Statement of Faith #12-Divine Healing

Official Assembly of God Statement of Faith #12-Divine healing is an integral part of the gospel. Deliverance from sickness is provided for in the atonement, and is the privilege of all believers.

Throughout the bible, in both the Old and New Testaments, are examples of Divine healing. Some who were healed were Jews and non-Jews with blindness, leprosy crippling conditions and even death. Because we believe in an unchanging and merciful God, it is also a very large part of our belief system to believe that God still heals. Sometimes He uses doctors to accomplish the healing and other times there is no scientific explanation for a healing. I have seen this personally in those I have prayed for in church, at home or overseas. I have seen healings of blindness, deafness, fibromyalgia, and other physical problems. Several years ago a man was completely healed of his Multiple Sclerosis right in our current church. He is now a pastor.

This is such an important part of what we believe we use the word integral in the statement of faith. Integral means that it is necessary for completeness or essential to our faith.

Even though we believe that God does still heal, we cannot find ourselves focusing on those times where He does not. It is quite common, especially in less developed countries, but I have seen it here as well, for Christians to believe that if they are not healed, it is because they do not have enough faith or because they still have sin in their lives. That is not true. There are times that even though we are not miraculously healed we need to remember that God is still using that condition or illness to His glory. He may be refining the person with the malady but more often, in my opinion, it is because He is using that person's ongoing faithfulness and love to God as an example to others around them. Both Christians and non-Christians cannot help but notice when someone remains peaceful and calm through the bad times as well as the good. Your actions and attitude through the storm will often be more of a witness to God for those around you.

"He called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness. As you go, preach this message: The kingdom of heaven is near. Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, and drive out demons." -Matthew 10:1,2,8,9