When evening had come, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed. And He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: “He Himself took our infirmities and bore our sicknesses.”

Matthew 8:16-17 New King James Version

 

Sickness is not God's punishment or condemnation on any of us.

Unfortunately, some Christians believe that God uses sickness to discipline us and keep us in line. It's not as if God suffers from Munchausen syndrome by proxy, in which He would first inflict pain on us and then go about saving us to inflict even more pain and suffering on us. And we are meant to be thankful for them even when we are miserable and troubled.

God never uses sickness to perfect the saints. Not only has Jesus already perfected us through His perfect sacrifice but God, the Father is also perfecting us through His Son by His Word and Spirit. (Hebrews 10:14)

In the four gospels, we witness Jesus not only caring for the broken, bruised, and oppressed by restoring their wholeness and well-being, but was also working to restore their confidence and trust in the Father's love. This explains why, in Jesus' ministry, healing and preaching go hand in hand.

It is because God loves us that He sent Jesus to the cross where He bore our sicknesses and took our diseases and by His stripes, we are healed. By paying the penalty of our sin, Jesus cancelled the debt of our sin and won for us salvation and healing and every blessing that we need. Considering this truth, it would be unjust and unreasonable of God to put sickness and disease on anyone.

Healing is for all and available to all through God in Christ.

While believers do get sick or become weak—the New Testament exclusively prescribed praying for their recovery. When we pray, we are reinforcing the finished work's victory over life's obstacles and situations. Sure, not everyone is healed, but we don't base our theology or understanding on our personal experience. Even if we don't immediately see the desired results, we can rest assured that Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever. As such, it is our privilege as the Body of Christ to continue His healing work and to be surprised and amazed by the Lord again and again.