When Do We Safely Say That Someone Is Genuinely Healed?

[Paul Christensen]

I have been reading through F F Bosworth's classic on divine healing. This book has been accepted by traditional Pentecostals as the standard for the divine healing ministry.

While I agree with most of the book, and see it is a real faith builder, there is a statement that causes me concern. It is when that when a sick person receive prayer for healing, they should believe God's Word ("I am the Lord who heals you") rather than the symptoms. This statement has been interpreted by many Pentecostals as the acceptance that the person has been totally healed by the power of God, even though the symptoms of the illness are still present.

Kenny Copeland and Benny Hinn are the modern ones who tell people they are healed in spite of the symptoms, and that if they don't accept that they are healed, then that is a lack of faith. This would induce some to throw away their medication, sometimes with disastrous results. A couple were prosecuted for manslaughter when they refused to take their sick child to the doctor after receiving prayer, and the child died from what was a preventable medical condition that would have been easily cured by medical intervention.

In the early days of Pentecostalism, many died from preventable conditions because they refused to either take themselves or their children to the doctor, or threw away important medication, in the belief that God had healed them. But the symptoms were still present. So, in effect, healing had not taken place.

If we study the ministry of Jesus, people were instantly healed when He ministered to them because the symptoms of their illness or disease instantly disappeared. It was only after the symptoms disappeared, such as cleansing from leprosy, the deaf being able to hear, the blind see, and the lame walk. When Peter and John spoke the word over the lame man at the Gate Beautiful, they didn't say, "You are healed" and left him there. They look him by the arm and lifted him up, and he went walking, leaping and praising God. Therefore he was instantly healed and the disappearance of his symptoms proved it.

To tell a sick person continuing with symptoms of illness after prayer for healing, "You are now healed", is total presumption and nonsense, and if the person believes it and stops taking his medication and leaves the doctor's care, he or she is putting his or her life in danger.

My view is that someone can stop taking medication only if the person who prescribed it instructs the person to stop. If healing has truly taken place, it will be in spite of the medication, or in the case of a diabetic being healed, the medication itself would be causing the problem and the doctor would acknowledge that the person no longer has diabetes and should stop injecting insulin. But if the diabetic stops the insulin while still having the symptoms of diabetes, he could go into a diabetic coma and die.

So, I think that the teaching that we should believe that we are healed through prayer while still suffering the symptoms of our illness or disease is dangerous and should not be followed. There is nothing wrong with reminding the Lord of His Word concerning healing and that He has promised that the prayer of faith shall raise the person up, but one should not acknowledge total healing until the cessation of symptoms proves it. And even then the person should go back to the doctor to have the healing confirmed. Especially in the case of cancer. The before Xray would show the cancer and the healing of the disease can be proved only by a subsequent Xray showing that the cancer is no longer there.

So, although I believe in the prayer of faith for healing, fully trusting God to honour His Word, I don't believe in confessing healing through faith. Confession of healing should only be made on the basis of the symptoms gone and the medical professional acknowledging it.

If someone decides to go for healing by faith for an illness or disease that is easily treated by medical means, and ignores continuing symptoms, and ends up losing their life, then they have no one to blame but themselves. It is not God's fault if people don't use all the resources available to them to get themselves healed.

 

[Ronald David Bruno]

I have been reading through F F Bosworth's classic on divine healing. This book has been accepted by traditional Pentecostals as the standard for the divine healing ministry.

While I agree with most of the book, and see it is a real faith builder, there is a statement that causes me concern. It is when that when a sick person receive prayer for healing, they should believe God's Word ("I am the Lord who heals you") rather than the symptoms. This statement has been interpreted by many Pentecostals as the acceptance that the person has been totally healed by the power of God, even though the symptoms of the illness are still present.

Kenny Copeland and Benny Hinn are the modern ones who tell people they are healed in spite of the symptoms, and that if they don't accept that they are healed, then that is a lack of faith. This would induce some to throw away their medication, sometimes with disastrous results. A couple were prosecuted for manslaughter when they refused to take their sick child to the doctor after receiving prayer, and the child died from what was a preventable medical condition that would have been easily cured by medical intervention.

In the early days of Pentecostalism, many died from preventable conditions because they refused to either take themselves or their children to the doctor, or threw away important medication, in the belief that God had healed them. But the symptoms were still present. So, in effect, healing had not taken place.

If we study the ministry of Jesus, people were instantly healed when He ministered to them because the symptoms of their illness or disease instantly disappeared. It was only after the symptoms disappeared, such as cleansing from leprosy, the deaf being able to hear, the blind see, and the lame walk. When Peter and John spoke the word over the lame man at the Gate Beautiful, they didn't say, "You are healed" and left him there. They look him by the arm and lifted him up, and he went walking, leaping and praising God. Therefore he was instantly healed and the disappearance of his symptoms proved it.

To tell a sick person continuing with symptoms of illness after prayer for healing, "You are now healed", is total presumption and nonsense, and if the person believes it and stops taking his medication and leaves the doctor's care, he or she is putting his or her life in danger.

My view is that someone can stop taking medication only if the person who prescribed it instructs the person to stop. If healing has truly taken place, it will be in spite of the medication, or in the case of a diabetic being healed, the medication itself would be causing the problem and the doctor would acknowledge that the person no longer has diabetes and should stop injecting insulin. But if the diabetic stops the insulin while still having the symptoms of diabetes, he could go into a diabetic coma and die.

So, I think that the teaching that we should believe that we are healed through prayer while still suffering the symptoms of our illness or disease is dangerous and should not be followed. There is nothing wrong with reminding the Lord of His Word concerning healing and that He has promised that the prayer of faith shall raise the person up, but one should not acknowledge total healing until the cessation of symptoms proves it. And even then the person should go back to the doctor to have the healing confirmed. Especially in the case of cancer. The before Xray would show the cancer and the healing of the disease can be proved only by a subsequent Xray showing that the cancer is no longer there.

So, although I believe in the prayer of faith for healing, fully trusting God to honour His Word, I don't believe in confessing healing through faith. Confession of healing should only be made on the basis of the symptoms gone and the medical professional acknowledging it.

If someone decides to go for healing by faith for an illness or disease that is easily treated by medical means, and ignores continuing symptoms, and ends up losing their life, then they have no one to blame but themselves. It is not God's fault if people don't use all the resources available to them to get themselves healed.

We are spiritually healed by faith. Jesus healed people who had faith in Him. Remember in His home town, people had a different attitude and doubted.
Faith is necessary for any kind of healing. The recipient doesn't necessarily need faith for healing to take place, the minister does though. Remember the Roman whose daughter was dying. Jesus healed his daughter, who had no conscious awareness - probably was out of it with high fever? Her father had faith.
Jesus brought back Lazarus, who was dead - obviously not very faithful at the time. The Lord's faith is sufficient and heals us all the time when we are not even asking. He keeps us alive and out if danger UNTIL IT IS OUR TIME - for a purpose. He is sovereign, in control of life and death - modern medicine is not. God may use doctors to heal someone or use natural healings ( like vitamin D from the sun and nutriuos food and water). When someone dies, do not blame anyone, God has allowed it. One may think a parent prayed asking for God's healing, might have saved the child if they used medicine. But where is the child now? A better place, how could that be viewed as tragic.
We do our part, are responsible for our bodies to eat properly, exercise, don't abuse it and then leave the rest to God.
Death is a doorway to heaven if you believe - I can't wait!

 

[Paul Christensen]

We are spiritually healed by faith. Jesus healed people who had faith in Him. Remember in His home town, people had a different attitude and doubted.
Faith is necessary for any kind of healing. The recipient doesn't necessarily need faith for healing to take place, the minister does though. Remember the Roman whose daughter was dying. Jesus healed his daughter, who had no conscious awareness - probably was out of it with high fever? Her father had faith.
Jesus brought back Lazarus, who was dead - obviously not very faithful at the time. The Lord's faith is sufficient and heals us all the time when we are not even asking. He keeps us alive and out if danger UNTIL IT IS OUR TIME - for a purpose. He is sovereign, in control of life and death - modern medicine is not. God may use doctors to heal someone or use natural healings ( like vitamin D from the sun and nutriuos food and water). When someone dies, do not blame anyone, God has allowed it. One may think a parent prayed asking for God's healing, might have saved the child if they used medicine. But where is the child now? A better place, how could that be viewed as tragic.
We do our part, are responsible for our bodies to eat properly, exercise, don't abuse it and then leave the rest to God.
Death is a doorway to heaven if you believe - I can't wait!

The fact remains. Evidence for healing is the cessation of symptoms.

So, if your child is seriously ill and you pray in faith for healing, and nothing happens, will you still take the child to the doctor, or will you let the child get worse and possibly die? If your child does die from a curable illness, wouldn't you have the police knocking at your door?

I think the teaching that going to the doctor and taking medicine is a lack of faith because "I am healed through faith", is foolish and irresponsible.

The reason why we don't see many genuine healing is the general attitude of unbelief among the churches, even Pentecostal and Charismatic ones, as well as false teaching concerning guaranteed healing.

Yes, Jesus couldn't do many mighty works in His home town, yet He did heal a few people. The state of the churches today shows that not even a few people can be genuinely healed.

You can believe that you are healed "by faith" until the cows come home, but if your cancer or heart condition is still there, your leg is still broken, then you definitely are not healed, and no amount of "faith" will bring the healing until the Holy Spirit does it - and because the Holy Spirit is largely absent from most churches affected by Cessationist teaching, it is unlikely to happen.

Faith doesn't heal sick people. Jesus does, through the presence and power of the Holy Spirit.

 

[Ronald David Bruno]

So, if your child is seriously ill and you pray in faith for healing, and nothing happens, will you still take the child to the doctor, or will you let the child get worse and possibly die? If your child does die from a curable illness, wouldn't you have the police knocking at your door?

I did mention we are responsible to care for our own bodies and that includes whatever is in our power, ability or a doctor's - then leave everything else up to God. Frankly, I don't trust Big PHARMA. I use natural cures, am 65, been to the doctor about 6 times in 40 years only for antibiotic prescription and take supplements. What the WHO, CDC and this country has put us through this past year is enough reason to turn away from them and have more faith in God and get out in the sunshine for your daily dose of vitamin D.

 

[Paul Christensen]

I did mention we are responsible to care for our own bodies and that includes whatever is in our power, ability or a doctor's - then leave everything else up to God. Frankly, I don't trust Big PHARMA. I use natural cures, am 65, been to the doctor about 6 times in 40 years only for antibiotic prescription and take supplements. What the WHO, DEC and this country has put us through this past year is enough reason to turn away from them and have more faith in God and get out in the sunshine for your daily dose of vitamin D.

I have no problem with that.

 

[Enoch111]

If we study the ministry of Jesus, people were instantly healed when He ministered to them because the symptoms of their illness or disease instantly disappeared.

That is the *gold standard* for healing. Anything else is simply self-deception. Also, while in some cases Jesus required faith for healing, in other cases He simply healed because that was part of his ministry. But anyone who came to Him for healing was healed.

Today, too many faith healers are con-artists, and too many are more focused on the cash they bring in than in actually healing anyone.

What we know from Scripture is that the prayer of faith results in healing as noted in James chapter 5.

 

[JohnDB]

Healings and other miraculous signs done in the past were for "signs and wonders". These were done publicly or with well known people.

God is totally uninterested in public displays of power these days. Anyone who claims otherwise is going against God.

God can and has performed miraculous healings since that time...but it's been in the hidden corners of the World for His own purposes. Not the promotion of TV Preachers on a huge stage in front of thousands.

 

[Brakelite]

Today we have a major problem with health. People, particularly in the western hemisphere, are eating crap, not exercising, overweight, and over indulging in stuff that is utterly unhealthy. God is not going to heal anyone who continues to contribute to their own disease. Cancers, diabetes, kidney, liver issues, are just a small sample of lifestyle diseases that permeate throughout the western world. God can and does heal of people are willing to take the steps towards healthful living. The attitude of neglecting the health guidelines in scripture and pretending they're irrelevant would be a good place to consider changing.

 

[Paul Christensen]

That is the *gold standard* for healing. Anything else is simply self-deception. Also, while in some cases Jesus required faith for healing, in other cases He simply healed because that was part of his ministry. But anyone who came to Him for healing was healed.

Today, too many faith healers are con-artists, and too many are more focused on the cash they bring in than in actually healing anyone.

What we know from Scripture is that the prayer of faith results in healing as noted in James chapter 5.

it is interesting that the James reference said that the sick person is the one calling for the elders of the church to pray the prayer of faith to see him raised up. This is quite different from "healing" evangelists having meetings calling on sick people to come forward to join the prayer line for healing.

Secondly, there is no mention of instant cessation of symptoms. The sense that I see is that the sick person is restored to health, and that may occur over a period of time. Therefore there is a difference between being restored to health, and being instantly cured on the spot. Therefore the prayer of faith may not see initial results, but rather that the patient doesn't get any worse and regains health in the natural way.

One of our church elders had a problem with his knee joint, and received prayer for it. No immediate results. He went to the hospital to have his knee operated on, and the surgeon found a bone fragment that had not been obvious on the initial Xray. Once the fragment was removed, the knee healed over the next few weeks. The miracle was the discovery of the bone fragment that was previously hidden. I believe that the prayer of faith guided the surgeon to that bone fragment, which when removed was the key to the healing of the knee.

Often, with a treatable condition, the prayer of faith often enables a medical professional to give the correct diagnosis and prescribe the appropriate treatment.

I get occasional bouts of atrial defibrillation. I subject it to prayer and it goes away after two or three hours, but one bout happened and I was able to get to the doctor before it had stopped, and she was able to get a reading of it from the heart monitor and prescribe preventative medication to lessen the possibility of a stroke. She assured me that it wasn't heart failure, but a common condition that occurs with advancing age.
The result of prayer for me was that the doctor was able to clearly view and monitor the condition and prescribe the right preventative treatment, whereas before the condition and doctor's visits did not coincide.

It would have been ridiculous of me to say that after my prayer I was totally healed, when my heart rate was still rapid and irregular. But it didn't stop me quoting "You are the Lord who heals me" to the Lord every time I got anxious about it, until my heart returned to its normal rhythm.

 

[Enoch111]

Today we have a major problem with health. People, particularly in the western hemisphere, are eating crap, not exercising, overweight, and over indulging in stuff that is utterly unhealthy.

This is quite true, although many have become very conscious of what should be eaten and what should be avoided. The bigger problem is how doctors are trained, and how devoted they have become to pharmaceuticals, and how they avoid common sense and natural remedies.

All physicians had a professional, moral, ethical, and legal duty to do their due diligence about the bogus COVID pandemic. But very few have spoken out against the lockdowns, the masks, the distancing, and the bogus vaccines. All of these have led to serious mental health and physical health issues, but doctors in general are still relying on WHO and public health officials to tell them what is right and what is not. As a result the medical profession has failed the general public.

 

[Brakelite]

The bigger problem is how doctors are trained, and how devoted they have become to pharmaceuticals,

My wife has an issue with carpal tunnel syndrome. In the doctors surgery the doctor asked if she wanted some pharma stuff for her wrists and when I told her we were using turmeric, the doctor laughed!

 

[DNB]

It is interesting how Paul prescribed for Timothy to drink a little wine in order to alleviate whatever stomach issues that he was having - Paul did not perform a miracle for Timothy. Or, even's Paul thorn in his side, ...mind you, Paul did pray for healing but was justifiably refused (taught a greater lesson). Also of peculiar interest is Jesus requiring a repeated effort to heal the blind man from Bethsaida (Mark 8:22-26).

But, irrefutably, when the Holy Spirit is involved, all symptoms of affliction are eradicated and indiscernible, ...immediately. Only a charlatan will blame the recipient of his impotent act of healing, for not appearing as recovered.

Just as a side note, I believe that not only spontaneous healing from an overtly apparent ailment, is miraculous, but also not suffering infliction from some sort of trauma, is equally signs of God's divine intervention. i.e. Daniel in the lion's cage, or Hananiah and his friends in the fiery furnace (even the smell of smoke was not upon them). I trust that we've all heard, or even know, of incidences where a person was involved in a horrendous car crash, and that should've died, but inexplicably managed to walk away unscathed. Unscathed as in asymptomatic - neither a scratch, bruise nor hair out of place.

Yes, Paul, the proof is clearly in the pudding - when God heals you, no one should even be aware that you were ever infirmed.