Dear Conrad - I have a close friend who believes that no matter what, if you ask, God will heal you, and if you are not healed, you don't have enough faith. She uses the scripture "by his stripes we are healed" and other similar ones to defend this position, I believe that you can't put God in a box and he will heal whom he wants. Obviously she thinks she’s right and I think I am, and I don't want to start an argument. But if the subject comes up, do you have any recommendations for what to say to her? Do you even agree with my position?

I agree with you. God is not a magical genie that will obey our whims. I have faith that God will make me look like Jude Law. I have faith that God will give me the continent of Australia. I have faith that God will give me super powers. What if I truly believe these things will come true? Faith is not another word for belief. Not even just another word for trust. It’s much more than that.

True faith is knowing, believing and doing God’s Word. How can we have faith in something we don’t know? That’s why God has given us his word? How can we have faith in something we don’t believe? And how can we have faith unless we act on what we know and believe?

JAS 2:14 What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? [15] Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. [16] If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? [17] In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

Faith is knowing, believing and doing God’s will. One can only have true faith in something God wants – or else it is a false faith. That is why I can’t have faith (true faith) that God will make me a monkey. No matter how much I believe it (a false faith) it won’t come to pass.

Having faith is – knowing, believing and doing God’s will – not ours. If it is not God’s will for someone to be healed we can still have faith in that this suffering will lead to something good (James 1:2-4).

Remember – faith is conforming to God’s will.