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In other words, why do not all devout Christians live long lives and have optimum health as countless scriptures promise, such as: Psalms 84; 90, 91; 103; Pr 10:27, etc?
—Rachel
Did you notice that Jesus warned that some of His disciples would be killed ?
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There are many scriptures about healing:
Exodus 15:26 - I am the Lord who heals you.
—Rache
You did notice that though He is the God Who heals He did discipline Mariam with leprosy for a season ?
You did notice that the Apostle suggested in Galatians that he suffered from some kind of ailment in the eyes? He said they would have plucked out their own eyes for him. There must have been some ailment that he lived with that made his eyes at least at times to be unattractive.
You did notice that he instructed Timothy to care for his stomach ailments with a little wine?
Would God be a big God if He were only the God of people who had NOT physical ailments? I think we can make an idol out of certain blessings.
The real blessing is to know Him Himself and to sink deeper and deeper into Him Himself. There will be a time when DEATH and SICKNESS will be totally eliminated.
Doesn't it build faith to know He is not just the God of those whose physical health is pristine ? His word is true yet it is ALL of His word we should believe.
What about the passages of His supporting grace ? What about Christ telling Paul "My grace is sufficient for you. For My power is made perfect in weakness" ?
We can pray for healing certainly. But we should pray that if it is His will He do so. It is ALWAYS His will that His grace be sufficient for the Christian to live by. That is a constant that never varies.
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The scripture in John 10:10: states: "... I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." Doesn't this scripture mean that God desires for us faithful Christians to be in optimum health?
—Rachel
I think if you check the Greek that should be the ZOE - "life" - the Divine life. I don't think it is the BIOS life. If there was no growing old and expiring to Christians then there would be no need for the resurrection.
And if there were no weakness possibly left in the Christian's body then there would be no need for transfiguration. Leave some room for resurrection, transfiguration, glorification and even rapture.
We believers need live (whether sick or not) by the abundant Divine life of the ZOE.
Did you notice that all three parts of man's being must be presented blameless - the spirit and soul and body (1 Thess. 5:23). It is not JUST the body that needs to be presented blameless at His coming. It is the human spirit and also the human soul that needs to presented blameless before Him at His coming. How can that occur if the Christian does not also allow His grace to be perfected in that Christians's weakness ?
Edited by jaywill, : No reason given.
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