Faith Healing
Table of Contents
Faith Healing: Part 1
SOME months ago this question was put to me: " What do you think of this faith healing?" and I was requested to give my answer in writing. And, now, if the Lord has given me to discern the truth in this matter, I desire to give to His dear ones, who may be in need of a word on this subject, the benefit of all that the Lord has given me, with the prayer that He may use it to His own glory.
The answer to this question involves three points, which to me are increasingly important, as more and more the true character of the evil which is ere long to overwhelm Christendom comes out. In Rev. 3:8 the Spirit says, " I know thy works: Behold I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it; for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name." Here we have " an open door;" a " little strength;" and the " word " and the " name " of the Lord Jesus.
This really gives the position of the faithful. remnant of the church for these days.
Firstly: the " open door." Have we seen that? And have we taken our position as to that word?
Secondly: a " little strength." Have we taken our position as to that?
To me, this involves a position outside all religious systems, and the acknowledgment of weakness and failure.
What then am I to do? The answer is in what follows. " Thou hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name." Are we doing this? Passing over verses 9 and 10 as touching other matter, we get in verse 11 a word which gives emphasis to verse 8 in a wonderful way, " Behold I come quickly, hold fast that which thou hast"-" my word" and " my name "-" that no man take thy crown." The crown is indicative of reward, simply, and the reward is gained or lost by holding fast, in the midst of weakness and failure by letting slip the word and name of the Lord Jesus. " Who hath ears to hear, let him hear! "
Now, the question at once presents itself in this form: What specific acts are we to look for, as expressed in the faithful remnant, which answer to this word, " thou hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name "? and what are we to look for as characterizing the not keeping His word, and the denial of His name? Now, as to this last, the Spirit has taken pains to inform us, in what follows, namely, in the address to Laodicea. " I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot"-lukewarmness, indifference to Christ, and as to that which is so valuable in His sight, His " word" and " name." And then verse 17, the vain boast of self-satisfaction and self-importance. " Because thou sayest, I am rich and increased in goods and have need of nothing."
Do we not see this exemplified everywhere around us? Surely, nothing but the very spirit of the thing itself could blind one's eyes to it. And this is what the Spirit said, and of which He speaks so emphatically in these verses, and which is so important a warning for us in these days.
Now, for the contrast: the specific acts characterizing the faithful remnant. Do we find these anywhere? Are there any people anywhere who are characterized by holding fast His word and His name in the midst of confessed weakness? Shall we find them by these characteristics? and in what will they express it? Let us read from Matt. 18:15-20, where, as if providing for this very time in which we are living, we get, " Fox where two or three are gathered together in my name -gathered in His name. Now, without confining it to this, would not so assembling be specially holding fast His name?-" there am I in the midst of them."
Then, let us look at another word, so intimately connected with this, " This do in remembrance of me."
Here we get the central point, so to speak, of many words of the Lord-" Thou hast kept my word." Let me illustrate. Take the dispensation committed to Moses. What was the central point around which everything clustered? Was it not redemption by blood? The blood-shedding of the paschal lamb? Could any Israelite be said to be keeping the commandments and ordinances of the Lord while this was kept out? (See Ex. 12:1-14.) The passover feast was to be " the beginning of months " and the beginning of the year to them... "And this day shall be a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the Lord throughout your generation; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance forever." And in Num. 9:13, we get the death penalty attached to the non-observance of it. The passover feast, then, was clearly the central point around which all other services and ordinances clustered.
To begin the year without the passover, was to begin wrong. And to begin wrong was to go wrong, as one must start right in order to go right.
It was a redeemed people who were brought to God to serve Him, and the fact of that redemption by blood was of first and all importance, and not to be neglected, nor lost sight of. But we find that in this, as in everything, the Israelites were a failure, as the Books of Judges and of Kings bear witness. Now, to the point in hand. Was not the Lord's Supper, as recorded in the Gospels, given to the disciples to be the central point of this dispensation, as the passover had been of the Jews? And is it not the same practical truth, " redemption by blood," not as a yearly feast, but " as often as ye eat this bread and drink this cup ye do spew the Lord's death till he come."
And how did the apostles understand these words, "as often," and " till he come "? They were so intimately associated in their thoughts, that we read at the close of the second chapter of Acts, " And they continued daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house " (at home). And we find, as the work spread and went on, farther down in the history, in the Acts 20:7, that which seems to show that it was the settled practice of the church, under apostolic guidance, to meet for this on" the first day of the week." (Compare 1 Cor. 11:25,26.)
From these thoughts I am led to this conviction, that the faithful remnant will in these days be found holding fast these two things, in the midst of confessed weakness and failure. The word and the name of the Lord Jesus. The name, surely, carries with it the power and authority of His presence, in the midst, as a divine reality to faith. And His word brings to us, " This do in remembrance of me." His Person the rallying point; His table, the expression of obedience to His word. If this is not what is meant by the expression, " Thou hast kept my word and hast not denied my name," then, I confess, I do not know where to look for it.
If it is, and my heart bows to it, then I am prepared to detect the counterfeit; for surely Satan will have his counterfeit of this. And is not Laodicea what characterizes it? Those who see truth enough to come out of system, while they have not conscience enough to take the right ground, but setting up for themselves in independency-which is surely Satan's ground-they take just so much of the truth as suits their conscience and their pleasure, while the separation from all that is of man, and faithfulness in that which is only of the Lord, is lightly esteemed. And it is not that the faithful ones have set themselves up as being right, and would unchristianize all others. This is Satan's insinuation to blind the eyes and discourage the hearts of the simple. But it is that the faithful hear the truth, see the truth, confess the truth, and desire, while confessing weakness and failure, to walk in the truth; and have conscience enough to regard His honor, and heart enough for that which is so precious to Him; and to be willing to abide the consequences, " the little while," " till he come."
To listen to the reasonings of one's own heart, or of others, is but to be deceived by the insinuations of Satan (Prov. 28:26), and to be led astray; and the result will be to let slip His word, and deny His name, in the very presence of that stirring and awakening word, " Behold I come quickly, hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown." But, it will be said, here are persons who have come out of system, very earnest and devoted Christians, living by faith, healing the sick, casting out devils, and doing wonderful works!
Yes, and we cannot deny their christian profession, their faith-healing, nor their wonderful works; but we may ask you to apply the test of Rev. 3:7-11.
We may ask, Is this position that of the faithful? Are faith-healing institutions the confession of weakness and failure? And the publishing abroad? Does not that sound more like Laodicea? And as to the Lord's table? The holding fast "His word" and "His name"? What is their position? Equivocal, to say the least. A matter. of convenience with some, or of pleasure with others-to, suit themselves wherever they can-or of indifference; or of total neglect on the part of many. And we may ask, What about that faith which publishes abroad its works, while that sweet word, the dying request of our Lord, " This do in remembrance of me," is so lightly esteemed, and manifestly trifled with?
It is not a command, but a dying request. Which, think you, should have the most power over our hearts?
See that father! He gathers his family around his dying couch. To give them a few commandments? No! not a bit; but it may be a few words of exhortation with his dying request. So the blessed Lord has put into our hands the memorials of His dying love, saying, " This do in remembrance of me." Would not regard for " His word" and " His name" lead us to carefulness as to this?
Now it is possible for us to be very faithful and obedient in works for the Lord, while we may be all wrong as to faithfulness and obedience to Him. And this is just the difference between Laodicea and Philadelphia.
Look at that son! His father on leaving home gave him his work, but he, in the spirit of independency concludes there is other work more important. He labors hard, he does his work faithfully; he is working for his father, but he is not faithful and obedient to his father. Peter's zeal for the Lord led him to cut off the ear of the high priest's servant; and in his next step, to suit his own convenience, he denied His name. Is not this just what Christendom is coming to? And if we do not wish to be left to deny His name, ought we not to inquire whether our obedience is for the Lord, or to Him? Faithfulness and obedience to Rim, leaves no room for self-will, nor self-pleasing in anything. We cannot even ask, "Lord, and what shall this man do?" but the answer comes back, " If I will... what is that to thee? Follow thou me." We see, then, that faithfulness consists, not in the amount and quality of work done, but in the " doing always those things that please him." We must begin with Himself, and go on with Himself. If we begin with ourselves, we shall go on with men in indifference as to His word and His name. C. E. H.
(To be continued.)
WE are the present companions of a rejected, absent, unworldly Christ. We recognize the world around us (which has seen and hated Him and His Father, as the Lord Himself says) as morally incurable, awaiting the judgment of His coming day. We look to meet Him in the air, when the hour of His good pleasure to that end shall come; and when that is to be we know not. And we reckon upon returning with Him, first to the execution of judgment, and then to the sharing with Him, in manifestation, the glory of His dominion in the world to come. These things form and define the proper attitude of the saints of this dispensation. It is easy to apprehend this; but to realize it we need simple energetic faith in the power of the Holy Ghost. The faith that cherishes single-heartedness to Christ, and the love for Himself that ever keeps a welcome for Him in the heart.—.1. G. B.
Faith Healing: Part 2
Now, as to faith-healing institutions and their pretensions, I find this objection, they are not according to the word. I will not say they do not heal in some cases, for I have reason to believe they do, though I have not met the cases, so that I could not speak from personal knowledge; but, so far as I understand the position which they take, and the ground which they occupy, it savors of Laodiceanism and Judaism. First, as we have seen, in looseness and indifference to Christ-His Person, His word, and His name: though they use His name freely, and are earnest and devoted, in that which they have chosen for themselves. But lest we should judge harshly, let us put this to the test by the word of God.
And first, What is the truth as to the privilege of the child of God according to James 5:13-16? " Is any afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms. Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church: and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much."
These people claim to act on verse 13. But mark this, the apostle does not say, Has any faith among you? let him open a house of healing. The word says, " Is any afflicted? let him pray." This is where the work begins according to truth. And when through exercise of heart and conscience before God, he is led to call for the elders, he is on the ground of faith; and the anointing with oil in the name of the Lord, and the prayer of faith, follow the faith of the person who at first began to pray over his affliction.
But mark another thing, "If he have committed sins,
they shall be forgiven him. Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another that ye may be healed." And this brings in another and a very important point,. for our consideration, as to whether the affliction and sickness is on account of sins allowed and unjudged as in 1 Cor. 11:29-32, or given as a preventive, as in 2 Cor. 12:7-9. And still another very important point in 1 John 5:14-16, showing that though a person may have been brought to repentance, confession, and self-judgment, yet his sin (and so his sickness) is unto death, and no one led by the Spirit could pray for him, neither could such an one led by the Spirit call for the elders, much less go to a faith-healing institution.
And now, lest any should think I am opposing the truth of God as to the privilege of the child of God in this matter, let me say here, that there are cases of late occurrence, and well authenticated, where persons have been brought into deep exercise by their affliction, and have confessed their sin, and have been raised up according to James 5:14,15. So that I fully believe in it as a. practical truth of Christianity.
But we are told that there are other scriptures more than these which have been noted. As Mark 16:17,. "And these signs shall follow them that believe." Now there is room for question, as to the practical application of this scripture at the present time; and for this reason: It was given to the eleven apostles in connection with the great commission, " Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature," and which on the part of the eleven, and even of the twelve, after Matthias was chosen, was never fully carried out. Then God raised up Paul to do a further work, and in the ministry and epistles of Paul we get a complete answer; for we find the same signs following everywhere among the nations. But when failure has come in, and he is addressing the elders of Ephesus, he makes no mention of signs; and in his charge to Timothy and Titus, we find no mention of signs, until in 2 Thess. 2:9; and here it is, after the working of Satan, with all signs and lying wonders." A most startling fact for our consideration in these
,
days of pretension to apostolic gifts. (Compare also Rev. 16:12-14; Matt. 7:21-23;24. 24.) I give these references as sheaving what is coming; and it is this looseness and indifference of Laodicea that prepares the way for it.
Just one more reference to this side of the question, and then we will look at the Judaistic side. In 1 Corinthians 12: 9, we get " to another gifts of healing by the same 'spirit." Here it is evidently the general statement of the truth, as to gifts in the church. That which the. Lord gives in the beginning, and which might be continued " with signs following," as in Mark, but for the complete failure on the part of the church.
And now let us suppose that these " gifts," "with signs following," had continued until this day, in the midst of the failure and ruin of the church. What should we have had at this time? Rome, with all her arrogant' pretension, proving her authority by miracles, " signs following;" the Greek church doing the same thing; and Protestantism, with its thousand factions and schisms, each setting up its claims, and bringing God in to sanction their heresies by miracles and "signs following." Can any one conceive of anything more terrible? Surely that would make God the author of confusion.
No! beloved re der; God is not the author of confusion in the church. How, then, comes it there? Is it not because man has never been willing to abide in God's order, but is continually introducing his own will and way, and thus departing from God and the truth? Yes, surely, man has proved over and over again in the church, as well as out of it, that he is but a failure, a complete ruin, and that he ruins everything he touches. 'God's work is perfect • His way is also perfect; His order in the church in the beginning was perfect; but who can find it now?
When man departs from God's way, as pointed out in its word, and by the guiding of His Spirit, he goes at his own charges. Satan may help him to work miracles; God never does.
Finally. This thing savors of Judaism. Quotations are taken from Old Testament scriptures as authority for faith-healing, namely, Ex. 15:26;23. 25; Deuteronomy v. 15, and others; and it is claimed that God wants us to be well, and to have healthy bodies-and to support this notion, the promises given under the law are brought in; promises which were conditional, and which Israel never enjoyed because of their failure.
And it is claimed that, through keeping the law, we may claim those promises; and hence we find that, in many cases, this faith-healing is based upon a system of perfectionism, the outcome of man's will, in perverting Christianity by bringing in law-keeping-the error of the Galatians.
Christianity never promises health nor length of days. It comes from heaven, and is in no sense a human invention, but a divine power come into a world under judgment to man, as condemned already, to save him out of it. And in Christ, God's provision is so complete that it saves to the uttermost all who come to God by Him.
And it is an immense comfort that, while we cannot claim exemption from disease, nor miraculous healing of disease, yet we can count on Him who cares for us with an infinite love, and will never leave nor forsake, and will give sickness or health just in the measure and character suited to our need.
And as could be said of Israel, notwithstanding all this sad failure, "In all their affliction he was afflicted." How much more can it be said, " If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?"
But let us not forget; Adam must go out of Eden, because a sinner could not abide in God's presence. Israelites must suffer affliction, because of their own failure; and the church comes under the same governmental dealing. " Whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap ' (Gal. 6:7), and " The same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world." (1 Peter 5:9.)
One thought more, and it is this: If there was ever a man who could claim exemption from affliction on the around of faithfulness, was not the apostle Paul that man? But did he? Please tell us wherein? He tells us of one great affliction for which he besought the Lord thrice that it might be taken from him, but it could not. He tells us of Epaphroditus being sick, and nigh unto death, but this is no evidence that he healed him: though he did heal the sick in many cases no doubt. He leaves Trophimus at Miletum sick. (2 Tim. 4:20.) And why did he not heal Timothy, instead of telling him " to take a little wine for his oft infirmity?" Simply because the Holy Ghost did not lead him in that way.
So that we have need to be watchful against Satan's wiles, and careful to test all these pretensions with the word of God, lest in our zeal to get rid of some affliction, we accept deliverance at the instigation of Satan. The blessed Lord would not make bread of stones to feed Himself, much less would He do it at the instigation of Satan. Better to be sick, than to be healed by Satanic agency; for I hesitate not to say, that all clairvoyant and medium-healing is by Satanic agency, and I know not how much more. As to myself, I must see God acknowledged, Christ exalted, His word and His name bowed to and kept, then I can believe in healing power, where the faith is given, not simply to a man to heal, but also to the one who is exercised in a godly way according to James 5:13.
And now we see that the ground upon which these pretensions are based is not tenable, for it is the ignoring of our true state before God. Sin is here; failure is ours; ruin and confusion have come in, and it becomes us to confess it.
May the Lord give us eyes to see; ears to hear; and hearts to understand and obey; and above all may we endeavor in everything to follow after the things that please Him, who has said, " Behold, I come quickly; (Concluded from page 297.)
hold that fast that thou halt, that no man take thy crown." C. E. H.