The question of healing is essential to understand and apply in a believer’s life. It is a valid question that needs to be asked and understood biblically. The simple answer is, “Yes, Jesus still heals today.” But to understand “healing”, we also need to understand it correctly according to the word of God.
The New Testament teaches that the Holy Spirit gives the gift of healing to the church, and we are to earnestly desire the spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 12:8-11;14:1). All healing and gifts of healing are to glorify God and point to Jesus Christ. God can and does answer prayers for healing when it is in accordance with His will (Hebrews 2:4). Only Jesus has the authority to heal someone (Acts 3:12-13).
It may not always be God’s will to heal someone physically regardless of how much they pray or have faith in God for the healing. If the healing is not in accordance with His will and plan, then there will be no healing at the time. That is why 1 John 5:14 says, “And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us.“
Jesus healed many people, yet there were times when He did not. Some examples of this are at the pool of Bethsaida, Jesus only healed one person from the entire crowd (John 5:1-17). Also, in Mark 1:21-29, we see Jesus departing the masses and going to a lonely place to pray after healing many with diseases and casting out demons. When Peter sought Him as the crowds were searching for Him, Jesus tells Peter in Mark 1:39, “And he said to them, “Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out.” Healing for a person may not be according to the plan of God for their lives, and God has His sovereign purposes for that.
We also see the same with the Apostles, where they did not heal everyone. In 1 Timothy 5:23, Paul says to Timothy, “(No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments.).” In 1 Corinthians 11:30, God allowed sickness as a form of judgment for those who partook of the Lord’s supper with irreverence. Paul also left Trophimus sick in Miletus (2 Timothy 4:20).
Often believers can come to God expecting healing because of God’s love for them, and if they have just enough faith, their healing will come through because it is always God’s will to heal. If this was the case, then Christians should be living in good health all the time, and in fact, there also should be no death.
In conclusion, God can and will heal when it is according to His sovereign will, and at times can choose not to heal someone. Whatever the outcome, it will be for the glory of God. There is coming a time when there will be no more sickness, disease, or death. Revelating 21:4 says, “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
