Exodus 15:26 "and said, 'If you diligently heed the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the Lord who heals you.'"

Hebrews 13:8 "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever. "

In both the old and new covenants the Lord is emphatically stated to be the one who heals. Jesus Christ is the unchanging, healing Lord.

The term "faith healing" or "faith healer" is a catch phrase popularised by the Media. Ministries that are grounded in the scriptures reject this description because its focus is wrong, looking to human potential and self-will, rather than to the healing Lord. Divine healing has Jesus Christ the Lord as its focus.

Divine healing is a glorious part of the faith of which the Lord Jesus is the author and finisher (Hebrews 12:2 ). The recipient of divine healing looks to Jesus Christ as the centre and source of healing gifts and miracles of God. Looks to the risen Lord to release His power to heal by a manifestation of God the Holy Spirit in a gift of healing.

There can be what appears to be healing from some hellish spirit, Satan being the cause of sin and sickness can withhold or withdraw an affliction for furtherance of his own purposes.

Romans 5:12 "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:"

Sickness and disease are consequences of the Fall. Satan can affect with sickness and disease.

Job 2:7 "So went Satan forth from the presence of the LORD, and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown."

Demons can cause physical afflictions and infirmity as seen in the following cases:

	Blind and mute (Matthew 12:22 ).
	An epileptic (Matthew 17:15 ).
	A woman with a spirit of infirmity (Luke 13:11 ).

All sickness and disease results from the Fall, but not all are direct results of evil spirits. A distinction is implied in,

Matthew 4:24 "And his fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatick, and those that had the palsy; and he healed them."

Satan and demons can deceive with a seeming healing, when in actuality being the cause, they withhold temporarily or fully for some evil intent. Those involved with spiritism, magic, sorcery, occult New Age, open themselves to demonic bondage. And to being seduced by the teaching of demons (1 Timothy 4:1 ).

Divine healing is a manifestation of the Lord in grace, goodness and power. As the genuine it exposes the counterfeit as deceptive and destructive.

The grounds for divine healing are in the atonement of Christ's redeeming work through His substitutionary wounding and stripes.

Isaiah 53:4,5 "Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. ⁵ But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. "

In anticipation of His suffering for our sins and sickness He was able to demonstrate in His ministry its fulfillment by healing the sick.

Matthew 8:16,17 "When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick: ¹⁷ That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses."

It is not by our worth that we are healed, but by His wounding and stripes - as with all the benefits of redemption, healing is through grace, the gift of God. The completion of our redemption will be a body changed to be like His.

1 Corinthians 15:51-54 "Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, ⁵² In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. ⁵³ For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. ⁵⁴ So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. "

1 John 3:2 "Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is."

Meanwhile all the gifts of healing forthtell the eternal health believers will enjoy.

Psalm 103:1-3 "Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. ² Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: ³ Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;"

The Hebrew word 'rapha' i.e "heal" involves the idea of mending or curing. Surely forgiveness and healing as united benefits in the Old Covenant, point to the unchanging character of God in the New.

Mark 1:40,41 "And there came a leper to him, 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, put forth his hand, and touched him, and saith unto him, I will; be thou clean."

Should healing be delayed or not given, neither the willingness of the Lord is in question, nor is it a reason for condemnation.

Romans 8:1There "is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. "

The believer identified with Christ by faith, is standing in the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. No one has the right to suggest that the lack of physical healing means the believing person is under condemnation or punishment. Do not get involved in putting blame and shame on sick ones, loved by Jesus. Neither be accusative, that is Satan's work (Revelation 12:10 )!