There are multiple instances where people have twisted what I said. When it comes to healing, there seems to be two schools. One favors God’s sovereignty, so that we never know if we can be healed. One favors man’s faith, so that we can always be healed. But a coherent doctrine must address both God’s sovereignty and man’s faith, since the Bible relates both to healing. More precisely, the Bible relates God’s sovereignty to everything (not so much specifically to healing), and it relates man’s faith to healing. Thus I have said that faith always receives, but God is sovereign over faith itself.
Now, those who are of weak faith on healing would twist my words to make it favor the first view above, so that we are back to not knowing if we can receive. But in the very same contexts where I said that God is sovereign over faith itself, I would also add that this is no excuse, just as one cannot excuse himself for having no faith for salvation by appealing to God’s sovereignty. Moreover, I have also added that God would only withhold faith from reprobates. If a person has faith for salvation (not reprobate), he can always develop faith for healing using the means that God has established, such as the teachings of the word of God.
In fact, if we must err, I would err to favor the second view above — we can always have faith, and faith always receives. To say this, of course, is really not to err at all. This is the view that Jesus taught. He never mentioned or even hinted at the first factor in relation to healing. I only mentioned God’s sovereignty when it comes to healing for the sake of completeness in theology, since God’s decree is a factor that relates to everything. But when not addressing people who are always itching to bring it up, it does not need to be mentioned when teaching the doctrine of healing, just as Jesus and the apostles never referred to it when it comes to healing.
Many people quote what I say out of context to assert their own opinion, so if a subject is important to you, try to look up what I really said and observe the context. The meaning of what I said in context might be the opposite of what the person quoting me intends to assert. I have noticed that many people who claim to support my writings misinterpret me very often. It is not because I am unclear, but it is because they have an opinion that they wish to prove, and so they tend to be selective in citing my words and ignore the context.
On the other hand, I understand that I have written a lot, so that it might not be easy to keep track of my thinking on a topic from every angle, nor is it possible for me to address a topic from every angle every time it is mentioned. And a lot of what I write is contrary to popular thinking, so perhaps some people thought I must have said something in line with their opinion when I said something directly opposite. Nevertheless, I would include statements in the same context to preempt misunderstanding.
Recommended: Healing: The Will of Man
Some examples of what I said:
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Therefore, the answer is that just as God is sovereign over all things, including faith for salvation, he is also sovereign over faith for healing. Based on what the Bible teaches, we must insist that healing is indeed available on demand, but it is available to the demand of faith, not the demand of desire. Then, faith itself is under God’s control.
God’s sovereignty does not condone the unbelief and uncertainty of those who resist the ministry of miracles. When it comes to the salvation of the soul, there are those who use
God’s sovereignty as an excuse for their lack of faith or lack of interest, and if they are believers, for their lack of zeal in evangelism. We refuse to accept this, but we recall a distinction between God’s decrees and God’s precepts. Indeed, God’s decree is that this one would believe, and that the other would not believe, but his precept to both is for them to believe and preach his message. The decree refers to what God would cause, and the precept refers to how men should behave. The same applies to faith for receiving and ministering healing.
If someone says, “Since faith for salvation is a sovereign gift, I will not come to Christ, but wait for faith. If God wills, he will save me.” We would realize that he is making an excuse for his unbelief, uncertainty, and rebellion. We would answer, “Now he commands all people everywhere to repent” (Acts 17:30), and “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Acts 2:21). Likewise, although God is sovereign over healing as he is sovereign over everything, this is not an excuse for unbelief, uncertainty, and rebellion. We relate to God on the basis of his precepts, not his decrees. He says, “The prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up” (James 5:15), and “Everything is possible for him who believes” (Mark 9:23).
In fact, God’s sovereignty does not diminish even the expected instances of healing, but rather increases it. God is sovereign, but he is sovereign according to his nature. He is sovereignly generous, compassionate, mindful of men’s suffering, and eager to heal. He is more generous with faith for salvation than we are zealous in preaching about it or skillful in arguing about it. Likewise, he is more generous with faith for healing than we can ask or think. His sovereignty does not reduce the miracles of healing, but is the basis for an abundance of miracles. Since God is sovereign, no theologian, no denomination, no religious tradition, and no heresy of cessationism can stop him from infusing his people with faith for miracles of healing. But woe to those who refuse to approach, and forbid others to enter!
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The Bible uses God’s sovereignty to explain why some people cannot have faith in the gospel, and therefore cannot receive the promise of God (John 6:44, 65, 10:26, Romans 9:18). They are doomed. They will not be saved. The Bible never uses God’s sovereignty to teach that some people could have faith in the promise — but because of the will of God — still cannot receive the promise. God withholds faith from the reprobates, but he never withholds faith to his chosen ones, and he never withholds his promise to those who have faith.
The promise is that we can receive healing for ourselves and command healing in others by faith, and faith itself comes under the sovereignty of God. But God denies faith only to the reprobates. Therefore, a person cannot claim to accept the Bible’s teaching on healing, but at the same time excuse himself and claim that God does not give him faith for it. Since faith is under God sovereign control, his chosen ones are guaranteed the ability to have faith in all of his promises.
The fact that God is sovereign over faith itself destroys all excuses to reject the gospel promise of healing. In fact, we find that God often sovereignly infuses us with even more faith than we usually possess, to receive and to command even greater miracles than we thought we were able. Miracles come by faith, and the will of God denies faith only to reprobates. Therefore, the more someone claims that he does not receive the promise of God because of the will of God, the more he insists that he is reprobate, made for damnation, and reserved for everlasting torture in the fires of hell.