Austin Bible Church
When someone gets well in a miraculous way today, it can only be one of four sources – caused by God, caused by medical research and application, caused by Satan, or caused by a change of mental attitude or psychosomatics.
Caused by God
The first source of why people have a miraculous healing is the healing is caused directly by God. God is the divine healer, the only divine healer. He heals sovereignly when He does and on the basis of grace and who and what He is. God does not heal through a spiritual gift of healing. There has been no bona fide functioning spiritual gift of healing since the completion of the written Canon of Scripture in 96 AD.
There is no bona fide faith-healing operating on earth today. All are deceivers and frauds, very sincere, and very much showmen in enacting their thing. Healing was a temporary spiritual gift. See category on Spiritual Gifts, Temporary.
When God heals directly, He heals without oil, handkerchiefs dipped in the Jordan, or in some radio preacher’s olive oil from the Holy Land, someone commanding God to heal, people sending in their offerings, or some mumbo-jumbo deal called tongues. Generally this appeals to the emotional crowd that seem to easily swayed by acting and emotional demonstrations. Deut. 32:39. See category on Spiritual Gifts.
“'See now that I, I am He, And there is no god besides Me; It is I who put to death and give life. I have wounded and it is I who heal, And there is no one who can deliver from My hand.” (Deuteronomy 32:39, NASB)
When God heals, He heals on the basis of His character. People don’t get healed because they are “worthy” to be healed. People don’t get healed because they “have faith.” Then the gimmick they are told if they didn’t get healed is, “well, you didn’t have enough faith.” In every case where God heals, it does not depend upon the faithfulness of the individual, the faith of the individual, or the works of the individual. It depends upon the sovereignty of God, not human approbation. God does at times sovereignly heal people.
Caused by Medical Research and Application
The second source of why people have a miraculous healing is the healing is caused by the application of medical knowhow, cutting edge medical technology, and discoveries through medical research. It seems to be prevalent among some of today’s believers to poo-poo doctors and medical research and say they are “going to directly depend upon God.” But they then use hearing aids, wear contact lenses, have cataract surgery, or have dental implants. Even in our Lord’s day, they applied their medical knowhow to help in the body’s healing process with clean bandages, pouring oils and wine (alcohol) to clean and dress the wounds. This does not preclude others praying for the sick in their midst relying on God's grace to assist in the healing according to His sovereign will. Even Paul had Luke who was a physician friend and practiced medicine at times on their missionary journeys. Luke 10:34; James 5:13.
“and came to him and bandaged up his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them; and he put him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn and took care of him.” (Luke 10:34, NASB)
“Is anyone among you suffering? Then he must pray. Is anyone cheerful? He is to sing praises. Is anyone among you sick? Then he must call for the elders of the church and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord;” (James 5:13-14, NASB)
Caused by Satan
The third source of why people have a miraculous healing is the healing is caused by Satan in cases of demon possession. Faith-healers in cooperation with the devil heal in connection with demon-induced illness where the demon comes out and the illness appears to be healed. Satan is in the healing ministry. 2 Thess. 2:9.
“that is, the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders,” (2 Thessalonians 2:9, NASB)
In Matthew 7:21-23, the casting out of demons has been identified with healing.
“"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. "Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?' "And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.'” (Matthew 7:21-23, NASB)
In Revelation 13:3 and Revelation 13:12 the Beast of the Tribulation will heal. See category on The Two Beasts of the Tribulation.
“I saw one of his heads as if it had been slain, and his fatal wound was healed. And the whole earth was amazed and followed after the beast;” (Revelation 13:3, NASB)
“He exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence. And he makes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose fatal wound was healed.” (Revelation 13:12, NASB)
Satan is able to heal people by his power. Matthew 7:21-23 describes a very prevalent situation today in the large “mass healing” meetings. The use of “Lord, Lord” in Matthew 7:21 refers to the constant use of the name of Jesus Christ in apostate meetings of the healing and tongues variety. “Many” are duped into believing Satan’s power is God’s power. They prophecy and cast out demons and perform many miracles in the name of Jesus Christ. This includes prophecies, healings, tongues and other rank apostacy of this day. “I never knew you” means they are unbelievers. “You who practice lawlessness” means that their prophecies, casting out demons and miracles are called iniquity or sin. God’s power is not sin, therefore this power by which they operate is Satan’s power.
For example, an unsaved demon-possessed faith-healer will be very nice, very well-dressed, very well-versed in using the name of Jesus Christ repeatedly and doing everything in the name of Jesus. Note the use of “in Your name” in Matthew 7:22.
He will use emotion, he will take up a huge offering, and he will have an empirical or sensory approach. The people who come up to be healed may have demon-induced illness or they may not. The demon possessed individual cooperates with the individual with demon-induced illness. When he shouts “heal” and the demon comes out of the victim and the demon-induced illness is no more.
The whole crowd of simple and stupid believers or non-believers are watching and shouting “Praise God” etc. If the faith healing is not demon possessed, and the victim is not demon possessed, it is purely psychosomatic or an emotionally charged atmosphere which makes the person think they have faith and think they are healed. In 2 Thessalonians 2:9, “with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders” refers to this as Satanic power that will occur in the Tribulation. Its mystery of iniquity is already at work in the Church Age.
Caused by a Change of Mental Attitude or Psychosomatics
The fourth source of why people have a miraculous healing is the healing is caused by a change of mental attitude or psychosomatics. This refers to a person’s thinking causing actual and perceived illness and related symptoms. The mind gets upset and sends signals down to the body and that causes everything from hypertension to rashes.
Example 1. The mind affects the body and suddenly, there is an emotionally charged experience when a very determined and sincere type says you are going to be healed, it actually in some cases, was only a change of mental attitude.
Example 2. An individual is convinced that they have a tumor, cancer, warts, an ulcer, or something else. They go to a faith-healer and he goes through his routine of mumbo jumbo.
First there is singing of hymns. There will be loudspeakers with a rhythmic beat. There will be a great deal of repetition of the name of Jesus. There will be a great deal of emphasis on the “wonderful crowds” present, a lot of public relations testimonials to prove that “God is working.” Their motto is diametrically opposed to Christianity. They say seeing is believing, feeling is believing, touching is believing, hearing is believing, smelling is believing. Jesus filled the room with a heaven-sent fragrance. This is empiricism. Only faith unlocks the Word, first in salvation and then through proper spirituality only from the filling of the Holy Spirit. There is tremendous emphasis on the offering and some project like a tent or truck to proclaim the Gospel.
Then there even more singing and maybe a verse or two on what Jesus did with handkerchiefs and oil. Then the grand climax will be the healing service. All of this is pure deception and phony all the way. It is a major form of apostacy today. On the basis of Bible doctrine, don’t get mixed up in it.
Now as the healing exhibit moves into high gear, the faith healer does his “formula act” on the stage and it is a sight goal all the way. Suddenly the internal problems disappear and they walk off the stage. The emotional surge of the meetings has given them the adrenalin that they need to throw their crutches away. The Word says we are to walk by faith, not by sight. 2 Cor. 5:7; Col. 2:6.
“for we walk by faith, not by sight—” (2 Corinthians 5:7, NASB)
“Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him,” (Colossians 2:6, NASB)
Example 3. Purely psychological. Some people’s ailments are solved by purely psychological means. Doctors say that about 60% of the patients that walk into their office claim they have a medical ailment or disease and actually have psychosomatic cause. They run all of their tests and cannot find any medical reasons for their symptoms. The other 40% have actual medical illness or disease and require treatment to recover.