Understanding Christ our Healer

Introduction

The Christian and Missionary Alliance was founded by A.B. Simpson and his strong

conviction of the fourfold nature of the Gospel—that Christ is the Savior, Sanctifier, Healer and

Coming King. These tenants of the Gospel, while not exhaustive, provide a clear and undeniable

path for understanding God’s work in the world and how humanity interacts with that work. The

purpose of this paper is to investigate the third tenant of the fourfold Gospel, namely that Christ

is our Healer.

Man’s Sin and the Need for Healing

In order to understand Jesus Christ as Healer, one must first understand the nature of sin

which establishes man’s need for healing. The Bible is clear that “all have sinned and fallen short

of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23). When Adam and Eve sinned, they introduced death and

pain into the world and established the pattern of rebellion that plagues all of mankind. (Genesis

3:16-19). Simpson says that because sickness and death are part of the curse of sin, “it must have

its true remedy in the great Redemption” (Simpson, 1890, p. 24). The Apostle Paul writes it this

way in Romans 5:12:

“Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin,

and in this way death came to all people because all sinned.”

It is not enough, however, to understand and acknowledge that all have sinned. The

consequences and results of that sin must also be fully understood in order to grasp the depth of

man’s need for spiritual and physical healing. All sin is wickedness and disobedience and leads
to death. Again, in Romans 6:23, the Apostle Paul says that the “wages of sin is death”, and

James further elaborates on sin’s destructiveness in James 1:14-15. He writes,

“…but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil

desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and

sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.”

As evidenced in these verses, sin always leads to immediate spiritual death. But sin is not just

limited to the spiritual. Sin is also the cause of prolonged physical weakening which is the cause

for physical and bodily sickness. The evangelist and contemporary of A.B. Simpson, Fred

Francis Bosworth says in his first sermon on healing, “The Scriptures declare, in Romans 5:12,

that ‘by one man sin entered the world, and death by sin.’ Here it is plainly states that death

entered the world by sin. Therefore, it is clear that disease, which is incipient death, entered into

the world by sin.” (Bosworth, Christ the Healer, 3) According to Bosworth, death and disease

are directly correlated to the sin that has entered the world. A.J. Gordon agrees, saying that there

is a “subtle, mysterious, and clearly recognized relation of sin and disease” (Gordon, p. 8).

Quoting Edward Irving, Gordon continues saying that “sickness is sin apparent in the body, the

presentiment of death, the forerunner of corruption. Disease of every kind is mortality begun”

(1812, p. 19).

In John 9, Jesus and his disciples stumble upon a man who was blind from birth. Due to the

nature of his sickness, the disciples conclude that his sickness was the direct result of sin (either

his or his parents). In this situation, Jesus instructs his disciples that this sickness was not the

result of sin, but he does not reprimand them for their way of thinking. Oftentimes, there is a
direct connection between sin and physical sickness. David writes in Psalm 38:3 that there was

no “soundness in my bones because of my sin.” David’s health was compromised because of his

sin. Another example is Miriam who became leprous for her sin of judgement against God’s

servant, Moses. Paul even instructs the believers in Corinth that some are sick because they took

the Lord’s communion in an unworthy manner (1 Corinthians 11:30). Scripture clearly teaches

that sickness and death are results of the corruption caused by sin and its devastating effects on

both our souls and our physical bodies.

Divine Healing Found in Jesus’ Atonement

While sin has the power to bring immediate spiritual death and prolonged physical

weakness, Jesus’ atonement has the power to bring immediate spiritual life and even permanent

physical life. Simpson, in his presentation of the Fourfold Gospel says, “divine healing is part of

the redemption work of Jesus Christ. It is one of the things He came to bring. Its foundation

stone is the cross of Calvary.” (Simpson, 1890, p. 23). 1 John 2:2 says that Jesus Christ “…is the

atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.”

Since sin leads to death, Jesus’ sacrifice transforms the believer from immediate spiritual death

to immediate spiritual life. Jesus says in John 5:24:

“Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent

me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death

to life.”

This is the new destiny of the believer because of Jesus’ atoning sacrifice. But immediate

spiritual healing is not the only benefit of Jesus’ atonement. The believer, while still being

plagued with prolonged physical weakening, now has access to and is marked by the blessedness

of Christ’s physical healing in their lives. Isaiah prophesized that the suffering Servant would be
“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.” (Isaiah 53:5). Matthew 8:16-17

connects this prophesy with Jesus’ earthly ministry saying:

“When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to

him, and he drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the since.

This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: “He took

up our infirmities and bore our diseases”.

Furthermore, we see God’s desire for healing in the covenantal name that he shared with his

people in Exodus 15:26. There, God reveals himself as Jehovah Rapha, the Lord our healer.

In his article on Jesus as the healer, Rev. John F. Soper argues that Jesus displays his

Lordship through healing. While healing shows Jesus’ compassion and mercy, it also shows that

he is “not just Lord of our souls but of our bodies as well.” (Soper, Jesus Christ is the Healer).

Author Michael Erdel, in his book With Healing in His Wings, connects the prophecy in Malachi

4:2 (“But to you who fear My name, the Sun of Righteousness shall arise with healing in His

wings…” NKJV) to Jesus’ healing the woman with an issue of blood. He asserts that “we begin

to see the significance of Jesus ministry as Healer in relation to the passage in Malachi 4, in the

word in the original language for ‘wings’. In Hebrew the word means ‘the extreme edge of a

garment’. In Hebrew culture, this wing at the end of the garment would set a man apart as a

Rabbi or teacher.” (Erdel, With Healing in His Wings, 3). Erdel posits that this brings greater

clarity to the story in Mark 5:27-29 when a woman with an issue of blood touches the edge of

Jesus’ garment and is healed.

Christ destroys the root of sickness: sin” but his resurrected life is what “supplies the source of

health and life for our redeemed bodies” (Simpson, 1890, p. 25). As those who have trusted in

Jesus’ atonement, we look forward to the blessed hope where “…there will be no more death or

mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” (Revelation 21:4) and

the present reality of restored health becomes available in our physical bodies.

Prayer and the Role of Elders in Healing

Even though divine healing is available through Christ’s atonement, the Bible provides

some guidance on ways that one would attain it. First, is the importance of faith-filled prayer.

Simpson contends that “true faith implies equal confidence in the willingness of God to answer

this prayer of faith. Any doubt on this point will surely paralyze our prayer for definite healing”

(1890, The Gospel of Healing, pp. 11-12). James agrees, saying that it is the “prayer offered in

faith will make the sick person well” (James 5:15). Throughout Scripture, there is evidence of

men and women who are healed according to and because of their faith (a woman with an issue

of blood in Matthew 9:22, a Canaanite woman with a demon-possessed daughter in Matthew

15:28, blind Bartimaeus in Mark 10:52, and a crippled beggar at the temple in Acts 3:16). These

examples confirm Jesus’ words that “if you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in

prayer” (Matthew 21:22).

James also notes the importance of the Christian community to the manifestation of healing. He

writes:

Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray

over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer
 offered in faith will make the sick person well…Therefore confess your sins to

each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed… (James 5:14, 15a,

16a).

As James portrays, God has often ordained for healing to be brought about in the context of

Christian community. Jesus demonstrated this point saying to his disciples, “if two of you on

earth agree about anything they for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven” (Matthew

18:19). In one instance, a paralytic is brought to Jesus by four men. Since there was no room for

them to get to Jesus, they lowered the man on a mat through a hole in the roof that they had

made. Seeing their faith, the faith of the community, he forgives the man’s sins and eventually

heals his body (Mark 2:5). James teaches that elders of the church should be called upon for the

anointing of oil and for prayer for anyone who is sick. Simpson says that the elders are called to

show that God will use the “the ordinary officers of every single church, the men who are within

reach of every sufferer” to bring about healing for his people (1890, p. 7). This emphasizes the

point that “God is the source of all healing” and not man (Fox & Swinton, 2019, p. 46).

Ministry of healing in the local church

Healing ought to be a significant part of the local church. Paul states that gifts of healing

have been given to some in the church and these gifts should be used to build the body up (1

Corinthians 12:9). Fox and Swinton argue that Jesus’ healing activity would be pointless if he

did not intend for his followers to continue that ministry. To them, “Jesus himself sent his

disciples and other followers to be healers and proclaimers of the kingdom of God, and they did

so both during his life and after his death” (2019, p. 47). That is why there are many examples of

people receiving healing throughout the book of Acts. And these were not just the works of the
Apostles. Stephen was not an apostle, but was noted for being “full of God’s grace and power”

and able to perform “great wonders and signs among the people” (Acts 6:8). Christians today,

like Stephen, can be filled with the Holy Spirit, and God will use them to likewise, perform great

signs and wonders (Gordon, 1924, p. 11).

As the local church, there are several things that we can do to help invite Jesus’ healing presence

within our congregations. First, we need to be congregations of faith-filled prayer. We ought to

be found regularly petitioning to God for the work of Christ’s atonement to touch every part of

our lives. As Simpson says, we need to be “fully persuaded of the Word of God” and “fully

assured of the will of God to heal” (1890, p. 10). We especially need to help spiritually younger

believers with these convictions.

Secondly, we need to maintain a culture of confession, repentance and accountability.

Faithful obedience, “while not a condition of healing, is a very important element of it”

(Simpson, 1890, p. 12). Naaman was not healed after washing six times in the Jordan river, but

only after fully obeying the voice of the Lord and washing seven times (2 Kings 5:14). Our

churches should be places where people can confess their sins to each other and receive the

healing that accompanies confessed sin (James 5:16a). We should be encouraging each other to

obey the voice of the Lord and turn from the prevailing grip of sin that would seek to keep Jesus’

healing from us.

Thirdly, the local church should embrace healing as a way to glorify God and point others

towards Christ. After the healing of the beggar in Acts 3, Peter saw his opportunity (v.12) and

addressed the crowd. He shared the truth about where the power for the healing came from and

offered everyone an opportunity to repent from their sins and put their faith and trust in Jesus’

work on the cross (Acts 3:19). And about five thousand people heard their message that day and
committed their lives to following Christ (Acts 4:4). What was true then, is still true today:

people are moved by the personal experience of others (Thelen, 2017, p. 44). This is especially

true in our post-modern culture. Thelen says that when a person experiences God in some

tangible way, for example, in the experience of physical healing, then it is more likely that

person will be “open to the truth proclaimed” (2017, p.44). Therefore, as the church continues to

allow Jesus to provide physical healing, it will open up opportunity for more Gospel

conversations and more people coming to saving faith in Christ.

Christ as my Healer

There have been numerous occasions when I have experienced the healing touch of Jesus

in my life. One particular time was when I had a very bad toothache. It felt as though I had a bad

tooth infection or abscess. That night I was at church choir practice, and I asked several men

from my section to pray for my tooth. They did and immediately the pain was relieved and never

returned.

Another instance of Christ’s healing came as my wife and I were trying to get pregnant.

We had tried for over a year with no success. Up to that point, we were just focused on

techniques and not deliberating in prayer about the situation. Eventually, after many failed

attempts and frustration, we reached out to a pastor and asked that he and his wife pray for us.

They did pray over us and it was just a few weeks later that my wife had conceived. She would

subsequently conceive a second child as well.

A final example was something that just happened in the summer of 2023. A woman came to our

church for the first time and asked for prayer. She was pregnant and the doctors told her to abort

the baby because it was going to die soon. She did not want to do that and asked if we would
pray with her. My wife and I prayed, and the woman reported how the doctors were amazed how

the baby had turned around and was doing better. They saw it as a miracle. A few months later,

we ran into the woman again and she had informed us that she ended up losing the baby. While

we do not always understand God’s purposes for why he does things, we do believe (and she

believed) that God had healed that baby for a few extra months and we trust that he will use that

experience to draw this woman who was seeking closer to himself.

Conclusion

I conclude by reaffirming my belief in Jesus Christ as the healer. As Fox and Swinton

assert, “all healing [comes] from God, so the healing that Jesus did was a manifestation of God’s

power, a power beyond human power, active in the work of Jesus” (2017, p. 46). Thanks be to

God for providing Christ to be our healer; not just from sin, but from our physical ailments as

well!
 Works Cited
Bosworth, F. F. “Sermon 1 - Healing in the Atonement.” Christ the Healer: Sermons on Divine

Healing, Self-Published, Chicago, Illinois, 1924, pp. 3–4.

Erdel, Michael J. With Healing in His Wings, 1st ed., CreateSpace Independent Publishing

Platform; Scotts Valley, CA, 2016, pp. 4–5.

Simpson, A. B. “Christ Our Healer.” The Fourfold Gospel, Christian Publications Inc.,

Harrisburg, PA.

Fox, B. M., & Swinton, J. (2019). Disability and the way of Jesus: Holistic healing in the

Gospels and the church. IVP, an imprint of InterVarsity Press.

Murray, A. (2022). Divine healing (Rev. and updated ed). Olahuski Books.

Soper, John F. “Jesus Is Still the Healer.” Jesus Christ Is Our Healer,

https://legacy.cmalliance.org/about/beliefs/healer.