In Part 1, we established that healing flows from redemption. Jesus healed not as an isolated miracle worker, but as the Redeemer restoring what was lost in the Fall; spirit, soul, and body. Healing was never the goal; reconciliation with God was. Yet Scripture does not end with Jesus’ earthly ministry. Having secured redemption through the cross and resurrection, Christ now continues His work through His Body. This brings us to a crucial question:
How does healing operate today through the Church?
Healing Did Not End With Jesus: It Expanded Through His Body
After the resurrection, Jesus did not withdraw healing power from the earth. Instead, He distributed it.
“As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” – John 20:21
The Church was never meant to admire Christ’s works from a distance. The Church was commissioned to participate in them, not as independent agents, but as vessels through whom His life continues to flow.
This is the distinction we must grasp from the beginning:
Jesus is the source of healing.
The Church is the steward of healing.
“And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.” — Matthew 28:18
Healing as Spiritual Operation, Not Human Ability
Healing in the Church is not a skill to be mastered; it is a spiritual operation of the Holy Spirit.
An operation implies:
- A source beyond the human
- Intentional cooperation
- Order, alignment, and submission
The Church does not generate healing power. It hosts and releases what God supplies.
This is why Scripture consistently emphasizes the work of the Holy Spirit in healing.
The Role of the Holy Spirit in Healing
Healing flows through the Church because the Holy Spirit dwells within the Church.
“It is the Spirit who gives life.” — John 6:63
The same Spirit who raised Christ from the dead now operates through believers. Healing, therefore, is not an external miracle imposed from heaven; it is resurrection life expressing itself through yielded lives.
This is why the early Church prayed, waited, listened, and obeyed before acting. Power followed alignment.
The Gifts of the Spirit: Tools, Not the Foundation
Healing in the Church often operates through the spiritual gifts Scripture describes. These include:
- Gifts of healings
- Working of miracles
- Faith
- Word of knowledge
- Discernment of spirits
These gifts are means, not motives.
They exist:
- To serve redemption
- To edify the Church
- To testify of the Kingdom of God
They do not exist to validate individuals or build platforms.
Gifts function best when identity is settled, and surrender is deep.
“And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.
But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.
For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;
To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;
To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:
But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.”
— 1 Corinthians 12: 6 - 11
Authority Before Power
One of the most significant errors in healing ministry is emphasizing power without teaching authority.
Power can be experienced suddenly.
Authority must be cultivated through obedience and intimacy.
Authority flows from:
- Union with Christ
- Submission to His lordship
- Alignment with His will
This is why some can witness miracles yet lack spiritual maturity. Power may visit, but authority abides.
Gifts can operate without maturity,
but authority cannot.
To put it differently.
Ability can appear before character,
but authority only follows character.
The Emergency Room Doctor vs. the Medical Student
Gift Before Authority
A medical student may:
- Know the theory
- Understand procedures
- Have natural aptitude
But they cannot:
- Operate independently
- Make final calls
- Carry legal responsibility
Why?
Authority requires training, supervision, and accountability.
Spiritual Parallel
Spiritual authority grows through:
- Submission
- Correction
- Waiting
- Process
Gifts may appear early.
Authority emerges late.
The Spiritual Principle?
God gives gifts freely,
but He entrusts authority carefully.
Healing Requires Alignment, Not Performance
Healing as a spiritual operation of the Holy Spirit requires the Church to be aligned in:
- Heart — compassion, humility, love
- Mind — renewed understanding of God’s purpose
- Spirit — sensitivity to the Holy Spirit
Jesus never healed to perform. He healed because He saw the Father working.
When healing becomes performance-driven:
- Pressure replaces compassion
- Results define worth
- Failure produces condemnation
When healing is Spirit-led:
- Love remains central
- Faithfulness outweighs outcomes
- God receives glory regardless of manifestation
Why Not Everyone Is Healed Instantly
Understanding healing as an operation protects the Church from false guilt and false pride.
Healing is not mechanical.
It is relational.
God remains sovereign, wise, and purposeful. Sometimes healing is immediate; sometimes it unfolds; sometimes deliverance precedes healing; sometimes the deepest work is unseen.
This does not negate faith; it deepens trust.
We obey; God produces fruit.
Healing as an Expression of Love
Scripture consistently links healing to compassion.
Jesus healed because He was moved with compassion, not obligation.
Healing without love becomes dangerous.
Love without power becomes incomplete.
The Church is called to carry both.
“God’s power flows best through love that expects nothing in return.”
The Church as a Living Witness
Healing through the Church serves one ultimate purpose:
To bear witness to the risen Christ.
When the Church heals:
- The Kingdom becomes visible
- Death’s authority is challenged
- Hope is restored
- Hearts are turned toward God
Healing is never about drawing attention to the vessel.
It is about revealing the King.
“With great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus.”
— Acts 4:33
“If I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you.”
— Matthew 12:28
“I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”
— John 10:10
“God has given us living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.”
— 1 Peter 1:3
Holding Healing in Its Proper Place
To steward healing rightly, the Church must remember:
- Healing flows from redemption
- Power serves relationship
- Authority grows through obedience
- Love governs all operation
When these remain intact, healing ministry becomes life-giving rather than destructive.
Conclusion: Faithful Stewards of Divine Life
Jesus secured redemption once and for all.
The Church now carries the privilege and responsibility of expressing that redemption in the earth.
Healing is not our invention.
Deliverance is not our achievement.
Power is not our possession.
We are vessels, chosen to host the life of God and release it in obedience and love.
Christ is the source.
The Church is the steward.
The world is the field.
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