Difference Between Sin and Sickness (2)

By Hazel Holland

I think it is important for us to consider for a moment the primary difference between sin and sickness—between the spiritual healing of our souls and the physical healing of our bodies. Some believers have wanted to lump sin and sickness together as one and the same as far as the atonement is concerned, but I don’t believe it is biblically sound to do that.

Let us think about it for a minute. Sin deserves the penalty of death, but in no sense can the same be said for sickness or disease. Christ forgave sin, but He never forgave sickness or disease, because it is only sin that has separated us from God. It is sin that demands punishment by a blood sacrifice. It is sin that demands punishment by death. Jesus Christ took the punishment for our sins upon Himself and bore that punishment in our place.

Of course, one of the natural consequences of sin is sickness and disease. But if sickness and disease needed atonement, wouldn’t that imply broken fellowship with God? If we are honest we will have to admit that some of the most important spiritual lessons of life have been learned when we have been flat on our backs from sickness or disease.

Most certainly I believe that the spiritual healing of our souls that Christ purchased for us through His atonement extends from the spiritual realm of our souls into the physical realm of our bodies. By bearing our sins upon Himself, He also ultimately took care of the natural results of sin—sickness, disease, demonic activity and death.

However, having said that, I believe we have to admit that this secondary benefit of the healing of our physical bodies cannot fully be realized here and now. We battle disease and death every day of our lives, because we still live in a sinful world that is groaning to be delivered from the curse of sin.

But the word of faith teachers tell us that the healing promised us in the atonement covers our sins as well as our sicknesses. For them there is no primary difference between the spiritual healing of the soul and the physical healing of the body. Furthermore, they claim we are entitled to receive both spiritual and physical healing here and now by faith. Although they believe that we will receive new glorified bodies at the final resurrection (Philippians 3:21), they also believe that physical healing is guaranteed here and now by faith as we await the end of all things.

I pray that it will become clear as we study the Scriptures that the primary purpose of the atonement was to deal with the spiritual sickness of our souls—sin, whereas the secondary benefit of the atonement was to begin to correct the effects of sin in our bodies such as sickness and disease. Hopefully, we will see that physical healing is a benefit of the atonement, but not an irrevocable gift that we are entitled to receive in the here and now.[1]

(To continue this study go to "Issue of Faith & Healing" (3) at: http://sound-the-trumpet.blogspot.com/2008/09/issue-of-faith-healing-3.html

[1] www.does-god-always-heal.com