Lesson 282 - Senior
Memory Verse
"The prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up: and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him” (James 5:15).
Cross References
I Working the Works of God
1. A lame man is healed according to the promises of God, [ACT:3:1-10]; [MAK:16:18]; [JHN:14:12-14].
2. Miraculous powers are given by God to the Church, but are only exercised by the administration and inspiration of the Holy Spirit, [ACT:3:11-12]; [1CO:12:4-11], [1CO:12:28-31]; [ROM:12:3-8].
3. Faith in Christ was the enabling power by which the lame man was healed, [ACT:3:13-16]; [ACT:14:9]; [HEB:11:6]; [MAT:8:16-18].
4. Peter exhorted the curious crowd to repent of their sins, and to turn to God, [ACT:3:17-26]; [ACT:5:28-32]; [ACT:14:15-18].
Notes
Power from on High
Jesus had commanded His disciples: "Tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high” [LUK:24:49]). That command had been obeyed, and the disciples had received the baptism of the Holy Ghost and fire. Power to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ was theirs, and God gave ample proof of that divine power by performing many miracles through their ministry.
Jesus had promised His people: "These signs shall follow them that believe; . . . they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover” [MAK:16:17-18]). That promise was already a fact; and, the incident of the lame man's, being healed at the command of Peter and John, was further evidence of God's faithfulness to His promises. Jesus had often healed people to demonstrate His power, and as proof of His divine Sonship. He often used that same means to enliven their faith in Him that He could also forgive their sins. This outstanding miracle gave added proof of His resurrection and Eternal Being.
The incident of the lame man's, being healed at the Temple was not something Peter and John performed by themselves, without the aid or inspiration of God. The Bible states in various places that the Spirit of God is the Divine Teacher and Infallible Guide of the Church of Christ in the absence of Jesus Christ from the earth. (Read [JHN:14:16-17], [JHN:14:26]; [JHN:16:7-15].) Jesus had told His disciples, "Without me ye can do nothing” [JHN:15:5]). (Read also [JHN:8:28]; [JHN:9:33].) After the departure of Jesus from the world, the Holy Ghost has carried on the work of God, which Jesus had instituted.
At no time has the Holy Spirit been subject to man. God is sovereign in everything, and the most devout of God's people are under the leadership of the Holy Ghost. God points this out to His people and inquires of them as to who among them is able to guide or instruct Him. God said: "Who hath directed the Spirit of the LORD, or being his counseller hath taught him? With whom took he counsel, and who instructed him, and taught him in the path of judgment, and taught him knowledge, and shewed to him the way of understanding?” [ISA:40:13-14]). "For who hath known the mind of the Lord? Or who hath been his counseller?” [ROM:11:34]).
The truth of the Holy Spirit's guidance and workings is being emphasized in this lesson because there are men who will point to such incidents as the one related in our lesson text in an attempt to prove that men can receive power from God to heal whomsoever they will, as they personally see fit, without the will and direction of God. Though our text nowhere specifically states that God moved Peter and John to act in faith that the lame man would be healed, there is every reason to think that God did lead them to do it, and no Scriptural reason to think otherwise.
The portion of the Word of God know today as the New Testament was then not written and God desired such public miracles to take place as infallible and irrefutable evidence of the resurrection of Christ and the truth of His Word. Great numbers of unbelievers were won to true salvation because of such deeds. Miracles are not alone for the past days but are still being performed by God. The written Word of God is in our possession now, and it is the highest revelation of God's will that He is going to give to men until the return of Christ to earth again. Miracles are not to supersede the preaching of the Word of God to lead men to repentance and salvation. The greatest miracles ever performed by God are the transformations of men's lives as they believe in Christ unto salvation, as a result of hearing the Word of God!
We know Peter understood these things, because of his statements and sermon to the crowd, which had gathered after the lame man was healed. It seems that some of the crowd were of the opinion that Peter and John had healed the lame man by some power of their own. Peter's statement to the throng is significant: "Ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this? or why look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk? . . . his name through faith in his name hath made this man strong, whom ye see and know: yea, the faith which is by him hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all” [ACT:3:12], [ACT:3:16]).
Faith in His Name
Peter did not hesitate to give Christ the glory for the healing of the lame man. He impressed upon the crowd that faith in the name of Jesus Christ had provided the power for the lame man's healing.
God never performs a miracle to satisfy idle curiosity [MAT:12:38];[MAT:12:39]). Many honest doubters have been truly converted to Christ because God has healed them or performed some other miracle in their behalf in a crucial moment. A miracle will sometimes prove to men more than anything else could, the reality of God's existence. God reveals His power and reality to honest hearts, for He desires men to believe in Him. He does much to enliven their faith in Him that they will become converted and have their sins forgiven. The healing of the lame man was just such an instance.
Peter, knowing that the miracles Jesus had performed were for the purpose of causing men to believe in Him as the Christ of God, and that He had power to forgive their sins, immediately directed the crowd's attention away from the lame man to Him who had performed the deed. (Read [MAK:2:1-12]). Peter reminded them of their past refusal of Jesus as the Christ, their sanctioning of His crucifixion, and their obligation to God to repent of their sins. It is demonstrated beyond the question of a doubt that Peter was right and proper in pointing men to their need of salvation, rather than emphasizing God's ability to heal, for about five thousand men believed on Christ as a result of Peter's sermon.
Divine Healing
Much harm has been done the cause of Christ because of the large numbers of unprincipled men who have comercialised the Bible teaching of Divine Healing. They have not hesitated to claim that they have "gifts of healing.” And can heal all who come to them. Great "healing campaigns” are foisted upon the public under the guise of preaching the Gospel. Usually very little is said about the necessity of men's being born again, because the men who are active in these campaigns are interested in the money that can be had from the crowds, and know little of true salvation.
It is true that among the gifts of the Spirit to the body of Christ is the gift of healing. (Read [1CO:12:9], [1CO:12:28]). However, no one ever need be in doubt, as to the authenticity of any self-styled healers. Jesus never held a "healing meeting”! He healed all who came unto Him, but at the same time directed them to sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon them. (Read [JHN:5:14].) Jesus always directed men's attention from Himself to His heavenly Father, from whom He was sent. The last thing in the world, a true child of God desires is to draw attention to himself for some work that God has done. Peter and John directed the crowd's attention to Jesus, and not to themselves, and declared that the lame man was not healed by any power or holiness of their own.
Such is not the attitude of the so-called "faith healers.” These men and women do all they can to attract people's attention to themselves; and the spirit of such healing meetings is in direct opposition to the Spirit of God. Christ is exalted where the true Gospel is preached, and no one doctrine of the Bible is emphasized above another. Christ placed no price upon His healing power, and anyone else doing so is guilty of commercialising the Gospel. The Bible says, "Whoso boasteth himself of a false gift is like clouds and wind without rain” [PRO:25:14]). It also says: "Freely ye have received, freely give” [MAT:10:8]).
Anyone who has the true gift of healing is going to glorify Christ entirely, as the disciples did. They will be men and women of great holiness and piety, and will have nothing to do with worldly publicity and gain. God has said: "I am the Lord: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another” [ISA:42:8]).
Divine healing is included in the plan of redemption, and is part of the Atonement. (Read [1PE:2:24]; [MAT:8:16-17]; [ISA:53:5].) It is free to all, and for all, and it can be obtained through faith in Christ, as Peter said. We read: "His name through faith in his name hath made this man strong.” Faith in Christ, that He is the propitiation for our sins, and that through His stripes we can be healed, will bring the blessing.
James said: "Is any among you afflicted? let him pray . . . Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: and the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him” [JAM:5:13-15]). This is the proper way to come to God for healing. Those who come to God in the proper manner are healed, for God is faithful to His Word. It is very difficult to find any divine healings from the hands of the so-called "divine healer,” and usually they are revealed for what they are.
Faith is the common denominator by which all men, everywhere, can obtain God's blessings. The rich and the poor, the bond and the free, the Jew and the Greek -– all can have God's blessings by the medium of faith. God is no respecter of persons, and men are totally without merit before God, incapable of winning God's favour by their own devices. Yet by simple, childlike faith we can cause God to set in motion His great power in our behalf. Be it healing for the body, or forgiveness for the soul -– both can be had by faith in God.
Questions
1. What did Peter and John offer to give the lame man instead of money?
2. How was the lame man healed?
3. Why did Peter and John disclaim any credit for healing the lame man?
4. How can healing be acquired today?
5. Does God still perform miracles? and if so, for whom?
6. What was the result of Peter's sermon to the multitude?