Another interesting aspect about healing in the gospels and in the book of Acts is that is almost always connected to evangelism.
In the Pentecostal / Charismatic movment, there is a statement that we often hear: Healing is part of our right in Christ’s atonement. Yes, I believe that Christians can and should pray with the faith-filled expectation of God’s loving and powerful healing touch on our lives. This includes spiritual healing, emotional healing, and, yes, physical healing.
But when I read of Christ’s activity and the actions of the early church, most of the people that were healed were not already following Jesus. And the result of such healings was often that a crowd gathered so that Peter, Paul, or someone else could preach Jesus to them.
Thus, it is important that we realize that healing is a sign. Signs are a means to an end, not the end itself. I don’t drive down the interstate looking for a Cracker Barrel sign so I can rejoice over the sign itself. I rejoice when I see the sign, because I know that it points me to where the food is!
Likewise, we as Christians are not to chase after signs. Signs are supposed to follow us. Healing points people to Jesus. Healing is not the meal, but it shows who has the meal.
People sometimes ask me if it is okay to pray for nonbelievers for healing. Well, of course! Jesus did! Paul did! Peter did! What better way to point them to Christ?
By the way, I think street preaching would be much more effective if we took this approach in ministry, don’t you?
