2 Chronicles 30:18-20

While it is important to live a life consecrated to God and his service, healing is not just a matter of works. You can forfeit healing by clinging to sin, as shown in the section, Mistakes that keep your healing away. However, you do not have to live in sinless perfection for God to heal you. God is more interested in your heart than he is in finer points of the Law. Jesus made this clear to the Pharisees, whose hearts were corrupt even though they scrupulously tithed on the herbs in their gardens. God desires mercy more than he desires sacrifice, as Jesus said on more than one occasion.

We see this even under the Law in the passage above. The people had not kept the Passover (symbolic of Christ) for a long time. King Hezekiah decreed that the Passover should be re-instituted, but it was on short notice. The people did not have time to get themselves ready and did not really understand this ordinance, not having done it before. Thus, some of the people partook of the Passover contrary to the requirements of the Law. This was done in ignorance, not in a blatant attempt to mock God.


Look what God did. Hezekiah prayed that the Lord would pardon those who "prepared their hearts to seek God" even though they were not cleansed properly. God did, and he healed the people who partook of this symbol of Jesus Christ. God looked at the hearts of them that sought him, and overlooked the minor technical violations of cleansing rituals.

If God could overlook sins when people's hearts were right toward him under the Old Covenant, surely he can do so under our new and better covenant. "For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ" -- John 1:17. We are under grace and truth today. We are not under the Law of Moses.

Technically, the lepers and the woman with the issue of blood who came to Jesus could have been stoned to death for going out in public contrary to the Law of Moses. However, Jesus did not pick up any rocks but instead healed them. He looked past the legal violations and saw their faith.


God does not condone sin, but he is not a nitpicker, either. God was able to use Peter despite his faults, which are documented for all generations to see. Peter wasn't perfect, but he sought God and God honored him for it. God has used men in healing ministry who were proud, alcoholic, short-tempered, jealous, vindictive, greedy, and more. Although many were judged eventually because they would not judge themselves, God still did mighty miracles through them. They weren't perfect; but they were available.

If your idea of God is that he searches the Bible looking for technical violations in your life, you don't know him very well. God loves you and is for you. He wants to bless you. He expects consecration, but he will overlook your current imperfections if you are seeking him. You don't need to be perfect to get healed.