Was healing provided for in the atonement?
This question continues to be a matter of discussion among believers - especially those who are sick and are praying for healing. My short answer to this question is yes, no, yes. I'll explain at the end.
The most common scripture I hear quoted by people who believe that it is always God's will to heal is I Peter 2:24 "for by His wounds you were healed." A doctrine has formed around this scripture which says that Jesus bore our sickness as well as our sin when he died - therefore if Christ suffered for our sickness, we don't have to.
Objectors to this doctrine point out that this verse from I Peter (a quote from Isaiah) is taken out of context. They say that the healing spoken of by Isaiah and Peter is spiritual healing, not physical healing.
Steve Gregg, one of my favorite Bible communicators, teaches the latter - that physical healing is not a guaranteed provision of the atonement. Follow this link to his sermon to hear him discuss the matter. While I don't agree with all of his conclusions, I do agree with his exegesis of Isaiah 53:4-6 and I Peter 2:24. I think most Biblical scholars would agree that Isaiah is using the imagery of sickness and healing to describe the broken spiritual condition of the nation of Israel and the spiritual healing that would come through the suffering and death of Jesus. The book of Isaiah begins with the same imagery, relating sin to sickness:
"Where will you be stricken again,
As you continue in your rebellion?
The whole head is sick,
And the whole heart is faint.
From the sole of the foot even to the head
There is nothing sound in it,
Only bruises, welts, and raw wounds..." (Isaiah 1:6)
Isaiah isn't morning for the physical pains of his people, but for their spiritual brokenness and rebellion. Likewise, when Isaiah mentions the healing power of Jesus' stripes in chapter 53, it is in the context of Jesus paying for our spiritual rebellion.
"But He was pierced through for our transgressions,
He was crushed for our iniquities;
The chastening for our well-being fell upon HIm,
And by His scourgings we are healed." (Isaiah 53:5)
Isaiah is writing in the typical Hebraic style of poetry where couplets are used to reinforce a point. One statement is followed by another similar statement to interpret and reinforce the first. If one is unsure what is meant by a particular phrase in this style of poetry, one only needs to look at the accompanying phrases- which in this case speak of restoration from our sinful condition. If there is any doubt as to the proper understanding of the healing Isaiah talks about, one only needs to read the context of the statement in Peter's gospel.
"and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed. For you were continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls." (I Peter 3:24.25)
Peter specifically says the healing was so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. The reason the healing came was because we were continually straying like sheep, not because we were continually suffering physical sickness. Even though it is evident that Peter is using a word that typically refers to physical healing, he is using it as a metaphor for spiritual disease and rebellion.
Some claim the earlier portions of the Isaiah passage prove that Isaiah was referring to physical healing and not just spiritual healing.
"He Himself took our infirmities, and carried away our diseases." (Isaiah 53:4)
This passage is quoted by Matthew when describing an instance in Capernaum where Jesus healed all that came to him. There is no reason to argue that Isaiah was specifically referring to physical healing in this part of the prophecy, but Matthew specifically declares that this prophecy was fulfilled through the healing ministry of Jesus prior to his death. There is no reason why Isaiah's reference to Jesus' healing ministry should be referring to the atonement. There are other verses in this same prophecy that clearly aren't related to the atonement, such as those which speak of Jesus growing up like a tender shoot before the LORD. If the healing of diseases was a benefit of the atonement, Jesus wouldn't be able to heal prior to his death, yet he clearly had the power to heal before he went to the cross.
So, if neither Isaiah nor Peter were saying physical healing was purchased on the cross, do we have any assurance that we should expect to be healed when we seek God for healing? Even though I think an honest assessment of these important passages should dissuade us from thinking the authors were referring to physical healing in connection with Jesus' stripes - I think you can still make a case that physical healing is a benefit of the atonement.
I Peter 3:24-25 tell us that we are spiritually healed by the atonement; the result is that we are reconciled to the "Shepherd and Guardian of our souls." The importance of this phrase cannot be overstated. The ultimate purpose of Jesus' death was not so we could be forgiven of sins - it was so we could be united with God - to the one who makes us righteous. Sin was a barrier between us and God. The purpose of breaking down the barrier was so we could be in covenant relationship with God. The full benefit of the atonement isn't forgiveness or healing - it is God. Once the wrath of God was fully satisfied for us, we were able to come to the One who makes us righteous, to the One who heals us.
One of the first promises to Abraham is found in Genesis 15:1: “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.” The ultimate promise to Abraham was more than land or children - it was a relationship with God. This is the promise that we inherit from our father Abraham through Jesus. We must wonder what comes with our relationship with God. What are the benefits of being in union with God? Psalm 103:1-3 says "Bless the LORD, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits: Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases."
When we are united with God through Christ we can expect the benefits that come from being reconciled to Him. When we become members of God's spiritual family, we inherit the Healer. This isn't to say that God is our genie to do our bidding - but if we know the One to whom we are in relationship with, we can trust in his good character and faithfulness towards us. God is Jehovah Rapha our healer - that is his nature. When Jesus came, he revealed to us a perfect picture of the nature of the Father. Jesus didn't passively look upon sickness as an inconvenience of a fallen world. He had compassion on the sick - compassion because he saw it as needless suffering. The Bible regards sickness as a form of oppression and bondage. The woman with sickness caused by a demon in Luke 13 was said to be "bound," and in need of freedom. The stated purpose of Jesus ministry is found in Luke 4:18-19.
"The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,
Because He anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor.
He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives,
And recovery of sight to the blind,
To set free those who are downtrodden.
To proclaim the favorable year of the Lord."
The essence of the gospel message is freedom from whatever is holding you captive. This includes deliverance from sin and deliverance from sickness. This is possible because Jesus ministry initiated a "year", or season of the Lord's favor. Jesus' death ended the enmity between man and God. With the payment for our sins fully met, God is free to relate to us out of the full goodness of his heart - not out of hostility brought on by our rebellious nature. God has always desired to embrace us with his full favor - and the death of Jesus gave him the legal grounds to do it. The year of the Lord's favor didn't end when Jesus ascended to heaven - nor did it end with the apostles, or the completion of the Biblical cannon. The year of the Lord's favor - the favor that gives us the right to be free from spiritual oppression and the bondage of sickness - continues today.
The book of James gives us a practical application of receiving God's favor in the area of physical healing. James 5:14-15 say: "Is anyone among you sick? 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 offered in faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up..."
An important ingredient in praying for the sick is faith. Biblical faith is rooted in either God's character, commands, or promises. If one is struggling over the question of whether or not it is God's will to heal people - look no further than this simple statement. If prayers for healing fall into the category of prayers of faith - then prayers for healing are a reflection on God's will or character. The life of Jesus provides clear evidence that God's desire for us is both spiritual healing and physical healing. James makes no disclaimers that some people won't get healed or that it might be God's will for them to be sick. The simple instructions are that faith filled prayers will bring restoration.
Similarly, the apostle John writes "I pray that in all respects you may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers." (3 John 2) Would John pray this prayer if it wasn't God's will for the church to be in good health? It is not God's will for us to be sick. John's desire was that the physical condition of the congregation reflect their inner condition. We are spiritually healed of our rebellion, and God wants our physical health to reflect our spiritual health. It is telling that physical healings were the primary signs accompanying the preaching of the gospel. Jesus used the illustration of healing a crippled man to display that he also had the power to forgive sins. The man's physical healing was an object lesson that pointed to his spiritual healing. Spiritually we are born again in the image of Christ - made completely whole and perfect. God's will is for our lives to reflect the glory of our renewed spiritual condition. We are to pray for God's will to be done on earth as it is in heaven. Our heavenly state is one of total healing and restoration. God's will is for the reality of our spiritual healing to manifest even in our physical body - and it is the atonement that makes this possible.
So, was healing provided in the atonement? Yes, spiritual healing was provided.
Was physical healing a provision of the atonement? No, Jesus death did not purchase healing for us - Jesus death purchased us.
Can I trust that God will heal me now that I am reconciled to God? Yes - we are united to the Healer.
This question continues to be a matter of discussion among believers - especially those who are sick and are praying for healing. My short answer to this question is yes, no, yes. I'll explain at the end.
The most common scripture I hear quoted by people who believe that it is always God's will to heal is I Peter 2:24 "for by His wounds you were healed." A doctrine has formed around this scripture which says that Jesus bore our sickness as well as our sin when he died - therefore if Christ suffered for our sickness, we don't have to.
Objectors to this doctrine point out that this verse from I Peter (a quote from Isaiah) is taken out of context. They say that the healing spoken of by Isaiah and Peter is spiritual healing, not physical healing.
Steve Gregg, one of my favorite Bible communicators, teaches the latter - that physical healing is not a guaranteed provision of the atonement. Follow this link to his sermon to hear him discuss the matter. While I don't agree with all of his conclusions, I do agree with his exegesis of Isaiah 53:4-6 and I Peter 2:24. I think most Biblical scholars would agree that Isaiah is using the imagery of sickness and healing to describe the broken spiritual condition of the nation of Israel and the spiritual healing that would come through the suffering and death of Jesus. The book of Isaiah begins with the same imagery, relating sin to sickness:
"Where will you be stricken again,
As you continue in your rebellion?
The whole head is sick,
And the whole heart is faint.
From the sole of the foot even to the head
There is nothing sound in it,
Only bruises, welts, and raw wounds..." (Isaiah 1:6)
Isaiah isn't morning for the physical pains of his people, but for their spiritual brokenness and rebellion. Likewise, when Isaiah mentions the healing power of Jesus' stripes in chapter 53, it is in the context of Jesus paying for our spiritual rebellion.
"But He was pierced through for our transgressions,
He was crushed for our iniquities;
The chastening for our well-being fell upon HIm,
And by His scourgings we are healed." (Isaiah 53:5)
Isaiah is writing in the typical Hebraic style of poetry where couplets are used to reinforce a point. One statement is followed by another similar statement to interpret and reinforce the first. If one is unsure what is meant by a particular phrase in this style of poetry, one only needs to look at the accompanying phrases- which in this case speak of restoration from our sinful condition. If there is any doubt as to the proper understanding of the healing Isaiah talks about, one only needs to read the context of the statement in Peter's gospel.
"and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed. For you were continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls." (I Peter 3:24.25)
Peter specifically says the healing was so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. The reason the healing came was because we were continually straying like sheep, not because we were continually suffering physical sickness. Even though it is evident that Peter is using a word that typically refers to physical healing, he is using it as a metaphor for spiritual disease and rebellion.
Some claim the earlier portions of the Isaiah passage prove that Isaiah was referring to physical healing and not just spiritual healing.
"He Himself took our infirmities, and carried away our diseases." (Isaiah 53:4)
This passage is quoted by Matthew when describing an instance in Capernaum where Jesus healed all that came to him. There is no reason to argue that Isaiah was specifically referring to physical healing in this part of the prophecy, but Matthew specifically declares that this prophecy was fulfilled through the healing ministry of Jesus prior to his death. There is no reason why Isaiah's reference to Jesus' healing ministry should be referring to the atonement. There are other verses in this same prophecy that clearly aren't related to the atonement, such as those which speak of Jesus growing up like a tender shoot before the LORD. If the healing of diseases was a benefit of the atonement, Jesus wouldn't be able to heal prior to his death, yet he clearly had the power to heal before he went to the cross.
So, if neither Isaiah nor Peter were saying physical healing was purchased on the cross, do we have any assurance that we should expect to be healed when we seek God for healing? Even though I think an honest assessment of these important passages should dissuade us from thinking the authors were referring to physical healing in connection with Jesus' stripes - I think you can still make a case that physical healing is a benefit of the atonement.
I Peter 3:24-25 tell us that we are spiritually healed by the atonement; the result is that we are reconciled to the "Shepherd and Guardian of our souls." The importance of this phrase cannot be overstated. The ultimate purpose of Jesus' death was not so we could be forgiven of sins - it was so we could be united with God - to the one who makes us righteous. Sin was a barrier between us and God. The purpose of breaking down the barrier was so we could be in covenant relationship with God. The full benefit of the atonement isn't forgiveness or healing - it is God. Once the wrath of God was fully satisfied for us, we were able to come to the One who makes us righteous, to the One who heals us.
One of the first promises to Abraham is found in Genesis 15:1: “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.” The ultimate promise to Abraham was more than land or children - it was a relationship with God. This is the promise that we inherit from our father Abraham through Jesus. We must wonder what comes with our relationship with God. What are the benefits of being in union with God? Psalm 103:1-3 says "Bless the LORD, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits: Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases."
When we are united with God through Christ we can expect the benefits that come from being reconciled to Him. When we become members of God's spiritual family, we inherit the Healer. This isn't to say that God is our genie to do our bidding - but if we know the One to whom we are in relationship with, we can trust in his good character and faithfulness towards us. God is Jehovah Rapha our healer - that is his nature. When Jesus came, he revealed to us a perfect picture of the nature of the Father. Jesus didn't passively look upon sickness as an inconvenience of a fallen world. He had compassion on the sick - compassion because he saw it as needless suffering. The Bible regards sickness as a form of oppression and bondage. The woman with sickness caused by a demon in Luke 13 was said to be "bound," and in need of freedom. The stated purpose of Jesus ministry is found in Luke 4:18-19.
"The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,
Because He anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor.
He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives,
And recovery of sight to the blind,
To set free those who are downtrodden.
To proclaim the favorable year of the Lord."
The essence of the gospel message is freedom from whatever is holding you captive. This includes deliverance from sin and deliverance from sickness. This is possible because Jesus ministry initiated a "year", or season of the Lord's favor. Jesus' death ended the enmity between man and God. With the payment for our sins fully met, God is free to relate to us out of the full goodness of his heart - not out of hostility brought on by our rebellious nature. God has always desired to embrace us with his full favor - and the death of Jesus gave him the legal grounds to do it. The year of the Lord's favor didn't end when Jesus ascended to heaven - nor did it end with the apostles, or the completion of the Biblical cannon. The year of the Lord's favor - the favor that gives us the right to be free from spiritual oppression and the bondage of sickness - continues today.
The book of James gives us a practical application of receiving God's favor in the area of physical healing. James 5:14-15 say: "Is anyone among you sick? 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 offered in faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up..."
An important ingredient in praying for the sick is faith. Biblical faith is rooted in either God's character, commands, or promises. If one is struggling over the question of whether or not it is God's will to heal people - look no further than this simple statement. If prayers for healing fall into the category of prayers of faith - then prayers for healing are a reflection on God's will or character. The life of Jesus provides clear evidence that God's desire for us is both spiritual healing and physical healing. James makes no disclaimers that some people won't get healed or that it might be God's will for them to be sick. The simple instructions are that faith filled prayers will bring restoration.
Similarly, the apostle John writes "I pray that in all respects you may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers." (3 John 2) Would John pray this prayer if it wasn't God's will for the church to be in good health? It is not God's will for us to be sick. John's desire was that the physical condition of the congregation reflect their inner condition. We are spiritually healed of our rebellion, and God wants our physical health to reflect our spiritual health. It is telling that physical healings were the primary signs accompanying the preaching of the gospel. Jesus used the illustration of healing a crippled man to display that he also had the power to forgive sins. The man's physical healing was an object lesson that pointed to his spiritual healing. Spiritually we are born again in the image of Christ - made completely whole and perfect. God's will is for our lives to reflect the glory of our renewed spiritual condition. We are to pray for God's will to be done on earth as it is in heaven. Our heavenly state is one of total healing and restoration. God's will is for the reality of our spiritual healing to manifest even in our physical body - and it is the atonement that makes this possible.
So, was healing provided in the atonement? Yes, spiritual healing was provided.
Was physical healing a provision of the atonement? No, Jesus death did not purchase healing for us - Jesus death purchased us.
Can I trust that God will heal me now that I am reconciled to God? Yes - we are united to the Healer.
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