Real Healing

by Lahry Sibley

I’ve been a Christian for 30 years or so. I’ve been in lots of churches, various denominations, and
listened to some great messages. I’ve also listened to a lot of religion and down right error. No subject
has been preached on more than healing, no doubt. Why? Because we have lots of folks that are sick
and infirmed. The other is that there is more emphasis put on physical needs than spiritual needs.
I was in a church for a time that regularly took prayer requests at the pulpit during service. 95% of
what was asked for was physical healing in one form or another. Yes, we need physical healing. Yes
God cares about our physical difficulties. But where is the balance. Friend, you can go straight to hell
in a perfect body. You can also go straight to heaven with a sick one. Actually, you’ll leave both behind
you. But a healthy body is not necessarily the key to spiritual victory and eternal good health.
No, I’m not saying that we ought to be content with our sicknesses. Yes we should pray and ask God
for healing. But if that is the focus of your existence and measure of His love, I really don’t’ think your
prayers will avail much.
Not even Jesus had “carte blanche” healing gifting. Some people He prayed for were not healed. It
wasn’t that they lacked faith in healing. They lacked faith in Who He is. Take for instance, the man
who was healed by Peter and John at the opening of the new church in the book of ACTS. This man
had been there for years. He was near the temple gate. Surely Jesus must have past by him many,
many times. Why didn’t’ Jesus heal him long before the day that Peter came by? Was it the Lord’s lack
of compassion? Or did God have greater glory and honor to share with His children by allowing them
to be part of His plan of love toward all men?
Surely it is God’s will for us to walk in good health. So what’s the problem, you ask? Well, there is no
pat answer. Christianity is not a catalog of prescribed answers. It is a daily walk with God through the
Son by the Holy Spirit. There is a trust that must be aligned between man and God. This trust goes
beyond religious certainty. It goes beyond human wisdom and understanding. How?
Jesus said that He did not do anything unless He saw or heard His Father doing it. When the Father
told Him to raise up that mother’s only son, it then became a certainty that the child would be raised.
He did not have to pray the prayer of faith. He simply told the child to rise up, and the child did rise
up. Jesus had all the power of heaven backing Him up. If we are His disciples, should we not do as He
did? Should we not steal away to the secret place and be alone with God so that He can direct our
steps rather than us going out on limbs of faith that have no objective fruit?
I’ve noticed, in my life, that 10 out of 10 people die. If a heart attack don’t’ kill you, something serious
will. All will die in the flesh. No amount of faith will keep our bodies indefinitely out of the grave. I do
believe we can all agree on that. This being so, then we must yield to the fact that some physical
problem or problems will overtake everyone sooner or later and we will die, regardless of who is
praying for us and for how long. No amount of fasting will keep us out of the grave. Does this mean
we should not pray to God for healing? No. But don’t let the lack of healing after prayer crush your
faith. Our blessed hope is not in our healing, but in the shed blood of Jesus Christ. Don’t let some
preacher steal your salvation because he claimed you lacked faith and were not healed.
Yes, again, God has our welfare at the center piece of His love. So why aren’t more people healed? I
believe the biggest problem is sin. What sin? The riches and cares of this world have choked off the
word and have kept it from bearing fruit. Too much compromise, and too much permissiveness in our
personal lives and in our ministry. Why? Because the truth of the Bible in regards to how we should
live our lives is no more popular today than it was in the day of the rich young ruler. Preach the truth
regularly today, and you will have a very small amount of people to preach too.
Smith Wigglesworth saw many people healed in his ministry. But not all. Surely he was more
successful than most any other modern era minister. His key to success? Seperation of world and
faith. Smith couldn’t read or write. His wife taught him these skills. Then she gave him a bible. He
soon decided that it was the only thing he needed to read. And He would not read anything else. He
lived before the age of TV. I’m dead certain that if he would not allow a newspaper in his home, surely
TV would not have made it in either. He lead a peculiar life, saints, free from attachment to worldly
passions. He stayed attached to God. And God told him what to do and when to do it. He was a
disciple of Jesus Christ. He did things the way Jesus did them. He talked them over with the Father,
and then obeyed the Father’s leading and guiding. Alleluia.
I believe that physical healing is part of the redemption victory. Again, God is more interested in our
spiritual health than He is in our physical health. Sometimes sickness or disease keeps us ever before
God and dependent on Him, whereas if we were healed physically, our health might afford us the
opportunity to get caught up in idolatry, that is, dependent on our personal effort and ability rather
than on God. Liberty is not always good to some.
There are some animals that do not need to be fenced to keep them at home with their master. On
the other hand, others have to be corralled continually, or off they go into the wide open spaces.
Sickness and infirmity are often a means of getting ones’ heart turned toward God and keeping it
there. Had they continued on in health, they would not have seen the need for God and they may
likely have lost their soul. That is not God’s will. God’s will is that all men be saved, and He will allow
most anything to enter our path, if our path is not the narrow way.
A.W. Tozer penned one of my favorite quotes. He wrote, “God crucifies without measure, those whom
He wishes to raise without measure”. See God wants us molded into the image and likeness of Jesus
Christ. For that to happen, we must die, by faith and affirmation. We must present ourselves as living
sacrifices. Flesh does not welcome death. Flesh does not welcome the cross. But if we are to live in
Christ, we must die with Him. If we are to enjoy the fellowship of His victory, we must suffer death of
our selves. If we labor to keep our life, we shall surely lose it.
The proverbs writer wrote, “trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own
understanding”. Take everything to God in prayer, but leave how He answers that prayer to Him. I
don’t have to understand how God does things to be blessed by Him. I just have to believe that He is,
and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
Now, about “faith healers”? In my humble opinion, 99.9% of them are a sham, a phony, and a
disgrace to God. I’ve seen too many up close and personal. The same people that are in their healing
line today are in it for the same thing the next time they come to town. I’ve only seen one person get
up out of a wheel chair in my life. I’ve seen hundreds leave a service in their wheel chairs,
discouraged and disillusioned. Very sad.
I believe that what God wants is for His Body to come back to Him. Come back to Him in faith. Come
back to Him in worship. Come back to Him in personal relationship. Come back to Him in separation
from the world and all it’idolatrous passions and lusts. We need to become a holy nation once again.
Then we will see more people healed. But we will see countless more saved, and filled with His Spirit.
Thanks be to God. I believe that is God’s heart and design for our lives. We must repent, and turn
from our wicked ways, humble ourselves in prayer. We will find God there, rest from our labors of self
righteousness, and healing for our souls, and our bodies too.
Now, in closing, I don’t want to imply that I am judging anyone’s personal situation, their faith, or
their battles with sickness. Each one’s walk with God is personal and unique. Take your troubles to
God. Make spiritual health your number one goal, and all other things shall be added unto you. God
promised. He always keeps His Word.