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Understanding Sickness, Sin, and God's Healing Power
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You've likely been asked this question, especially in a world experiencing unprecedented challenges like the global pandemic we've endured. The question "If God is good, why do bad things happen?" is both natural and necessary. Suffering seems like the exact opposite of what a good God would permit. Yet understanding God's perspective on suffering is crucial—not only for our own faith, but to effectively minister to others who are sick or hurting.
To address this properly, we need to examine Scripture through key questions: Why is there sickness? and What are the causes of sickness? Understanding these will also reveal God's healing power, which is central to the Christian hope.
In Genesis, God created humanity with extraordinary purpose and authority:
"Then God said, 'Let us make man in our image, according to our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.' So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them." (Genesis 1:26-27)
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Man was crowned as the jewel of creation, positioned at the very top to rule and reign over God's creation. When God surveyed all He had made, it was very good—implying there was no suffering, sickness, or sorrow. Adam and Eve lived in God's perfect paradise.
But this paradise lasted only until they disobeyed God.
The choice to disobey God—what we call the Fall of Man—marked humanity's descent from dominion and prosperity into fear, frustration, and fatigue. In Genesis 2:17, God gave a clear command: "You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree of life." Yet in Genesis 3:6, Adam and Eve disobeyed.
Through that single act of disobedience, sin entered the world. Mankind was plunged into a life of death, disease, and decay. Sin eats away at life, tarnishes it, devalues it, and prevents us from fulfilling our God-given purpose. Adam and Eve handed their dominion directly to the enemy, simply because of one disobedient act.
The consequences of Adam's sin ripple throughout all humanity and all creation:
"Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, for all sinned." (Romans 5:12)
Every human being is born into a world marked by sin's consequences. No one escapes this inheritance.
The Fall also affected creation itself:
"Against its will, all creation was subjected to God's curse. But with eager hope, the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God's children in glorious freedom from death and decay." (Romans 8:20-21, NLT)
All the suffering we witness—whether physical sickness or natural disaster—is directly connected to the Fall. God did not plan for bad things to happen. The world is not as God originally designed it. This is a critical truth: God is good, and the brokenness we see is the result of sin entering the world through Adam's disobedience.
But there is hope. We will explore that through Christ.
While the Fall is the primary reason for sickness in our world, Scripture reveals several secondary causes that help us understand why specific individuals suffer.
One clear cause of sickness is personal sin—sin in the life of the afflicted person.
David testified:
"There is no soundness in my flesh because of Your anger, nor any health in my bones because of my sin." (Psalm 38:3)
Scripture also states:
"Fools, because of their transgression, and because of their iniquities, were afflicted." (Psalm 107:17)
And through the prophet Micah, God warned:
"So also I will make you sick because of your sins." (Micah 6:13)
It is God's prerogative to judge individuals by sending sickness as a consequence of sin. In James, we read:
"And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed." (James 5:15-16)
When Jesus healed a paralyzed man at the pool of Bethesda, He later found him and said:
"See, you have been made well. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you." (John 5:14)
Paul warned the church at Corinth about the consequences of taking communion unworthily:
"For this reason many of you are weak and sick among you, and many sleep." (1 Corinthians 11:30)
While Jesus Christ has taken our infirmities upon Himself, and we are made whole through faith in Him, we must not take sin lightly. Believers, you are the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. Present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God. Beware of sin. If you have sinned, go to God and ask for forgiveness.
Sickness can result from supernatural activity—specifically, satanic power. While Satan's abilities are limited and believers are more than conquerors in Christ Jesus, we must acknowledge that the enemy can afflict people with sickness.
The account of Job illustrates this. God permitted Satan to afflict Job, saying:
"Behold, all that he has is in your power; only do not lay a hand on his person." (Job 1:12)
Later, God told Satan:
"Behold, he is in your hand, but spare his life." (Job 2:6)
Job was unaware of the spiritual battle occurring on his behalf, yet he remained faithful.
Paul also experienced demonic affliction. He wrote of "a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan" that tormented him. Though he asked God three times to remove it, God replied:
"My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." (2 Corinthians 12:9)
In another instance, Jesus rebuked the synagogue ruler for objecting to His healing a crippled woman on the Sabbath:
"So ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound—think of it—for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath?" (Luke 13:16)
Satan had bound her with infirmity for nearly two decades. Yet Jesus broke that bondage.
A third common cause of sickness is personal irresponsibility—poor stewardship of our bodies.
God calls us to care for ourselves. Many sicknesses today result from unwise health decisions: smoking, excessive alcohol, sugary drinks, poor diet, high cholesterol, and inadequate exercise. Paul wrote:
"Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." (1 Corinthians 10:31)
Pay attention to what you consume. Some people suffer heart attacks not because of demonic activity or anyone else's fault, but through their own neglect. We often blame the enemy for what we have done to ourselves.
Exercise is one of the best, low-impact ways to care for your body. A 30-minute walk daily can make a tremendous difference. You may say you're too busy—but are you too busy to watch movies or sports? Find time for your health. As Paul exhorts:
"Glorify God in your bodies... for bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things." (1 Timothy 4:8, paraphrased)
When you keep your body healthy, you strengthen yourself to serve God and those around you. You have energy to play with your children, to minister effectively, and to fulfill your purpose. God gives us the grace and discipline to care for ourselves.
Lastly, God sometimes allows sickness for His own providential purposes—reasons known only to Him.
Jesus encountered a man born blind. His disciples asked:
"Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?"
Jesus replied:
"Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him." (John 9:3)
This man's blindness was not punishment—it was an opportunity for God's glory to be displayed. Similarly, when Lazarus fell gravely ill, Jesus told His disciples:
"This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it." (John 11:4)
God's prerogative extends beyond what we can imagine. He allows certain afflictions to reveal aspects of His goodness, grace, and power.
These causes are not "if-then" rules. If you're sick, you cannot automatically assume which cause applies. It may be difficult—even impossible—to know the precise reason for an illness. More important than identifying the cause is looking to what God might be doing through the sickness and trusting in His healing power, which ultimately glorifies Him.
Just as sickness came through one man—Adam—so also sickness has been taken away through another man: Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. There is wonderful hope in the gospel.
Romans 5:12-16 (NLT) explains this transformation:
"When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam's sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned. Yes, people sinned even before the law was given, but it was not counted as sin because there was not yet any law to break. Still, everyone died from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even those who did not disobey an explicit commandment of God as Adam did. Now Adam is a symbol, a representation of Christ, a shadow of things to come. But there is a great difference between Adam's sin and God's gracious gift. For the sin of this one man, Adam, brought death to many. But even greater is God's wonderful grace and His gift of forgiveness to many through this other man, Jesus Christ. And the result of God's gracious gift is very different from the result of that one man's sin. For Adam's sin led to condemnation, but God's free gift leads to our being made right with God, even though we are guilty of many sins."
The wonder of the gospel is proclaimed in Romans 8:1:
"There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus."
God wants us in good health and for our souls to prosper. In 3 John 1:2:
"Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers."
Christ's healing power is demonstrated throughout the Gospels. Consider the healing of the paralytic in Luke 5:17-26—a passage that reveals something profound about Christ's priorities.
Jesus was teaching when men brought a paralyzed man on a bed. Unable to reach Jesus through the crowd, they broke through the roof and lowered the man down. When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic:
"Man, your sins are forgiven you." (Luke 5:20)
The scribes and Pharisees objected, reasoning:
"Who can forgive sins but God alone?" (Luke 5:21)
Jesus then posed a profound question:
"Which is easier, to say 'Your sins are forgiven you,' or to say 'Rise up and walk'?" (Luke 5:23)
This question reveals Christ's priorities. Which is truly more important—physical healing or spiritual restoration? The one who would pay the ultimate price for our forgiveness, who would take upon Himself all our infirmities and diseases, was saying first and foremost: Your sins are forgiven.
Jesus then addressed the Pharisees, saying:
"That you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins... I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house." (Luke 5:24)
And the man rose up immediately, took up what he had been lying on, and departed to his own house, glorifying God.
Notice: Jesus addressed the fundamental issue first—sin—because spiritual restoration is more foundational than physical healing. Yet He did both. He healed the body and forgave the soul.
This pattern appears throughout Jesus's ministry. Consider Zacchaeus, the tax collector. When Jesus noticed him in the tree and invited Himself to dinner, Zacchaeus was transformed. He declared:
"Lord, I give half my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold."
And Jesus replied:
"Today salvation has come to this house." (Luke 19:8-9)
Or the Samaritan woman at the well. When Jesus revealed that He knew of her five failed marriages and current live-in partner, she recognized His prophetic power. Then Jesus declared:
"I who speak to you am He [the Messiah]." (John 4:26)
She encountered not just a prophet, but the Messiah Himself—the One sent to save.
Matthew 8:16-17 encapsulates the heart of Christ's healing ministry:
"When evening had come, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed. And He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: 'He Himself took our infirmities and bore our sicknesses.'" (Matthew 8:16-17)
Jesus Christ came and took upon Himself our infirmities. He bore our sicknesses. This was accomplished so that you might be free of that infirmity, so that you might be free of that sickness.
Just as sickness entered the world through one man (Adam), so healing and freedom have come through another Man (Jesus Christ).
If you are listening and you are sick, if you are afflicted in any way—whether a physical sickness or any infirmity the enemy has brought your way—it is time to lay it all at the feet of Jesus Christ. Your sickness, your pain, your suffering: place it before Him.
Jesus Christ is here. He came. He took upon Himself our infirmities and bore our sicknesses that you might be free.
Beyond physical healing, there is a deeper call. If you have been listening to this message and seek absolution, seek forgiveness of your sins: Jesus forgives and He heals.
Just as Jesus said to the paralyzed man, "Your sins are forgiven," so Scripture declares:
"There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit." (Romans 8:1)
All have sinned and fallen short of God's glory. Yet:
"God demonstrates His love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8)
The One who had authority to condemn the woman caught in adultery—the One who is all holy and righteous—said to those who sought to stone her:
"He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first." (John 8:7)
Jesus Christ is calling you today. Revelation 3:20 promises:
"Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me."
And 1 John 1:9 assures:
"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
If you want to give your life to Christ today, simply pray: "Jesus Christ, forgive me of my sins. Have mercy on me and save me from all unrighteousness. Cleanse me from all my sin."
This is a new journey for you—a journey of transformation, a journey toward a better life in Christ Jesus.
If you would like further support or prayer, please contact us. Visit our website at www.rccgopenheavens.org (or contact your local RCCG parish). Send us a text or email with your prayer request. We are ready to pray with you and support you in any way we can.
When you think of your current sickness or affliction—which is but for a moment—remember this truth:
"Our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory." (2 Corinthians 4:17)
As a believer, all your suffering is light and momentary compared to the glory that is to come in Christ Jesus. When you meet Him face to face, you will be made like Him. On that day, you will forget about all the suffering, sickness, and sorrow—because it will be removed, and you will exist with God as He originally intended.
Press on toward that glorious day. Think of that future heavenly state. May God bless you.
