God has given us life, and we are responsible to Him to care for our bodies, which for the Christian are temples of God's Spirit. When sickness strikes, we face the responsibility of dressing and keeping our bodies, compounded by God's promise to heal, which encompasses both physical and spiritual restoration. This promise does not absolve us of taking action to address the causes of sickness or to improve our condition, just as we must work to overcome spiritual ailments. We are to do whatever we can to heal ourselves, both physically and spiritually, trusting in Him while engaging in necessary works. God often designs difficult circumstances to teach us to rely on every word of His, requiring both spiritual and physical efforts. Healing, though promised by God, is akin to other life challenges where His involvement does not remove our duty to work towards repair while maintaining trust in Him. Faith in God is involved in every healing, though sin is not always the direct cause of sickness. Healing cannot be demanded, as God is Sovereign, granting it in His time and according to His purpose. Sometimes, healings serve as signs pointing to where He is working, offering encouragement and demonstrating His presence with us. We must accept that not everyone will be healed instantly, but all who trust Him will be healed in His time and manner. Trusting God does not exclude seeking human wisdom and skills. Scriptures show that using medications, like balm, or seeking counsel from physicians is not inherently wrong, as long as God is not left out of the process. Examples reveal that physical remedies and professional help are acceptable when paired with faith, following the pattern of seeking Him first. The parallel between physical and spiritual healing underscores that if seeking help for one is right, it is also right for the other. Our approach to healing should mirror how we address other life problems: first, seek God's merciful intervention and guidance; second, work on solutions by seeking wise counsel; and third, pursue spiritual and physical repentance to stop contributing to the problem. Good health and healing are linked to obedience, which requires work, time, thought, and energy directed toward God's purpose. Sin often underlies sickness, and dealing with it demands faith and patience, which are active and trusting, not filled with anxiety. Faith and works in healing are not mutually exclusive. Seeking to understand ailments and taking steps to promote restoration through repentance and change is not only sensible but required by God. It is part of the responsibility to dress and keep, aligning with His desire to create problem-solvers who approach challenges as He would.

In this end-time generation, Jesus poses a profound question: When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth? We live in a society that demands proof and hard facts, making it challenging to accept what God says on faith. The pervasive need for scientific validation often hardens us against trusting in the unseen, yet faith is essential to every aspect of our Christian lives. We cannot serve God without some measure of faith, for even recognizing Him as the Creator requires trust in His existence and His promises. Healing serves as a powerful illustration of faith, exposing both its strength and its weaknesses. Do we trust God to heal us? Do we have enough faith to rely on Him in matters of health, or do we turn to our own understanding and resources? Many trust in their own strength, their genes, or their knowledge to overcome illness, believing they can conquer sickness through personal effort or expertise. Yet, God warns that such self-reliance is foolishness, for the heart is deceitful and often leads us astray from true trust in Him. Nor should we place our trust in other men or the collective knowledge of humanity, such as the medical system, which, despite its advancements, cannot ultimately heal us without God's intervention. Trusting in human solutions over God can bring curses, as it replaces reliance on Him with idolatry. Instead, our trust must be in God alone for healing. When we are sick, our hope and faith should unite in Him, believing that He will deliver us. Trusting in God brings blessings, health, and growth, unlike the curses that come from trusting in self or others. God desires that we call on Him for healing, confess our sins, repent of our wrongdoing, and wait patiently for Him to act. This is not easy, as Jesus acknowledges the difficulty of maintaining faith without caving in to doubt or fear. We must persist in asking God for healing and stand firm, trusting not just in the promise of healing, but in the Healer Himself. Our relationship with God and Jesus Christ must be intimate and personal, for true faith is in the Person, not merely in the concept or words of a promise. Examples of those Jesus healed show this trust vividly. They believed in His authority and power, approaching Him with confidence that He could make them whole. Their faith was not in a promise alone, but in Jesus Himself. As much as we trust Him, we will be healed; according to our faith in Him, it will be done. Though we cannot see Him face to face as they did, we are blessed for believing in the invisible God. To increase our faith, we must come to know Him deeply through prayer, study, fasting, meditation, and living life with Him, allowing Him to work in us. For healing, we must trust the Healer; for salvation, we must trust the Savior.

Faith and healing are deeply intertwined in the journey of God's children toward His purpose. Healing, as referenced in Isaiah 53:5 with the statement "with His stripes we are healed," applies to both spiritual and physical restoration, as determined by the context of Scripture. The Hebrew and Greek words translated as "heal" encompass a broad range of meanings, including to make whole, cure, recover, restore, and repair, indicating their application to various circumstances beyond mere physical recovery. In every instance of healing, an element of faith is present, though not always in the person being healed. Examples such as the healing in Acts 3:1-9, where the man had no expectation of healing, and the raising of Lazarus in John 11:39-44, where Lazarus himself could not exhibit faith, demonstrate that faith may reside in others, such as Peter, John, or Jesus Himself. Even when faith is strong in both the one seeking healing and the one praying, healing may not occur, as it ultimately rests in the hands of God, the Sovereign Ruler who decides according to His purpose. The cause of ailment is often attributed to sin, though this is not always the case, as seen in the example of Job, whose afflictions were not due to personal sin but were part of God's greater purpose. Job remained faithful, actively engaging his mind through his trial, and God eventually clarified the situation, sustaining him until His purpose was accomplished. This teaches that while we may not always understand the reasons for our physical or spiritual sicknesses, faithfulness and trust in God are paramount, and He will provide clarity and support in His time. Healing follows the same principle as other life challenges; it requires active participation and work on our part. Just as God promised to bring Israel to the Promised Land but required them to walk there, and just as He divided the Red Sea but they had to pass through, healing is promised but demands our cooperation. If the body is broken by sickness, we must seek God's mercy, request anointing from the elders, and take steps to address the issue, continuing to dress and keep what is in our possession. Healing, whether spiritual or physical, does not eliminate our responsibility to work toward overcoming the problem. Judgments about why healing occurs or does not occur must be made with caution, recognizing that God, in His mercy, decides as He sees fit for each individual according to His purpose. No one can demand or force healing from Him; our role is to trust in His presence and faithfulness, knowing He will never leave nor forsake us. Whether healing comes as desired or not, we are to remain diligent, seeking His guidance and working toward solutions, understanding that healing is a demonstration of His mercy and part of the broader process of being shaped into His image.

As Jesus stated in Matthew 9:29, "According to your faith, be it unto you." This principle underscores that our actions are shaped by what we believe. Faith is not merely a passive trust but a driving force that compels us to act in alignment with God's requirements, especially in maintaining the life and health He has given us. We must live by faith, involving God in our efforts to dress and keep our bodies, showing determination to follow His principles. Our faith lies in the conviction that caring for our bodies diligently is indeed what God requires of us. This process of working against decay, though challenging and often slow to show results, is crucial for our growth and preparation for His Kingdom. God is most interested in whether we are learning and practicing the processes that produce success, submitting to the principles laid down in His Word, and demonstrating through our works that we are committed to doing things right.