FreeTruth

Today's post is my last comment (expanded) from yesterday's conversation. I want to make sure that those who may have missed the comments interact with these thoughts.

I think that it is commendable to have strong faith and trust in the healing grace of God and I would even commend making prayer for healing a matter of first resort (yes I wrote "first" so that we show by our actions that we trust God more than doctors, or whatever our own traditional or alternative treatment of choice may be).

But the great concern I am expressing is over the very bad theology that treats medicine as if it is bad or healing by miracle in this life as if it is an absolute birthright of every believer. To treat medicine as bad is to deny both the goodness of God's creation (which provides cures for disease) as well as the creation mandate of Genesis 1 (which commands us to have dominion over the earth--which includes dominion over disease through whatever ethical means we may discover). Those who despise medicine unwittingly disobey that mandate.

And to treat healing by miracle in this life as an absolute birthright in this life is to confuse the "not yet" (what is a birthright to be given us when heaven dawns) as a "now" (something we can name and claim for here and now all the time). This confusion has led countless sincere but misguided Christians into grave disillusionment and doubt when their namings and claimings have not materialized.

Such teachings are usually what is behind the tragedies such as we're talking about here. The ideas that we can name and claim such things, that we can create miracles by "word-faith", that to go to a doctor when prayers for direct healing have not rendered healing is an evidence of unbelief--are all ideas that are serious distortions of the Word. And they have led to untold grief.

I saw a short video recently by John Piper--(google John Piper, prosperity gospel video)--in which he expresses his very strong feelings against the prosperity gospel (which is part of what we're talking about here). He despises these false teachings because they are misleading and destroying souls. Evangelists and missionaries are promising health and wealth to get converts. In so doing they are not offering people God, the Giver of Life and Savior of souls. They simply are offering people an idol: good health and wealth. This destroys souls in the name of faith.

In this particular case it destroyed a body too.

I admire the faith and the apparent sincerity of this man; I simply grieve the error, ignorance, and irresponsible shepherds that lead people to pursue folly in the name of faith. The costs are catastrophic, both for this life and the next.

Tim

Any more thoughts?

Labels: Dependance on God, Doctrine, Faith, Healing, Persecution

I had another post planned for this morning but this emailed question just came in and as I was answering it I thought i'd include you in the conversation. A friend sent me the following:

Hi Pastor Tim,

What are your views and/or our churches view on "tests of faith" regarding the healing of sickness in people through faith and prayer alone ?

I site the case in Wisconsin where a man (Dale Neumann) was charged with second degree reckless homicide in the death of his daughter who had undiagnosed diabetes. He refused to take his daughter (Madeline) to a doctor even though she had symptoms. She eventually became gravely ill and died on the floor while a prayer group stood over her. The father later testified that " If I went to the doctor, I'm putting the doctor before God". The father had once studied to be a Pentecostal minister. Doctors who testified in the case said that there was a good chance Madeline would have survived if she had gotten the correct meds. including insulin.



What a shame and very sad. I pray that the girl is in heaven and I pray for her parents who are now being persecuted. I personally don't think that going to the doctor is putting a doctor before God. I think doctors were given their expertise, talent and knowledge by God and are tools to be used by him in the healing of sickness. Not everyone can be a doctor, I know I couldn't do it. The other question is: Should this man be put in jail for testing his faith ? I believe his wife was already found guilty and jailed. I feel this gives the liberal media and government another reason to attack fellow Christians. I feel that we as Christians are stereotyped by non Christians and that the results of this mans decision feed that stereotype. I feel a need to defend myself and my faith to people who think that I am another "Dale Neumann". I did not have a chance to talk to Dr. Joe about this but I'm sure he would probably get fired up and have some strong views of his own. I'm just looking for some comfort in your thoughts about this. This has been troubling me the past couple of days.

thanks

My reply was;

Great questions brother.

I only have time for a brief answer bro, but here goes.

I believe in healings, but I also believe God uses doctors at times to bring about that healing. This man’s faith, while sincere, is sadly misguided and as you suggest, almost embarrassing to the testimony of Jesus. This family is clearly the victim of some very bad teaching and theology. They don’t know their Bibles very well, and the result has been tragic.

However, I’m not sure the man should be put in jail for acting on what he honestly believes. But I also know that the world will seize every chance it gets to mock and persecute Christians. This is where the world is so hypocritical. On the one hand if Christians really live what they believe and do daring things for God in that faith, the world calls them fanatics and weirdoes. On the other hand if we don’t live to the max what we believe, or if we somehow fall short, they call us hypocrites.

Jesus addressed this in Luke 7:31-35 when he tells the world of His day: “You can’t make up your mind. If someone comes from God being really “holy” and separated from worldliness (like John the Baptist) you reject him, but if Someone else (like Jesus) comes along who seems worldly—he eats and drinks with sinners-you call him a hypocritical glutton and unholy drunk. The world will condemn Christians no matter what they do.

I grieve for the misguided faith of this now grieving and assaulted father, and I pray for him to see greater light and to have great comfort as he has to face himself and his grief for the rest of his days. I'm afraid he may receive harsh treatment for doing a wrong (however sincere his intent); something Peter warns us aboutin 1 Peter 4:13-16.

At the same time, the way the world is reacting is typical of the ungodly; they simply cannot be pleased—which goes to show that in the final analysis, humans will always find an excuse not to believe. The reason the world condemns Christians no matter what they do is because it is trying to hide from God behind finger-pointing hypocrisy. The world figures that if it can label Christians as either ungodly hypocrites or weird fanatics, it won’t have to face the claims and truth of Christ Himself.

It’s weak, wimpy, and cowardly, but it’s the way the world is.

There’s a perspective for the moment my friend. A lot more could be said, but that’s all that time allows. Keep asking questions.

Your brother,
Tim

What do you think?

Labels: Faith, Healing, Persecution, The World