Saying it’s not always God’s will to heal is like saying it’s not always God’s will to save. When you say this, you misunderstand the atonement. The atonement is not divided; it is a complete work. Through the cross, Jesus provided salvation, healing, forgiveness, deliverance, and wholeness. This is the fullness of what Christ accomplished—He didn’t just save us from sin, but brought complete restoration in every area of life.

This statement challenges many believers to rethink their understanding of God’s will regarding healing. For some, the idea that healing is always available through Christ feels far-fetched, but that is only because we haven’t fully grasped the magnitude of the atonement. We often separate salvation and healing, thinking that God is more interested in our souls than in our bodies. But scripture shows us that Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross was not limited to spiritual salvation; it included physical healing and complete restoration.

Atonement: A Comprehensive Work

The Bible teaches that the atonement, Christ’s sacrificial death, covers every part of our lives. We were not just saved from sin; we were saved from all the consequences of sin, including sickness, bondage, and brokenness. This is what Isaiah 53:4-5 proclaims:

“Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.” (NKJV)

In this powerful prophecy, Isaiah directly connects Jesus’ suffering with our healing. “By His stripes, we are healed” doesn’t refer to a distant or occasional promise; it’s a present reality for those who believe in the atonement. Every stripe, every wound Jesus endured, carried our sicknesses, griefs, and sorrows. It wasn’t only for our sin but for our total healing.

To say that healing isn’t always God’s will is to dismiss this core truth about the atonement. When Jesus bore our sins on the cross, He also bore our sicknesses. The Greek word for “griefs” in Isaiah 53 can also be translated as “sicknesses,” and “sorrows” can be translated as “pains.” This shows that Jesus’ sacrifice wasn’t just for spiritual healing; it was for physical and emotional healing as well.

Healing and Salvation Go Hand-in-Hand

Throughout Jesus’ ministry, we see Him demonstrating that salvation and healing go hand-in-hand. One powerful example is in Mark 2:1-12, where Jesus heals a paralyzed man. When the man was lowered through the roof, Jesus didn’t initially say, “Be healed.” Instead, He said, “Son, your sins are forgiven” (Mark 2:5). This startled the religious leaders because they believed only God could forgive sins. But Jesus was making a bold statement: forgiveness and healing are part of the same work.

To prove His authority, Jesus then said, “I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house” (Mark 2:11). The man was immediately healed and got up, showing that salvation and healing were not separate in Jesus’ eyes. The forgiveness of sins and the healing of the body were two sides of the same coin, both purchased through Jesus’ authority as the Son of God.

Jesus’ ministry was filled with moments like this, where He forgave sins and healed the sick simultaneously. When the two blind men cried out for mercy in Matthew 9:27-30, Jesus asked them if they believed He could do this. When they said yes, Jesus healed their eyes, and their sight was restored. In Matthew 8:16-17, we see another direct reference to the prophecy in Isaiah 53:

“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.’” (NKJV)

Jesus fulfilled the prophecy by healing all who came to Him. He demonstrated that physical healing was an essential part of His mission. If healing wasn’t always God’s will, then Jesus would have been selective about whom He healed, yet scripture repeatedly tells us that He healed “all who were sick.”

Healing is in the Atonement

If we misunderstand healing, it’s often because we misunderstand the atonement itself. Jesus didn’t just die for your sins; He died to restore everything sin had damaged. Sin brought sickness, death, and suffering into the world, and Jesus came to reverse those effects. That’s why the atonement is comprehensive—it covers every aspect of our lives, not just our spiritual state.

In 1 Peter 2:24, Peter echoes Isaiah’s prophecy:

“Who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed.” (NKJV)

Notice that Peter speaks in the past tense: “you were healed.” The healing has already been accomplished. It’s not something we’re waiting for or something God occasionally grants. Healing is part of the atonement, and like salvation, it’s available to anyone who believes.

Yet, just as some reject salvation, some also reject healing. This doesn’t mean healing isn’t God’s will. God desires everyone to be saved (1 Timothy 2:4), but He doesn’t force salvation on anyone. In the same way, healing is available, but not everyone will receive it. Our faith plays a significant role in accessing the benefits of the atonement. Jesus frequently told people, “Your faith has made you well” (Matthew 9:22; Mark 10:52). Faith activates healing, just as faith activates salvation.

Deliverance and Wholeness

The atonement doesn’t stop at forgiveness and healing. Jesus’ sacrifice also provided deliverance from bondage and complete wholeness. In Luke 4:18-19, Jesus declares His mission:

“The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; to proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD.” (NKJV)

Jesus came to set people free—spiritually, physically, and emotionally. This is the fullness of the atonement. It wasn’t just about getting us into heaven; it was about bringing heaven’s reality to earth, restoring us in every way. When Jesus healed the sick and cast out demons, He was demonstrating that the kingdom of God had arrived, and that kingdom includes freedom from every kind of bondage.

If healing isn’t always God’s will, then neither is deliverance. But we know from scripture that Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil (1 John 3:8). This includes sickness, oppression, and every form of bondage. The same Jesus who forgives sins also breaks chains, sets captives free, and makes the broken whole.

Misunderstanding God’s Nature

Sometimes, we separate healing from salvation because we misunderstand God’s nature. We might think God only cares about our eternal souls and not our current circumstances. But nothing could be further from the truth. Jesus showed us that God is deeply compassionate and cares about every part of our lives.

In Matthew 14:14, we see that Jesus was “moved with compassion” and healed the sick. This phrase appears often in the Gospels. Jesus’ heart was moved when He saw people suffering, and His response was always the same: He healed them. Compassion is at the core of God’s nature, and healing is a natural outflow of His love.

If we believe God is indifferent to our pain or only interested in our souls, we’re missing the fullness of who He is. God is a healer. It’s not just what He does; it’s who He is. Exodus 15:26 says, “I am the LORD who heals you” (NKJV). God’s nature hasn’t changed. Just as He healed Israel, He heals us today.

Conclusion: The Whole Gospel

The message of the atonement is one of complete restoration—spirit, soul, and body. Salvation is not limited to forgiveness of sins; it includes healing, deliverance, and wholeness. To separate these elements is to misunderstand the fullness of what Jesus accomplished on the cross.

As believers, we need to embrace the whole gospel, not just part of it. Jesus came to give us abundant life (John 10:10), and that life includes freedom from sin, sickness, and bondage. Healing is God’s will because healing is part of the atonement. Just as we trust God for our salvation, we can trust Him for our healing.

When we understand the atonement, we realize that Jesus didn’t just save us for heaven. He saved us for a life of restoration and wholeness here on earth. Healing, like salvation, is a gift we receive by faith—a gift made available through the finished work of the cross.

—Joshua L Mullins