Is it God’s will to heal every illness and affliction?

Posted on: August 8, 2011, by :

This is a question that was asked of me by one of my friends here in Seminole.

Is it God’s will to heal every illness and affliction?

My answer was as follows…

Although not overtly stated in scripture, Jesus’ own actions (almost 100 verses in all 4 gospels) indicate that he was profoundly interested in the physical healing of the populous as well as the spiritual healing that was and is still needed.  (Matt 14:14)
Jesus had a heart for the weak and sick, the tired and weary, and the broken and oppressed, as indicated through his parables and sermons, however I have not found a statement by Jesus to his disciples to go forth and heal the sick.
Looking to the Acts of the apostles and the letters that followed, I don’t see healing as a command for those who follow the Lord Jesus, except that it is indicated as a spiritual gift in 1 Corinthians 12, but is not a gift that all believers receive (1 Cor 12:30).
As for God’s will, I think that we can make a lot of statements about the compassion that the Lord has on people, but without an overt or even implied mandate for our healing of each other through the power of the Spirit, I have to conclude that healing is intended to take part in worship and the expression of the spirit in concert with other gifts and attributes of the Father, Son, and Spirit. 

All that said, I believe we do not express the spiritual gift of healing in proportion to the Spirit’s will, but probably in proportion to our faith.