August 1999

• Biblical Healing And Modern Healing

• The Fruit Of The Spirit Is Goodness

• Therefore Comfort One Another With These Words

• Calling Upon The Name Of The Lord

The Jesus of Scripture was a miracle worker and a great healer - "And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name." (John 20:30,31) Twelve men on the day of Pentecost received power from on high to perform miracles and heal the sick. The infancy of the church was characterized by the blessings of miraculous power to heal and administer to those in need.

Biblical healing was indisputable. In Acts 3, a lame man was healed who had been lame "from his mother's womb" - over 40 years (Acts 4:22). The Sanhedrin acknowledged they could say nothing against what had happened because it was positive proof a miracle had occurred. Even the enemies of Jesus never denied His miracles. "And behold, there was a man who had a withered hand. And they asked Him, saying, 'Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?' -- that they might accuse Him." (Matthew 12:10) Notice they accepted the power of Jesus to heal - they were more concerned about whether He could do so on the Sabbath or not.

Biblical healing was to confirm the word. "And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs." (Mark 16:20) The purpose of miracles was to confirm the gospel message that was preached. Jesus used miracles to confirm His authority, His Sonship, His relationship with the Father and His teaching - "I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in My Father's name, they bear witness of Me." (John 10:25) As noted above in John 20:30,31, the miracles John wrote about were to prove Jesus to be the Son of God.

Biblical healing was never accommodating. Paul left Trophimus at Miletus sick (2 Timothy 4:20), encouraged Timothy to drink a little wine for his stomach sake and frequent infirmities (1 Timothy 5:23) and wrote of how sick Epaphroditus had become - almost to death (Philippians 2:25-27). Why didn't Paul just heal these people? Why didn't Paul have someone heal him of his "thorn in the flesh?" (2 Corinthians 12:7-9)

Biblical healing was not done to attract attention nor to gain popularity. John 5:36 shows the mission of Jesus - "For the works which the Father has given Me to finish -- the very works that I do -- bear witness of Me, that the Father has sent Me." On five occasions Jesus commanded those healed to "tell no man." (Matthew 8:1-4; 9:27-31; Mark 3:7-12; 7:31-37; 8:22-26)

Biblical healing dealt with all kinds of diseases and afflictions. Not once did they require a preliminary interview with those to be healed. Never did the lame, blind and dumb fail to be healed and they were never "culled out." There were no failures and no excuses offered. Aeneas had been bedridden eight years and was paralyzed and was healed; Dorcas was raised from the dead; "Now God worked unusual miracles by the hands of Paul, so that even handkerchiefs or aprons were brought from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out of them." (Acts 9:32-43; 19:11,12)

The gospel of Jesus Christ has a changing effect upon those who are molded by it. In baptism, the Holy Spirit is given as a gift to bless and secure the hearts of those cleansed by the blood of Christ. (Acts 2:38,39) The apostle Paul recounts the blessings of the Spirit in Galatians 5 as the "fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law." Here is the character of all those who call upon the name of Jesus Christ. The new creation is formed in obedience - "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new." (2 Corinthians 5:17)

The character of "goodness" is included in the fruit of the Spirit. This grace (among so many) is needed in our day and time so badly. We now hear of "road rage" and a trip to the mall or store can evidence the type of anger and mistrust that people have for one another. Even within the body of Christ, feelings of hostility exist. Paul was dealing with these same issues in his time and how much more do we find those answers for us today.

"For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. But if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another! I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh." (Galatians 5:13-16)

This type of disposition would take away the need to gossip and murmur. Goodness dispels hatred and selfish ambition. Through the action of goodness fornication, adultery, uncleanness and licentiousness will be removed. Instead of outbursts of wrath there will be outbursts of joy and happiness from the hearts of the man or woman filled with goodness. Goodness fights against the works of the flesh. "Against such there is no law." (Galatians 5:23) Goodness is powerful!

Goodness cannot come from man but must come from the Spirit. The fruit of the Spirit is the product of what the Spirit is presenting in my life. I can only bear the fruit of goodness if I am walking in the Spirit. "For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit." (Romans 8:5) The closer I come to God, the more in His likeness I become. "But as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, 'Be holy, for I am holy.'" (1 Peter 1:15,16) From this holiness I learn the lessons of goodness.

"Now I myself am confident concerning you, my brethren, that you also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another." (Romans 15:14) Amen.

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The apostle Paul wrote to the church of the Thessalonians and gave some hope and comfort about the understanding of death. "But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words." (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18)

How comforting to think about being "asleep in Jesus." As John wrote in Revelation 14:12-13, "Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. Then I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, 'Write: `Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.' 'Yes,' says the Spirit, 'that they may rest from their labors, and their works follow them." Death is a time of rejoicing for the children of God to rest from the labors of life.

In the final moments of life and with final words, a voice cries out, "Lord Jesus save me." As an invitation is given to those who need to obey the message of salvation, a plea is given, "Accept Christ as your personal Savior and you will be saved." A tract concludes with the statement that if the reader would rehearse a simple prayer to ask the Lord to come into their hearts that salvation would be given. Can salvation be assured only by "calling on the name of the Lord?"

"Calling upon the name of the Lord" is a doctrine of God's holy Word. This phrase is found twice in the New Testament - Acts 2:21 and Romans 10:13. Peter in his sermon on the day of Pentecost and Paul in his writing to the Romans, quote from Joel 2:32. How are we to understand the meaning of "calling upon the name of the Lord?"

The setting for Acts 2:21 is the day when the Holy Spirit came upon the twelve apostles of Christ as He had given them direction to linger in Jerusalem "until you are endued with power from on high." (Luke 24:49) As the apostles were filled with the Holy Spirit they began to speak in tongues (languages) and the people were amazed and perplexed, "saying to one another, 'whatsoever could this mean?' Others mocking said, 'They are full of new wine.'" Peter begins to explain what is happening and says, "This is what was spoken by the prophet Joel," and then quotes Joel 2:28-32. It is here we find the statement of Acts 2:21, "And it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved."

Peter continues in his sermon to preach about Jesus (Acts 2:22-36) with the conclusion in verse 36: "Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ." Convicted in their hearts concerning the message of the Christ, the question is asked, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?" These people wanted to know what to do to be saved. Peter did not tell them to accept Christ as their personal Savior nor just to call upon Him - rather Peter said: "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call." Calling upon the name of the Lord means to repent and be baptized for the remission of sins.

Paul quotes Joel 2:32 in his letter to Rome in Romans 10:13. In the context of Romans 10, he explains this to include submission (v3), confession and belief (v8-13) and the necessity of preaching (vv14-17). Romans 10:17 affirms the meaning of "calling upon the name of the Lord" when Paul writes: "So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." Faith is respondent upon hearing the word of God and believing it. Salvation is something beyond just saying some words. Further, the letter written to the Romans includes the same teaching of Peter in Acts 2 - baptism is necessary for salvation. Calling upon the name of the Lord affirms baptism as seen in Romans 6. This reflects the same action taken by Paul in Acts 22:16, "And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord."

Salvation is more than calling upon the name of the Lord as men teach today. Jesus said in Matthew 7:21-23, "Not everyone who says to Me, `Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, `Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' And then I will declare to them, `I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!"

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