Be Healed in Jesus Name – Part 2. What Does the Bible Say?
I believe that the role of spiritual deliverance, and emotional and physical healing in God’s plan of restoration is found throughout the Bible. It is especially prominent in the New Testament. What does God’s say to Kingdom men and women in Scripture about delivering people spiritually and healing them emotionally and physically?
I begin with something Paul told the Corinthians. I have routinely passed over this passage until God brought it to my mind while I was in Japan. Here it is:
“Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ” (1 Corinthians 11: 1 NKJV).
Tradition maintains that Paul’s command to imitate him as he imitates Christ at the beginning of Chapter 11 refers to all that Paul wrote to the Corinthians in Chapter 10. But as I read the verse, Paul does not limit himself. His life imitates Christ in all that he does – including healing and casting out demons, just like Jesus. If I am commanded to imitate Paul and Paul imitates Christ, them I am also commanded to imitate Jesus, including loving the way Jesus loved and healing and casting out demons like Jesus.
In Romans 8 Paul makes another audacious statement:
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose. For those God foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of His Son, that he might He might be the firstborn among many brothers” (Romans 8: 28, 29 NIV).
There is a lot of theology in this verse. What is important to me in the context of healing is that God foreknew who would accept, by faith, Jesus as Lord and Savior. Those He predetermined to be conformed to the likeness of Jesus now, not when we get to heaven. If I am to be like Jesus, then I will do the things that Jesus did, which include heal the sick, cast out demons; and even, in the power of Jesus, raise the dead.
Jesus made it clear why He was sent into the world. Early in His ministry, in the synagogue at Nazareth, Jesus read from Isaiah 61. He was sent by the Father to “proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, and to release the oppressed.” He was reading from the Torah – the Hebrew Bible – and so would have read all of the verses in Isaiah 61, including “He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom of the captives, and release from darkness for the prisoners” (Isaiah 61: 1). Coupled with “recovery of sight for the blind”, Jesus makes it clear that He means to set people free from bondage to and oppression by satan – as well as healing us physically. Jesus was sent to heal the whole person – physically, emotionally, and spiritually.
Then to make sure everyone in the synagogue understood the significance of what He was saying, Jesus concluded with these words, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing” (Luke 4: 21 NIV).
Backing up His words with deeds, Jesus leaves the synagogue in Nazareth and goes to the synagogue in His hometown, Capernaum. There He casts a demon out of a man, setting him free from the darkness of bondage to satan. Next, Jesus goes to Peter’s mother-in-law’s house and heals her physically, setting her free from bondage to disease. Finally, that evening people brought to Jesus all who were sick and demon possessed and He healed them physically and cast out their demons.
At daybreak Jesus retreats to a solitary place. When the disciples come looking from Him, Jesus tells them, “I must preach the gospel of the Kingdom of God, because that is why I was sent.” The Kingdom of God is here, Jesus is telling us, and it is good news for all mankind, because in the Kingdom of God there is healing and deliverance – spiritual, emotional, and physical healing and wholeness for the whole person – and freedom from demonic oppression and influence.
Later, Jesus affirms His call and purpose with a response to John the Baptist. Jesus has been ministering for some time when John sends Him a message through one of his disciples asking, “Are you the one, or should we expect someone else?” John is saying to Jesus, “You are not acting like the Messiah Israel expects. Are you really the One?” Jesus responds:
“The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news (the gospel of the Kingdom) is preached to the poor” (Matthew 11: 5, 6 NIV).
Jesus is making reference to Isaiah 35, the great chapter describing the Kingdom of God. Jesus is saying, “Yes, I am the one. I am fulfilling the call of God on my life by releasing the Kingdom of God through healing and other miracles. That is why I was sent.”
Paul tells us we are to imitate, and through the work of the Holy Spirit, become like Jesus, doing what He did, for the same reasons – to release the Kingdom of God into the kingdom of the world to defeat the power of satan, recover the territory, and push back the darkness. Or as Isaiah writes in Isaiah 61, “renew the ancient cities and restore the places long devastated . . . and we will be called priests of the Lord, ministers of our God.” Territories and cities not only refer to physical places, but also human hearts. This is the meaning of the work of restoration that Jesus came to accomplish. As followers of Him, it is our purpose as well. Through the indwelling Holy Spirit and Christ in us we have been called, sent, and empowered. That is why He calls us “priests and ministers of God!”
But there is more. In Matthew and Luke (Matthew 10; Luke 9, 10) Jesus sends out His disciples, just as He was sent, “and gave them authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness” (Matthew 10: 1 NIV). He makes it even more clear a few verses later, “As you go, preach this message: the Kingdom of Heaven is near (also translated as ‘here’). Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons” (Matthew 10: 7, 8 NIV). Jesus commanded His disciples to go out without Him, and release the Kingdom of God into the kingdom of the world by delivering people from demonic possession and physically healing them.
In a parallel passage in Luke 9 Jesus gave His disciples power and authority over demons and diseases.
“When Jesus had called the Twelve together, He gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, and He sent them out to preach (which means ‘to proclaim the gospel’) the Kingdom of God and to heal the sick” (Luke 9: 1, 2 NIV).
In Luke 10, we see Jesus issue a similar command, this time to 72 followers, not just the Twelve. Once again He gave them power and authority over demonic forces and disease, called them to announce the Kingdom of God is near, and heal the sick. The 72 are His delegated authorities so that, “he who listens to you listens to Me; he who rejects you rejects Me” (Luke 10: 16 NIV).
In these passages in Matthew and Luke, Jesus makes it clear that His disciples are called or sent to do what Jesus has been doing – healing the sick and casting out demons. They do these works, not in their own power, but in the power and authority He delegated to them. These autonomous mission trips apart from the physical presence of Jesus, are the template for how they will conduct their ministries recorded in the Book of Acts and Paul’s letters. They will travel, healing the sick and casting out demons wherever they go, and in response thousands will accept and follow Jesus. In this way the Church was born, the Kingdom was released, darkness was driven back, and the restoration of the world advanced.
Jesus gave them power and authority, which would be validated and expanded at Pentecost, to do the work that the Father sent Jesus to accomplish. Jesus told them, “You do it.” He tells us the same thing today. “Lord, that person needs to be healed from cancer”. Jesus says, “You do it.” Or, “Lord, that storm is about to hit a large city. Can you turn the storm back out into the ocean?” Jesus says, “You do it.” Or, “Lord, satan and his demonic powers are taking over my country. Can you defeat them?” Jesus says, “You do it. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit live in you. You have power and authority. Pray and heal, change the course of the storm, or drive out satan and defeat his demons. You do it.” And here is the scary corollary – I believe that in most cases, if we don’t do it (whatever it is), God will not step in and do it for us. Of course He can. He is God. But most of the time He waits for His people to operate in faith and release His power through their prayers. And if we don’t? We are God’s plan A. He has no plan B.
Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Out mission today is the same mission that Jesus gave to the disciples over 2000 years ago – and we have the same delegated power and authority. It is primarily, but not exclusively, how the Kingdom of God is released into the kingdom of the world.
Why do I believe this? Because Jesus told me. In the Great Commission Jesus did not just tell us, “Go and make disciples of all nations”. He also told us to, “teach them to obey everything I have commanded you.” One of His greatest commands to His disciples was to “go out, proclaim the Kingdom of God is here and heal the sick and cast out demons.” We are expected to do the same and for the same purposes: to release the Kingdom of God into the kingdom of the world to push back the darkness, take back the territory, and defeat the power of evil. This is restoration, the foundation of revival. This is what it means to “make disciples.”
So what did His disciples (and later Paul) do? After they received the Holy Spirit, first in the Upper Room on the day of resurrection and later at Pentecost, they went out and healed the sick and cast our demons. The Great Commission was not just for them; it is for us as well.
At Pentecost the disciples and other followers of Jesus received the power that Jesus had promised when the Holy Spirit fell on them like fire. “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1: 8 NIV).
The first recorded healing miracle performed by those who received the power of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost was Peter’s healing of the beggar at the Beautiful Gate in Jerusalem, who was crippled from birth. This healing miracle is the template for us today as we step into our roles as healers and deliverers in the name of Jesus.
When the beggar asked Peter and John for money Peter replied that he had none, but he would give the beggar what he did have. Peter had three things: 1. He had power and authority in Jesus’ name to heal; 2. He had the faith of Jesus that this man would be healed, and 3. He had the boldness to heal this man in public to glorify Jesus.
Peter spoke to the crippled beggar: “In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk” (Acts 3: 6 NIV). Peter issued a command, helped the crippled man get up, and he began to walk. There were many people watching Peter and the beggar, and when they saw him walk “they were filled with wonder and amazement.” Peter used this opportunity to preach to the crowd, and many who heard his message believed.
In the name of Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit, Peter and John healed a man who was lame from birth. As Jesus told John the Baptist, “the lame walk.” They did this with a simple command: “walk”. They did not pray, “If it is your will Jesus” or call upon Jesus to heal the man. They healed him because they knew that Jesus had given them the power and authority to heal. It was as if Jesus told them, “you do it.” The same is true for us today. Just like Peter and John, Kingdom men and women have been given power and authority to heal and deliver from demons. And just like them, we are called to heal and deliver with commands: “cancer – go”, or “eyes be healed”, or “walk”.
Our goal is not ‘just’ the healing. We want to bring the person we are praying for into the presence of the Healer. We do this to bring Jesus and the Kingdom of God into that person’s life. In this way we join Jesus in accomplishing His ultimate purpose: To release the Kingdom of God into the kingdom of the world to push back the darkness, take back the territory, and defeat the power of evil. Jesus came to restore all creation back to God’s original plan and purpose. A good definition of healing is to restore back to the original condition, function, and purpose. Healing, restoration, redemption, and revival are interrelated parts of God’s ultimate plan for each of us and for the Body of Christ, the Church!
Here is what I believe – the Church is called to imitate Christ, to be conformed to His likeness. That means the Church is commanded to do what Jesus did. In my mind there is no escaping this fact – Jesus healed and delivered people from demons. He healed them spiritually, emotionally, and physically. And He did these things solely through the power and presence of His Father, not doctors or medicine (I am not against modern medicine. It is a great gift from God. But Jesus heals). Kingdom men and women have been given the indwelling Holy Spirit, Jesus in us, and the Father in us and we in Him for a purpose – “Go out into the world, tell them the Kingdom of God is here; heal the sick, cast out demons, and raise the dead.” Just do it! Be (or become) the Church that Christ commanded us to be.
Today, all around the world, followers of Jesus are seeing amazing healing and deliverance miracles. If you think that healing was for the Apostolic Age and not for today – well, don’t go to Africa, or for that matter, don’t hang out with my friends and me. Your world will be rocked (in a good way).
And this is another truth: The Church, and that includes you and me, are the sole agents of God’s power and authority on earth. The responsibility to release God’s Kingdom has been given to us. We are the only ones who can stand against the powers of darkness, push them back, and defeat the schemes and plans of satan because we – you and me and the Church – are the only ones authorized to use the power of God for this victory. Only us! And only His power will work. We can’t do it in our limited power because satan is more powerful than us. God is telling us that if we don’t do it, generally it won’t get done! We must act in accordance with His will, for His glory. But we must act! Right now the Church is lukewarm and in some places barely alive. We need to rise up and be relentless, even ruthless, in our fight against the powers of darkness that are trying to swallow up God’s creation. Spiritual, emotional, and physical healing are among God’s most potent weapons given to us. In the name of Jesus.
In love with Jesus and loved by Him,
John