672 The Spiritual Man
His salvation, it seems to be ignorance, if not unbelief, if we turn to
the aid of man’s invention.
Many debate whether or not the saints should take medicine. They
seem to imply that if this question is resolved all questions are
solved. But are they aware that the principle of spiritual living is not
in “can or can’t” but in whether or not God has so led? Our question,
therefore, is: when a believer, because of self-love, depends on
medicine and eagerly seeks healing, is be being guided by the Holy
Spirit or is it exclusively his own activity? According to human
nature, until one has experienced many adverse circumstances be is
reluctant to be saved by faith; be usually strives to be saved by his
works. Is it not equally true with the healing of one’s body? Perhaps
the struggle over divine healing is even more intense than that over
forgiveness of sin. Believers will acknowledge that unless they trust
the Lord Jesus for salvation they cannot gain entrance to heaven; but
why, such ones will ask, must they depend on the salvation of the
Lord for healing when they can employ many other medical means?
So our attention is not focused upon whether medicine can be used
but upon whether in using it through one’s own activity he has
demeaned God’s salvation. Has not the world spun out sundry
theories for saving an from sin? Does not the world supply many
schools of philosophy, psychology, ethics and education as well as
countless rituals, rules and practices to assist people to be good? Can
we as believers accept these means as perfect and workable? Are we
for the finished work of the Lord Jesus on the cross or for these
ingenious human devices? in such a similar manner has the world
invented multiplied kinds of drugs to relieve people from ailments;
yet the Lord has equally accomplished on the cross that work of
salvation pertaining to the body. Shall we therefore seek cure
according to human methods or shall we rely on the Lord Jesus for
healing?
We do acknowledge that occasionally God utilizes intermediaries
to manifest His power and glory. Judging from the teaching of