REPENTENCE and HEALING

[Yesua888]

"WHY IS MY LOVED ONE SUFFERING" OR "WHY AM I NOT HEALING"?

Early on Monday morning (15 Dec 2025), I was watching a Youtube video which inspired to do more searching and to share my findings on "Why Christians do not heal"

The video is very long, and if anyone wants to see what inspired me to send this post to our forum, this is it:
"A Biblical Process for Healing That Actually Works — 90% Success Rate - #151 Beatty Carmichael"

More on "Why Christians do not heal?"

The absence of physical healing among Christians is not due to a lack of faith or divine disfavour, but rather because God’s will may include using suffering for spiritual purposes, and dependence on Him. His ultimate plan includes eternal healing beyond this life.

Apostle Paul himself had a persistent physical affliction that he prayed to be removed, but God responded, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9).

Some believe that spiritual and emotional healing—such as reconciliation with God and inner peace—is of greater importance than physical healing.

Christ’s sacrifice provides ultimate healing of the soul ...

Isaiah 53:5: “But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.” This verse connects Christ’s suffering to spiritual healing and redemption, emphasizing that His sacrifice brings wholeness to the soul.

Regarding suffering in the present life for spiritual growth, Romans 8:28 teaches that “in all things God works for the good of those who love him,” and 2 Corinthians 12:9 reveals that God’s grace is sufficient in weakness, showing that suffering can deepen faith and dependence on God.

Fundamental things that could be holding us back from healing ...

Repentance
Begins with a Change of Mind

Repentance is a churchy word. Sometimes we use religious words without understanding their actual meaning. In the Bible, particularly the New Testament, the word repentance literally means “a change of mind.” It means that we radically shift our thinking, attitude, and mind-set in regard to our sin. We take responsibility and drop the excuses. We stop sugarcoating, minimizing, and blaming.

Repentance
Continues with a Change in Behavior

True repentance does not stop with a change in our thinking, but continues with a change in our behavior. We have all experienced people in our lives who apologize to us over and over for the same offense, and yet their behavior never changes. After a while, the apologies begin to ring hollow.

Imagine that you are out for a long hike in the woods. After walking a while, you recognize that you have taken a wrong turn. You stop hiking in the wrong direction, turn around, and hike back toward the point where you took the wrong turn. That is repentance. First, you recognize that you have gone down the wrong path (your mind changes). Second, you turn around and take intentional steps in the right direction (your behavior changes).

Hope to learn more from my Bros & Sissies in Christ : )

 

[bobinfaith]

Hello Linda;

After reading this article I'd like to share my thoughts and questions. I feel it's our Christian human nature when we are extremely ill or to the point of death we naturally pray to get well. In some ways we are to strive for our healing and well being so we can continue to serve God physically besides spiritually.

After "our time" we'll question why God hasn't healed others or ourselves, or didn't give us a sign that others, or our bodies aren't getting better? Or, when our loved ones pass away we are deeply saddened and then question why?

When I get sick, or when I broke my leg two years ago, I didn't dwell why this happen to me, or lacked faith in healing, or doing a self check regarding my behavior and needing to repent.

I'm not being passive about it. I don't like pain and I do want to remain consistently healthy with one purpose in mind, to serve God wholly. I'm open to what happened, happened. I then go into prayer and share with God my current experience, ask God to help me learn from it and then for patience while He guides me through it.

I do question, could we say our illness, or "illness to the point of death" is one way that God has given each of us an appointed time and is preparing us to be with Him?

Job's extreme bodily break down and spirit brought him to a point of soul searching, perspective (and confusion) with God, so he laments;

Job 14:5-6, 5 Since man’s days are determined and the number of his months depends on You, and since You have set limits he cannot pass, 6 look away from him and let him rest so that he can enjoy his day like a hired hand.

Job 13-15, 13 If only You would hide me in Sheol and conceal me until Your anger passes. If only You would appoint a time for me and then remember me. 14 When a man dies, will he come back to life?
If so, I would wait all the days of my struggle until my relief comes. 15 You would call, and I would answer You. - HCSB

God bless you for sharing, Linda.

To be continued....

bobinfaith

 

[David]

"WHY IS MY LOVED ONE SUFFERING" OR "WHY AM I NOT HEALING"?

Early on Monday morning (15 Dec 2025), I was watching a Youtube video which inspired to do more searching and to share my findings on "Why Christians do not heal"

The video is very long, and if anyone wants to see what inspired me to send this post to our forum, this is it:
"A Biblical Process for Healing That Actually Works — 90% Success Rate - #151 Beatty Carmichael"

We need to slow this down and look at what this video is actually teaching in light of Scripture. Because when something sounds powerful, feels spiritual, and promises results, that is exactly when discernment matters most. This teaching closely mirrors the claims of the Word of Faith movement, even if the labels are avoided. Word of Faith theology turns faith into a mechanism, prayer into a technique, and healing into a predictable outcome. Scripture never does that. God is sovereign. Healing is an act of mercy, not a system to be mastered. Faith trusts God whether He heals now, later, or not at all. The Bible never treats healing as a system you learn, a method you master, or a process you perfect. Healing in Scripture always flows from the sovereign hand of God, not from a spiritual formula. Paul prayed, pleaded, and persisted for healing, and God said no. Not because Paul lacked faith, but because God had a purpose bigger than comfort. “My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness” ~2 Corinthians 12:9. That tells us right away that healing is not something we control.

The video also leans hard into the idea that ongoing sickness usually means there is hidden sin or a generational issue that needs to be uncovered. Jesus shut that thinking down. When the disciples tried to connect suffering directly to sin, Jesus answered, “Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents” ~John 9:3. In other words, not every problem is a penalty. Not every sickness is a signal. Sometimes God is doing something bigger than what we can see, and the Bible warns us not to play spiritual detective where God has not given us the evidence.

Then there is this idea that demons have “legal rights” over believers until certain sins are identified and revoked. That may sound organized, but it is not biblical. Scripture says believers have been delivered, not leased. “Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness” ~Colossians 1:13. You cannot tell me the Spirit of God indwells a person while demons hold court in the same house. “What agreement hath the temple of God with idols?” ~2 Corinthians 6:16. Spiritual warfare is real, but Scripture never describes Christians as demon-occupied and waiting for procedural freedom.

The video also turns repentance into a switch that, once flipped correctly, removes sickness. That is not how repentance works in the Bible. Repentance restores fellowship with God, not guarantees physical outcomes. Timothy was faithful and still sick ~1 Timothy 5:23. Trophimus was loved by Paul and left sick ~2 Timothy 4:20. If illness was normally solved by uncovering the right spiritual cause, these passages would not exist.

Isaiah 53 is another place where the video stretches Scripture. The New Testament tells us exactly what that chapter is about. “Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree… by whose stripes ye were healed” ~1 Peter 2:24. The healing Peter points to is salvation, forgiveness, reconciliation with God. The Bible never promises that every believer will experience full physical healing on this side of eternity.

Here’s the danger. When teaching like this takes root, suffering believers start looking inward instead of upward. They begin asking, What did I miss? What door did I leave open? What sin did I forget? Scripture never puts that burden on the hurting. Faith is not a technique. Trust is not a formula. God is not obligated to perform on our timetable because we followed the right steps.

The Bible calls us to pray for healing, confess sin honestly, forgive freely, and trust God completely. And when healing does not come, Scripture does not call that failure. It calls it faith under fire.

“The secret things belong unto the Lord our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us” ~Deuteronomy 29:29

 

[Yesua888]

We need to slow this down and look at what this video is actually teaching in light of Scripture.
Here’s the danger. When teaching like this takes root, suffering believers start looking inward instead of upward. They begin asking, What did I miss? What door did I leave open? What sin did I forget? Scripture never puts that burden on the hurting. Faith is not a technique. Trust is not a formula. God is not obligated to perform on our timetable because we followed the right steps

. . .

The Bible calls us to pray for healing, confess sin honestly, forgive freely, and trust God completely. And when healing does not come, Scripture does not call that failure. It calls it faith under fire.

“The secret things belong unto the Lord our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us” ~Deuteronomy 29:29

David,
Thank you so much for taking the time and trouble to watch that very long video ... it really did throw me, and make me quite sad ...
Your answer is God Sent; it is perfect in every way.
I feel so relieved to be grounded again : )

David, would you mind if I shared this information publically?
Thanks Linda

 

[Yesua888]

Hi All,
Discernment doesn't come easy for me ... that is why I value the feedback from learned and gifted people - thanks again David : )
Linda

"The Word of Faith movement is a modern Christian theological movement that emphasizes the power of spoken words, positive confession, and faith as a means to achieve health, wealth, and success. It is also known as the Health and Wealth Gospel or Prosperity Gospel. The movement teaches that faith is a tangible spiritual force that believers can use to speak their desired outcomes—such as material prosperity and physical healing—into existence. This teaching is often summarized by the phrase “name it and claim it”.

The movement's foundational beliefs include the idea that believers can access God's promises through verbal confession, with the belief that speaking faith-filled words aligns individuals with God's will and releases divine power into their lives. Central to this theology is the concept of "positive confession," where adherents declare God's promises, such as health and prosperity, as already true, even before experiencing them. This practice is based on interpretations of passages like Mark 11:24, which states, “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours,” and Proverbs 18:21, which says, “Life and death are in the power of the tongue”.

The movement teaches that complete healing of the spirit, soul, and body is included in Christ’s atonement and is available immediately to all who believe, citing verses such as Isaiah 53:5 (“by his stripes we are healed”) and Matthew 8:17. It also asserts that believers have a divine right to prosper in all areas of life, including finances, marriage, and relationships, with prosperity seen as a means to fund missions and help the needy. This view is supported by passages like 3 John 1:2, which prays for physical health and prosperity.

The movement traces its roots to the teachings of E. W. Kenyon, a Baptist minister whose writings influenced Kenneth Hagin, who is regarded as the founder of the modern Word of Faith movement. Hagin began disseminating these views through the Word of Faith magazine in 1966 and later founded a seminary to train ministers. Prominent figures who popularized the movement include Kenneth Copeland, Creflo Dollar, Benny Hinn, and Fred Price, many of whom gained widespread influence through television broadcasts and conferences.

Critics, including various Christian scholars and denominations, argue that the movement misrepresents biblical doctrine. They contend that it distorts the nature of faith by portraying it as a manipulative force rather than trust in God’s sovereignty. The movement is criticized for its emphasis on material prosperity, which some argue contradicts biblical teachings on contentment, suffering, and the cross. Critics also argue that it misinterprets the atonement, suggesting that healing and wealth are guaranteed by faith, which they claim undermines the reality of suffering and God’s sovereign will. Some sources label the movement as heretical or a cult due to its theological deviations.

Despite these criticisms, supporters maintain that the movement affirms core Christian beliefs such as the centrality of Scripture, the deity of Christ, and the importance of faith and prayer. However, the broader scriptural witness presents faith as trust in God’s character and surrender to His purposes, not as a tool to control outcomes or guarantee material blessings"

 

[David]

. . .

David,
Thank you so much for taking the time and trouble to watch that very long video ... it really did throw me, and make me quite sad ...
Your answer is God Sent; it is perfect in every way.
I feel so relieved to be grounded again : )

David, would you mind if I shared this information publically?
Thanks Linda

Sure, you are more than welcome to share it.