"Christians Never Get Sick!" – True?

Again and again, you hear voices claiming that Christians don't need to be ill. They say: "If you only have enough faith, you can all be healed. That is the full gospel. No one needs to suffer." What do we make of this? Are illnesses an evil to be endured? What is the significance of illness in the life of a believer?

A few years ago, I spoke to a fellow believer from the Pentecostal and Charismatic Movement – in which two gifts of graceTo the one who earns something through performance, the reward is not according to grace but according to debt (Rom. 4:4). Grace is a favor that is not given by... More (GreekUnlike Hellenists (Greek-speaking Jews; Acts 6:1; 9:29), Greeks, in the narrow sense of the word, come from Greece and have at least one Greek parent (Acts 16:3 in connection with... More: charisma) play a major role: speaking in tongues and miraculous healings – who had contracted HIV as an unbeliever. He was convinced that the disease would not break out in him. He could not imagine that God would let him suffer. Hadn't the good God promised him a blessingA blessing is something good, in the Old Testament, usually associated with possessions, prosperity, and health, and is usually pronounced over someone. In principle, the lesser is blessed by the... More? – But what would happen if the disease did take its toll one day? Will he despair of God because He does not seem to keep His promises? Or will he despair of himself because he supposedly did not believe in God's promises enough? A serious crisis of faith and an emotional crash would then be virtually pre-programmed.

This also makes it clear how important it is to have a clear and balanced view on the subject of illness and healing. We, therefore, want to look at some of the arguments that are used to "prove" that believers do not need to be ill and can expect to be healed at any time.

 

1. Has God Promised Healing?

In the context of the charismatic movement, it is said that the Bible contains great promises that we can be healed. Passages such as Exodus 15:26 or Exodus 23:25 speak a clear language. Deuteronomy 7:15 says: "The Lord will take away from you every sickness." See also PsalmPsalm simply means "song." In the Old Testament, this word only occurs in connection with the Psalms of David and the Book of Psalms. Singers sang a psalm with instrumental... More 103:3, Isaiah 29:18, and Isaiah 35:4.5. Mark 11:24 says that the one who asks in faith receives everything – does this not include healing?

If we want to interpret the Scriptures correctly, we need to pay attention to whom their statements are directly addressed. It is important to ask: Is this passage about Israelites who are under the law, or is it about Christians who are not under the law (Rom. 6:14)? A distinction must be made. Paul writes: "But we know that whatever the law says, it speaks to those who are under the law" (Rom. 3:19).

The passages quoted from the books of Moses are addressed directly to Israelites. They would not fall ill if they obeyed God's commandments. We must not simply transfer this Old Testament promise, which applied to God's earthly people, to Christians, to whom heavenly blessings belong (Eph. 1:3)!

Anyone who wants to claim the promise of healing for themselves would consequently have to apply everything the law says to themselves. For example, the instructions on animal sacrifices, which take up a lot of space in the books of Moses, or the terrible curses (Deut. 28:15 ff.). We do violence to the word of God when we cherry-pick what we like from the law and declare it to be binding for Christians.

It is clear that we regard the Old Testament as inspired by God's Spirit and draw valuable teachings from it (2 Tim. 3:16; Rom. 15:4), but that is different from wanting to place Christians under the law. The passages cited from the Psalms and prophets point to the millennial kingdom of peace when God will deliver His people, Israel, from sickness and disease. The "wondrous worksAnother word for deeds or actions. God's works are perfect (Gen 1:31), men's can be good works (Matt 5:16) or dead (Heb 6:1). On the basis of his works, unbelieving... More of the age to come" (Heb. 6:5) will unfold among them so that the blind will see and other wonderful things will happen. But this has nothing to do with the present time, in which God is gathering a people for His name from all nations, waiting to be raised up to meet the Lord.

And the words of Mark 11:24 are certainly not meant to convey to us that we will get everything we desire and clothe it in words of prayer. The pivotal point of this verse is faith. Faith is the spiritual ability to receive God's thoughts.

If we had a promise of healing in the New Testament, we could very well ask for healing freely and confidently and would be heard. But we Christians have no promise that we will be delivered from all illnesses. That is why our faith cannot be based on it.

 

 

2. Did Christ Bear our Sicknesses on the Cross?

It is sometimes said that the Lord Jesus bore both the sins of believers and their sicknesses on the cross. Those who believe in Jesus Christ and His work will be rid of their illnesses as well as their sins. For it is written: "Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows… But He was wounded for our transgressions; He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed." (Isa. 53:4, 5).

In these two verses, bearing the suffering and being crushed for the sake of sinThe Bible carefully differentiates between sin and sins. • Sin: the evil power at work in man that causes him to engage in sinful activities (Rom 7:17, 18). God pronounced... More are indeed close together. But this does not prove that both happened on the cross of Calvary. Scripture teaches otherwise. In Matthew 8:16, 17, we read: "When evening had come, they brought to Him [Jesus] many who were demon-possessed. And He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophetA prophet is someone who receives a message from God and passes it on to a specific group in the Old Testament, very often Israel. Prophets are, therefore, in close... More, saying: ‘He Himself took our infirmities and bore our sicknesses.’"

This makes it clear: the Lord Jesus bore the sicknesses and diseases of people when He healed them in His ministry on earth. He did not simply heal by performing a miracle in divine majesty, but He made Himself one with the sick – He bore the sicknesses and diseases of the people on His heart. This is how Isaiah 53:4 was fulfilled! But He bore our sins in the three hours of darkness on the cross, when He was wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities.

Isaiah 53:4 thus speaks of His service to His people and Isaiah 53:5 of His work on the cross. This is underlined by the fact that in 1 Peter 2:24, when Peter speaks of the atoning work of ChristA title of the Lord Jesus, which is also used as an epithet; Messiah (Hebrew) and Christ (Greek) mean "anointed one". The title refers to the fact that Jesus is... More, he only refers to verse 5 of Isaiah 53 and not to verse 4.

It should also be noted that Isaiah 53 speaks of the future Jewish remnantWe speak of a remnant when the majority of God's people have become apostates and have turned away from God. God calls the remnant the few who remain faithful to... More, who will look back with admiration and repentanceWhile remorse (Greek metamellomai) means to regret a previous act or behavior and to have a different way of thinking about it, Repentance (Greek metanoia) goes further than that: It... More on the ministry of the Lord Jesus among His earthly people. So Isaiah 53 is not directly about the Lord having borne the illnesses and pains of Christians.

Nevertheless, when we are ill, we can, of course, count on the Lord's special compassion. Although He was not sick Himself, He was in pain and bore the illnesses of the people He healed, and He knows from experience what suffering is.

Let us remember: ChristA title of the Lord Jesus, which is also used as an epithet; Messiah (Hebrew) and Christ (Greek) mean "anointed one". The title refers to the fact that Jesus is... More bore our sins on the cross. Those who believe in His work can be certain of forgivenessIn Scripture, forgiveness is presented to us from two points of view. • The side of God: God’s thoughts towards the sinner whom he forgives. On the basis of Christ’s... More (Heb. 10:17.18). But ChristA title of the Lord Jesus, which is also used as an epithet; Messiah (Hebrew) and Christ (Greek) mean "anointed one". The title refers to the fact that Jesus is... More did not bear our sicknesses on the cross.

 

3. Does every Sickness come from the Devil?

Some claim that every sickness comes from the devil. ChristA title of the Lord Jesus, which is also used as an epithet; Messiah (Hebrew) and Christ (Greek) mean "anointed one". The title refers to the fact that Jesus is... More came to destroy the worksAnother word for deeds or actions. God's works are perfect (Gen 1:31), men's can be good works (Matt 5:16) or dead (Heb 6:1). On the basis of his works, unbelieving... More of the devil (1 Jn. 3:8), so no Christian has to be sick, they say.

This way of reasoning does not work. Firstly, 1 John 3:8 does not say that the worksAnother word for deeds or actions. God's works are perfect (Gen 1:31), men's can be good works (Matt 5:16) or dead (Heb 6:1). On the basis of his works, unbelieving... More of the devil are already destroyed today. That will only be the case when there is a new heaven and a new earth in which everything will be in harmony with God.

Secondly, illnesses cannot simply be attributed to the devil, even if it is true that he tempted people to sinThe Bible carefully differentiates between sin and sins. • Sin: the evil power at work in man that causes him to engage in sinful activities (Rom 7:17, 18). God pronounced... More in the Garden of Eden and that pain, death, and illness came into the worldThe word is used with different meanings. It can mean the whole of humanity (Gen 41:57) or the created world (Rom 1:20), but also a moral system that is opposed... More as a result (Gen. 3). The reason why diseases exist at all, therefore, lies in the fall of man, which affected the whole of creation (cf. Rom. 8:22, 23).

But it is not given to the devil to strike people with diseases at will. Scripture shows only a few cases where the devil has made people ill – and only when God allowed it. We think of Job, who was tormented by SatanThe Bible introduces us to the great adversary of God in Rev 20:2 under four terms: • Dragon • Old Serpent • Devil • Satan Under the term 'Satan,' the... More with boils (Job 2:4-7). The demon-possessed man who could not hear or speak is also a comparable case (Mk. 9:25). But such things should not be generalized. Zacharias, for example, was unable to speak for a time because God chastised him for his unbelief (Lk. 1:20, 64).

Many biblical passages show that God sends sickness: He struck the Egyptians with boils (Ex. 9:9, 10) and the Ashdodites with boils (1 Sam. 5:6); He caused a son of David to become  fatally ill (2 Sam. 12:15); He sent Jehoram a severe disease of the internal organs (2 Chr. 21:15) and punished Uzziah with leprosyLeprosy is a serious disease for which there used to be no cure in biblical times. It initially led to spots, but then to the death of limbs and finally... More (2 Chr. 26:20). If God sends illnesses, how can it be claimed that every illness comes from the devil and that no believer needs to be ill?

And even if the devil has a hand in an illness (which we usually don't know), Job teaches us how to behave in this situation: He accepted all suffering from God's hand and trusted Him (cf. Job 1:21; 2:10).

 

4. Does the Good God Send Evil Diseases?

Often, it is said: Children of God do not need to be sick because the good God only gives them good things. We, who are evil, give good gifts to our children and keep evil away from them (cf. Mt 7:11). Should God be less kind?

This may sound plausible at first glance, but it is quite wrong. Even if God "does not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men" (Lam. 3:33), He sometimes does. Parents who bring up their children do not give them everything that the children find beautiful and pleasant. God's actions are not aimed at ensuring that His children have as comfortable and easy a life as possible. He has more than their physical well-being in mind (although He often gives that too).

We know that God wants to bring about much good in our lives through sickness. He wants us to...

• glorify His Son more (Jn. 11:4),
• get to know ourselves and Him better (Job 42:5.6),
• persevere more (Jas. 1:2-4),
• live more sanctified lives (Heb. 12:4-17),
• become more dependent on the Lord (2 Cor. 12:7-10),
• prove ourselves in faith (1 Pet. 1:6, 7),
• direct our hope in Him (Rom. 5:1-5),
• repent and thus not be condemned with the worldThe word is used with different meanings. It can mean the whole of humanity (Gen 41:57) or the created world (Rom 1:20), but also a moral system that is opposed... More (1 Cor. 11:29-32),
• become able to comfort others (2 Cor. 1:3-4),
• occupy ourselves with eternal things (cf. 2 Cor. 4:17).

 

5. Christians Can be Sick

Of course, Christians get sick. We can experience this in ourselves and around us. This is because our body, in contrast to our soul, has not yet been redeemed (Rom. 3:24; 8:23). The redemption of the body will happen when the Lord Jesus returns and "will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body" (Phil. 3:21). Then we will no longer have a weak, natural body, but a spiritual body that cannot be affected by sickness and death (1 Cor. 15:43, 53-54).

But now we are still "groaning" in the "tabernacleThe Tabernacle is sometimes also called “the tent of meeting” or “the tent of testimony.” This was the place recognized by God where he dwelt among his people and wanted... More of the body," which is decaying and will eventually be destroyed (2 Cor. 5:1-4). Illness, old age, and death affect every person on this earth. Christians are no exception. They age, they die – and they also fall ill. This is not because they do not have enough faith but because their bodies have not yet been redeemed but are part of the fallen creation.

Scripture speaks of many believers who were sick without God's Word, somehow accusing them of specific sins or a lack of faith. Here are some examples:

• Paul (2 Cor. 12:7, 8)
• Epaphroditus (Phil. 2:27)
• Trophimus (2 Tim. 4:20)
• Timothy (1 Tim. 5:23)
• Dorcas (Acts 9:37)
• Lazarus (Jn. 11:1-3)

Even today, many faithful believers are ill. Some are plagued with certain ailments for the rest of their lives. Others recover after a certain time, sometimes even in a special way, through a miracle of God. However, experience confirms that Christians cannot count on always remaining healthy or being healed again.

 

6. What Do we Do when we Get Sick?

What do Christians do when they are ill? They seek the closeness of God and trust that "all things work together for their good" (Rom. 8:28). They are not afraid to pray for recovery, but they do so in the knowledge that it is not their will but God's will that should be done. They gratefully make use of medical help and medicine (cf. Mt. 9:12; Col. 4:14). In biblical times, balm (Jer. 46:11), fig cakes (Isa. 38:21), oilWhen oil is mentioned in the Bible, it usually refers to olive oil. It was considered an important staple food and was used for ointments and as a light source... More (Lk. 10:34; Jas. 5:14) and wine (1 Tim. 5:23) served well; today there are other medicines and healing methods that doctors advise.

Even if we follow this advice, we do not put our trust in people, as Asa did (2 Chr. 16:12). Rather, we want to trust God, who must bless the efforts of the doctors if we are to get well. Whatever happens: We want to be content with the Lord's graceTo the one who earns something through performance, the reward is not according to grace but according to debt (Rom. 4:4). Grace is a favor that is not given by... More in every situation (2 Cor. 12:9). If God uses illness to work for our good, we do not want to avoid it with "health at any price."

Some advise sick people that they should not only go to the doctor but also see someone who has the gift of healing. These miracle healers can supposedly help anyone who trusts God. As this is a complex topic, we want to deal with it in one of the next issues and discuss in more detail what the Scriptures have to say on the subject of "miraculous healings."