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Question: The one area that I am finding difficulty with is in the area of divine healing and miracles?
 
Are there people who fall sick or are afflicted by Demons in the world today? If there are then how do these people get healed? No medical college in the world can drive out a devil from a person. In this case if God does not heal or does not work from a higher level to administer grace to this person then what will become of this person?Miracles and healings promised by God are in effect a higher grace imparted to that individual by its creator to deliver that person from affliction – where men can not work.Is this not acceptable with the brethren group? Why is this not acceptable? Is not part of the atonement and redemptive blessing to us?

If the age of miracles is over then Has not God in effect changed? Is it not the Bible which teaches us that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever?

If the age of the apostles are over then does it mean that divine deliverance is over?Because the apostles were the carriers of this divine deliverance to the public. We know that even since the days of the apostles the sick are still there and the same kind of problems we had then is still existing even though we have fancy medical names for them now. If the evil has stayed but the good has stopped then where is the logic.How is this need addressed today?

I would really love to understand this truth as presented in the Bible. Could you graciously explain?
 
I do not attest any of the nonsense we are seeing today in the world under the name of charismatism and divine healing and prosperity gospel and so forth. But is there not a genuine article of God still operating in this mess – age today?
 
Answer By Dr. Silas Nair
 
Dear friend:

Thanks for your questions. I will try to answer them in a spirit of humility because there are some areas into which we can step only with utter dependence on God. Our intelligence or reasoning may sometimes be faulty.

1. Are there people who fall sick or are afflicted by Demons in the world today? Our Lord Jesus began His public ministry by preaching: The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel” (Mk.1.15). Almost immediately we find the demons confronting Him (Cf.v.24). Demon possession was a norm in those days. Gospel proclamation is a declaration of war on the kingdom of darkness and demons will be active. It is possible for people (unbelievers) to be afflicted by demons today also. In the case of believers it is possible for demons to influence them. But children of God are exhorted to resist the Devil and he will flee from them. Satan has no right over a believer. It is only as believers yield to the influence of demons that they are able to influence them. Since the Spirit of God is in every believer, demons will not be able to indwell them.
 
2.  If there are then how do these people get healed? As mentioned earlier demon possession at the time of the Lord and his apostles were a norm, and today it is not so. It is pertinent at this juncture to consider why did the Lord and others cast out demons and perform many miracles. The miracles were not an end in itself. It was always for a purpose. Apostle John was selective about the miracles (signs) of the Lord in his gospel. There are seven of them narrated by him and all are miracles in different spheres. Towards the end of the gospel narrative he writes:”Many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book. But these are written that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God and that believing you might have life through His name” (20.30,31). Apostle Peter too in his address on the day of Pentecost says: Jesus of Nazareth, (is) a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs which God did by him in the midst of you” (Acts 2.23). To the Jews who refused to believe in Him Jesus said: If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not. But if I do, though you believe not me, believe the works: that you may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him (Jn.10.37,38). Therefore the miracles, including casting out demons, were purpose of authenticating the Messenger ( Jesus) and then the message he spoke. When the disciples could not cure a lunatic Jesus said to them: Howbeit this kind goes not out but by prayer and fasting (Mt.17.21).
Though the age of miracles is over believers could still cast out demons by prayer and fasting.
 
3. No medical college in the world can drive out a devil from a person. In this case if God does not heal or does not work from a higher level to administer grace to this person then what will become of this person? Miracles and healings promised by God are in effect a higher grace imparted to that individual by its creator to deliver that person from affliction – where men can not work. Is this not acceptable with the brethren group? Why is this not acceptable? It is true that demon possession and casting out demons pertain to the spirit world. In this short answer it is not possible to cover all the points. It is true also that Medical Colleges/Hospitals are not equipped to cast out demons. The Lord still heals today in answer to prayer. When believers come together and fast pray healing is possible. The Brethren still believe this. But what they don’t believe that there is “Gift of healing” today. As mentioned earlier all miracles (in the age of miracles, such as the time of Moses, of Elijah and Elisha, the Lord and His apostles) were primarily to authenticate the messenger and then the message. With the revelation complete and we have the 66 books of the Bible with us the age of miracles has come to an end.
 
4. Is not part of the atonement and redemptive blessing to us?  Healing is not in the atonement. The words like “he carried our sorrows” and “with his stripes we are healed” etc. (Isa.53.45) does not teach that there is physical healing in the atonement. The healing here is spiritual. He has healed us from our sins.
 
5. If the age of miracles is over then has not God in effect changed? Is it not the Bible which teaches us that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever?  God has not changed and God will not change. Immutability is one of his attributes. God’s plan of salvation ha also not changed. It has always been in the person of Christ.  But God has dealt with men in different ways in different dispensations (please read about the different dispensations in the author’s book on Eschatology)
 
6. If the age of the apostles are over then does it mean that divine deliverance is over? Because the apostles were the carriers of this divine deliverance to the public. We know that even since the days of the apostles the sick are still there and the same kind of problems we had then still exists even though we have fancy medical names for them now. If the evil has stayed but the good has stopped then where is the logic? How is this need addressed today? God who at sundry times and in diverse manners spoke in time past unto the fathers by the prophets has in these last days spoken unto us by His Son” (Heb.1.1). With the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus God has spoken his final word to man. Man is not simply his body. God created man in an upright condition. Man disobeyed and brought sin and misery into the world. God has provided a way of salvation in the person of his Son. When a person repents of his sin and comes to Him he is saved. The Spirit of God indwells him. He will not be troubles by demons any more. God has not cast away man.  He still pleads with man to return to him but man would not.
 
7. I would really love to understand this truth as presented in the Bible. Could you graciously explain? I do not attest any of the nonsense we are seeing today in the world under the name of charismatic and divine healing and prosperity gospel and so forth. But is there not a genuine article of God still operating in this mess – age today? Yes, God is still working. He has done all that needs to be done for the salvation of man, body, soul and spirit. When a sinner repents and believes the gospel his spirit is saved. He is saved from the penalty of sin. In his Christian life he is being saved from the power of sin. The prospect is that he will be finally saved from the presence of sin. This is the redemption of his body. We are waiting for this. Man has made a mess of his life and the only way of redemption is the one provided by the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.

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