Debunking the Lies About Divine Healing

DEBUNKING THE MYTHS

NOTES:

Today’s ‘Big Idea’…

The presence of is not proof that the does not exist.

A. Defining our Terms

1. Divine healing: a person being miraculously restored to health, as the direct result of .

“Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing,

and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.”

(John 14:12)

“At the hands of the Apostles, many signs and wonders were taking place among the people…”

(Acts 5:12)

B. Debunking the Myths

1. A healing myth: You need to achieve a of faith to be healed by God.

“Jesus said to them, ‘Only in his hometown and in his own house is a prophet without honor.

And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith.” (Matthew 13:57-58)

“Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, ‘Why couldn’t we drive it out?’

He replied, ‘Because you have so little faith.’” (Matthew 17:19-20a)

“I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed,

you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move.

Nothing will be impossible for you.” (Matthew 17:20b-21)

a. A healing truth: Even the of faith positions you to receive healing.

2. A healing myth: You need to interact with the to be healed by God.

“Elisha sent a messenger to say to him, ‘Go, wash yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored and you will be cleansed.’” (2 Kings 5:10)

“Naaman went away angry and said, ‘I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the LORD his God, wave his hand over the spot and cure me of my leprosy. Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel?

Couldn’t I wash in them and be cleansed?’ So he turned and went off in a rage.” (2 Kings 5:11-12)

a. A healing truth: You need only to interact with the to be healed.

3. A healing myth: Your disease is God’s .

a. A healing truth: God does not disease upon us, to us. God our punishment upon Himself, to us.

“He was pierced for your transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities;

the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.

We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way;

and the LORD has laid upon him the iniquity of us all.” (Isaiah 53:5-6)

“Whoever does not love does not know God because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.”

(1 John 4:8-10)

“God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

(Romans 5:8)