By Buddy Dawson
Standing in faith
Week 13 in a multi-part series
No man has ever seen God at any time; the only unique Son, or the only begotten God, Who is in the bosom [in the intimate presence] of the Father, He has declared Him [He has revealed Him and brought Him out where He can be seen; He has interpreted Him and He has made Him known] (John 1:18 Amp.). Jesus made the true nature of God known with every miracle, sign and wonder, act of compassion and mercy, or word of encouragement. There is not one example in the Gospels of Jesus ever putting sickness on anyone. That old image that many in the church today still embrace, of an angry God with a big stick waiting for any opportunity to punish someone, is in direct contrast to the “exact image” that Jesus gave us of the Father.
There is not one single time that Jesus refused to heal someone saying, “No, God wants you sick.” Or, “Sorry, I cannot heal you today for your sin is too great!” You cannot find where Jesus refused to heal anyone, or where He put sickness on anyone. God is not the author or sickness; He is the author of healing.
How 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 10: 38 NKJV). This scripture and many others like it reveal who the author of sickness really is. So ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound — think of it — for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath? (Luke 13: 16 NKJV).
The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly (John 10: 10 NKJV).
As long as we do not know what the will of God is concerning healing or if we believe that somehow God is responsible for the sickness, then we will not resist the devil. If Satan can convince us the Lord wants us sick for any reason, then we won’t actively fight against it. If we are not persuaded in our hearts that God wants us well, we may ask for healing but we will not actively stand against the sickness or stand in faith for our healing.
Few believers are walking in this truth today because they do not understand that Christ provided healing for us at the same time He provided forgiveness. It is not His will that any should perish and go to hell, but wide is the road that leads to destruction and many choose it. Likewise, it is not His will that any should be sick and die prematurely, but when we choose to believe our own experiences or someone else’s opinion over and above God’s Word we will perish in our unbelief.
