Overview:
When our bodies fail us, when sickness consumes us, we’ll do next to anything to get well. And when our attempts to find healing fall short, we begin to wonder why God hasn’t intervened. Some of our deepest questions emerge when our suffering is relentless and cruel. Today on INSIGHT FOR LIVING, Chuck Swindoll teaches from the fifth chapter of James … where we find the biblical model for seeking God’s help. If you or a loved one are going through a season of misery, you’ll find hope in this passage. Chuck is addressing SUFFERING, SICKNESS, SIN—AND HEALING.
Message Summary:
In this comprehensive message from the “Hands-on Christianity” series, Chuck Swindoll tackles the difficult and often controversial topics of divine healing, the role of medicine, and the relationship between sin and sickness. Sparked by a conversation on a plane with a woman taking her terminally ill husband to a “faith healer,” Swindoll clarifies his theological stance: he believes in divine healing (that God sovereignly heals), but he does not believe in “divine healers” (individuals who claim inherent power to heal).
Swindoll expounds on James 5:13–16, breaking down three specific conditions believers face:
- Suffering: Those who are afflicted or distressed should pray for endurance and strength.
- Cheerful: Those experiencing happy times should sing praises.
- Sick: Those who are physically incapacitated should call for the elders of the church.
A major portion of the message is dedicated to the proper procedure for the sick. Swindoll argues that the “anointing with oil” mentioned by James is not merely ceremonial but refers to the medicinal use of oil in the first century. Therefore, the biblical model for healing combines prayer (spiritual dependence) with medicine (practical treatment). He cautions against “faith healing” that rejects medical advice, asserting that God honors both prayer and the wisdom of physicians.
Finally, Swindoll addresses the specific context of James 5:15–16, suggesting that in this particular passage, the sickness is a result of unconfessed sin. In such cases, healing requires confession to “one another”—trusted spiritual companions—to find spiritual restoration and physical recovery. The sermon concludes with a call to submit to God’s sovereign will, acknowledging that while God can heal everyone, it is not His will that everyone be healed in this life.
Message Key Facts:
- Faith Healing vs. Faith Healers: Swindoll distinguishes between believing God can intervene to heal terminal conditions (which he affirms) and believing individuals possess special healing powers (which he rejects).
- The Meaning of “Oil” (James 5:14): Swindoll notes that the Greek word used is aleipho (to rub or apply, often medicinally) rather than chrio (sacred anointing). He concludes that James is commanding the use of the best medical means available alongside prayer.
- Sickness vs. Suffering: James distinguishes between “suffering” (affliction/distress), for which the remedy is personal prayer, and “sickness” (incapacitation), for which one must call for help.
- The Initiative of the Sick: The elders are not expected to use a “crystal ball” to know who is ill; the sick person is required to take the initiative and call for spiritual leaders.
- Sin and Sickness Links: Swindoll outlines that while original sin introduced sickness to the world, personal sin is sometimes the direct cause of sickness (as in 1 Corinthians 11:30), but not always (as in John 9).
- “Confess to One Another”: This command does not encourage public displays of confession to a whole congregation, but rather intimate, trusted accountability with a few spiritual friends to prevent sins from building up.
- God’s Will and Healing: Swindoll refutes the idea that it is always God’s will to heal, citing Paul’s “thorn in the flesh” and Trophimus, whom Paul left sick at Miletus.
Message References:
- James 5:13–16: The primary text outlining instructions for the suffering, the cheerful, and the sick, including the call for elders and confession.
- 1 Corinthians 11:30: A reference demonstrating that some sickness and weakness can be a direct result of personal sin.
- John 9:1–4: Jesus’ teaching that a man’s blindness was not caused by sin, proving that not all sickness is a result of personal wrongdoing.
- Isaiah 53:5: A verse often cited regarding healing (“by His stripes we are healed”), which Swindoll interprets as referring primarily to spiritual healing.
- Romans 5:12: The theological basis that death and sickness entered the world through original sin.
- Luke 10:34: The Parable of the Good Samaritan, where oil and wine are poured into wounds, illustrating the medicinal use of oil in biblical times.
