A. A. Allen’s “God Guarantees Your Healing” School
Many newly converted Christians lead godly lives, wholeheartedly devoted to God, yet remain weak even after praying for healing. The reason for their failure may lie in a wrong understanding of certain doctrines of the Word of God. People may be unable to understand God’s promise of healing for all who ask in faith. They do not realize the limits of God’s greatest guarantee concerning healing, and because of this wrong understanding, they ask while still doubting.
Faith Without Doubting
God testifies: “But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. Let not that person suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord” (James 1:6–7).
But such people often come for prayer, believing that they REALLY have faith and are not doubting. When examined, they themselves become convinced that they have some doubts. They say, “I really thought I would be healed this time, but it turns out that I lack faith.”
Such people do indeed have faith. But their faith lacks the necessary firmness because of a wrong understanding of certain teachings of the Word of God, commonly called doctrines, which are not supported by the Word of God. Human traditions can set aside the Word of God for those who need it (see Mark 7:13).
Jesus says of those who preach this: “And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men” (Mark 7:7; Matthew 15:9).
God guarantees healing for His people. Yet there are some among us who claim to be His servants while saying that He did not mean what He said.
Suffering for the Glory of God
Another common error is that some people cannot receive healing because they are suffering for the glory of God. This doctrine is based on an incorrect interpretation of two events that occurred during Christ’s earthly ministry.
Once Jesus was told about Lazarus’s illness, to which He remarked: “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it” (John 11:4).
When Jesus finally reached Bethany, Lazarus’s sisters met Him, but without any special honors. They did not glorify God or His Son. Yet the Son of God was glorified when Lazarus came out of the tomb (see verse 44).
On another occasion, several of Jesus’ disciples asked Him about a man who had been born blind. They wanted to know “...who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” (John 9:2). This is an example of the mistaken understanding of the relationship between sin and illness that was common in ancient times. Jesus answered: “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him” (John 9:3).
What has been said above does not mean that this man or his parents had never sinned, for we are told: “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). But this man’s blindness could in no way have been direct punishment for any particular sin.
But if this man was blind for the glory of God, then Jesus also performed His works for the glory of God, since He gave the blind man sight that day. Yet the man’s blindness itself was not the glory of God. Rather, his blindness became the basis for the miracle God performed in him. When people saw that this man, blind from birth, had received his sight, God received the glory.
If you are suffering for the glory of God, give God the opportunity to receive glory RIGHT NOW by granting you healing. Become a witness to those around you of God’s miraculous power that brings healing to all who believe in Him! Never during His earthly ministry did Jesus instruct anyone to become ill.
On the contrary, He gave instructions for the healing of many, which would be granted according to His word. There was never a case in which a sick person who came to Him for healing received this answer: “It is pleasing to God that you remain sick for His glory.”
“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). Yet it is entirely unclear why, while here on earth, He glorified His Father by “...healing every sickness and every disease among the people” (Matthew 4:23), but now, after returning to His Father, His glory consists in people remaining sick and declaring this fact to be evidence of His love. No wonder sinners do not seek to share in such love!
There is no confirmation in the Bible that illness is evidence of God’s favor. Rather, it is punishment for sin (see Deuteronomy 28:22–28, 61). Obedience, however, is rewarded with health and healing from disease (see Exodus 15:26).
The obvious fallacy of the theory of “suffering for the glory of God” is that if these people do not turn to God for healing, they apparently feel no remorse about using every means available to people to alleviate pain and restore health. And if their illness really pleases God, should they even try to get rid of it?
Now imagine that I tell you the following: “I work in this city for the glory of God. It pleases God that I work here. But I will work here only until I find an opportunity to leave. I will leave as soon as I can earn, beg, or borrow enough money for a bus that will take me away.”
“I know it is God’s will for me to remain here, but He can keep me here only by creating conditions that make my departure impossible.” Hearing this, many might be horrified and accuse me of rebellion.
Despite all this, some people continue to suffer for the glory of Christ, although it is perfectly clear that they will suffer only as long as their health cannot improve. Is not the contradiction here obvious!
Illness Is Not God’s Will
Illness is the work of the devil. It pleases God that His people “...mayest prosper and be in health...” (3 John 2). Therefore, let us draw near to God without doubting at all, fully confident that we are asking according to His will.
“And this is the confidence that we have in Him, that, if we ask any thing according to His will, He heareth us: And if we know that He hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of Him” (1 John 5:14–15).
Those who insist that some people are sick according to God’s will seek arguments supporting this position in Scripture. They believe that what happened to several of His finest servants, afflicted with illness, can serve as proof. But any law, at best, could use such facts only as circumstantial evidence, which may be accepted “with reservations.” Upon closer examination, such arguments collapse, like all circumstantial evidence.
The Pursuit of Perfection
First, let us consider Job’s problem with leprosy. According to God Himself, Job was “...perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil” (Job 1:8). Job did not possess some kind of supernatural perfection. Every Christian can and should possess the same perfection that Job possessed, for we now have far greater opportunities, greater authority, and certain advantages over him.
Jesus commanded us: “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect” (Matthew 5:48). Job had no opportunity to read the Scriptures that were written after his death. They were written, first and foremost, so that “...the man of God may be perfect...” (2 Timothy 3:17).
First, let us consider Job’s problem with leprosy. According to God Himself, Job was “...perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil” (Job 1:8). Job did not possess some kind of supernatural perfection. Every Christian can and should possess the same perfection that Job possessed, for we now have far greater opportunities, greater authority, and certain advantages over him.
Jesus commanded us: “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect” (Matthew 5:48). Job had no opportunity to read the Scriptures that were written after his death. They were written, first and foremost, so that “...the man of God may be perfect...” (2 Timothy 3:17).
Let us continually hold on to this goal and pursue it with the utmost seriousness. Never look for excuses for your imperfection. For your goal is perfection.
God chose Job as an example of perfection because he feared God and turned away from evil. An attentive reader, however, will notice that there were several internal reasons why Job found himself in the trouble that came upon him. But God does not subject His devoted and beloved disciples to the devil’s torments for reasons far more important than merely wanting to prove something to the devil.
Job’s faithfulness was confirmed, while the devil’s boasting proved unfounded. Job’s trials also had a deeper significance. The Book of Job teaches that even a blameless person can become even better.
There Is No Faith in Fear
Notice how highly the Bible esteems Job’s fear of God (see Job 1:8). Yet this man feared more than God alone. Having lost his family and all his possessions, endured physical deprivation and his wife’s mockery, and faced the incomprehension of his accusing friends, he cried out: “For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me” (Job 3:25).
Faith is our protection from sin and weakness. It protects us from enemies trying to defeat us. For the devil, it was an insurmountable barrier protecting Job. But fear, or dread, is the direct opposite of faith; it creates a breach in the barrier through which the devil can enter. Job should not be condemned for his position, because he did not have the Holy Scriptures that we have today.
His knowledge of God was based only on what he had heard and on the rather limited revelations he received through his relationship with God. (It is commonly believed that the written history of the Bible began with the Book of Job.) Since faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God, it is hardly surprising that Job was unable to acquire sufficient faith to withstand the devil’s attacks.
That is why today we must not miss the wonderful opportunity given to us by the Bible, but must lay hold in faith of all God’s marvelous promises, directing our efforts toward attaining the glorious deliverance granted to God’s children. And if you are a child of God, you should not sift through Job’s ashes, trying to find an explanation for why you remain in the grip of sickness and under the oppression of the devil.
It was not God who struck Job with illness—“Satan… struck Job with severe boils…” (Job 2:7). But even this could not have been done without God’s permission.
A Time of Testing
Driven to despair, Job decided to test his attitude toward God and, struggling within himself, was able to change it. Previously, he truly feared God, tried to do only what was good, and turned away from evil. But now his wife insisted that he curse God and die (see Job 2:9), while his friends accused him of every sin, naming them one by one.
Job understood that there is only one foundation in this changing world on which one can rely. In anger he cried out: “Though He slay me, yet will I hope in Him!” (Job 13:15). God could not remain indifferent to such faith. And He promptly began healing Job. He revealed Himself to Job in marvelous flashes of storm. Such manifestations of Him rarely occurred in His dealings with people.
Having received revelation from above, Job was able to compare his own virtue with the virtue of his Creator and regretfully discovered that he lacked lofty moral qualities. Then Job drew near to God, realizing that a person cannot be more righteous than God. And in faith Job experienced true humility and repentance (see Job 42:6). He even wanted to pray for his friends (see Job 42:10).
The best part of Job’s entire story is found in the concluding verses of the Book of Job. After Job repented of condemning himself and of lacking faith, and after he repented and forgave his friends in prayer, God released him from the devil’s bonds. Job became prosperous again and received more than he had before. He lived another 140 years, and we have no evidence that he ever again suffered from leprosy.
If you, too, have ever followed Job’s example, sitting before his ashes and mourning your fate, considering God the cause of your failures, you must reconsider what is happening to you. Turn your faith toward God, even if it seems to be leading you to destruction. Develop a desire to read the Word of God; read it prayerfully.
Read it as though you had never before heard any other interpretations based on human traditions. Turn to God Himself in search of the cause of your illness and, having found it, get rid of it. Then, like Job, you too will be freed from the devil’s chains, for God is still the same today.
Opponents of the Good News of healing point to cases in which true children of God cannot receive healing. Based on such examples, our opponents say that there can be no guarantee that God will heal everyone who fulfills His requirements.
Anticipating such attempts to discredit His work, the Lord provides in His Word a detailed list of all the causes of illnesses that persist for a certain period even under the influence of Christ’s miracle-working power. That is why Christ’s first disciples, who participated in His miraculous works, went out and carried the message to people “...the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs...” (Mark 16:20).
Paul’s Ministry
God performed special miracles during Paul’s ministry. Many whom He touched were healed. Men and women who did not communicate with Him directly but through handkerchiefs and aprons touched by Paul were also freed from illnesses (see Acts 19:11–12).
In the Bible, we read about Epaphroditus, Paul’s companion and fellow worker, who became seriously ill while accompanying Paul on his journeys. Paul himself told us about this (see Philippians 2:27). And Paul does not stop there. In the verse mentioned here, he declares: “God had mercy on him.”
He had mercy on Epaphroditus so that, despite all the difficulties of travel in those days, he would be able to make the journey from Rome to Philippi. In this way, Paul demonstrated to the Philippians the greatness of God’s power and love. In verse 30, Paul states the reason for this illness: “For because of the work of Christ he came close to death, risking his life to make up for the services you could not render me.”
The gifts of healings never promise some unlimited influx of energy into the human body. Even in such a worthy endeavor as spreading the Good News and praying for the sick, the body may undergo trials. God may limit the healing granted, and illness may result. Yet even in this case, God shows His mercy.
To achieve complete recovery, a person may need a prolonged period of rest or gradual healing. One should not become discouraged about this or subject the body to additional destructive strain, which can cause a nervous breakdown or another stress-related illness.
We know that Luke, a believing physician, traveled with Paul and could have monitored his health. There is, however, just as much basis for claiming that Jesus took Matthew with Him as His personal tax collector as there is for claiming that Luke, who had the gift of healing, was chosen as Paul’s companion.
The Holy Scriptures contain no evidence that Luke ever exercised his gift and treated Paul or any other sick people. He is mentioned as a physician only once. Luke is the author of such New Testament books as the Gospel According to Luke and the Acts of the Holy Apostles, in which he describes many miraculous healings. It should be noted here that in each of his accounts, the emphasis is placed on the miraculous nature of these healings.
In Luke’s testimonies, you will not find any mention that, in addition to God’s miracle-working power, it was necessary to consult a practicing physician or take any medications prescribed by that physician. As a doctor, Luke undoubtedly could not help but be moved when he saw Christ and His spiritual disciples helping in cases where the efforts of earthly physicians had proved unsuccessful.
That is why Luke testifies: “And a woman having an issue of blood twelve years, which had spent all her living upon physicians, neither could be healed of any, Came behind him, and touched the border of his garment: and immediately her issue of blood stanched” (Luke 8:43–44).
The Great Healer
We cannot help but agree that conscientious doctors provide effective help for many human illnesses. After all, there are many people living today who have never heard of God’s miracle-working power and seek treatment from doctors. Members of this profession work hard and, undoubtedly, justify their existence on earth. But among us there are also those who know about the Great Healer.
For such people, it is far better to wait at His feet than to languish while waiting their turn in the crowded waiting rooms of earthly doctors. Only in Him can they find relief—complete and free, without medication or surgery. Only He gives strength and health to our bodies for His glory. And He is certainly worthy of every new testimony to His gift and to the devotion of those who love Him and follow all His instructions.
Many people endure suffering for years while waiting for help from the most renowned doctors of our time. But to receive healing, it would be better to rely on God and diligently follow His instructions rather than the prescriptions of earthly doctors.
Begin testing yourself against the Word of God right now. Find out what He advises you to do, and do it.
Remember that this treatment is not an experiment. It has been tested and proven, and it guarantees healing in 100% of cases, provided, of course, that it is carried out according to the instructions given.
A Thorn in the Flesh
Trying to prove that God refuses to heal some people, many cite the following passage from the Bible: “And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities…” (2 Cor. 12:7–10).
Whatever Paul’s thorn in the flesh may have been, God’s grace was sufficient to deal with it. Paul’s sufferings, described in detail in chapter 2 of the Second Epistle to the Corinthians, can undoubtedly serve as a good test of God’s grace or mercy. But to determine whether Paul’s thorn in the flesh was some physical defect, we need to find out what this verse actually means, for the passage of Scripture does not speak of an illness.
Even the most steadfast proponents of the idea that the thorn was a physical defect merely dare to suggest that Paul’s thorn in the flesh was chronic ophthalmia (see the Bible, Scofield Reference Edition, p. 1239).
Given the power of the miraculous promises of healing freely given to us in the Word of God, overturning them would require something stronger than merely assuming that Paul may have been ill.
The term “thorn in the flesh” is so often associated with physical illness that using it in precisely this sense may be considered widely accepted. Many readers interpret the passage in question this way. But let us examine how this term is used in other passages of the Bible. This will help us understand what the author himself meant when he wrote about the “thorn in the flesh.”
Numbers 33:55 tells us that the Israelites received the following warning: “But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you, then those whom you allow to remain will be thorns in your eyes and needles in your sides…” This warning is repeated in other verses of the Bible (see Joshua 23:13 and Judges 2:3).
This verse makes it clear that the thorn should not be associated directly with the body, but with certain external irritants caused by people. Here is what Paul himself says about his thorn: “…a thorn in the flesh was given to me, an angel of Satan, to torment me…” (2 Corinthians 12:7). The word “torment” means to cause extreme distress and bring someone into a state of oppression.
When listing the hardships Paul chose to boast about (see 2 Corinthians 11:23–33), he does not mention physical impairments such as illness or blindness. He is referring rather to persecution. Paul does mention exhaustion and pain, however. But surely being beaten with rods and stones is sufficient to cause both exhaustion and pain?
After learning about all the suffering Paul had to endure, a person may experience a lack of faith. It is easy to believe that God, by His power, kept Paul healthy. It is much harder to believe that he went through all these trials while suffering from physical weakness.
God shows no partiality (see Colossians 3:25). His promises belong to you as well! Do not believe anyone who tries to deceive you and sow doubts in your soul. Believe the Word of God, not the traditions that arose from it.
When the flame of your faith burns brightly enough and you have no doubts, you will be able to ask God for whatever you desire. He has promised, and you will receive whatever you ask for.
