God's Will Is to Heal

God wants you well.

Many believers know this in theory, but far fewer stand firmly on this promise—that it is always God's will for His children to be healed. Some have never heard anyone make such a bold statement. Others hear it, but struggle to believe it, because someone they loved who prayed for healing did not receive their healing.

I understand that struggle. I have walked through difficult questions myself.

But our experiences can never become our theology. God's Word must always be our final authority.

Most Christians don't hesitate to believe that salvation is available to anyone who believes in Jesus, even though all people are not saved.

"The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance." —2 Peter 3:9

We believe salvation is God's will for every person because the Bible clearly says so.

We've heard sermons most of our lives about Jesus willingly going to the cross because He loved us enough to pay the penalty for our sins.

So why do we often treat healing differently?

Peter reminds us that the same sacrifice Jesus made for our sins also provided healing.

"...who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed." —1 Peter 2:24

Notice Peter doesn't say you might be healed. He says, "by whose stripes you were healed."

If we are going to walk in God's promises of divine healing, it is important that we do that by faith. If we continually question whether healing is actually God's will for us, then our faith has no firm foundation.

Faith begins where the will of God is known.

God is not selective in whom He loves or blesses.

"For there is no partiality with God."—Romans 2:11

Jesus does not play favorites. He treats every person with the same love, compassion, and mercy.

The Bible also tells us that God does not change.

"For I am the LORD, I do not change..."—Malachi 3:6

"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever."—Hebrews 13:8

If Jesus healed then, why would He not desire to heal today?

We need to know once and for all what His will is—and always has been—regarding healing. The challenge only becomes learning how to receive the healing that has been provided.

Following are three powerful pieces of evidence that reveal God's heart.

1. There Is No Sickness in Heaven

Heaven is the perfect expression of God's will.

There is no disease. There is no pain. There is no suffering. There is no death.

"And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away." —Revelation 21:4

If there is no sickness in heaven, then sickness cannot be part of God's perfect will.

2. Jesus Revealed the Father's Will

Jesus came to reveal the Father.

He said,

"...He who has seen Me has seen the Father..." —John 14:9

When we watch Jesus minister, we are watching the will of God in action.

Jesus healed the blind. The lame. The deaf. The lepers. Those tormented by demons.

Those with incurable diseases.

He even raised the dead.

Nothing was too difficult for Him. And there was never a time where he said, "No, I will not or cannot heal you."

Matthew summarizes His ministry this way:

"Then His fame went throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics; and He healed them." —Matthew 4:24

Again we read,

"When evening had come, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed. And He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: 'He Himself took our infirmities And bore our sicknesses.'" —Matthew 8:16–17

Not once do we find Jesus refusing someone because it was not God's will to heal them.

In fact, when one man questioned whether healing was God's will, Jesus answered him immediately.

The leper said,

"Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean."

Jesus responded,

"I am willing; be cleansed."—Matthew 8:2–3

That question has echoed through history.

"Lord, are You willing?"

Jesus answered it two thousand years ago:

"I am willing."

3. God's Original Design Was Health

When God created Adam and Eve, there was no sickness.

No disease. No pain. No death.

Humanity was created to live in perfect fellowship with God.

Disease entered the world only after sin entered the world.

God did not create sickness.

It came as part of the curse resulting from mankind's rebellion.

Jesus came to redeem us from the curse and restore what had been lost.

When His disciples asked Him how to pray, Jesus instructed them,

"Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven."—Matthew 6:10

Jesus would never have taught us to pray for something that was contrary to God's will.

If there is no sickness in heaven, then we should expect heaven's realities to increasingly invade earth as God's Kingdom advances.

It is easy to form opinions based upon our experiences—things we've seen or not seen happen in our own lives or in the lives of people we know.

But God's Word must always be greater than our experiences.

If our experiences disagree with Scripture, then it is our understanding that needs to change—not God's Word.

There are certainly people who have not been healed, and there are sincere questions surrounding those situations. We will address many of those questions in later articles.

We will also examine the conditions for healing found in Scripture, the vital role faith plays, the importance of our words, and the practical steps God gives us to receive His promises.

But before we discuss any of those principles, we must settle this foundational truth in our hearts:

God's will is healing… always. For you, for me, for anyone who trusts in Him.

That truth becomes the foundation upon which faith is built.

Beginning in the Old Testament and continuing throughout the New, we find healing woven throughout God's covenant with His people.

One of God's covenant names is:

"...For I am the LORD who heals you."—Exodus 15:26

His very nature is that of a Healer.

"So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."—Romans 10:17

What we must know beyond any shadow of doubt is this:

The Lord has always made a healing provision for His people.

Standing in faith with you,

To celebrate the release of my new book, Winning Over Cancer, I'd like to offer a special opportunity this week only. Through Sunday, you can save 20% on an Initial Wellness Consultation. If you've been thinking about scheduling a personal coaching session—or you know someone who has been on the fence—this is the perfect time. Together, we'll look at practical steps to support healing of the body, soul, and spirit, and help you move forward with hope and confidence. Simply use the discount code FirstStep20 when you book or click the image below.