disciplinary forces, and many a saint has glorified God and ex alted Christ in his suffering. What is the meaning of the promise at the head of this arti cle? Does it apply especially to Jesus’ work on the cross? I f so, why is it quoted to support Jesus’ miracles many months before He went to the cross? He was evi dently taking men’s infirmities and b ea r in g th e ir sickness RIGHT THEN. He bore away sin by the merit of His death upon the cross. He evidently took away sickness by the miracles of His life—the sicknesses of those He healed. In some real sense He felt the load which He removed. As He identified Himself with sinners on the cross, and so lifted their load of sin, so He identified Himself with sufferers during His life, and by His sympathy felt their burden. Has divine h ea lin g ceased since that time and until His sec ond coming? It certainly has not, for the Holy Spirit may heal and impart the gift of healing as He wills. Yet, we are frank to say we have known o f no one who has had the healing gift as it was ex ercised by the apostles. Their m ira c les were instantaneous, complete and permanent cures. They even had the power to raise the dead. In every instance where this gift was used by apostles, it was for a SIGN. The persons who were healed were unsaved peo ple. We find no record of this gift being used upon saints. Paul had the gift, yet he left Trophimus at Miletum sick (2 Tim. 4:20) ; he writes that Epaphroditus is sick, nigh unto death (Phil. 2:26, 27 ); he says many are sick at Corinth because of having grieved the Spirit (1 Cor. 11:30); and he himself was afflicted but un healed (2 Cor. 12:7-9). Was it unbelief? We are distinctly told that Christ’s miracles of healing were to identify Him as Savior (Mark 2:10, 11; Acts 2:22). As to the gift as used by the disciples, we
are told that these signs and wonders “ gave testimony to the word o f His grace” (Acts 14:3) and proved them apostles of God (Heb. 2:3, 4 ). A new dispensa tion was being opened; there was no written New Testament, and their preaching called for unmis takable corroboration that is not now necessitated when one may put the promises of the written Word to the test. Comparing the list of sign gifts in 1 Cor. 12:8-11 with the gifts bestowed expressly for the “ per fecting of the saints and edify ing of the body of Christ” in Eph. 4:11-14, we find that healing, miracles and tongues are omitted. Why? They are evidently not con tinued for the gratification o f the saints. We are left one outstanding promise relating especially to physical healing — James 5:14, 15. “ The prayer o f faith shall save the sick.” This is not an un qualified promise, for “ the prayer of faith” is clearly defined in Scripture. It is not merely an ar bitrary making up of mind to have the thing desired. It is the gift and fruit o f the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 12:9; Gal. 5:22). It rests therefore upon the will of God, the same as prayer for any other object. The Holy Spirit has in many cases given the assurance that God would be glorified in the granting of such a request. In other cases, the only answer has been, “My grace is sufficient for thee.” (See 1 John 5:14, 15.) This is the only healing pro gram we are able to find for this present age in the New Testa ment. God can heal, God does heal. God does not invariably heal. It behooves us to be more con cerned about His glory than our own relief. “He cast out spirits with his word and healed all that were sick: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities and bare our sick nesses.” Matt. 8 :16, 17.
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