Faith, Authority and Power: What is Healing by Faith?4 min read
Living the Kingdom Lifestyle: Part Two of a Three-Part Series on Healing
Introduction
On 10th March 2024, David Huskisson delivered the second instalment of his three-part series on Healing at Bread of Life Community Church, focusing on “Faith, Authority, and Power”. We learn that “faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God”, so where in God’s Word does faith for healing come from? As we saw in the first message in this series, Jesus said repeatedly that healing is “according to your faith”, so you must find that faith for yourself if you want to follow the early disciples into this ministry (as we went on to do in the final part of this series).
THE FOUNDATION OF FAITH FOR HEALING
David starts with the Atonement, showing that Christ’s death on the Cross provided for healing of our bodies, just as much as healing for our souls – indeed he finds that these two aspects of the gospel are inseparable. Drawing on Isaiah Chapter 53 and John 3:16, perhaps the two best-known proof texts for salvation, he concludes that, if you cannot trust the Cross for physical healing, then you cannot trust it for your salvation either. But it is true, and both aspects apply in the ‘here and now’ as well as in the ‘hereafter’.
THE AUTHORITY TO HEAL IN JESUS’ NAME
Authority is the legal right to exercise control and it operates in secular life as well as in the spiritual realm, illustrated by the faith of the centurion in Matthew chapter 8. Jesus gave authority to His disciples to “heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers and cast out demons” and that mandate extends to all believers today, empowering us to command healing in His name.
David also explained that ‘commanding prayer’ is different from the ‘petitioning prayer’ we are used to (like the Lord’s Prayer, when we on earth petition God in heaven). For healing, it’s the other way round. Seated with Christ in heaven, healing prayer works from heaven to earth.
The Power to Heal
Power is different. It is the force or energy needed to get something done. In the Christian context it operates through believers but originates in the Holy Spirit. Jesus heals today, just as He did in the four Gospels, which was through the power of the Holy Spirit, only now He works through us, as we exercise in faith His authority delegated to us. We are merely the human conduits through whom the Holy Spirit works. It is exhilarating to discover that the power does not come from us – we speak the word with faith and the Holy Spirit does the rest! This partnership with Jesus and the Holy Spirit is foundational to all spiritual gifts, not just healing.
INTEGRATING HEALING IN MINISTRY
Healing was central to Jesus’s ministry and is crucial to ours too today. David showed from the Great Commission in Matthew chapter 28 and Mark chapter 16 that every disciple is called and equipped both to heal the sick and to preach the gospel, and healing is a regular part of our toolkit. Understanding the shift from praying for God’s intervention to commanding healing in Jesus’ name is a pivotal transformation in how believers engage in God’s work.
THE DYNAMICS OF FAITH, AUTHORITY, AND POWER
This session aims to deepen the understanding of how faith, authority and power interplay within a believer’s life, equipping you for active participation in the Gospel’s transformative mission to this sick sinful world.
This foundational groundwork prepares believers for the practical healing applications that will be explored in the concluding part of our series, “Hands-On!”
How has your understanding of biblical healing influenced your spiritual growth? SHARE YOUR STORY IN THE COMMENTS.
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Upcoming in the Series:
Stay tuned for the final part of this series where we’ll dive deeper into practical steps for healing and explore the power of communal faith in action.
Alternatively if you would like to listen and read the first lesson on healing, click here.