Timeless Teachings of Kenneth E. Hagin

Many people imagine God as a mean fellow sitting up in Heaven with a big flyswatter. They think the minute they make a mistake, He's going to swat them. But that's not what the Bible says!

Psalm 145:8–9 tells us that God is gracious, full of compassion, slow to anger, and of great mercy—to all people. In these verses, the words compassion and mercy are translated from the same Hebrew word. They mean the same thing. In other words, to be merciful means to be full of compassion. And that's God's character.

Now, there are quite a few people who think of God's mercy only in relation to salvation for sinners. Thank God, His mercy is extended to sinners. But Second Corinthians 1:3 says God is the Father of "mercies"—plural. We see this again in Psalm 106:7: "They [the Israelites] remembered not the MULTITUDE of thy [God's] mercies."

What were the "multitude" of mercies God showed to the children of Israel? For one thing, God's mercies were shown in the wonders and miracles He performed in delivering them out of Egypt where they had been held captive. The psalmist called those wonders God's mercies. And those mercies encompass all the Lord's provisions—including healing.

A Hidden Truth Revealed

You see, when Jesus was on earth, He didn't just heal to prove His deity. Scripture says that He healed because of His compassion, or mercy.

I think this truth has really been hidden from the Church today. But when our faith is just as strong in God's mercy of healing as it is in His mercy of forgiveness, we'll be healed just as easily as we were forgiven.

Let's look at a few passages of Scripture that show the compassion—the mercy—of the Lord in regard to healing.

MARK 1:40–41
40 And there came a leper to him [Jesus], beseeching him, and kneeling down to him, and saying unto him, If thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.
41 And Jesus, MOVED WITH COMPASSION [or mercy], put forth his hand, and touched him, and saith unto him, I will; be thou clean.

According to dictionary definitions, to have compassion is to love tenderly, to pity, to show mercy, and to be full of eager yearning. That means that Jesus, full of tender love, pity, and an eager yearning to help and bless, laid His hands on this leper and healed him. Hallelujah!

We find this same compassion in Matthew chapter 20.

MATTHEW 20:30–34
30 And, behold, two blind men sitting by the way side, when they heard that Jesus passed by, cried out, saying, HAVE MERCY ON US, O Lord, thou son of David.
31 And the multitude rebuked them, because they should hold their peace: but they cried the more, saying, HAVE MERCY ON US, O Lord, thou son of David.
32 And Jesus stood still, and called them, and said, What will ye that I shall do unto you?
33 They say unto him, Lord, that our eyes may be opened.
34 So Jesus HAD COMPASSION ON THEM, and touched their eyes: and immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed him.

Notice that these two blind men asked the Lord for mercy. Then Jesus responded, "What will ye that I shall do unto you?" The blind men replied, "Lord, that our eyes may be opened." These men asked for the mercy of having their eyes opened, and Jesus granted them the mercy or compassion of healing. Healing is a mercy!

Throughout the Gospels, we see again and again how Jesus was moved with compassion toward suffering humanity. Matthew 14:14 says, "Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, AND WAS MOVED WITH COMPASSION toward them, and he healed their sick."

In Mark chapter 5 we find the story of the madman of Gadara. Jesus cast the demons out of him and the man was delivered. He later told the man, "Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, AND HATH HAD COMPASSION on thee" (Mark 5:19).

Jesus was plenteous in mercy—in compassion—to all who needed healing. That means God is the same way. Remember, Jesus said, "He that hath seen me hath seen the Father" (John 14:9).

Is God's Healing Mercy for You?

How far does the Lord's compassion and mercy reach? Only to the forgiveness of sins? No! The Bible says, "The Lord is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works" (Ps. 145:9). If you are in Christ (Eph. 2:10), then you are one of God's "works"! And because you are one of His works, His mercies are over you. That includes His healing mercy.

Jesus is just as compassionate, loving, and merciful now as He was in the Bible. Begin to see healing as a mercy of God. Don't try to base obtaining healing on works—or on anything else but your faith in His mercy. When you do that, you will see His healing mercy manifest in your life.

You can receive whatever it is you need from your Heavenly Father, because God is the Father of mercies!

FAITH IN ACTION

Receive Your Healing

When we are born again, we come into contact with all of God's mercies—including healing. But we make it possible for Him to bless us by coming to Him in faith (Heb. 11:6).

Start meditating on the fact that Jesus is just as compassionate now as He was in the Bible. Even if it doesn't seem real to you, keep speaking it and reading the scriptures that say Jesus was moved with compassion to heal. Don't think about it just a time or two. Feed on it until His compassion registers in your spirit and becomes real to you. That's when you'll get results!