Is anyone among you sick? Then he must call for the elders of the church and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; and the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him.  Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much. James 5: 14-16.

A lot of believers have the expectation that a sick person will be made well in all cases if the above scriptural passage is followed. So why is it that some are not healed? I’m thinking of at least two reasons.

First, the confession of sins is often overlooked. The passage says that if sins are committed, they’ll be forgiven. Based on our knowledge of this topic, we know that God forgives when we confess to Him our sins. Usually, sins of a private nature are confessed to the Lord, unless convicted otherwise. If of a public nature, for instance, causing trouble and/or division in the church, then confession before God and man is in order.

Confession, though, also implies repentance. But what if the sick person, having knowledge of good eating and drinking principles, doesn’t have any intention of turning from his or her unhealthy lifestyle? That’s wrong. It’s a sin to know what’s right and not do it (James 4: 17). Or what if the person, if healed, were to continue to indulge in other bad habits that perhaps brought about the sick condition?

In that case, why would God, who knows the heart, and the end from the beginning, raise up the person just so a sinful lifestyle can be continued?

The second reason for not healing has to do with the following two passages…

Just as a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him. For He Himself knows our frame; He is mindful that we are but dust. ) Psalm 103: 13, 14.

Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on! “Yes,” says the Spirit, “so that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow with them. Revelation 14: 13.

There are some who, if healed, wouldn’t be able to withstand any more of life’s ordeals. In other words, the Lord will have pity and allow death to occur, knowing that the faith and the righteous works of the person, already accomplished, are sufficient for that person’s glorification into eternal life.