the power for healing - reno christian fellowship · •healing displays god’s love to us. it can...

The Power for Healing Part 3: Healing Today

(Various Passages)

The Atonement - Immediate Benefits• New creature (2 Cor. 5:17)• New kingdom (Col. 1:13)• Temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 6:19)• Promise of a glorious future body (Phil. 3:21)

• Hope, not grief, at death (1 Thess. 4:13)

Is Healing Possible Today?

The Atonement - Gradual Benefits • Putting to death of earthly nature

(Col. 3:5)• Putting on a new nature (Col. 3:12)• Being transformed into likeness of Jesus (2 Cor. 3:18)

• Outwardly wasting away, but inwardly renewed day by day (2 Cor. 4:16-18)


The Atonement - Ultimate Benefits• We will see Him and become like Him instantly (1 John 3:2)

• A heavenly, eternal resurrection body (2 Cor. 5:4)

• Death will be swallowed up in victory (1 Cor. 15:53-54)


Final Analysis - What can we say?

• God’s guarantee• Now, but not yet, tension• God’s sovereignty


How is Healing Possible Today?

Control of the Gift• The distribution of the gift is controlled by the Holy Spirit

• The gift is given for the profit of the whole body of Christ. It is not for display nor for personal glory

• The decision and power to heal depends upon the Holy Spirit

• Experience demonstrates that some are healed and some are not. The decision is God’s, not man’s.


Nature of the Gift - Much we can’t say …

• No biblical definition or explanation• No personalization• No biblical statement of termination• No statement of degree of ability• No statement of spiritual requirement• No statement of whether gift is to the sick or the one who ministers

• No statement of immediacy, quality, or permanence of healing


Nature of the Gift - What we can say …

• God acts supernaturally among His people through His Holy Spirit to grant healing


Nature of the Gift - A Hypothesis

• Since we are told to pray when we are sick or ask the elders to pray over us

• But there is no command to seek healers, only the Healer

• Plural (“gifts of healings”) may be the key to the fact that the gift belongs to the healed, not those who pray over him


Why Pray?

• We have direct access to God in prayer• Even when we don’t have the words, His Holy Spirit prays for us

• We have abundant past evidence of healing

• He’s promised to give us bread, not a stone


Who Should Pray?

• Sick individuals• Groups of praying individuals• United church


How Should We Pray? - In Faith

• Whose faith? – maybe …• In person praying for healing• In the sick person• Sometimes God acts when no one in particular seems to have faith


How Should We Pray? - In Faith

• What does it mean to pray in faith?• Trust/Reliance = faith attitude• Risk/Going for It = faith action


How do we pray in faith?• Turn to God in complete trust

• That he knows what is best• That he loves us more than anyone else

• That he has the power to accomplish what we need

• Accept our doubts about our own adequacy and the results as normal

• Realize that what is important is faith-action, not faith quantity

• Leave the results up to God. He will do what is best and most loving


Sickness CausePrayer

RemedyHuman Remedy

Of the spirit Personal Sin Repentance

Of the emotions

Fallen Human Condition

Prayer for Inner Healing Counseling

Of the bodyDisease,

accidents, psychological

stress

Prayer of faith for Physical

Healing

Medical Care

Any of the above can be

Demonic in Cause

Prayer of Deliverance

Why is healing important today?

• Healing from sickness and disease comprises one of man’s greatest needs.

• Because the Bible contains definite teaching concerning both the cause and the healing of human sickness and disease, we have a God-given responsibility to both study and make decisions on God’s Word and to teach and to practice what it teaches.

Why is Healing Important Today?

Why is healing important today?• If we do not hopefully and faithfully pray for the sick, many who could be healed will not be.

• If we can help the sick by our prayers and do not, then we will be in danger of hearing “Whatever you did not do for the least of these, you did not do for me” (Matt. 25:45)


Why is healing important today?• Healing displays God’s love to us. It can be a convincing demonstration to people that God is with us – that He is not “out there” beyond the reach of human compassion.

• Healing displays God’s power to us. Every healing is a sign to all that the resurrection of our bodies, the ultimate act of God’s healing ministry is on the way.


Why is healing important today?

• The prayer of faith for healing displays our hope to one another and the world. The basic attitude of restricting hope for fear of disappointment is not faith, but doubt.


What Does It Take to Share in God’s Healing Today?

• Belief that God is a God of both love and power

• Sincere participation in the compassion of Jesus for those in pain

• Personal investment and risk-taking in prayer

What Does It Take to Share in God’s Healing Today?

the power for healing - reno christian fellowship · •healing displays god’s love to us. it can...

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