Why does a young woman die from brain damage after having a successful surgery to remove a tumor? Why does a husband and father have to die so young leaving his wife to be a widowed mother of three at age 40? Why do children suffer and die from cancer?
Questions like these are asked by Christians around the world as they struggle with the tragedy of the death of loved ones long before their time. Sadly, in many churches these believers are instructed to trust in the sovereignty of God and accept the fact that He was in control of these events.
Could this possibly be true? In many of these same churches the doctrine of healing is not taught and sometimes even attacked as false. Even while precious saints are suffering and dying in their churches, they offer no answers and disparage those who believe that it is God’s will to heal.
I was once asked by a pastor to explain that if I believed in healing and that God wanted to heal all, why didn’t I go to the local hospital and empty it? He failed to understand that the same question could be asked about salvation. Is God willing that any should perish? No. Then why won’t that pastor go to the same hospital and get everyone saved? Most of us know that people must hear the Good News and believe in order to be saved. We can’t make people come to salvation, but we can preach the Gospel to them. In a similar way, we cannot make people receive healing but we can certainly share the promise of God with them and give them a chance to believe.
Great multitudes came together to hear, and to be healed by Him of their infirmities. (Luke 5:15)
God is not participating in the untimely deaths of anyone, nor does He determine who is saved and who is lost. God has given us the Gospel of His power (Rom. 1:17) that brings salvation (both spiritual and physical) to all who believe. The choice is ours. Power and authority over sickness has been invested in the church. Let’s quit wallowing in unbelief and preach the Truth so that men may be saved and healed.