His Wounds, His Blood, Your Spirit is Healed

"He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed." (1 Peter 2:24 ESV)

Some people read the Bible like they are looking through a microscope, they find a couple of words in a verse and say “See, the Bible says ….”. I think some of our charismatic friends read I Peter 2:24 this way, they zero in on one phrase at the end of this verse “…for by His wounds you were healed.” and use it as a proof text that Christians can expect, or even demand healing from God for all their physical, financial and earthly problems. After all, “Does not God want you to be happy?”.

That is like asking the question, “Do you still beat your wife?” No matter how you answer yes or no, you fall into their logical trap, which implicates you in something that you have not participated in. The problem with this “healing on demand” doctrine is that it is not supported by Scripture. Just quoting a few words that are found in the Bible does not make it true.

Before we can use Scripture as proof of our doctrinal position, we must properly interpret the verse or passage that we are reading; we have to keep it in grammatical, biblical, and historical context. This is nothing new for those of you who have followed my devotionals. But still, if we are not careful, we can get pulled into drawing a “logical” conclusion that just isn’t Biblical.

Believers are told, “casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.” (I Peter 5:7); certainly, we are to share our concerns or anxieties or cares with our God who answers prayers. We are to do that because we know that He does indeed care for us, “And we know that for those who love God, all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”(Rom. 8:28). Yet nowhere in Scripture are we told that God owes us healing from our illnesses, financial problems, or earthly circumstances.

In fact, I would argue that Peter, in this letter, is telling the Jewish Christians who have been scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia (1:1) that they need to understand that there will be persecutions and suffering in the believer’s life. The whole intent of this letter is to encourage believers to live holy lives in the face of problems and to be assured that God does indeed care for them.

The major error that those who hold to “healing on demand” make in using the partial verse to support their argument is that the rest of the verse doesn’t speak about physical healing. The whole verse reads, “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.” (I Peter 2:24). As a matter of fact, you really need to go back and read verse 21 to verse 25 to understand better the point that Peter is making. Peter is clearly talking about our spiritual healing and that we are now able to die to sin.

It's important to remember that we are indeed healed by the death of Jesus on the cross. However, this passage and the one in Isaiah 53:5, which Peter is quoting, both speak about spiritual healing, not physical healing. This distinction is crucial for our understanding and spiritual growth.

We have no right to demand, and God has no obligation to provide physical healing for anyone. Now, all this to say, our God can indeed provide miraculous healing; He can use modern surgery and medication to help heal our bodies. But God is not obligated to provide healing to anyone, at any time.

As believers, let us refrain from dictating to God how He should act, insisting that He must heal our bodies, finances, or families. Instead, let’s shift our focus to praising Him with thankful hearts for the spiritual healing that He has already provided. This shift in perspective can bring us a sense of peace and gratitude.

"Living in Grace is not about what I can do, but about what Jesus has already done!"