Faith For Healing

Content: Faith Is The Key / Faith Is Past-Tense / Faith Is Action / Hope Faith & Presumption

Faith Is the Key

Let’s see what the Bible says about faith and various instances where people were healed. Firstly, the Bible says that, “faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.” (Romans 10:17) Faith comes when we hear God’s word – when the will of God is made known. We know what the will of God is by reading His word, we also know what is ours, and how to receive it… this builds faith.

Also, faith is a gift from God. “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8 KJV) We are saved by grace through faith – and even it [faith] is a gift from God… we can confirm this when we read Romans 12:3, “For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.” So, God has given faith to everyone.

The Bible instructs us on faith to fix, “our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith” (Hebrews 12:2 NASB) look to Jesus for faith. Don’t look to your goodness or your church attendance or your knowledge of the original Greek… look to Jesus and let faith be a gift. Do not make faith hard. It is not something you strive for or work to produce of attain…

Faith Is Past-Tense [top]

Faith is past-tense? Let me explain. Many people confess that they believe that God will do something… but Jesus taught us to believe that God has already done it. Let’s look at Mark 11, start in verse 22 where Jesus tells us, “Have faith in God.” The command was not, “have faith,” but rather, “have faith in God.” This is not an issue of having faith, but as to where your faith is. Some people trust in their money, or their acclaim, but Jesus says to put all of our faith in God.

In verse 24 Jesus continues, “Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they will be granted you.” Look here. “Believe that you have [already] received [past-tense] them, and they will be granted you.”  This is a marvelous truth, and one that we will see in many of the Biblical stories that we will look at, and in future installments in this series you will see this principle in modern-day miracles… including one that happened to me personally.

Faith Is Action [top]

Now I would like to talk about something very serious, and something that should be well understood before applied. The Bible says that, “faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself.” (James 2:17) This can be understood better when we look at a few healings in the Bible.

First, let’s look at the story of the woman with the issue of blood for twelve years. The Bible tells us that she pressed through the crowd and touch Jesus’ garment (that is action mixed with faith) and was made completely whole. Jesus turned to her and said, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace and be healed of your affliction.” (Mark 5:34) You can easily see faith in action in the woman in that story… she pressed in herself, others did not; yet Jesus commanded them to do something in order to be healed. Let’s look at a few more healings.

Let’s look at the story of the man who could not walk. Jesus passes by him and the Bible says, “A man was there who had been ill for thirty-eight years. “When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he had already been a long time in that condition, He said to him, "Do you wish to get well? The sick man answered Him, "Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, but while I am coming, another steps down before me." Jesus said to him, "Get up, pick up your pallet and walk." Immediately the man became well, and picked up his pallet and began to walk.” (John 5:6-9)

You can see that Jesus did not say, “You’re healed” and then just go his way – had He done that the man may have not gotten up and may have never been healed. Jesus told the man to get up and take his mat and walk. The man had been sick for thirty-eight years, and Jesus says, “Walk!” There must have been faith in the heart of the man, as he did get up, and was completely healed. Had the man lied there, we could assume that he had very little faith.

You can read how action (the fruit of true faith) was always seen when a miracle occurred. Even when Jesus turned water into wine, he told the servants to serve the water to the master of the feast – that took faith to do. (John 2:1-11)

Even in the story of Jairus’ daughter – where Jairus asked Jesus to come and heal his daughter, who was close to death, and on the way, Jairus was informed that the child had already died. “As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, he saith unto the ruler of the synagogue, Be not afraid, only believe.” (Mark 6:36) Even when the man’s daughter had died, God still required faith evident in action – do not be afraid, only believe.  And as Jesus went into the home where the dead little girl was, he commanded the hired mourners to leave the house.

You can also see faith in action where Jesus told Peter to come out to Him on the water (Matthew 14:29); when he told the man to get up who had been lowered through the roof (Mark 2:9); when he told the blind man to wash his eyes in the pool of siloam (John 9:7)… all of these things required faith, and faith without works is dead. (James 2:17)

Hope, Faith and Presumption [top]

It is vitally important that you understand what I am about to say. Hope, faith and presumption are very different. Hope is a longing or a desire in the heart. Faith is spiritual, and is evident by action and results in the impossible. Presumption originates in the mind and though can be evident by actions, often results in devastation.

While we cannot have faith without hope, hope alone will do us no good. It would be like the lame man whom Jesus commanded to rise and take his mat, turning toward Jesus and saying, “I believe” and not rising up. Hope alone (that is, a belief, desire or longing without actions) is dead and does not produce miracles.

Nearly just as important to understand is the differences between faith and presumption. Faith is a spiritual belief in God’s word met with action. Presumption is a mental acceptance of something, or an attempt to do “reverse faith” (instead of starting with belief which produces action, presumption starts with action in an attempt to produce faith). Presumption can do more than leave you feeling empty; it could be devastating to your belief in God, your health, and your life itself.

We can see a clear example of faith and presumption in the temptations of Jesus. “Then the devil taketh him [Jesus] up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.” (Matthew 4:5-7 KJV)

You can begin to see the difference between faith (spiritual) and presumption (mental) in the above verses. If I believe that Christ took my sicknesses, diseases and afflictions upon Himself, and I appropriate healing (more on that later), I should get out of my wheelchair and walk – not to see if I am healed, but because I am healed. On the other hand, if you are wheelchair-bound and have a mental assent that you are healed – not based on the full council of God, but on mentally accepting a truth – and you attempt to get out of that wheelchair, you could fall and bust your head open!

Action is the fruit of faith, but action is not faith itself. If you have a medical condition and it is where you can – like a knee that was painful when moved – than perhaps you should move that joint when you believe you are healed… if you have a condition where action could be dangerous, please, go to the doctor and tell them you want checked out.

In short, faith with works is dead – but works without faith could kill you! So please read your Bible and listen to the Holy Spirit on what to do.