How Does God Perfect the Saints?

And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry for the edifying of the body of Christ.                                                                                                                      -Ephesians 4:11,12

Some people say, “I believe God wants to use sickness to perfect us.” If that has been God’s method of perfecting the Church, He has failed miserably. If sickness were supposed to be the perfecter, the maturer, the corrector and the teacher of the Church, then every Christian ought to be thoroughly furnished unto all good works. If that were God’s plan, then He missed it big time!

Some people might say, “Yeah, but sickness ought to make you more pious.” But sickness doesn’t bring out the piety in people; it brings our their worst. If you’ve ever been sick, you know that. Sickness makes you mean, ornery and cantankerous. You either want a lot of attention, or you want everyone to leave you alone.

The idea of God’s using sickness for our benefit is simply wrong thinking. God doesn’t want us sick. It’s not part of His plan for us. He never planned for sickness to perfect us, correct us or make us more pious.

God gave us the Word of God to correct and instruct us. He sent the Spirit of God to live inside us to teach, lead and guide us. And if we go a step further, Ephesians 4:11 says that He gave apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers for the perfecting of the saints.

So the maturing of the saints doesn’t come through sickness and disease. God designed it to come through the Word, the Holy Spirit and the ministry gifts.

CONFESSION:

My God wants me well! He sent the Holy Spirit, the Word and the ministry gifts to instruct me in His ways. I receive those gifts and become a mature saint walking in His best for me!

From: A Devotional for Divine Health Prescription for a Miracle, Mark Brazee, 1999