From: "Castillo, Jaime W." <jwcastil@utmb.edu>

Date: Thu, 17 Feb 2000 16:21:51

To: "''WalterMartin@mail.serve.com ' '" <WalterMartin@mail.serve.com>

Subject: WM: Trials and tribulations 2

The same about sickness, God does not use sickness to teach us something. But if we experience it in our bodies, we can stand on God's promise for healing.

----Dave

Dave,

Is this a typo error, or are you actually saying that "God does NOT use sickness to teach us something"? I almost have agreed with you, but then I see contradicting messages in your posts. What about Hebrews 12:6-7, "For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom He receiveth?" Part of chastening of the faithful can be illness, and even death (1 Corinthians 11:28-30). Paul said to the Corinthians not to participate in the Lord's Supper unworthily, for they can become sick or die if they do so. And in this manner God TEACHES US through illnesses, that the Lord's Supper is SACRED. God used Samson's weakness, Paul's thorn, and Jesus' death to TEACH us about His other truths.

Again, I am not arguing against healing as a promise of God, for it is. But sometimes physical healing does not occur. To the faithful however, spiritual healing and blessing does occur in unhealed illness--which is what MATTERS TO GOD. We have to make sure that we get the right message across to the suffering Christian. So far, I am still troubled about Gerald's exposition on WOF quotes, because it seems like the WOF teachers do not mention with same emphasis the other part of the equation: that God in His sovereign plan MAY NOT CHOOSE to physically heal or materially prosper a Christian. And that may not be due to that Christian's lack of faith or presence of sins, but according to God's will and wisdom to build that Christian's faith and sanctification. Paul has shown that to us with his thorn in the flesh, how he relied more on God's grace for his weakness. And there is no documentation that he ever got healed. And we have countless testimonies like his through the centuries. A Christian may die poor or sick, but we can be assured that his blessings which matter FAR MORE than material blessings or physical healing-- will be in HEAVEN. Peter in his epistles used this truth to comfort the persecuted Christians. And yes, persecution is the same a trial as illness or poverty, and we can apply Peter's words to the latter two as well. What I want to know is if WOF teachers stress this ALL-IMPORTANT truth, with EQUAL or even more emphasis than material blessings and physical healing.

Love in Christ,

Jaime