1 Peter 2:24, “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.”

I believe the most difficult promise to share with people on this earth is the promise of physical healing.  The reality of suffering and devastating pain in the form of sickness and disease can cause even the greatest among us to question God’s goodness.  A parent having to cope with a child that has cancer raises more doubt about our God’s existence and goodness than all the greatest atheistic arguments combined.

Here are just some of the questions I hear from people concerning God and suffering, “Why does a good God allow the world to have sickness and pain?”  “Why does pain and suffering affect children?”  And lastly, “Why do bad things like sickness and disease happen to good people?”  These kinds of questions were even asked by the greatest people in the Bible and God’s answer was always the same.  The reason for sickness is sin.  When Adam and Eve sinned, the perfect world was affected with sin and sin brought sickness, suffering, and death.

This doesn’t mean people who are sick are being punished because of their own personal sin or that they are under a personal curse.  The idea of sickness being a form of punishment actually comes from the religion of Hinduism and the concept of Karma.  Karma is the false belief that teaches what one person did in a past life will affect them in the next life.  Hence, the reason for so many poor and impoverished people in India because to the religious followers of Karma- the crippled, sick, and poor are that way because of their previous sinful life.

However, the Bible teaches the opposite.  The Bible teaches all throughout, but especially in Romans 1-7, that because of Adam’s sin, the penalty of sin, sorrow, and sickness has been dealt to all of mankind.  Some may experience these things differently but no one is free from them- everyone will be sick, have sin, and face sorrows.  For this reason Jesus came to die on the cross and break the curse of sin over all mankind.  This promise of healing comes in the same prophecy as the promise of forgiveness of sin and comfort from sorrow.  Therefore, according to Isaiah 53, in which Peter is referring to in the above passage, Jesus on the cross removed all of our sins, sorrows, and sicknesses.

As a result, we can pray for healing on this earth and believe that God wants to heal us.  Plus, we can be sure that when we die, all of our sickness will forever be done away with as we receive our new perfect resurrected bodies.  Therefore, in your greatest challenges with sickness and disease look to Jesus and the cross for healing and total restoration- both in this life and the one to come.

Reflection

Do you believe Jesus is your healer?

Action

  1. Ask God to remove any doubt or offense you may have towards Him because of the troubles you have faced in life.
  2. Pray for God to heal all of your sicknesses and diseases, including for those people who are sick in your life.
  3. Have faith in God that He is your Healer in this life and in the one to come.