Questions and Answers - On healing and demon possession
Scripture
Sermon Description
Have you considered the questions of prayer, gifts of the spirit, faith healing, supernatural revelations, or demon possession? Listen in to the sermon on healing and demon possession as Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones looks to Scripture to answer questions on each of these topics. Is it right for a Christian to ask for gifts; especially the gift of healing? Here, we look at the example of Corinth to learn from their jealousy for such gifts. How should we understand healing with illnesses that are not getting better? The prayer of faith has a great certainty about it, we must recognize this uncommonness. Is the supernatural something that can ever be understood, or is it something that we will eventually be able to understand with the growth of knowledge? What about understanding the work of the Devil and demon possession? Different illustrations are used in Scripture to help us understand these matters, but the danger is that we literalize them. Follow as we learn about true intimacy with the Spirit, not to abandon critical faculties and be exposed to evil spirits, but to go on in the fight of faith.
Sermon Breakdown
- The questioner asks if quantity and persistence in prayer is a sign of faith or if a single prayer of faith is sufficient. Dr. Lloyd-Jones says both views are too extreme. We should pray in faith according to the leading of the Spirit.
- The questioner asks if it is right to ask for spiritual gifts, especially the gift of healing. Dr. Lloyd-Jones says we should desire gifts to serve God and the church, not for ourselves. We should seek to glorify God in how he has gifted us.
- The questioner asks how to define the supernatural. Dr. Lloyd-Jones says we must be careful not to define it only as what we can't currently explain. The supernatural involves God's direct action in a way that inspires wonder and gives him glory.
- The questioner asks if there is first-hand evidence from the first century of miraculous healings and exorcisms. Dr. Lloyd-Jones says there is little from the late first century, but more from the second century as apologists defended the faith. The lack of evidence does not prove nothing happened.
- The questioner asks about discerning between medical and spiritual problems. Dr. Lloyd-Jones says it requires spiritual discernment that is hard to define but involves sensing another personality or strange speech, reaction to Jesus' name, etc. Spiritual people welcome comfort from God's word.
- The questioner asks if Christians can be demon-possessed, how to diagnose it, and how to treat it. Dr. Lloyd-Jones says yes, Christians can open themselves to evil spirits. Diagnosis involves sensing another personality and reaction to Jesus' name. Treatment involves commanding the spirits to leave in Jesus' name and claiming God's protection.
- Dr. Lloyd-Jones concludes that we need the deep work of the Spirit, regeneration not just decision. We need to understand the spiritual conflict we're in and stay sensitive to the Spirit's leading.
Itinerant Preaching
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.