Healings, Gifts of

The Gifts of Healings

Pastor Keith Hassell

KENNETH HAG1N: "The purpose of the gifts of healings is to deliver the sick and to destroy the works of the devil in the human body." Concerning Spiritual Gifts, p. 81

LESTER SUMRALL:  "Then there is a sign gift ministry —— the gifts of healing ... Through this ministry the Lord endows His servants with special gifts to pray for specific diseases." The Gifts and Ministries of the Holy Spirit, p. 104

DENNIS BENNETT: "The gifts of healing are for the supernatural curing of injuries, handicaps, and diseases without the aid of natural means or human skills. They are manifestations of the Holy Spirit working through compassionate human channels to the person in need." The Holy Spirit and You, p. 112

I.       DEFINITION: The Gifts of Healings are instantaneous and divine impartations of healing power for the purpose of curing specific sicknesses, diseases, injuries, or handicaps without the aid of natural means or human skills.

II.      What is "healing"?

A.      Webster:  "To make well, sound, or whole; to restore to health; to remedy or amend (any evil, as grief); to restore to original purity or integrity, to return to a sound state."

B.      Healing is deliverance from the oppression of the devil (Acts 10:38)

C.      Areas of Healing

1.       Physical healing of the body and its functions

2.       Inner healing of the mind, will, and emotions

3.       Spiritual healing of spiritual blindness, deafness, and other spiritual disorders

III.     Seven Biblical Ways to be Healed

A.      Praying for yourself believing (Mark 11:24; John 14:13-14)

B.      Prayer of Agreement (Matthew 18:19-20)

C.      Anointing with oil (Mark 6:13; James 5:14-16)

D.      Laying on of Hands (Mark 16:17-18)

E.      Speaking to the "Mountain" (Mark 11:23)

F.      Special Anointings (Acts 19:11-12)

G.      The Gifts of Healings (1 Corinthians 12:8-11)

IV.     It is the Gifts of HEALINGS, not the Gift of HEALING

A.      Many have misunderstood this gift to be the personal ability to heal people. Some refer to those in the ministry of healing as "Faith Healers". This is inaccurate. No one possesses within themselves the power to heal. However, God uses people as "vessels" to carry His healing power to others.

B.      The listing of the "gifts of healing" in 1 Corinthians 12:9 is actually plural in the Greek and should be translated the "gifts of healings".

C.      The Gifts of Healings are exactly what it says, GIFTS

1.       "Gift" in the Greek is "charismata"

2.       Vine's Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words defines "charismata" as "a gift of grace on the part of God as the Donor".

3.       Romans 12:6 states that the gifts (charismata) differ from person to person. We are therefore to operate in faith in the "grace" God has given each of us.

V.      How many "Gifts" of Healings are there?

A.      The lists of men's sicknesses, diseases, etc. are many. Therefore there could be the potential for a gift or "grace" manifested to heal each or any one.

B.      Jesus has given us available power over "all manner of sickness and all manner of disease." (Matthew 10:1). Therefore the only limit to the number of "graces" available is the number of sickness and diseases among mankind.

C.      The Gifts of Healings is the only gift listed in the plural. This indicates that there could be many varieties of this gift demonstrated among the Body of Christ. Not all who operate in this gifting will be used in the same way or will have the same success with similar sicknesses and diseases. There are many giftings of healings available to the members of the Body. They come and go as the Spirit wills.

D.        Examples of People used in the Gifts of Healings

1.       Rev. Stephen Jefferies of England was used by God successfully in curing all kinds of arthritic diseases including rheumatoid arthritis.

2.       Rev. Fred Squire was used by God successfully in opening blind eyes.

3.       Rev. Clifton Erickson was used by God successfully in healing growths such as goiters, cancers, etc.

4.       Smith Wigglesworth was used by God effectively in healing those with epilepsy and seizures.

5.       John Wimber has been used by God effectively in healing those with cancer.

6.       Francis McNutt has been used by God effectively in healing those with deep inner healing needs

7.         Lester Sumrall has been used by God effectively in healing those tormented by devils.

VI.     The Gifts of Healings can be manifested in several different ways as illustrated in the life of Jesus. Some of the methods used by Jesus when healing people were:

A.        Laying on of Hands

B.      Speaking the Word only

C.      Commanding the Person to do something as an act of faith

D.      Putting mud on blind eyes and commanding him to go rinse it off

E.      Telling ten lepers to go show themselves to the priests. They were healed as they went.

F.         Healing Peter's mother-in-law by taking her by the hand

VII.      The Gifts of Healings are manifested as the SPIRIT WILLS (1 Corinthians 12:11)

A.        In the vessel He chooses

B.      In the time He chooses

C.      In the person to be ministered to that He chooses

D.      In the method He chooses

E.      In the results He chooses (some with multiple problems healed of one, etc.)

VIII.  The Gifts of Healings and the Body of Christ

A.      Jesus operated in all of the gifts of healings because He had the Spirit without measure (John 3:34; Hebrews 1:3)

B.        Jesus has given all authority on earth to the Church (Matthew 28:18-20; Ephesians 1:22-23)

C.        The Body of Christ is not one member but consists of many (l Corinthians 12:13-14; Romans 12:3-5). Therefore the total realm of healing is found in the WHOLE of the Body of Christ

D.        We are not to boast beyond our "grace" (Ephesians 4:7; 2 Corinthians10:12-18)