Healing is for Now—Not the Future

Paul said this in 1 Corinthians 13:13:

And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

When Paul wrote this, he was not inferring that hope and faith are not important. Each has its place, and one cannot be substituted for another. We cannot substitute love for hope. Neither can we substitute hope for faith. Yet so many people try to receive things from God, including healing, on the basis of hope rather than faith.

The difference between hope and faith is that hope looks to the future, but faith is always in the present. Faith says, “I’ll receive the answer right now. I have it NOW.” Hoping is not what receives from God. Believing receives from God.

I’ve had many conversations over the years with people who wanted healing. So often, they will say, “I know that someday I’ll be healed, or I sure hope I will be healed.” They will be waiting for a long time because there is no faith in those statements.

Looking to the future is hope. It is human nature to relegate good things to the future. The problem is that when we kick the can down the road, we rarely see it come to pass. If you need healing, you don’t want it in the future. You want it right now!

Hope always has a wondering or questioning tone about it. Faith has a confident tone about it. Initially, you may wonder if you could really be healed. But as you hear the Word of God on healing, faith will grow, and it will give substance to the hope you initially had.

One modern translation of Hebrews 11:1 says this:

     Faith is giving substance… to things hoped for.

You may initially just hope for healing, but faith gives the assurance that you ARE healed already by the stripes of Jesus. For 1 Peter 2:24 says, “[By] whose stripes ye were healed.” In other words, faith says the same thing the Word of God says!

Another important point is that nowhere in the Bible does it say that when we pray, we will receive what we HOPE for. Mark 11:24 says, “Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.” This tells us we receive what we believe, not what we hope for.

Let’s look at the definition of faith again in the New King James translation. Hebrews 11:1 says, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Notice the verb “is” is in the present tense. Again, faith is present tense, and hope is future tense.

Even though you might say you believe, if you are putting it into the future, you are not believing. You are hoping. This explains why many do not receive their healing. They mean well, but faith is a requirement to receive healing. Some people are believing that God is going to do something for them, but faith believes that He has done, and is doing something.

I heard the story of a woman who was in her 70’s and was told she would never walk again. She hadn’t walked in 4 years. Her friends brought her to the altar at the end of the service for prayer. As the evangelist laid hands on her, he said, “Now arise and walk in the Name of Jesus.”

She did her best to get up, but all the while was crying, “O dear Lord Jesus, please heal me. Oh, please, please, please heal me.” Finally, the evangelist quieted her down and said to her, “Did you know that you ARE healed?”

She looked up astonished and said, “Oh am I?” He responded, “Yes, you ARE healed, and I’ll prove it to you from the Bible.” He opened his Bible to 1 Peter 2:24 and asked her to read it aloud, and then repeat the last phrase. Then he asked, “Is ‘were’ past tense, future tense, or present tense?” “It is past tense,” she answered. He asked, “If you WERE healed, then you ARE healed now, aren’t you?”

A smile lit up her face, and she began to lift her hands and praise God because she was healed, not going to be. Then she jumped off the altar like a 16 year-old, and walked, leaped, ran, and praised God. All this woman needed was to get her believing in the right tense, because faith is present tense.

Hope is a good waiter, but a poor receiver. It takes a positive faith – a now faith – to receive your healing. Change your hoping into believing, and you can receive your healing today!

If you're in the Aurora/Naperville area and are looking for a church that teaches the uncompromising Word of God, we invite you to visit Abundant Life Family Church. As a Word and Spirit church, we are committed to helping believers grow in faith, experience the power of God, and walk in His promises. Our services are filled with dynamic worship, Bible-based teaching, and an atmosphere where the Holy Spirit moves. Whether you’re searching for a church home or seeking a deeper relationship with God, we welcome you to join us and be part of a thriving community of faith!