Praise the Lord! If you’ve read the end of Job’s story, you know he was healed. It wasn’t God’s will for Job to remain sick, and it isn’t God’s will for you to remain sick either. Job’s story reaffirms that God’s will is always healing.

Some object to my explanation of Paul’s thorn, saying, “But didn’t Paul himself say to the Galatians that he was sick the first time he preached the gospel to them? Wasn’t he speaking of his thorn in the flesh?”

Here is what Paul actually wrote in his letter to the Galatians:

But you know that it was because of a bodily illness that I preached the gospel to you the first time; and that which was a trial to you in my bodily condition you did not despise or loathe, but you received me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus Himself (Gal. 4:13-14).

The Greek word translated illness here in Galatians 4:13 is asthenia , which literally means “weakness.” It can mean weakness because of sickness, but it doesn’t have to.

For example, Paul wrote, “the weakness of God is stronger than men” (1 Cor. 1:25, emphasis added). The word that is translated weakness in this instance is also the word asthenia . It would not make any sense if the translators had translated it “the illness of God is stronger than men.” (See also Matt. 26:41 and 1 Pet. 3:7, where the word asthenia is translated weakness and could not possibly be translated sickness ).

When Paul first visited Galatia, as recorded in the book of Acts, there is no mention of him being ill. There is mention, however, of him being stoned and left for dead, and he was either raised from the dead or miraculously revived (see Acts 14:5-7, 19-20). Surely Paul’s body, after he was stoned and left for dead, would have been in horrible condition with cuts and bruises all over it.

Paul did not have a sickness in Galatia that was a trial to his listeners. Rather, his body was weak from his recent stoning. Most likely, he still carried the reminders of his persecutions in Galatia when he wrote his letter to the Galatians, because he ended his epistle with these words:

From now on let no one cause trouble for me, for I bear on my body the brand-marks of Jesus (Gal. 6:17).

But if that is true, some ask, then why isn’t everyone healed? The answer to that question is best answered by asking another question: Why are not all people born again? All are not born again because they either haven’t heard the gospel or else they haven’t believed it. So, too, each individual must appropriate his healing through his own faith. Many have never yet heard the wonderful truth that Jesus bore their sicknesses; others have heard but rejected it.

God the Father’s attitude toward sickness has been clearly revealed by the ministry of His beloved Son, who testified of Himself,

Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner (John 5:19).

We read in the book of Hebrews that Jesus was the “exact representation of His [Father’s] nature” (Heb. 1:3). There is no question that Jesus’ attitude toward sickness was identical to His Father’s attitude toward sickness.

What was Jesus’ attitude? Not once did he turn away anyone who came to Him requesting healing. Not once did He say to a sick person who desired to be healed, “No, it’s not God’s will that you be healed, so you’ll have to remain sick.” Jesus always healed the sick who came to Him, and once they were healed, He often told them it was their faith that had healed them. Moreover, the Bible declares that God never changes (see Mal. 3:6) and that Jesus Christ “is the same yesterday and today and forever” (Heb. 13:8).

It is often said, “Paul had a thorn in the flesh, and God didn’t heal him.”

The idea that Paul’s thorn was sickness, however, is simply a bad theological theory in light of the fact that Paul told us exactly what His thorn was—an angel of Satan:

Because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me—to keep me from exalting myself! Concerning this I implored the Lord three times that it might leave me. And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me (2 Cor. 12:7-9, emphasis added).

The word translated messenger is the Greek word “aggelos,”* which is translated angel or angels in over 160 places where it is found in the New Testament. Paul’s thorn in the flesh was an angel of Satan sent to buffet him; it was not a sickness or disease.

Notice also that there is no mention of Paul’s praying to be healed nor is there any indication that God refused to heal him. On three occasions, Paul simply asked God if He would remove the buffeting angel, and God said that His grace was sufficient.

Who is the one who gave Paul this thorn? Some believe it was Satan, since the thorn was called an “angel of Satan.” Others believe it was God because the thorn was apparently given so Paul wouldn’t be lifted up in pride. Paul himself said, “To keep me from exalting myself.”

The King James version translates these verses a little differently. Rather than saying, “to keep me from exalting myself,” it says, “lest I should be exalted above measure.” This is an important difference because God is not opposed to our being exalted. In fact, He promises to exalt us if we will humble ourselves. So it is quite possible that God was the one doing the exalting and Satan was trying to stop Paul’s exaltation by assigning a specific buffeting angel to stir up trouble wherever Paul traveled. Yet God said He would use the circumstances for His glory because His power could be manifested more in Paul’s life as a result of his weaknesses.

Regardless, to say that Paul was sick and that God refused to heal him is a gross distortion of what the Bible actually states. In the passage about his thorn in the flesh, Paul never mentioned any sickness, and there is nothing resembling a refusal on God’s part to heal him of his supposed sickness. If an honest person will read through Paul’s listing of all his trials in 2 Corinthians 11:23-30, he will not find sickness or disease even mentioned once.

Jesus responded to Peter’s challenge with a single word: “Come.” If Peter had attempted to walk on the water prior to that word, he would have sunk instantly, as he would have had no promise upon which to base his faith. He would have been stepping out by presumption rather than by faith. Similarly, even after Jesus spoke His word, had any of the other disciples tried to walk on the water, they also would have sunk immediately, as Jesus gave His promise only to Peter. None of them could have met the condition to the promise, as none of them were Peter. Likewise, before any of us attempt to trust one of God’s promises, we must make certain that the promise applies to us and that we are meeting the conditions of the promise.

Peter stepped out on the water. That was the point in time when he trusted, although there is no doubt that he who had been crying out for fear of a ghost just seconds before also had doubts in his head as he took his first step. But in order to receive the miracle, he had to act on his faith. Had he clung to the mast of the boat and dipped his big toe over the boat’s side to see if the water would support his weight, he would never have experienced the miracle. Likewise, before we receive any miracles, we must commit ourselves to trust God’s promise at some point in time and then act on what we believe. There is always a time when our faith is tested. Sometimes that time is short; sometimes it is long. But there is going to be some length of time when we have to disregard the testimony of our senses and act on God’s word.

Peter progressed well at first. But as he considered the impossibility of what he was doing, taking note of the wind and waves, he became afraid. Perhaps he stopped walking, fearful of taking another step. And he who had been experiencing a miracle found himself sinking. We need to continue in faith once we have begun, continuing to act of our faith. Keep pressing on.

Peter sank because he doubted. People don’t often like to blame themselves for their lack of faith. They would rather pass the blame to God. But how do you suppose Jesus would have reacted if He had heard Peter, when he was safely back in the boat, saying to the other disciples, “It was really only God’s will for me to walk part way to Jesus”?

Peter failed because he became afraid and lost his faith. Those are the plain facts. Jesus didn’t condemn him, but immediately stretched out His hand to give Peter something steady to hold. And He immediately questioned Peter why he doubted. Peter had no good reason to doubt, because the word of God’s Son is more certain than anything. None of us ever have any good reason to doubt God’s Word, be afraid or worry.

Scripture is full of victories that were the result of faith and failures that were the result of doubts. Joshua and Caleb possessed the Promised Land because of their faith while the majority of their peers died in the wilderness because of their doubts (see Num. 14:26-30). Jesus’ disciples had their needs supplied as they journeyed two-by-two to preach the gospel (see Luke 22:35), but they once failed to cast out a demon because of their unbelief (see Matt. 17:19-20). Many received healing miracles under the ministry of Christ while most of the sick people in His hometown of Nazareth remained ill because of their unbelief (see Mark 6:5-6).

Like all of them, I’ve personally experienced success and failure according to my faith or doubts. But I’m not going to grow bitter over my failures or blame God. I’m not going to justify myself by condemning Him. I’m not going to search for some complicated theological explanation that reinvents God’s clearly revealed will. I know it is impossible for God to lie. So when I’ve failed, I just repent of my unbelief and start walking on the water once again. I’ve noticed that Jesus always forgives me and rescues me from my drowning!

The verdict is settled: Believers get blessed; doubters don’t! The disciple-making minister follows Jesus’ example. He is full of faith himself, and he admonishes his disciples, “Have faith in God!” (Mark 11:22).

We know that the Bible teaches that our physical bodies are decaying (see 2 Cor. 4:16). There is nothing we can do to stop our hair from graying and our bodies from growing older. Eventually our sight and hearing are not as good as they were when we were younger. We can’t run as fast. Our hearts are not as strong. We’re slowly wearing out.

But that doesn’t mean we have to die of sickness or disease. Our bodies can simply wear out completely, and when we do, our spirits will leave our bodies when God calls us home to heaven. Many believers have died like that. Why not you?

The definition found in Hebrews 11:1 also states that faith is the “conviction of things not seen.” Thus, if we can see something or perceive it with our five physical senses, faith is not required.

Suppose someone said to you right now, “For some reason that I can’t explain, I have faith that there is a book in your hands.” You would, of course, think that something was wrong with that person. You would say, “Why, you don’t need to believe I have a book in my hands, because you can plainly see that I’m holding a book.”

Faith is of the unseen realm. For example, as I’m writing these words, I believe that there is an angel near me. In fact, I’m certain of it. How can I be so sure? Have I seen an angel? No. Have I felt or heard an angel fly by? No. If I had seen an angel or heard or felt one, then I wouldn’t have to believe there was an angel near me—I’d know it.

So what makes me so certain of the angel’s presence? My certainty stems from one of God’s promises. In Psalm 34:7, He promised, “The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him, and rescues them.” I have no evidence for what I believe other than God’s Word. That is true biblical faith—the “conviction of things not seen.” The people of the world often use the expression, “Seeing is believing.” But in the kingdom of God the opposite is true: “Believing is seeing.”

When we exercise faith in one of God’s promises, we often face circumstances that tempt us to doubt, or we go through a period of time when it looks as if God is not keeping his promise because our circumstances are not changing. In those cases, we simply need to resist doubts, persevere in faith, and remain convinced in our hearts that God always keeps His word. It is impossible for Him to lie (see Tit. 1:2).

And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him (Heb. 11:6).

As believers, our faith is built on the foundation that God exists, and that He treats people who seek Him differently than those who do not seek Him. As soon as we truly believe those things, we begin to please God, because we immediately begin to seek Him. Seeking God implies (1) learning His will, (2) obeying Him, and (3) trusting His promises. All three should be components of our daily walk.

This chapter focuses on our walk of faith. It is unfortunate that many have emphasized faith to the point of unbiblical extremes, particularly stressing the area of material prosperity. For that reason, some are apprehensive to approach the subject at all. But just because some people drown in their swimming pools is no reason for us to stop drinking water. We can remain balanced and scriptural. The Bible has plenty to teach on the subject, and God wants us to exercise our faith in His many promises.

Jesus set an example of one who had faith in God, and He expected His disciples to follow His example. Likewise, the disciple-making minister strives to set an example of trust in God, and he teaches his disciples to believe God’s promises. This is vitally important. Not only is it impossible to please God without faith, it is impossible to receive answers to our prayers without faith (see Matt. 21:22; Jas. 1:5-8). Scripture clearly teaches that doubters are deprived of blessings that believers receive. Jesus said, “All things are possible to him who believes” (Mark 9:23).

Because faith is based solely on God’s promises, only one source exists for biblical faith—God’s Word. Romans 10:17 says, “So faith comes from hearing , and hearing by the word of Christ” (Rom. 10:17, emphasis added). God’s Word reveals His will. It is only when we know God’s will that we can believe it.

So, if you want to have faith, you must hear (or read) God’s promises. Faith does not come by praying for it, fasting for it, or having someone lay hands on you to bestow it. It only comes from hearing God’s Word. And once you hear it, you still must make a decision to believe it.

Beyond the acquiring of faith, our faith can also grow stronger. The Bible mentions various levels of faith—from little faith to mountain-moving faith. Faith grows stronger as it is fed and exercised, just like a human muscle. We should continue to feed our faith by meditating on God’s Word. We should exercise it by acting and reacting to everything based on God’s Word. This includes those times when we face problems, worries and concerns. God doesn’t want His children to worry about anything, but rather to trust Him in every situation (see Matt. 6:25-34; Phil. 4:6-8; 1 Pet. 5:7). Refusing to worry is just one way we can exercise our faith.

If we truly believe what God has said, we will act and talk as if it’s true. If you believe that Jesus is the Son of God, you will talk and act like a person who believes it. If you believe that God will supply all your needs, you will talk and act like it. If you believe that God wants you to be healthy, you will act and talk like it. The Bible is full of examples of people who, in the midst of adverse circumstances, acted on their faith in God and received miracles as a result. We’ll consider a few later on in this chapter and in a later chapter about divine healing. (For some other good examples, see 2 Kings 4:1-7; Mark 5:25-34; Luke 19:1-10; and Acts 14:7-10.)

Biblical faith does not operate in our minds, but rather, in our hearts. Paul wrote, “For with the heart a person believes” (Rom. 10:10a). Jesus said,

Whoever says to this mountain, “Be taken up and cast into the sea,” and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is going to happen, it shall be granted him (Mark 11:23, emphasis added).

It is quite possible to have doubts in your head but still have faith in your heart and receive what God has promised. In fact, most times when we endeavor to believe God’s promises, our minds, influenced by our physical senses and Satan’s lies, will be attacked with doubts. During those times we need to replace doubting thoughts with God’s promises and hold fast in faith without wavering.