p. 1 | THE HEALING GOSPEL by L. A. Phippeny

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · May 12, 1898

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 24, No. 19.

THE HEALING GOSPEL.

By L. A. Phippeny

Sin is a disease. It is the most malignant disease that ever found lodgment in human flesh. It is a mysterious thing. Born of the devil, implanted, unhappily by his own consent, in the heart of the man, it pollutes the pure streams of life energy constant flowing from the eternal Source of life, and designed to keep in perfect order the whole body, soul, and spirit.

“Jesus of Nazareth, a Man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by Him in the midst of you;” “who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil;” “for this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.” Acts 2:22; 10:38; 1 Jn. 3:8.

It is mysterious and inexplicable, because, while it must enter through the doors of the mind, as a mental process, it passes thence by some subtle means to the bones and sinews and entire physical body. In name a principle,—the principle of evil,—in reality it attacks the physical organism as a material, destructive agent, beclogging and obstructing the operations of nature’s laws, and producing all the ills and sicknesses that have befallen mankind, with death as the culminating evil. More than mere disease, it is the parent germ of all maladies, the epitome of all unhappiness.

But sad, deplorably sad, as is the picture of this world of human beings bowed beneath the weight of sin and sickness, hindered and restricted in all the avocations of what we now call life, only half living both in body and intellect, there is healing, abundant, free for all.

The Holy One of Israel, beholding the iniquity of the people, speaks of it as a sickness of the body: “The whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint. From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrefying sores.” Isa. 1:5, 6. This is not a picture of the heathen, the presumably vilest of earth; it is a view of the chosen of God, those who receive the greatest blessings He can give them, but who depart from Him. It is a picture of every soul in whom is sin,—of you and of me if we have not found healing. Is there hope under heaven for such?—Listen: “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord; tho your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; tho they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” Verse 18. The Lord Himself says it; then it is surely so. Praise His name!

How is it done? by what miracle is this wondrous change brought about?—Here it is, short, simple, easily told, easily understood: “The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from ALL sin;” “and with His stripes we are healed;” “and this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He that hath the Son hath life.” “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.” 1 John 1:7; Isa. 53:5; 1 John 5:11, 12; Acts 16:31. Here is the wonderful compound, the remedy that never fails to effect a cure, and the means whereby we may obtain it. Here again is a mystery, how simple faith in Him who was bruised for our iniquities, whose blood was poured out for us, can cause such a marvelous transformation of the entire man,—cleansing from all sin, mental and physical. But is it true, as the contrast implies, that this faith, also a purely mental process at the first, will go so far as to open up in and through our physical bodies a channel for the free flowing of that great life force now obstructed by sin and its attendant evils? Can it be so fully and gladly true as to mean the producing of a sound body as well as a clean conscience?

Dear soul, why did you think it ever meant anything else? Who has caused you to imagine that the everlasting and glorious Gospel of salvation from sin is only half operative? An enemy hath done this, and how long and successfully has he blinded God’s children, and caused them to be weak in faith! Do you not know that the power of God unto salvation means entire restoration from every effect of sin? It is even so, and this great truth of the complete work of the Gospel is taught in all the ministry of our great Physician. This was His mission here. “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He hath anointed Me to preach the Gospel to the poor; He hath sent Me to heal the broken-hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised.” Luke 4:18. He went about “preaching the Gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people,” and “doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil.” Matt. 4:23; Acts 10:38.

Now the blessedness of it all is that this complete Gospel message, the healing of the conscience and of the body, is for us now just as

truly and fully as it was for the people then. Never was it intended that the whole of that Gospel should not be in full force from the time of Jesus and the early church on to the end of time. Nowhere can a word be found saying that one portion should cease or be limited. On the contrary, the strongest kind of language proclaims the intent of our Master. “And He said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature. . . . And these signs shall follow them that believe: In My name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.” “All power is given unto Me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, . . . teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you; and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” Mark 16:15–18; Matt. 28:18–20.

Do you believe that the Father, for Jesus’ sake, is able to forgive your sins when you ask Him?—You do? And you do ask Him, and you receive that forgiveness, and He graciously brings peace and consolation to your soul. That is the privilege of every man. Do you believe that the Father, for Jesus’ sake, is able to heal your poor body of its diseases and pains?—Certainly He is able. Then do you ask Him to do so; or do you think it is too great a thing to ask? Now how can you believe one part of this present Gospel message and not the other part? How can you believe that for Jesus’ sake your conscience is freed from its burden of guilt, and yet feel that your body must still remain under the cruel power of Satan? Can you really think it is your Father’s will that His children shall be in any-wise in bondage, when the one great aim of redemption is to set them free? “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you; for every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask Him?” Matt. 7:7–11. “No good thing will He withhold from them that walk uprightly.” Ps. 84:11. “Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases.” Ps. 103:3.

Can more be desired that has not been promised and may be had freely by the simple taking? But all for His honor, and His glory, and not for self. It is His will: “For He hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; neither hath He hid His face from him; but when he cried unto Him, He heard.” Ps. 22:24. “I cried unto Thee, and Thou hast healed me.” Ps. 30:2. Afflicted one, put your whole trust in Him for complete salvation. Ask Him to show you what it is that prevents the blessing from coming, for most assuredly the obstacle is in your own heart; then give it to Him, and prove what the One who “is touched with the feeling of our infirmities” will do for you as soon as you are prepared to let Him. He is a faithful Saviour—“Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to-day, and forever.” L. A. PHIPPENY.