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Healing is for the physical ills of the human body
and is wrought by the power of God, through the prayer of faith,
and by the laying on of hands (Mark 16:18; James 5:14-15); it is
provided for in the atonement of Christ, and is available to all
who truly believe.
The Scriptures dealing with the doctrine of
divine healing are abundant. It would be impossible to cover all
Scripture dealing with divine healing in one short study, so we
will try to touch some highlights on this large subject. This
doctrine has been one that the Pentecostal movement has
emphasized. A sensible understanding of this particular doctrine
will lead us to praise, to faith and to rejoicing in the goodness
of God's provision.
PHYSICAL
HEALING
The doctrine of healing is one that all
Pentecostals believe. But, it certainly isn't limited to
Pentecostals. Many Christians believe in the healing of the sick
through the prayer of faith. Anyone can find many Christians who
have proof in their own bodies.
HEALING IN THE
ATONEMENT
The Christian community, in the most
part, accepts the shed blood of Christ as the atonement for their
sins. For it is stated by the writer in Hebrews, "...without the
shedding of blood is no remission" (Heb. 9:22). In John's
epistle, he says, "But if we walk in the light, we have
fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his
Son cleanseth us from all sin" (1 John
1:7).
We feel that the Scripture teaches that
in the atonement there is provision made for physical healing, as
well as deliverance from sin and its
penalty.
The prophet Isaiah connects physical
healing with Christ's suffering. He says, "Surely he hath borne
our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him
stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for
our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the
chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we
are healed" (Isaiah 53:4-5).
Jesus healed Peter's mother-in-law, and
the same day He cast out devils, and healed all that were sick.
"That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the
prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our
sickness" (Matthew 8:17). This was done in fulfillment to the
prophecy that was dealing with Christ's suffering for the sin of
the world. But, in His suffering, His stripes purchased our
healing.
The apostle Peter, writing about this
great promise of divine healing, makes the same connection
between Christ's suffering for our sins and physical healing.
"Who
his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we,
being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose
stripes ye were healed" (1 Peter
2:24).
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