The Big Question: Should we expect God to heal today?
While there are plenty of people inside and outside the church who live with no expectation that God will heal anyone, we think there are ample reasons to go ahead and pray for people with faith and anticipation who are sick and hurting.
- Sickness, and death, are the consequences of Adam’s rebellion at the beginning (Genesis 3) and were never God’s intention for the world he made. Sickness is destined to become a thing of the past as the result of the rescue plan the creator has executed in, through, and as Jesus.
- Jesus, when he came preaching the Kingdom of God, demonstrated God’s compassion for those broken by sin. He showed that God has authority and power over all the works of darkness and pain that crush mankind (see Acts 10:37-39). God’s compassion did not go away when Jesus ascended into heaven. He still cares for the broken and hurting of this world.
- Jesus work of healing was delegated to his 1st-century disciples, and then through them, it has been passed on to us. Healing is a basic part of our job description as 21st-century disciples of Jesus.
- The book of Acts shows that Jesus’ disciples picked up where Jesus left off and continued preaching the same gospel of the Kingdom while helping and healing people by the power of the Holy Spirit.
- Church history demonstrates that, while there have been ups and downs in the centuries that followed, nevertheless, the work of healing Jesus began has continued through his church to the present.
Other Common Questions and Concerns
But even with the case we have made above, it is reasonable that you may have questions and concerns about healing that should be taken seriously and answered. Unfortunately, we now have 2,000+ years of wild and crazy things that have been done by those who claimed to be speaking and acting for God. If you are going to pick up the mission Jesus assigned to every generation of His disciples, you might find it helpful to have some of your questions or concerns addressed.