In a recent forum, a friend wants WoF to "change the way it approaches healing." I disagreed, but I ended up on the bottom of the thread. Being impatient, I'd like this forum to humor me a little, as I repost my response to my friend.
I believe the meaning of the word faith is crucial to the argument, and central to any biblical understanding of divine healing or any other work of God.
Quote:
| Originally Posted by my friend I think a change in the way that Word Faith approaches healing should be considered. Would you consider changing the functional relationship of faith in healing without removing it?
A snare of Pastoral problems is a direct result because of the relationship between faith and healing in WoF. If faith is the primary variable to getting healed and an ill person does not get healed, the sick person can only look to their own insufficient faith. The conclusion that can’t be evaded is for the ill person to question their faith. |
If faith is a variable, faith is not faith.
"I believe" cannot be a variable. If I say, "I believe" and listen to doubts, I'm double minded, and I'm using the wrong terminology. "I'm trying to believe this, but the arguments against it are winning..." Any sick person who is focused on "his faith", is focusing on his doubts and not his faith. There is no such thing as "insufficient faith", because faith is not measured in quantity.
Let me illustrate: I planted an apple tree last year. This year, it's a sapling six feet tall. There will be no apples. I have insufficient tree.
What's the point? I still have tree!!! And if I don't uproot it, see that it's watered, see that it's protected from enemies that can harm it, I will soon have sufficient tree and everyone will eat its fruit.
What do you think "faith as a grain of mustard seed" means? The birds of the air won't nest in a sprout, but that doesn't make the sprout "insufficient". Only immature.
Quote:
| Originally Posted by this friend More from my friends's OP:
This emphasized role of faith directs the attention of the WoF adherent to be on faith itself and not God, who is the intended object of faith. Therefore, the degree of expectation can be nothing better than the sick person’s faith and not God. Measuring the level or quality of faith in healing is not productive from a pastoral perspective. I would say it is biblically unsubstantiated. |
When your faith is directed to an inscrutable God, whose will in any matter cannot be known, and who says, "...pardons all my iniquities...heals all my diseases...", but yet only ever heals some, rarely, and according to a whim, you will always know in your heart of hearts that you have as much chance getting pardoned of all as you do getting healed of all. We all speak enough English to know what "all" means, and, in spite of the sweet, vapid excuses made by doctors who themselves will never know an answer to prayer but according to circumstances ("God says 'no'."), we know a god who can make excuses to break the one promise concerning physical health, can just as lightly break any promise concerning spiritual health.
No! Your faith has to be directed to the Word of His Promise. He caused His Word to be made Flesh, and to dwell among us, and we have seen All His Glory. When we believe Him, manifested in His Word, it changes the nature of our faith...and where can doubt then lodge?
It's a matter of resting in what we know to be true. He heals all my diseases as surely as He pardons all my iniquities. Now, my healing, whatever the disease, is as assured as my pardon, and I can relax in this trial, counting it all joy with patience.
How else does James 1 make any sense? Remember, faith that is not tried is only theory. And the promise of healing has never been tried, in the absolute absence of any symptom of disease or illness.
Quote:
| Originally Posted by my friend :
In the believer’s healing process, faith is necessary, but relative. God is our ruler and faith for healing is relative to God’s purposes and God’s timing. I think that this approach to healing honors aggressive faith, but only to the level that faith maintains an external focus on Christ, our healer.
What say you? |
Faith is never relative. Without faith it is impossible to please Him. (We're not talking about likelihood. We're talking impossibility.) You have to believe Him to please Him. You have no way out. When you don't believe Him, when you believe your symptoms are the prophetic Word of God concerning you, you have to confess that as sin. You need to, before you leave the house, make up your mind that if you touch the hem of His garment you will be healed...then let's go. I'll help you shove your way through the crowd, or break through the roof. That's the way power goes out of him.
