God expects us to lay hold of what belongs to us, but we have an enemy who lies to us and tries to stop us from receiving God’s biggest blessings. He sets up roadblocks in an effort to keep us from receiving from God.
Many of these obstacles to God’s best in our lives fall under the category described in Mark 7:13: The tradition of men makes the Word of God of no effect. Traditions are demonic errors -lies really – to keep the Church in the dark. For years traditional ideas and interpretations of Scripture have kept people from receiving healing.
So I’d like to expose some of those lies of the enemy and explain why they are wrong. As we go through them, make a note of any that have become part of your thinking. Then replace those lies with what the Word really says.
Lie #1 – “Miracles have passed away.”
I grew up in a church in which we frequently heard statements like these: “Miracles have passed away” and “Healing has passed away.” But the truth is that in order for miracles and healing to pass away, God would have to change or pass away. And that can’t happen. He has already declared, “For I am the Lord, I do not change; O sons of Jacob, are not consumed” (Malachi 3:6).
He has also said, “I am the Lord who heals you” (Exodus 15:26). Sickness and disease were never God’s will for man. Sickness only came when man disobeyed God, sinned and died spiritually. At that point man became subject to the evil one. But even then, God made a way to provide healing for His people. If He ever healed anyone, He is still that same healer today. God is no respecter of persons (Acts 10:34). But we have to do our part and give Him something to work with by exercising our faith.
Lie #2 – “God gets glory from sickness.”
Sickness doesn’t bring glory to God. Healing does. As Jesus healed the multitudes, Matthew 15:31 says, “When they saw the mute speak, the maimed made whole, the lame walk, and the blind see…they glorified the God of Israel.”
Lie #3 – “All things work together for good…”
A scripture that is often taken out of context and misunderstood is Romans 8:28: “All things work together for good to those that love God.” If you believe this means sickness is somehow for your good, you won’t resist it. But the Bible is very plain in what it says about sickness. The curse spelled out in Deuteronomy 28 includes “every sickness, and every plague” (verse 61).
Curses do not come from God. He is good to everyone (Psalm 145:9). Acts 10:38 says, “How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with Him.”
When you read Romans 8:28 in context, its meaning becomes clear: “Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weaknesses, for we know not what to pray for as we ought: but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. And We know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:26-28).
This is not saying everything that comes along is working for your good. This is about those who love God. Those who love God obey His Word: “For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous” (1 John 5:3). When we obey God we enjoy the blessing of God.
The will of God is always good, but not everyone is in the will of God. This scripture is talking about the things of the Spirit working for our good. The Spirit makes intercession on our behalf when we pray in the spirit. When we obey God all things work together for good.
Everything that comes your way does not come from God and does not bring good into your life. You have the authority in you to obey or disobey. For instance, cancer does not work for your good. Car wrecks do not work for your good. They come to steal, kill and destroy. If you think these things come from God you will receive them instead of resist them.
Lie #4 – “God puts sickness on you to teach you something.”
Sickness is not good. So when people say, “God puts sickness on you to teach you something,” that is totally unscriptural. The Bible says God uses His Word to teach us. He has sent the Holy Spirit to teach us. In Deuteronomy 28 God says if you don’t obey Me, all these curses will come on you. That’s not the will of God. God’s will is your redemption from the curse in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:13). Through ignorance, unbelief or rebellion and disobedience, we open the door to evil in our lives.
According to 2 Timothy 3:16-17, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.”
God sent the Holy Spirit to be the teacher of the Church (John 14:26). He will guide you into all truth (John 16:13). God also placed teachers in the Church to instruct us (Ephesians 4:11-12). Therefore, He doesn’t use sickness to do that.
Many believers labor under the misconception that whatever happens to them is God’s doing. As a result, they take no responsibility for anything and put up no resistance to the enemy when he brings sickness and disease.
If you don’t resist sickness, it won’t go away. The enemy will continue to rule and reign in your life. You must resist the devil if you don’t want him to live with you. James 4:7 says ‘Resist the devil, and he will flee.”
Jesus delivered people from sickness everywhere He went, and He rebuked it! He was never a friend of sickness and disease. He always did the will of God and you never saw Jesus instructing anyone to stay sick.
Lie #5 – “Lord, if it be Thy will…”
A traditional prayer that will help you die young is “Lord, if it be Thy will, heal my body.” Consequently, praying this shows you have not been reading your Bible, and you don’t have a clue about God or His will. It’s always His will to heal.
Perhaps you’ve been going to the wrong church. You should come out of a church service with your faith more built up than when you went in. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God (Romans 10:17). But if you don’t hear and believe what the Word says, your faith won’t be strong.
Lie #6 – Unbelief is “OK.”
Even Jesus couldn’t heal those who were in unbelief. In His hometown of Nazareth, “He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief” (Matthew 13:58).
Unbelief is the major blessing blocker, and that’s why it’s imperative for you to know what the Word says and believe it enough to act on it. All the traditions I’m talking about are the result of unbelief.
Unbelief comes by hearing just like faith comes by hearing. So, it’s dangerous to your health to listen to unbelief.
There is no good reason to sit under teaching that’s full of unbelief if you desire to live and live well. Go where the uncompromised Word of God is being taught because your life depends on it.
Galatians 3:11 says, “The just shall live by faith.” That means believers are to live by believing what the Bible says. You are healed by believing and acting on what the Word says about your healing. It takes believing and acting to fulfill the word receive!
Gloria Copeland