By Herbert W. Armstrong
October 9, 1928
Chapter 2.
The relation of the average Christian to the doctrine of Divine Healing is a good deal like the experience of the thrifty Scotchman who was coming to America.
For safety, and other reasons, he was anxious to cross
the Atlantic on one of the larger passenger liners.
He figured he could afford it, if he avoided the expense of
meals in the luxurious dining room. So he engaged passage,
laid in an ample store of the most economical and easily
handled food he knew-crackers and cheese, and went aboard on
the day of departure.
The first day out he enjoyed three meals of crackers and cheese, in the privacy of his own cabin. He always had been fond of crackers and cheese. The second day on board he partook of three more rations of crackers and cheese, though his appetite had lost much of its zest The third morning dawned. The thrifty Scotchman attempted to struggle through one more round of crackers and cheese. A few bites sufficed. Noon came, but the Scotchman had no further appetite for crackers and cheese. By late afternoon, he became desperately hungry, but he craved no crackers and cheese. The evening dinner hour found his stomach fairly shouting its demand for food, real food, cooked food, anything in fact, except crackers and cheese.
If only he could afford just one well-cooked full meal in the attractive dining-room! But he tried to banish the thought. It would be expensive! A happy thought broke upon his mind. "It won't cost anything to go to the entrance of the dining-room, and just look at some real food," he thought.
The thought was irresistible. He proceeded to .the entrance of the ship's great dining room. A waiter was passing with a full tray. Never had his eyes beheld so tempting a vision. Roast turkey and cranberry sauce, candied sweet potatoes, celery, radishes, olives, salted almonds, dressing and brown gravy, luscious fruit salad.
He hesitated. It must be terribly expensive. "Do you wish to be seated sir?" politely requested the steward.
"Well, well," hesitated the thrifty but hungry man, "I don't know." "I don't remember having seated you before," suddenly exclaimed the steward. "Haven't you been eating in the dining room?"
"Why-why n-no," stammered the Scotchman, "I I've been eating in. my stateroom. I-you see-I can't afford to eat here."
"Say!" the steward became suddenly suspicious. "You aren't a stowaway are you? Let me see your ticket Sir!"
Nervously the Scotchman fumbled in his pocket and drew forth the long passage-strip. The steward took it, examined it carefully, and then, pointing to the bottom of the strip, handed it back to the embarrassed Scotchman. At the bottom of the ticket were two words in small type. The Scotchman's jaws dropped. He nearly fainted. With amazement he read the two words, "Meals included."
It is thus with the real full Christian life. Many benefits are included! Jesus left us a practical religion, useful during this life in addition to holding hope and promise for the next.
But somehow, down thru the degenerate days of the Dark
Age, much of the practical side of Christianity has become
lost. Most of its benefits for this life have become hidden
behind a maze of doubt, ignorance and tradition.
Most of us have been trying to struggle along in a Christian
life, "carrying our cross," and living on
spiritual "crackers and cheese" without so much as
knowing that many benefits are included! One of the greatest
and most useful benefits which our Lord fully intended for
us to enjoy which He purchased for us with His very life's
blood, is bodily or physical healing.
The 103 Psalm records some of these benefits. 'Bless the
Lord, 0 my soul, and forget not all his benefits :Who
forgiveth all thine iniquities ; who healeth all thy
diseases." (Verses 2 and 3.)
According to God's Word, if we have the faith to take Him at His word, healing is included. It is one of the benefits. And we are told yes, commanded not to forget these benefits, of which the forgiveness of sin (the removing of the cause of sickness) and the healing of all our diseases is mentioned first!
Most Christians today do not fully realize that divine healing is included. They will say, readily enough, "Oh, I believe in divine healing all right," and then go to the doctor every time!
Why can't Christians really trust the Lord with their sick bodies, as well as with their sick souls? He tells us, in His word, that, "I am the Lord that HEALETH THEE." Ex. 15:26. Why don't we let Him do it?
The answer it two-fold. Lack of understanding and lack of faith.
The day of miracles is past, is the kind of understanding some people have.
There are other doubts and objections. With such skepticism in mind, implicit faith is not possible. So before we come to the real constructive side of the question of healing, let us consider the objection first. Let us dispel this lack of Faith. Let us rid ourselves of doubts. Let us understand the Bible teachings. Let us learn the will of God.
Is the age of miracles past?
We all know Jesus healed repeatedly. We need quote no
Scripture in proof of that. Miracles were performed then, we
readily admit. But isn't the age of miracles, as applied to
bodily healing, past?
Jesus said, "He that believeth on me, the works that I
do (He healed!) SHALL HE DO also, and greater works than
these shall he do; because I go unto my Father." John
14:12.
He healed the sick, and He plainly said we should do
greater works than He did! Why? "Because I go unto my
Father," was the reason Jesus gave. What did He mean?
He answers in John 16:7: "It is expedient for you that
I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come
unto you; but if I depart, I will send Him unto you."
The Holy Spirit is the Comforter who shall guide you into
all truth, and who endues us with POWER from on high. (Luke
24:49) "The power of understanding and of faith.
Peter and the other apostles lacked the faith to perform miracles before Jesus departed and the comforter came upon them, as related in Matthew 17:16,20. But after the comforter descended upon them, on the day of Pentecost, the apostles never once lacked the faith, the understanding, or the power to heal. The apostles healed. They healed continually. The demand upon the Apostle Paul for healing became so great that he could not personally visit and pray for all who sought him, and he sent out handkerchiefs and aprons, on which he had laid his hands and prayed over (from his body) in the name of the Lord, thus causing their healing by proxy. (Acts 19:12) This, too, in the year 55 A.D.
If Jesus Christ was still the Great Physician-still performing healing miracles when petitioned, and by proxy, or by laying on of handkerchiefs prayed over by Paul, in 55 A. D., more than twenty years after His ascension, then we may be sure He is still willing and able to perform such miracles in this year of 1928 A. D.
The age of miracles past? Some people apparently believe Jesus still is dead in the sepulchre! They seem to think of Him as the great "I WAS," but: His name in the Bible is the great "I AM," (Ex. 3:5) -present tense. Jesus rose from the grave! He still lives!
Is the day of miracles past? Almost the last words spoken by Jesus, before He ascended into heaven, were these: "Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. . . . AND THESE SIGNS SHALL FOLLOW THEM THAT BELIEVE: In my name they shall cast out devils; THEY SHALL LAY HANDS ON THE SICK, AND THEY SHALL RECOVER. (Mark 16:15-18).
That, surely, is a definite promise. After He had been
crucified, buried and resurrected-just before departing from
this earth-almost the last words of Jesus Christ were that
those who BELIEVE should in His name cast out devils; lay
hands on the sick, and the sick SHALL RECOVER. Does that
sound as if the day of miracles ended when Christ left the
earth?
In this passage, Jesus GAVE HIS WORD-just as definitely as a
man who gives his banker a promissory note gives his word to
that banker. This promise of Jesus is absolutely BINDING. He
has given HIS WORD. And He said "My word shall NOT PASS
AWAY." Matt. 24:35. "The word of our God shall
stand forever," verifies Isaiah 40:8. The Lord's
promises are SURE. Why don't we claim them? Why don't we
apply them? Why don't we stand on them in faith They are
more precious and valuable than money.
The day of miracles past. Not unless Jesus has changed or lost His power and gone back on His promises to heal! Just before departing into heaven, He also said, "Lo, I am with you ALWAYS." He is still with us today, and He has not changed, gone back an His promises or lost His power. The Word of God says, "Jesus Christ (is) the SAME, YESTERDAY, AND TODAY, AND FOREVER." Heb. 13:8.
Concluded next week