Is Physical Healing/Deliverance Guaranteed/Provided For In The Atonement?

The Bible makes it abundantly clear that God wants to heal His people and to prosper them in health. He said, "I am the LORD, who heals you" (Exodus 15:26 KJV). He did this through the atoning sacrifice of Jesus shedding His blood on the Cross. During His ministry on earth Jesus healed everyone who came to Him which was prophesied as proof He was the promised Messiah (Isaiah 26:19, 29:18, 35:5-6).

After John the Baptist was imprisoned, he heard about “the deeds of the Christ” and “sent word by his disciples and said to him, “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?” (Matthew 11:2-3 ESV) Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them. And blessed is the one who is not offended by me” (Matthew 11:4-6 ESV; Luke 7:20-23 - see also Matthew 8:2-4; 9:1-8, 18-19, 23-30, 32-33, 35-36).

There is a belief that healing and deliverance from sickness are absolutely guaranteed in the once and for all atonement of Jesus if a person learns how to pray and ‘exercise’ their faith and authority, resist the devil, walk in the victory and fullness of God, and listen to those who preach positive messages. Those who do this will be healed of every disease and never be sick, as well as have abundant financial/material provision, and prosperity.

The word 'guaranteed' is disappearing from many church Statements of Faith regarding healing and is being replaced by the words 'provided for' because using the word 'guaranteed,' which is defined as a 'certain and assured promise of fulfillment,' is very problematic as most people are not genuinely healed 'instantly' when prayed for and/or their symptoms/issues return days later. In the Bible, Jesus healed everyone who came to Him and needed healing instantly the moment He prayed for them. There was no waiting around for days or weeks for the healing to 'manifest.'

The words ''provided for" are also problematic because they mean 'to cause something to be available or to happen,' which is virtually the same thing as a guarantee, but puts more of the pressure of not being healed instantly on the person rather than God not instantly fulfilling His perceived contractual obligation.

It is also believed that there are conditions attached to receiving the blessings of God and the reason so many do not have the blessing of healing, health, and prosperity is because they are not appropriating them properly through faith.

The atonement is about Jesus, the Lord, and Creator of all things, becoming human according to God’s will “to give His life a ransom”… “for all” (See Acts 2:23; 1 Peter 1:20; Mark 10:45; 1 Timothy 2:6 NIV). God “laid on Him the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:6; also 2 Corinthians 5:21; Gal 3:13 NIV). Jesus “has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God” so that those who believe in Him might receive atonement and “be saved from [God’s] wrath” through “the precious blood of Christ” (Ephesians 5:2; 1 Peter 1:19 NIV - See also Romans 3:22, 5:9 NIV).

When Jesus became the perfect covering, and absolute substitute sacrifice for sin, not only was the wrath of God appeased upon those who repent of their sin and receive Jesus as Lord and Savior, but also the love of God was poured out towards sinful mankind. The intent of the sacrificial death of Jesus on the Cross was not to influence human morals but rather, to satisfy the demands of divine justice (Romans 3:25-26; 5:6-8; John 3:16; Hebrews 9:12,15,26).

Throughout the Old Testament, all the symbols and examples of atoning sacrifice are made complete and are fulfilled in the New Covenant. This was clearly understood by the disciples of Jesus (Hebrews 9:22, 24-28, 12:24;Matthew t 16:13; 26:28; Luke 19:10; John 6:33, 53; 10:10; 14:6,9; 17:2).

The violent death of Jesus brought about reconciliation - or at-one-ment - between mankind and God. It reinstated the intimate position humanity was destined to enjoy with God before the fall in the Garden of Eden.

The atonement cleanses the repentant person from sin. This change starts within the new Born-Again Christian, who is declared a righteous and justified person in Christ at the moment of salvation, and proves it by continually walking before God, by His grace, in holy obedience that works its way out into their attitudes, actions, behavior, beliefs, perspectives, etc., and can help them to be an effective spiritual warrior and a catalyst for change in the world where they live.

The Prophet Isaiah wrote about the coming of the suffering Messiah and graphically described what the Savior would endure while paying the ultimate price for the forgiveness of sins. The teaching that physical healing/deliverance is guaranteed/provided for is based on a single verse that says "By His stripes ye were (past tense) healed" (Hebrews "rapha" = to be completely mended and cured) (Isaiah 53:5 KJV). It is important to note that the verse does not say 'I am being healed,' or 'I will be healed if I have enough faith.' The Born-Again Christian has the faith of Jesus but not His sovereignty (Romans 3:21-22).