~ The Spiritual Gift of Miraculous
Powers -- Healing ~
Opening Comment ~ “Do
not be deceived, my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is
from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no
variation or shadow of turning. Of His
own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of
firstfruits of His creatures” (James 1:16-18).
Category ~ The broad
category is Sign Gifts. The gift of
healing is a sub-set of the gift of miraculous powers.
Definition ~ The
bestowing of divine power in order to physically heal another.
New
Testament Examples ~ There
are numerous accounts of healing in the New Testament by both Jesus and by his
Apostles.
Scripture ~ In the Gospel of Luke alone we find the
account of about twenty of Jesus’ miracles.
Four of those miracles which Luke records are healings.
Scripture ~
“There are diversities of gifts, but the
same Spirit. There are differences of
ministries, but the same Lord. And there
are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in
all. But the manifestation of the Spirit
is given to each one for the profit of all: for to one is given the word of
wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same
Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by
the same Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy,
to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to
another the interpretation of tongues.
But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each
one individually as He wills” (1 Corinthians 12:4-11).
“Now you are
the body of Christ, and members individually.
And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second
prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings,
helps, administrations, varieties of tongues.
Are all apostles? Are all
prophets? Are all teachers? Are all workers of miracles? Do all have gifts of healings? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? But earnestly desire the best gifts. And yet I show you a more excellent way” (1
Corinthians 12:27-31).
Chapter 13 ends with the “more excellent way” explained:
“and now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is
love” (1 Corinthians 13:13).
Quote ~ “I
believe the Holy Spirit gives certain gifts that are peculiar for certain
specific ages. No one today has the same gift that Martin Luther had in his
day. I think the Spirit of God gives
gifts to the body of Christ so that it might function in the age in which it
finds itself in order that the whole body might profit from it.” —J. Vernon
McGee
Note
~ In our era we can take our
needs directly to the Lord Jesus Christ, the Great Physician and Divine
Healer. Certainly we can, and should,
call upon other believers and the Christian leaders to pray for healing on our
behalf. We should place our faith in our
Lord and Savior and not in any specific person. Where do you place your faith?
Closing Comments ~ “Let
no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in
conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity. Till I come, give attention to reading, to
exhortation, to doctrine. Do not neglect the gift that is in you,
which was given to you by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the
eldership. Meditate on these things;
give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all. Take heed to yourself and to the
doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing
this you will save both yourself and those who hear you” (1 Timothy 4:12-16).
“Therefore
I remind you to stir up the gift of God
which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God has not given us a spirit of fear,
but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:6-7).
“As each one has received a gift, minister it
to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God” (1 Peter 4:10).
~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW blog.
* * *
* *
Author web page: http://booksrlr.com/ “Books by Robert Lloyd Russell”
·
Be an insider! Sign up for his Author Newsletter and
receive occasional news and special offers.
His books have won national and international literary awards. Subscribe today and receive a welcome gift. Your email will never be sold, given, or used
in any other way. You can easily
unsubscribe at any time. https://www.subscribepage.com/rlr
Daily blog page: http://robertlloydrussell.blogspot.com/ “Abundant Life Now”
·
The INDEX of topics is accessed by
scrolling down the left column.
·
The current TOP 10 reader favorites are
listed at the bottom of the page.
·
Personal TOP 10 favorites are listed in
the right-hand column of the blog.
Facebook
page: https://www.facebook.com/robertlloyd.russell
