God's character
We have now come to the final chapter. In this chapter, I want to take a brief look at the character of God. When we study His character, we can learn much about healing. Each aspect of His character is so rich that an entire book could be written about it. For now, we will consider just a few key points.
As we look at who God is, it becomes clear that there is no place in His nature for giving us physical sickness or suffering.
Reason 98: Jesus and God have not Changed
When we read the New Testament, we see many accounts of healing. Jesus healed all who came to Him, and the disciples also healed many. In other words, Jesus acted as a Healer. And in the new heavens and the new earth, everyone will be completely healed.
And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” And He said to me, “Write, for these words are true and faithful.” (Revelation 21:3-5)
So we know that Jesus was a Healer in the past, and we also know that in the future—when all things are made new—sickness will be no more. In other words, Jesus will still be the Healer in the future. But the question remains: Is Jesus our Healer today?
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. (Hebrews 13:8)
Yes—Jesus was the Healer, He will be the Healer, and because He never changes, He is also the Healer today. What Jesus did for people in the New Testament, He still desires to do today. No matter where or when you live, Jesus wants to treat you the same way He treated the woman with the flow of blood, the blind man, and all the others who were healed in the Bible. Jesus wants to restore you—because He is your Healer today. Let us read other verses that confirm this truth:
For I am the Lord, I do not change. (…) (Malachi 3:6)
But You are the same, And Your years will have no end. (Psalm 102:27)
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. (James 1:17)
With God, there is no change. He chose to heal in the time of Jesus and the disciples. So why would He change now? Why would He be good to that generation, but not to this one? The answer is simple: God was good to the generation of Jesus, He was good to the generation of the disciples, He is good to our generation, and He will always be good. God does not change, and His will remains the same. He wanted to heal people in the past—and He still wants to heal people today.
Reason 99: God cannot Lie
In the previous reasons, we have read many of God’s promises about healing. Throughout both the Old and New Testaments, it is clear that God desires to heal everyone. But how can we be sure that God truly wants to heal us? How do we know He will not go back on His promises? As we saw in the previous reason, Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. This means that God’s will and desire do not change. He still wants to heal. And not only does God remain the same—He also never breaks His promises or covenants. When God gives a promise or enters into a covenant, He always keeps His Word. He is faithful to fulfill what He has spoken. Therefore, we do not need to doubt whether God wants to heal us. In His sovereignty, He has already decided to heal, and He does not change His mind.
Furthermore, it is not even possible for God to lie. God cannot deceive or speak falsely. He wants to heal us, He has made a covenant of healing with us, and that covenant is sure and unchanging.
In hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began. (Titus 1:2)
(...) in which it is impossible for God to lie. (...) (Hebrews 6:18)
God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good? (Numbers 23:19)
How can we know what the truth is? We can know the truth by looking at the life of Jesus. After all, Jesus said of Himself:
I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. (John 14:6)
Jesus was the only Man on earth in whom we could fully see the perfect will and character of God the Father. Therefore, we can be certain that everything Jesus taught and everything He did reveals the perfect will of God—and is the truth.
Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works. Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me, or else believe Me for the sake of the works themselves. (John 14:10-11)
Then Jesus answered and said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner.” (John 5:19)
In the Gospels, we read that Jesus healed all who came to Him, and many passages are devoted to healing. Because of this, we can clearly see God the Father's perfect will regarding health: God desires that everyone be made well. This is the truth.
God cannot go back on this, because He would break His covenant—and that would make Him a liar, which is impossible. God and Jesus are the truth. That is how we can know with certainty that what the Bible says is the truth for our lives. The Bible is not a lie or a collection of stories—it is the living truth of God.
Reason 100: God is a Good God
You only need to open the book of Psalms to read about the goodness of God. And it is absolutely true—we serve a good God.
Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him! (Psalm 34:8)
For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, And abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You. (Psalm 86:5)
For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, And His truth endures to all generations. (Psalm 100:5)
God is a good God. In this book, we have seen that healing is described as something good, while sickness is described as something evil. Under the law of Moses, healing was considered a blessing, and sickness was considered a curse. In the same way, Jesus described healing as something good.
Then Jesus said to them, “I will ask you one thing: Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy?” And when He had looked around at them all, He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he did so, and his hand was restored as whole as the other. (Luke 6:9-10)
Peter also reflected on the life of Jesus and confirmed that He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil.
how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. (Acts 10:38)
So healing is a good gift, and God is a good God. He delights in giving us what is good.
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. (James 1:17)
God desires to care for us as a loving Father. He does not desire to strike us with misfortune or afflict us with disease. Instead, He wants to give us good gifts—and healing is one of them. God is merciful toward His children and a faithful Father. He does not take pleasure in suffering or darkness, but in blessing us.
This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. (1 John 1:5)
God does not withhold good things from His children. When we walk with Him, He desires to pour out His goodness upon us.
For the Lord God is a sun and shield; The Lord will give grace and glory; No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly. (Psalm 84:11)
Every promise God has made in His Word, He desires to fulfill. He wants to give us all of His goodness—including healing.
As His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. (2 Peter 1:3-4)
Reason 101: God is Our Father
As a father, you want everything to go well for your child. You hope your child is healthy, is not bullied at school, makes good friends, finds a job he enjoys, marries a loving and faithful wife, and is blessed in all things. If we, being imperfect, desire the best for our children and do all we can to give them a good start in life, how much more will God the Father bless His children? God is a good God. Even the kindest and most loving earthly father cannot compare to the goodness and love of God for His children. God desires to bless His children abundantly.
Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him! (Matthew 7:7-11)
God is our good Father. He cannot be compared to any earthly father. He delights in giving good gifts, and we have seen in Scripture that healing is one of those good gifts. When we pray and come close to God, we may draw near to Him as our Father. You may see God as your loving Father who truly has your best interests at heart.
Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. (1 John 3:1)
When you are born again and have accepted Jesus, you may know that God has become your loving Father, who desires what is best for you. Just as an earthly father does not want his child to be sick, our heavenly Father does not want you to be sick. We see this clearly in the story of the prodigal son. The son was first in his father’s house. But because he wanted to explore the world, he asked his father for his inheritance. With that money, he went into the world and spent it all on partying, immoral women, and other sinful things. When the money was gone and a famine came, the prodigal son decided to return to his father. What did the father do? Was he angry, or was he glad?
And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. (Luke 15:20)
The father was glad to see him again. But what else made the father rejoice?
For this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ And they began to be merry. (Luke 15:24)
And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and because he has received him safe and sound, your father has killed the fatted calf.’ (Luke 15:27)
The father rejoiced that his son had returned safe and sound. In the same way, our heavenly Father rejoices when we are safe and sound.
Reason 102: God Wants to Answer Our Prayers
In addition to being our Father, God wants to answer our prayers. When we pray according to the will of God, He will answer us. We have seen that it is God’s will for us to be in good health. So when we pray and ask God to heal us and keep us healthy, this is a prayer He desires to answer. When we bring our requests to God in prayer, we can know with confidence that He wants to answer us. This truth is emphasized throughout the New Testament. Here are a few verses:
Ask, and it will be given to you; (…) For everyone who asks receives. (Matthew 7:7-8)
And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive. (Matthew 21:22)
Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them. (Mark 11:24)
And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. (John 14:13)
If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. (John 15:7)
And in that day you will ask Me nothing. Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you. (John 16:23)[1]
When we pray, we may know that God is pleased to give us what we ask for. As long as we pray according to His will, in faith, and with the right motives, God desires to answer us. There is much more to say about prayer, but that is beyond the scope of this book. What matters now is that we see how much God delights in answering our prayers and that He does not ignore them.
[1] See also Matthew 18:19, John 15:16, 16:24, 1 John 3:22, 1 John 5:14-15 and James 5:15-16.
Reason 103: God is a Giver
Another important attribute of God is that He is a Giver. God is eager to pour out His grace upon us. He even gave the most precious gift He had to mankind—Jesus Christ.
He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? (Romans 8:32)
God has given His Son to us. Therefore, we may know that He also desires to give us all other things. Healing is not difficult for God. Compared to the gift of His Son, healing is a small thing. God is a giving God.
If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him! (Matthew 7:11)
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. (James 1:17)
And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:19)
Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart. (Psalm 37:4)
Throughout the Bible, we read that God is a God who blesses and gives. He desired to bless abundantly those who obeyed Him. Consider, for example, the blessing over the lives of Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, the Israelites in the Promised Land, King David, King Solomon, and King Hezekiah. Everyone who sought God and desired to obey Him was blessed and received gifts from God. It is in God’s character and nature to bless people and to give them good gifts.
Reason 104: Jesus' Compassion for Healing
Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. (Isaiah 53:4-5)
We have already studied this passage in depth. In this reason, I want to ask you a question: How much do Jesus and God want you to be in good health? We read that Jesus’ back was broken, He was beaten with many stripes, and He suffered intense pain. The suffering Jesus endured was terrible.
So then Pilate took Jesus and scourged Him. And the soldiers twisted a crown of thorns and put it on His head, and they put on Him a purple robe. Then they said, “Hail, King of the Jews!” And they struck Him with their hands. (John 19:1-3)
Jesus went through all this suffering for our healing. Isaiah tells us that by His stripes we are healed. Jesus bore this pain knowing He was carrying the sickness and sorrow of others upon Himself. He wants you to be healed. He desires to restore you completely—and He even bore stripes on His body to make that possible. Jesus did not go through this agony just because healing is a “nice benefit.” Healing is not something He takes lightly. Jesus sees our healing as something deeply important—so important that He willingly endured beatings for it. And that is a beautiful truth.
In this section, I want to share what I believe is the main reason why God wants to heal you. It is because God loves you and you are His child. Sometimes I hear people say, “God heals you so you can be a great witness for Him.” It is true that you can testify about God’s goodness when He heals you. But I do not believe that is the main reason God wants to heal you.
I believe—and this is my conviction—that the reason God wants to heal you is because He loves you. It is His love, His supernatural goodness, and His grace that move Him to heal, without any hidden agenda. Yes, it is wonderful to testify about healing, but first and foremost, God wants to take care of you because you are His child.
When your father is a doctor, he doesn’t make you sick just to prove he can heal you, does he? He doesn’t make you suffer just so you can tell everyone what a good doctor he is. Why would he do that? In the same way, God doesn’t want you to be sick just so He can heal you and people will talk about it. Of course, it is important to testify when God has healed you. Signs and miracles are meaningful and powerful. But the main reason God wants to heal you is because He loves you.
When Jesus walked the earth, He healed many people. But why did He heal them? Was it so that everyone would testify about Him? In fact, during a certain time in His ministry, Jesus often told people not to talk about what He had done. That command only applied during His earthly ministry—it does not apply today—but it shows something important. Here are some examples where Jesus told people not to speak about the healing He had performed:
And He strictly warned him and sent him away at once, and said to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone; but go your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing those things which Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.” (Mark 1:43-44)
But when Jesus knew it, He withdrew from there. And great multitudes followed Him, and He healed them all. Yet He warned them not to make Him known. (Matthew 12:15-16)
Immediately his ears were opened, and the impediment of his tongue was loosed, and he spoke plainly. Then He commanded them that they should tell no one; but the more He commanded them, the more widely they proclaimed it. (Mark 7:35-36)
And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly warned them, saying, “See that no one knows it.” (Matthew 9:30)
Jesus did not want to be fully revealed at that time, so He commanded people not to speak about Him. Again, this was only for that specific period. Today, we are called to share what Jesus has done.
But here is the point I want to make: Sometimes people say, “I want to be healed in front of a large crowd so everyone can see that God heals.” That is a beautiful desire. But that is not the main reason why God wants to heal you. God wants to heal you because He loves you.
Jesus told people not to testify about their healing, but they often did so anyway. Jesus knew this, and He could have chosen to ignore them. But He didn’t. Do you know why?
And when Jesus went out He saw a great multitude; and He was moved with compassion for them, and healed their sick. (Matthew 14:14)
The reason Jesus healed people was because He was moved with compassion. Jesus desires to heal us because of His love, His goodness, and His mercy. This is very important to understand.
We often think of others when we pray for healing: “I hope Jesus heals me, so that my family members will believe.” Or: “I hope Jesus heals me, so that I can still do this or that for God.” These are good desires, and such things may indeed happen as a result of healing. But this is not the main reason why God wants to heal you. God wants to heal you because He loves you.
Reason 105: Has God Forgotten to be Merciful?
As a final reason, I want to ask you a question. We read that Jesus healed everyone, and we see the promises of healing in both the Old and New Testaments. God healed in the past—but does He still heal today? Some people believe He no longer does. To them, I want to ask:
Will the Lord cast off forever? And will He be favorable no more? Has His mercy ceased forever? Has His promise failed forevermore? Has God forgotten to be gracious? Has He in anger shut up His tender mercies? (Psalm 77:7-9)
What is the answer to this Psalm? I know that God is still merciful, and His goodness endures forever. I know that what He has promised, He will do—and He will not go back on His Word. His promises are sure from generation to generation. God is still gracious today, and His mercy is still available.
God has not changed, even when circumstances seem to say otherwise. God has not changed, even when our feelings or our bodies speak differently. God has promised to be our Healer. And if God has made a promise, then it will come to pass. What did the psalmist do after writing these questions? He chose to reflect on the miracles God had done in the past:
I will remember the works of the Lord; Surely I will remember Your wonders of old. I will also meditate on all Your work, And talk of Your deeds. Your way, O God, is in the sanctuary; Who is so great a God as our God? You are the God who does wonders; You have declared Your strength among the peoples. You have with Your arm redeemed Your people, The sons of Jacob and Joseph. (Psalm 77:11-15)
In this reason, I want to encourage you to reflect on the past. Has God ever performed a miracle in your life? Have you seen others receive healing? Think about the healing power of God—in your life, the lives of others, and the Bible. As you meditate on God’s healing power, your faith will grow for your healing. It is important to remember that God is the God of miracles and the God who heals. What He has done before, and what He has done for others, He wants to do for you—and He wants to do it today.
God has not forgotten to be merciful. He still performs miracles, and every day many people are healed by the power of God.
Summary
In the last chapter of this book, we briefly looked at God’s character and what it teaches us about healing.
First, Jesus and God have not changed. Jesus was a Healer in the New Testament, and He will make all people well in the future. Since Jesus never changes, He is also our Healer today.
Second, God cannot lie. He remains faithful to His promises and covenants. Because He cannot lie, we can trust that He truly wants to heal us.
Third, God is good. Healing is presented in the Bible as a good thing. Since God is good and gives good gifts, we know that He desires to heal us.
Fourth, God is our Father. Just as an earthly father wants the best for his children, our heavenly Father wants us to be healthy and whole.
Fifth, God wants to answer our prayers. If we pray according to His will, He hears us and will answer—He will heal us.
Sixth, God is a Giver. He delights in giving good gifts to His children, and healing is one of those gifts.
Seventh, Jesus paid a high price for our healing. By His stripes, we are healed. Through His suffering, healing became available to us.
Eighth—and I believe this is the most important reason why God wants to heal—is because He loves us. God’s desire to heal is not just so that we can testify about Him or do something for Him. Above all, He heals because He loves us and cares for us.
Finally, Jesus has not forgotten to be merciful. He was gracious then, and He is still gracious today. What Jesus did for people in the New Testament, He also wants to do for you—today.