And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. Romans 8:23
Most if not all of the so-called faith healers who are operating these days are scam artists, cruelly preying on sick and pain-filled folks who would do anything and pay any amount to be delivered from their infirmities. Some of the charismatic churches claim that it is God’s will that every sick person be healed, and it is a lack of faith that prevents healing. If this were so, these faith healers could go into any hospital and empty every bed by healing every patient of every disease. They know better than to accept such a challenge. Even the Lord Jesus, Who could and did heal sick people, did not come to us with a ministry of healing of our bodies. And the apostle’s doctrine gives us no instructions or commandments for such healings. We know that God can and does heal in miraculous ways. But the Gospel that offers redemption for our sinful souls contains no redemption – at least not yet – for our sinful bodies.
Our text speaks of waiting for the redemption of our bodies, and often groaning while we wait. It is truly sad to see how some of the Lord’s people are suffering because of the frailty of our mortal forms. Sicknesses and weaknesses afflict us in ways that not even a healthy lifestyle can entirely prevent. While many of our health problems are a result of poor choices in diet and environment, all of these problems are ultimately a direct result of the reality that our bodies are not redeemed, and will not be redeemed during our lifetime here. Because our bodies are still under the condemnation of sin, they must die, receiving the wages of sin. The only exception is the great hope of the Rapture, which will result in our bodies being changed from sinful bodies to redeemed bodies. It is for that redemption that we are waiting.
Will the redemption of our bodies occur during our lifetime? For the many millions of saints who have died in Christ since Pentecost, the answer has been no. But the promise of our Lord’s coming is real, and we have every reason to believe that He can come before we die. When He comes, we are told in 1 Corinthians 15:52, we shall be changed. The mortal body that is weak and dying because of sin will put on immortality that is pure and redeemed forever. All of the suffering that we experience now because of sin will be forever gone and will have no claim on us. So we wait for the redemption of our bodies with great expectation and comfort.
It will be worth it all, when we experience the changing of our vile bodies of sin into bodies in which we can enter the presence of our Lord, to thank and praise Him for our redemption. -Jim MacIntosh