A. A. Allen’s “God Guarantees Your Healing” School
“That is why many among you are weak and sick…” (1 Cor. 11:30).
It is well known that when a good doctor begins treating a patient, he tries, whenever possible, to determine the cause of the illness immediately. He then directs his efforts toward eliminating that cause. The same is true when we turn to God for healing. It turns out that He deals not so much with the symptoms as with the causes.
Correctly identifying the cause of an illness is extremely important. Pain caused, for example, by an attack of acute appendicitis can be relieved by taking narcotics. But if a person does not feel the pain, the appendix may rupture, which can result in the patient’s death. A careless attitude toward determining the cause of suffering causes great harm and can sometimes even lead to loss of life.
Many people have lost faith in God’s promise to heal the sick because they failed to understand that receiving healing requires fulfilling the conditions set by God. In His Word, God identifies fairly specific causes of human illnesses. Those who long to be healed can find this vitally important information in the Bible and eliminate the causes of their ailments.
Sin as a Cause of Sickness
In the broadest sense, without fear of contradiction, we can assert that sin is the cause of sickness existing in the world. There was no sickness in the Garden of Eden, and we know for certain that sickness is absent in Heaven. Until the very day when Eve, yielding to the devil’s persuasion, picked the forbidden fruit, humanity knew neither sin nor sickness. On that very day, “sin entered the world, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned” (Rom. 5:12). In this sense, all sickness is the result of sin.
There are also specific illnesses caused by specific types of sin. In this regard, the so-called “social diseases,” which afflict those who lead immoral lifestyles, are particularly telling. Often, however, it is impossible to trace a direct causal connection between sin and illness. This is especially true of those who do not discern what is pleasing to the Spirit of God.
But God warns us: “If you do not carefully observe all the words of this law, … then the Lord will strike you with extraordinary plagues, great and persistent plagues… He will bring upon you all the diseases of Egypt that you dreaded… The Lord will also bring upon you every sickness and every plague not recorded in the book of this law…” (Deut. 28:58–61).
Sin and sickness go hand in hand in the New Testament, just as they do in the Old Testament. This is what Jesus Himself said concerning healing and sickness: “…Son, your sins are forgiven you” (Mark 2:5); “…do not sin anymore, so that something worse may not happen to you” (John 5:14). James instructs the sick: “Confess your trespasses to one another and pray for one another,… THAT YOU MAY BE HEALED… And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven” (James 5:15–16).
Speaking by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, David said: “Fools suffered because of their transgressions and because of their iniquities; their souls loathed every kind of food, and they drew near to the gates of death. Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and He saved them from their distress; He sent His word and healed them, and delivered them from their graves” (Ps. 107:17–20).
This should be sufficient testimony that sin brings sickness with it. But there is something else we should bear in mind. The books of the Old Testament (Numbers 12) contain an episode intended to give God’s people a very serious warning. The prophetess Miriam, Moses’ sister, and the one whom the Lord had blessed became filled with pride and “…were not afraid to speak against My servant Moses” (verse 8).
God heard Aaron and Miriam’s malicious words: “And the anger of the Lord was kindled… against Miriam and Aaron, who, together with his sister, had envied Moses. Miriam became leprous, white as snow, and would have remained in that condition if Moses had not cried out to the Lord, saying, ‘O God, heal her!’” (verse 13). How wonderful that God heard Moses’ cry and healed Miriam!
But notice that Miriam would never have needed healing if she had not sinned. Envy is sin! Sin destroys the protective barrier that God builds around you, thereby protecting you from the influence of the devil.
God, who has prepared only punishment for those who tempt Him, has many wonderful promises of physical well-being for those who listen carefully to His voice and do what pleases Him. The Ten Commandments contain a special promise of long life for those who honor their parents. “Honor your father and mother”—this is the first commandment with a promise: “that it may be well with you and that you may live long on the earth” (Eph. 6:2–3). If your health is not good, can you consider your illness a consequence of breaking this commandment?
“And He said: If you diligently heed the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments, and keep all His statutes, I will put NONE of the diseases on you which I have brought upon the Egyptians; for I am the Lord who heals you” (Ex. 15:26).
Obedience Brings Healing
Do you believe that God really meant exactly what He said? Obedience will certainly bring you healing! Disobedience brings sickness and infirmity. The unsaved and disobedient must prepare themselves for healing in such a way that their relationship with God is built solely according to the Law of God!
Paul considers the problem of the origin of sickness among Christians in his own way. He says: “For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep” (1 Cor. 11:30). This verse clearly affirms that sickness has a specific cause. We must pay special attention to this and make sure that we understand what this “cause” is.
Chapter 2 of the First Epistle to the Corinthians speaks of one of the Church’s most important and enduring mysteries—the Lord’s Supper. Taking place on the very night the Lord was betrayed, this Supper became for Christ’s followers a symbol of everything He gave for us: Blood poured out for salvation from sins, and a Body broken on the cross for the healing of the people.
A believer must surely partake of these sacrifices of Christ, who said: “...Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you” (John 6:53).
In addition to this holy instruction, let us give this warning: “Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a person examine himself, and so let him eat of this bread and drink of this cup” (1 Cor. 11:27–28).
Worthy or unworthy?
Because of this warning, many who have embraced the Christian faith refuse to partake of the Lord’s Supper. But such refusal contradicts the Lord’s intentions. If you do not feel the need to partake of the symbols of His Blood and Body, you will never partake of the Lord’s Blood and Body themselves. For such cases, Jesus prepared the following statement: “...you have no life in you.” And if you consider yourself unworthy to partake of the holy mysteries, you are probably not ready for the Rapture either.
The word “worthy” does not imply that a person must first gain complete confidence that they have attained sinless perfection. The very first communion, conducted by Christ Himself, showed that even those twelve who were the first to partake of the holy mysteries had ordinary human weaknesses and were far from perfect.
But then you may ask: “What, then, does this word mean?” Here, the word “worthy” is revealed in three meanings. First, it describes the believer’s attitude toward what takes place during the communion ceremony with the Lord’s symbols. In such solemn moments, there is no room for frivolity or irreverence. This ceremony must not be treated lightly or regarded as something ordinary.
By partaking of the symbols, you “...proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes” (1 Cor. 11:26). Such worthy conduct is not a feeling of pride, dignity, or superiority over others, but rather an awareness of the innate longing for a life without sin and a deep need for the Savior.
The other two meanings of the word “worthy” are revealed in the second part of verse 29. It speaks of those who behave “in an unworthy manner, not discerning the Lord’s body.” Christ’s Blood was poured out for the remission of our sins, and His Body was covered with the scars of the wounds He received for our healing. Many drink the wine for the successful fulfillment of His promises and sing praise for the glorious deliverance from the sins they will receive because His Blood was shed. But they eat the bread without realizing that it also symbolizes a specific price paid for a particular blessing. And that blessing is HEALING, which we will receive if we accept it.
We receive salvation only when we believe and accept Christ’s Blood, poured out for salvation. But simply partaking of the wine is not enough to be freed from sins. One young man, raised in a family where the Word of God was not read and where they were too busy working to attend church, nevertheless once went to God’s house with a friend. It happened on a Sunday when communion was being served. For the first time in his life, this young man saw how people partook of communion.
Little was explained about what was happening, and when the Communion symbols were handed out, his friend took some for himself, and he did the same. He did so instinctively, as people usually do at a party, without understanding the meaning of either the wine or the bread. Nothing changed in his life after Communion. First, one must deeply grasp the essence of cleansing by the Blood; only then will the outward expressions of the sacrament acquire meaning.
Many devout Christians, like this young man, receive no result from Communion with wine and bread. This happens for the same reason. They cannot understand that when Christ, our Passover Lamb, sacrificed Himself for us, His Blood was fully sufficient to save us from death, while His Body was sufficient to heal us and restore our physical strength. They do not receive healing because they do not accept it.
To fully understand the symbolism of the Blood, we must turn to the Old Testament and recall how the Lord decided to punish the inhabitants of Egypt, whose ruler would not release the people of Israel from slavery. The angel of death, sent by the Lord, was to kill all the firstborn of Egypt. To prevent him from confusing them with the Israelite firstborn, God commanded every Israelite father to take a lamb, slaughter and roast it, and smear its blood on the doorposts of his house.
When the angel of death saw the blood on the door, he passed over. Thus, for the first time, the judgment of death was removed by blood. But by smearing the doorposts of their houses, the people had not fully obeyed God's instruction, which also commanded them to leave nothing of the roasted lamb but eat it all by morning. By eating it, the Israelites gained strength for the difficult journey that lay ahead of them the next morning.
But even if you do not know this, you can have no doubt that the Blood of Christ, shed at Calvary, is fully sufficient today to redeem your sins. And that is truly so. His sufferings on the cross and at Pilate's judgment may prove to have been in vain if you do not accept healing. But His sufferings were not in vain!
“Christ suffered for us. He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, so that, having died to sins, we might live for righteousness; by His wounds you have been healed” (1 Pet. 2:21, 24).
Faith helps us see the power of Christ's Blood, and we are freed from guilt and the chains of sin. And when we experience the power of Christ's Body, we will not see the weak and sick among us. The people of Israel received both the Body and the Blood of the Passover Lamb when God brought them out of Egypt. “And there was none feeble among His tribes” (Ps. 105:37).
Today, many churches that are consistent in practicing their faith would like to use only wine in Communion. They believe that the Blood saves, but reject the Lord's Body, which heals. Therefore, it is not surprising that there are so many sick among us today. These people do not acknowledge the one medicine that guarantees healing from all diseases—but only if the medicine is taken according to the instructions provided!
Many minds cannot grasp this wonderful truth because they are completely unworthy of it. They are unable to believe in the Lord's Body and in God, who lives and acts today. But “you are the Body of Christ, and individually members of it.” Because people are unable to acknowledge this fact, they can be accused of dividing the Body of Christ into parts. This is sin, and sin kills faith. Therefore, when receiving Communion, we as Christians must examine our relationships with the other members of the Body.
In chapter 12 of the First Epistle to the Corinthians, we read that we should not diminish the role of any person or any spiritual gift placed by the Spirit of God in the Body of Christ.
Successfully putting both physical and spiritual gifts into practice depends on their working together in the Body of Christ, which unites them. If you are guilty of dividing the Body of Christ—for example, by gossiping and causing discord among people, or by exalting your pride and self-satisfaction, which distances you from the Body—confess this as sin and put an end to it once and for all, so that your faith may grow. Take your proper place in the Body, regardless of how significant it may be, and help others do the same.
Receive the Blood of Christ, and it will cleanse you from sin. Receive the Body of Christ in faith, and it will heal your body. It is yours now. The Blood of Jesus was poured out for you on the day He purchased your salvation through His suffering on the cross. Now receive the Lord’s Body as well, and you will receive the blessing of healing for your body. The devil cannot change what Christ has already suffered in your place.
There are people today who once received miraculous healing. Some even complain that the same diseases from which they were gloriously healed have returned. During His earthly ministry, Jesus warned that such things could happen. This does not mean, however, that it is the Lord’s will for these people, or that He does not want them to recover and remain free from illness. He warned one man whom God had healed: “...sin no more, lest something worse happen to you” (John 5:14).
God sends healing not so that a person may gain new strength to continue living in sin. Illness may strike again those who live carelessly and fail to follow God’s instructions. (Chapter 12, “Guard Your Healing,” is devoted to this issue.) If you have failed to preserve your healing, be sure to read this chapter. You must not lose hope, because you can be healed again.
The Vital Need to Care for Your Health
At times, a person becomes ill because he does not take proper care of his body. But the laws of nature are God’s laws of physical health, and violating them brings punishment in the form of illness or weakness. Healing from above was never intended to replace proper care for your body, which includes rest, exercise, eating high-quality food, and giving up harmful habits that exhaust the body.
God commanded His people to rest once every seven days. We are no longer bound by the obligation of God’s Law to observe the Sabbath, which foreshadowed a better day (see Hebrews 4:9), for Jesus Himself declared that “the Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath” (Mark 2:27). One day of rest each week is fully sufficient for maintaining good health.
Those who find no time for rest, who devote themselves entirely to work and do not even make time to attend God’s temple, make themselves defenseless against illness. Such people cannot gain faith for healing, because “faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God” (Romans 10:17). Healing is available to all God’s people, but only through faith, and faith comes in no other way than through hearing and obeying the Word of God.
Many have an urgent need for prayer for their bodies, yet do not trouble themselves to attend a service where they can learn the Word of God’s instruction on healing. They work every day, including Sunday, and many suffer from nervous disorders. The number of such disorders caused by fatigue and overexertion can be directly linked to declining interest in the following instruction from God: “Six days you shall labor and do all your work; but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God: in it you shall do no work...” (Exodus 20:9–10).
In medicine, many diseases are classified as so-called deficiency diseases, caused by a lack of essential elements in the diet. Christians do well to choose from the foods God provides those that will help them keep their bodies in good condition. This issue should not be equated with the salvation of the soul, but it is extremely important for the physical health of your body.
Overeating
Jesus says that man does not live by bread alone. The eternal values of the Kingdom of God are far more significant than the fleeting pleasure of delicious food and drink. We are instructed: “Everyone who competes exercises self-control in all things…” (1 Cor. 9:25).
Overeating causes some diseases and contributes to many others. The large amount of food entering the body during overeating forces the liver, stomach, and heart to work under excessive strain, leading to diseases ranging from gout to disorders of the stomach and heart.
Interestingly, even deficiency diseases usually affect those who overeat, choosing food for its taste rather than according to their body's needs. Excess fatty and sugary foods, too much meat, and starchy products cause fat to accumulate in the body and place excessive strain on the heart and digestive tract, while failing to provide the body with all the nutrients necessary to maintain health.
Many people who seek prayer for their bodies would never have needed to turn to God in this way if they had paid more attention to choosing a proper diet. It must be said that even an immediate miraculous healing would do little for them, because they would immediately continue harming their health through the same disregard for the laws of nature that caused their illness.
Bad Habits
There are also people among us who harm their bodies, weakening them through certain habits. It is worth mentioning such things as addiction to alcohol, drugs, and tobacco, for a significant number of people are still held captive by these habits.
It has now become a universally recognized fact, confirmed by leading medical authorities, athletes, coaches, and everyone concerned with developing a healthy and strong body, that all these habits cause great harm to the body. Many diseases, especially diseases of the heart and liver, are associated with the use of these substances. “If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him; for God's temple is holy, and you are that temple” (1 Cor. 3:17).
In this connection, the idea that it is appropriate to receive healing from above while defiling one's body with these universally recognized poisons may seem entirely illogical. If such habits have taken hold of you, it is time to get rid of them. And when you try to put an end to your old habits, you will undoubtedly soon realize what a negative effect they have had on your body.
But God said: “Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed” (John 8:36). When you feel the shackles of these degrading habits and seek God's favor, He will set you free! Then, when you are healed of your illness by the power of God, its cause will disappear as well, and you will remain healthy.
God chose the human body as His dwelling place, as many passages of Scripture testify, including the one quoted above (1 Cor. 3:17), as well as the following: “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God…” (1 Cor. 6:19).
Every Christian is a steward of His Temple. This is a sacred responsibility, and God is displeased when we abuse our bodies. By thoughtlessly exposing your body to sudden temperature changes or to microbes that cause infectious diseases, you “test God” and may bring illness upon yourself. If such trials are necessary for you, you can seek God’s protection. Those who walk by faith must not be bound by fear.
What the devil possesses and controls
The cause of many diseases and ailments can be easily identified. Let us recall, for example, what happened in Job’s case. “So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord, and struck Job with severe boils from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head” (Job 2:7). The appearance of the sores was caused by a particular type of microbe. And this verse explains why Satan was responsible for what happened and why Job was afflicted with this pustular skin disease.
Identifying the cause and origin of another disease may be far more difficult. In such cases, the Word of God provides help, which will probably surprise many people. According to the Bible, many diseases are caused by an evil spirit, or demon. The Bible teaches that there are different kinds of evil spirits, and each afflicts the human body in its own particular way.
Many people suffer from deafness, muteness, or both ailments at once. Other evil spirits are capable of causing blindness. Malignant tumors, such as cancer, cataracts, and the like, often afflict the human body because of the presence of demonic forces in it. The Bible speaks of different kinds of evil spirits: an unclean spirit, a spirit of infirmity, and many others.
It can confidently be stated that evil spirits are the cause of most diseases and, of course, of all malignant growths. There is no doubt that the processes taking place in a malignant growth are of demonic origin.
In any case, illness is caused directly or indirectly by the devil or his representative—an evil spirit. Sin and disobedience open the door to the devil, who enters your body and afflicts it with disease.
But the greatest degree of possession by the devil is described in Mark chapter 5. Here we read about an entire legion of demons that had entered one man. The man possessed by an unclean spirit needed inner healing rather than physical healing. Since he was extremely strong and no one could restrain him, he tore off his clothes, broke chains and shackles, and wandered among the tombs.
By bringing healing to his afflicted mind, Christ cast the unclean spirits out of him, and they entered a herd of two thousand pigs (see verse 13). The herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned. As soon as the unclean spirits left the man, he became normal again. The townspeople saw that he was dressed once more and that his sanity had returned (see verse 15).
Today, many patients in psychiatric hospitals could receive effective healing. God has provided such healing through His Son, Jesus Christ.
Another instance of an unclean spirit possessing a person is described in Mark chapter 9. A father brought his son to Christ; the boy “foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid…” (Mark 9:18). Matthew describes him this way: “…he suffers terribly at the time of the new moon… he often falls into the fire and into the water” (Matthew 17:15).
This description also gives us an idea of the suffering endured by people who are ill today. They include both young and old. I believe they will not be able to recover through medical means alone, because there is only one effective treatment: “Jesus rebuked him, and the demon came out of him; and the boy was healed from that very hour” (Matthew 17:18).
Many people suffering because they were possessed by such an unclean spirit sought treatment from numerous specialists, but without success. To cast the unclean spirit out of them, something more than ordinary therapy and medication is necessary. This can be done only through the miraculous name of Jesus Christ. “...In My name they will cast out demons...” (Mark 16:17).
Madness, of course, is not the only type of illness affecting a person possessed by the devil. “As they went out, behold, they brought to Him a mute man possessed by a demon. And when the demon was cast out, the mute spoke” (Matthew 9:32–33). Many who are in the same condition today will never speak until the devil is cast out in the name of Jesus. I have seen many people delivered from this affliction who began speaking immediately.
Matthew tells of another man who was not only mute but also blind. Matthew identifies the cause of this man’s condition. “Then a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute was brought to Him, and He healed him, so that the blind and mute man both spoke and saw” (Matthew 12:22). Thus, we understand that an unclean power can cause blindness.
There is a mute spirit and a deaf spirit. Christ said, “...Mute and deaf spirit! I command you, come out of him and never enter him again” (Mark 9:25).
Other cases are also described in the Bible. “And behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity for eighteen years, and was bent over and could in no way raise herself up” (Luke 13:11). Imagine if this woman had gone to one of today’s clinics. In all likelihood, she would have been diagnosed as “incurable” and advised to receive symptomatic treatment. But this would not have brought her relief. Satan had possessed her for eighteen years (see verse 16).
Jesus delivered her, and she immediately straightened up (see verse 13). This woman did not need pills. Pills, regardless of their color, shape, or size, could not have cast out the devil or the unclean spirit. No amount of medication, even if prescribed by a doctor, could have brought this woman healing.
Even surgery, regardless of the surgeon’s qualifications, would not have brought relief, because a scalpel in the most skilled hands could not have cast out the spirit that had brought this affliction upon the woman. Surgery brings relief to many people and healing to some. But there are also those who undergo one operation after another while their condition remains unchanged and sometimes even worsens.
Choose the Greatest Healer
I am not looking for grounds to quarrel with medicine. On the contrary, I thank God for highly educated people who do everything possible to relieve the suffering of those who do not believe in God. Nevertheless, they cannot help everyone, nor do they help everyone without exception. And although many today receive help from licensed medical professionals, there are still those who share the fate of the woman described in the Bible.
She “...had spent all her livelihood on physicians and could not be healed by any” (Luke 8:43). From a medical standpoint, this woman was incurably ill, but she received immediate and complete healing when she came to Jesus. If you are in such a condition, why not follow her example? Overcome all doubts, fears, false teachings, and disappointments, and touch the hem of His garment in faith.
Only faith can help you, for all things are possible to him who believes (see Mark 9:23). Jesus Christ will gladly become your “family physician,” for His name is Jehovah-Rapha—the Lord YOUR Healer! Jesus, the Greatest Healer, is the only One who can GUARANTEE your complete healing if you fully surrender yourself into His hands and follow His instructions.
