and I paid for it, but now,” he said, “I obey Your word. I’ve learned my lesson. It pays to obey.” And then he says at the end, “O LORD... in faithfulness you have afflicted me.” You didn’t do it because You were cruel or because You were angry with me. You did it to straighten me out, to bring me back from my own evil way into Your way, to find the way of peace. The
New Testament tells Christians, “All things are for your sakes” (2
Cor. 4:15; see also John 15:1-2; Rom. 5:3; 8:28; 1 Cor. 11:32; 1 Thess. 5:18;
Heb. 12:5-7; James 1:2-5, 12; 1 Pet. 1:6-7; Gen. 50:20; Judges 3:1-2; Ps. 51:1-12;
119:67,72,75; Jer.
29:11) It is necessary for us to grasp that. God’s principles and purposes —
they are all for
us. They’re all working out that which is good for us and they
control the universe. Many other factors may seem to enter in, but ultimately
its God’s laws and our associated choices that settle our destiny. When we are in the midst of affliction, we needn’t fight. We
needn’t argue with God. We need to ask Him the reason. God permits our
affliction in His faithfulness. He has a reason. (Be strongly encouraged to
review Lessons 28 and 73b here.) His spiritual principles and purposes are for us to
turn us back from something, to bring us out of the dark and bring us back
under His covering — a life of continual yielding to His instruction (John
14:15; 8:31; 1 John 5:2-3) (consider
reviewing this inspired illustration). His guarantee is unlimited. And, there are still warning signs to make it work for us. A red light flashes at a railroad crossing when the train is coming, to prevent us from getting killed. A fire engine sounds a siren to warn us of its approach. An ambulance and a police car flash lights when there is danger, and the wail of their siren warns us to pull over and get out of the way. A fever warns us of sickness and infection. All of these signals are good,
and so are God's warning signs. They are just as effective to keep us from
getting killed (spiritually) as the flashing lights at a railroad crossing
are to keep us from getting killed physically. God loves us so much He has
posted warning signs all along the lake
of joy, just for our protection! —Derek Prince, and Pastor Buck Roland What Divine
Healing and Health is Not It is not healing and health by natural remedies, imagination, will power, personal magnetism, metaphysics, spiritualism, immunity from death, presumption, insubordination to God's will, mind over matter, denial of the plain facts of sin, health issues, and disease, or natural healing by inherent laws and creative powers in humankind's body (i.e. our God-given immune systems, endocrine systems, lymph systems, limbic systems, etc.) The plan of God is to end evil and suffering forever (Exodus 34:6-7; Psalm 34:15-16; Proverbs 1:24-33; Ezekiel 33:11-20; Romans 6:16-23; 8:12-13; 11:11-29; 1 Corinthians 15:24-28; 2 Corinthians 3:16-17; 6:9-11; Galatians 5:16-24; 6:7-8; Hebrews 6:4-9; 10:26-29; 2 Peter 2:9, 20-21; Revelation 21-22). The ultimate purpose of God in all His present dealings with man is to bring him back to the place where he was before the fall (beloved fellowship) and free him of all possibility of failing in the future. “The
object and purpose of our instruction and charge is that all believers would
be filled with love that comes from a pure heart,
and a clear conscience, and genuine trust (faith).” —1 Timothy 1:5 Thank you Finis Jennings
Dake, Dake
Publishing, and their book entitled God’s Plan for Man |
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