Healing In the Atonement, part 8 of 16

There are several other approaches used to prove that healing is guaranteed in the atonement. One reasons that since Jesus died for sins, and all sickness results from sin, then Jesus must've also died for sickness. By the same principle, Jesus died for anything that sin causes. The argument goes like this:

• Jesus died for sins.
• Sickness results from sins.
• Therefore, Jesus died for sickness.

In a manner of speaking, this is true. All of the ills of the world came about somehow because of the original sin. Sin entered the world through one man, Adam, and the entire world, including Adam's descendents, were cursed as a result. We live in a fallen, sin-stained world. Jesus died to free us from it, and eventually, both our bodies and the cosmos will be renewed to their original perfection. That time, however, has not yet come. It won't come until the resurrection. So while it's true that in a manner of speaking, Jesus died so that we could be free, not only from sickness, but also from death, pain, and sorrow, these benefits of the atonement will not be realized until the resurrection. By the same analogy as the above argument, one could say that because "Christ died for sins," (1 Corinthians 15:3) and, "the wages of sin is death," (Romans 6:23) it follows therefore that Christians should not die.

• Jesus died for sins.

• The wages of sin is death.

• Therefore Christians should not die.

This argument fails because the benefit of immortality comes at the resurrection, and not before. Likewise, perfect health is not guaranteed until the resurrection. One might argue:

• Jesus healed during his ministry.
• Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever. (Hebrews 13:8)
• Therefore, it is not God's will that any should be sick today.

The conclusion does not follow from the premises. It would be more accurate to conclude that God still heals today, which I would agree with. Again, the absurdity of this argument can be shown by taking it to its logical conclusion.

• Jesus raised people from the dead.

• Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
• Therefore, it is not God's will that any should die today.

Again, it would be more accurate to say God raises people from the dead today, which is rare if it happens at all. We know that everybody, Christian or not, dies once, therefore, this reasoning cannot be valid. When Jesus raised people from the dead, he did not raise them immortal. They would still have to die. So those raisings were only a taste of what was to come. Jesus will raise us to immortality in the resurrection. Likewise, Jesus' healings were only a taste of what was to come at the time of the resurrection. At the resurrection, we will all enjoy perfect health, but not until then. In the meantime, God will heal people for his glory, as in the case of Lazarus and Tabitha, or because of his mercy, as he healed Epaphroditus.

"But I think it is necessary to send back to you Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow worker and fellow soldier, who is also your messsenger, whom you sent to take care of my needs. For he longs for all of you and is distressed because you heard he was ill. Indeed he was ill, and almost died. But God had mercy on him, and not on him only but also on me, to spare me sorrow upon sorrow." (Philippians 2:25-27)

Paul goes on to tell the Philippians to "honor men like him," because he risked his life and almost died for the work of Christ when he was sent to help Paul. Paul seemed to hold him in high regard, rather than blaming his sickness on personal sin. We should not, therefore, assume that a person's sickness is the result of personal sin. God healed Epaphroditus because of his mercy, and not because his healing was guaranteed.

The absurdity of many of the arguments used to support healing in the atonement can be shown by taking them to their logical conclusions. If everything Jesus died for means that we should enjoy the privileges of them today, then Christians should already be immortal. Yet every single person, Christian or not, will die. "Man is destined to die once." (Hebrews 9:27) We will not enjoy all the privileges of the atonement until the resurrection when our bodies are changed from perishable to imperishable, and from mortal to immortal.

Continue to Part 9.