Getting Sick
Should we expect God to spare us from sickness and death because Jesus died on the cross for our sins? You find it interesting that some preachers who say God wants us to enjoy good health are able to separate sickness from death. You never be a person say that you won’t die if you simply ask God to keep you alive. Yet the same logic is applied to sickness. It is said that we need not be sick if we simply ask God for healing.
To deal with this issue, we need to step back and review why people get sick and die. In the beginning of human history, Adam and Eve didn’t have worry about the flu or about buying life insurance. They would have lived forever in perfect health if they had not disobeyed God’s command not to eat the fruit of the one forbidden fruit, they were distained to die. The effects of their willful act of sin reverberated through every atom of the universe. Thereafter, weeds, pain, and death would be an inescapable part of human existence. Throughout the Old and New Testaments we find sickness and death.
Can’t we do something about sickness and suffering?
Yes we can-and we should. We should pray for the sick and strive for health in all areas of personal life and in our society. We should not hesitate to ask the Lord to grant us relief from suffering. Unfortunately, we are often too reluctant to believe that God has the power to heal. We pray for the skill of the doctors, for the effectiveness of the medicine, and for comfort for the sick person, but we tend to neglect to ask God for more direct restoration to health.
James, near the close of his short letter, has some crucial words for us to consider. He wrote: Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayers of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven (James 5:13-15)
The meaning and application of these verses have been debated by Bible scholars, but we can be confident of the following principles:
1. If you are suffering or sick, you should pray.
2. Ask trusted, mature believers to pray for you.
3. Believe that God has the power to heal you if that is what He chooses to do.
4. As you pray and talk to others about your illness, it is appropriate to evaluate your relationship to the Lord to see if your illness is due to the effects of deliberates sin and God’s chastening. If so, you must confess your sin.
Can’t we do something about sickness and suffering?
Yes we can-and we should. We should pray for the sick and strive for health in all areas of personal life and in our society. We should not hesitate to ask the Lord to grant us relief from suffering. Unfortunately, we are often too reluctant to believe that God has the power to heal. We pray for the skill of the doctors, for the effectiveness of the medicine, and for comfort for the sick person, but we tend to neglect to ask God for more direct restoration to health.
James, near the close of his short letter, has some crucial words for us to consider. He wrote: Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayers of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven (James 5:13-15)
The meaning and application of these verses have been debated by Bible scholars, but we can be confident of the following principles:
1. If you are suffering or sick, you should pray.
2. Ask trusted, mature believers to pray for you.
3. Believe that God has the power to heal you if that is what He chooses to do.
4. As you pray and talk to others about your illness, it is appropriate to evaluate your relationship to the Lord to see if your illness is due to the effects of deliberates sin and God’s chastening. If so, you must confess your sin.
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