Is It God's Will For Every Sick Person To Be Healed?

wise seeker

Then the LORD appeared to Solomon by night, and said to him: "I have heard your prayer, and have chosen this place for Myself as a house of sacrifice. "When I shut up heaven and there is no rain, or command the locusts to devour the land, or send pestilence among My people, "if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:12-14

There were two prisoners in a prison who were looking out of their windows on night. One saw the bars and the other stars. Human perception is very dependent of what each person thinks he sees including about whether suffering or healing is the will of God or not! And one of the great problems about man is not only that he lacks much wisdom but he lacks much discernment (James 1:2-8).

Yes, history tells us of godly people of the past who were sick or who suffered with seriously bodily ailments. For example: John Calvin was afflicted with rheumatism, intense headaches and a weak body. Fanny Crosby was blind. Robert McCheyne was very sickly and died at age 30. George Muller certainly did not have a lack of faith, but had a lifelong struggle against bodily infirmity and ills including head troubles and an operation at the hands of a skillful surgeon. If we read many biographies of godly saints of the past and we will in many cases read of certain physical afflictions which God allowed them to endure. So sickness and suffering are part of Life.

An extreme Charismatic group in Indiana ("the Glory Barn") taught that believers should never go to a doctor but that they should trust God for healing instead. Certain expectant mothers had difficulties in child-birth because of the lack of medical attention and their babies died. To make matters worse, the members of this community prayed over these dead babies hoping that God would raise them from the dead. The local media got hold of these stories and it was a great shame to the name of Christ. It was wrong practice due to wrong teaching.

"But when Jesus heard that, He said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick" (Matthew 9:12). Those who are whole and healthy do not need a doctor or physician. Yes, those who are sick do need a doctor. Indeed, one of Paul's companions who was also one of the gospel writers was a medical doctor: "Luke, the beloved physician, and Demas, greet you" (Colossians 4:14).

We have examples of people in New Testament who were godly and were sick. Paul was afflicted with a painful ("thorn") bodily ("in the flesh") ailment. Paul prayed three times that God would remove this thorn in the flesh from him, but God did not do this for him at that time.( 2 Corinthians 12:7-10). In this case God did something better. He taught Paul the sufficiency of His grace, that God's grace was enough even to enable him to endure such a physical affliction. Yes, sometimes God allows sickness or pain in order to teach us of His all-sufficient grace. Epaphroditus was seriously sick, to the point where he was near death. (Philippians 2:25-30) And probably because of Paul’s prayers God had mercy on Epaphroditus and raised him up. Paul told Timothy "Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for thy stomach's sake and thine often infirmities." (1 Timothy 5:23) Timothy had a stomach problem and he was often sick and ailing and infirmed. Paul didn’t tell him that his physical problems were due to sin or a lack of faith. Paul merely gave Timothy a common sense prescription. "Erastus abode at Corinth: but Trophimus have I left at Miletum sick." (2 Timothy 4:20). Just because there is no indication that Trophimus had a spiritual problem (sin, lack of faith), doesn’t mean his physical problem was not a spiritual one. Since we are created by God it only makes senses that all our problems have a spiritual solution. Yes, it is sometimes the will of God for His children to be sick in this life, but never in the next life (Rev. 22:4).

There are some Charismatic people who think that if you are sick you are out of the will of God. For example, Kenneth Hagan Jr. wrote: "My belief is that it is indeed God's will that His children walk in complete health....It is always God's will to heal His children." But the teaching of the word of God is unchanged in many cases God brings sickness upon His people even to kill them as part of judgment. God’s word is unchanging:

Then they journeyed from Mount Hor by the Way of the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom; and the soul of the people became very discouraged on the way. And the people spoke against God and against Moses: "Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and our soul loathes this worthless bread." So the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and many of the people of Israel died.
Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, "We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD and against you; pray to the LORD that He take away the serpents from us." So Moses prayed for the people.
Then the LORD said to Moses, "Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole; and it shall be that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, shall live." So Moses made a bronze serpent, and put it on a pole; and so it was, if a serpent had bitten anyone, when he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived. Numbers 21:4-9

Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep. For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world. 1 Corinthians 11:27-32
But I want to remind you, though you once knew this, that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe. Jude 1:5

"And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write, ' These things says the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and His feet like fine brass: "I know your works, love, service, faith, and your patience; and as for your works, the last are more than the first. "Nevertheless I have a few things against you, because you allow that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce My servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols. "And I gave her time to repent of her sexual immorality, and she did not repent. "Indeed I will cast her into a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of their deeds. "I will kill her children with death, and all the churches shall know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts. And I will give to each one of you according to your works. Revelations 2:18-23

Paul, Jude and John reminds us that even in the new dispensation of grace God kills His people just like He killed Ananias and Sapphir (Acts 5:1-11), King Herod who killed James the brother of John with the sword. (Acts 12:1-25) and the unrepentant seduced servants of God in the church of Thyatira. So God doesn’t heal his people who have not repented of their sins. But He does heal those who repent:

In those days Hezekiah was sick and near death. And Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, went to him and said to him, "Thus says the LORD: 'Set your house in order, for you shall die and not live.' " Then Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall, and prayed to the LORD, and said, "Remember now, O LORD, I pray, how I have walked before You in truth and with a loyal heart, and have done what is good in Your sight." And Hezekiah wept bitterly.
And the word of the LORD came to Isaiah, saying, "Go and tell Hezekiah, 'Thus says the LORD, the God of David your father: "I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; surely I will add to your days fifteen years. "I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria, and I will defend this city." ' Isaiah 38:1-6
Because God is sovereign He can kill anyone that He wants, even His people?

"Talk no more so very proudly; Let no arrogance come from your mouth, For the LORD is the God of knowledge; And by Him actions are weighed. "The bows of the mighty men are broken, And those who stumbled are girded with strength. Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread, And the hungry have ceased to hunger. Even the barren has borne seven, And she who has many children has become feeble. "The LORD kills and makes alive; He brings down to the grave and brings up. The LORD makes poor and makes rich; He brings low and lifts up. He raises the poor from the dust And lifts the beggar from the ash heap, To set them among princes And make them inherit the throne of glory. "For the pillars of the earth are the LORD'S, And He has set the world upon them.1 Samuel 2:3-8

Now Eli was very old; and he heard everything his sons did to all Israel, and how they lay with the women who assembled at the door of the tabernacle of meeting. So he said to them, "Why do you do such things? For I hear of your evil dealings from all the people. "No, my sons! For it is not a good report that I hear. You make the LORD'S people transgress. "If one man sins against another, God will judge him. But if a man sins against the LORD, who will intercede for him?" Nevertheless they did not heed the voice of their father, because the LORD desired to kill them. 1 Samuel 2:22-25

But the good news of the gospel is that Jesus became cursed on the cross and he bore our borne our griefs carried our sorrows; he was stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted, He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed (Isaiah 53:1-6). Hence we can look to Jesus who is the same yesterday, today and forever and be saved, healed, delivered and forgiven! If we will do our part God will do His part! God’s word is unchanging:

Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls. You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin. And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons: "My son, do not despise the chastening of the LORD, Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; For whom the LORD loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives." Hebrews 12:1-6