ILLNESS – WELLNESS

The first origin of illness and death must be sought, evidently, in sin and the fall. Man, made in the image of God by a perfect creation, was destined for a blessed and eternal life, and not for the physical and moral sufferings to which he is subjected (Gen. 1:27, 31; 2: 7; 3:22). Through sin, death made its appearance, with the illnesses and diseases that lead to it (Rom. 5:12).

It is also clear that the violation of physical and moral laws very often leads to illness and psychological imbalance (e.g., alcoholism and sexual license, Pr. 2:16-19; 23:29- 32). On the other hand, respect for divine commands very often has the effect of maintaining health” (Prov. 3:8; 4:20-22).

Sickness can also be the punishment of a specific sin (Deut. 28:58-61: 2 Sam. 24:15; 2 Kings 5:27), or it can come from the faults of the parents (Ex. 20:5 ), and can also reach Christians who do not judge themselves by abandoning their disobedience (1 Cor. 11:30-32).

However, the Bible emphasizes that not all illness is necessarily the result of personal sin. Job was upright, upright, fearing God, eschewing evil, to the point that there was none like him in all the earth. However, God saw fit to send him a test for his spiritual growth (Jb. 1: 8; 2: 5-7). Neither the man born blind nor his parents had caused this blindness through their sins, which made manifest the glory of God (John 9: 2-3).

A thorn was put in Paul’s flesh, not because he had sinned, but to keep him from pride because of the unheard-of revelations of the Lord (2 Cor. 12:7).
The Bible reveals that Satan can sometimes be the agent that causes certain illnesses (Jb. 2:6-7; Luke 13:16; Acts 10:38; regarding demonic possessions, see DEMONS. DEMON-POSESSED) . But he cannot go beyond what the Lord allows him, always powerful to help those who come to Him.

(a) The work of Christ.
According to Isaiah 53:4-5, the Messiah bore our illnesses and suffered our pain, and with his stripes we were healed. A first fulfillment of this prophecy was in the Lord’s healing ministry in Palestine (Mt. 8:16-17). His miracles of all kinds were the sign of his victory over evil and death, as well as the dazzling proof of his own divinity.

But it was on the cross that he bore our sin, with all its physical and moral consequences; It is there that he achieved for us the total redemption of soul and body. Therefore, let us be careful not to fall into confusion about these extremes. Sin having been atoned for, God gives forgiveness and a new spiritual birth to all who believe.

But the “redemption of the body,” its glorious transformation into resurrection for the dead in Christ, or into life for those alive at his coming, is still future (Rom. 8:23). As we wait for this, “we groan within ourselves,” for although “the inner [man] is renewed day by day,” “this outward man of ours is wasting away.” Our body is a perishable tabernacle within which we “groan in anguish,” as it is about to be destroyed (2 Cor. 4:16; 5:1-4).

Thus, it is not correct to say, as some affirm, that “through the atonement of the cross, healing of all our illnesses from today was immediately achieved; that he cannot be sick if he walks close to God; that the Lord has no other will than to heal, and that it is an offense to say to Him: Lord, heal me if You want.

Since our body ages and one day we will have to abandon it, we are not surprised to see in 2 Kings 13:14: “Elisha was sick with the disease from which he died.” In addition to Job, the Scriptures show us other believers who walked very close to God, and yet suffered from illnesses:

Paul, who was not delivered from his thorn in the flesh (2 Cor. 12:7-9);
Timothy, who suffered constantly from his stomach (1 Tim. 5:23);
Trophimus, who was left sick by Paul at Miletus (2 Tim. 4:20).

(b) Healing in the early Church.
Christ evidently had the power to heal anyone who was sick, and the Gospels report 26 cases of individual healings, and give 10 examples of collective healings; On 7 occasions, the precision is given that Jesus healed all the sick (Mt. 8:16; 9:35; 12:15; 14:36; Lk. 4:40; 6:18-19; 9:11 ).

To the apostles, he gave the power to heal all sickness and disease, also commanding them to raise the dead, and cleanse lepers (Mt. 10: 1, 8). The apostles, thus, also carried out notable miracles (cp. Acts 5:15; 9:40; 19:11-12; 20:9-12), which were essential to accredit the Gospel and the nascent Church; Through his ministry, like that of Christ, all were healed (Acts 5:16).

Here we can see that this absolute gift of healing manifested in the Gospels and Acts has no place today. We have not seen or known anyone in our time who gives healing to “all” the sick who come to him (not to mention resurrections and healings of lepers).

Let us also note that all biblical healings are instantaneous (including that of Mr. 8:22-25, which took place in two well-defined stages), while today many of the sick have hands laid on for a long time, or periodically, in the hope of an improvement in your case. Much is said about the miracles of Lourdes; However, statistics indicate that from 1939 to 1950 there have been only 15 cures, or about 1 per year and per million pilgrims.

(c) Healthcare today.
No Christian doubts that God can heal today as in the past. The question is knowing based on the NT if it is his will, and how. What should a Christian do in case of illness? James gives a clear answer on this topic (James 5:14-16).

The sick person is called to examine himself to discern the meaning of the test, and to confess any sin that the Holy Spirit shows him (cp. 1 Cor. 11:30-31); he must call the elders of the church, since his suffering is the suffering of the whole community (1 Cor. 12:26), and special promises are given to common intercession (Tit. 18:19; cp. Gal. 6:3).

The ancients practiced anointing with oil, although this is not a law, and God can heal without it. It is “the prayer of faith” that will heal the sick. What does the latter consist of? It seems to us, based on 1 Jn. 5:14-15, which is based on the search and certainty of the precise will of God regarding the case in question.

It is clear that before the resurrection the sick will not always be healed, and that they must go through death, unless they live at the time of the rapture. Therefore, God has promised to reveal his will to us, and we can seek to know it with full confidence (Rom. 12:2; Isa. 30:21). This will can be manifested in three ways:

(A) God can give certainty of healing (cp. Jn. 4:50; Mt. 8:13); Prayer becomes one of faith, which does not doubt the divine will (Mark 1:40-41).

(B) The Lord allows the trial to persist, as it did with Paul (2 Cor. 12:7-10); but he then gives supernatural help to endure it and to transform it into a spiritual victory.

(C) God makes it known that the hour of departure has arrived (Gen. 48:1, 21; Josh. 23:2, 14; 2 Kings 13:14; 20:1). It is true that Hezekiah obtained a 15-year reprieve, but it was during this period that he fell into pride and fathered the wicked Manasseh (2 Chron. 32:24-25; 2 Kings 21:1, 9; 24:3-4). This departure of the believing and submissive sick person is, in reality, a “gain” and a liberation for him (Phil. 1:20-23; 2 Cor. 5:6-8).

In a word, the will of God cannot be anything other than good, pleasing and perfect. Let us prepare ourselves, as believers, to discern it and accept it with the complete faith that allows the necessary miracle in each of the three cases treated.

The gift of healing is among those the Lord has given to the Church (1 Cor. 12:9, 28). It must be exercised for the common benefit, and in total submission to the Spirit and the Scriptures. It can be applied with the laying on of hands (Mark 6:5; Acts 28:8), which cannot be done lightly (1 Tim. 5:22).

Finally, let us not forget the warnings in the Bible about the deceptive miracles that the enemy can perfectly perform (Mt. 24:24; 2 Thes. 2:9). There are movements very far from the gospel that claim to produce cures: “Christian” Science, occultists, pagan sorcerers, etc.; even false Christians can carry them out (Mt. 7:22-23); False claims about this field currently abound. Only obedience to scriptural principles can protect us from falling into deception. (See MIRACLE).

(d) Among the main diseases mentioned in the Bible are:

fever (Deut. 28:22; Mt. 8:14; Jn. 4:52);
leprosy and skin diseases (Lev. 13:6-8, 30, 39);
dysentery (2 Chr. 21:15, 18, 19; Acts 28:8);
ulcers (Ex. 9:9; Jb. 2:7);

hemorrhoids (Deut. 28:27; 1 Sam. 5:6);
ophthalmia (Rev. 3:18; cp. Tob. 2:10);
blindness (Deut. 28:28; appears more than 60 times);
paralysis (Mt. 8:6; 9:2; Acts 9:33);
deafness (Mark 7:32);
dumbness (Mt. 15:30-31).