It is clear that the verses in Matthew 8:16-17 back up what was said in Isaiah 53:4-5. By simply allowing scripture to interpret scripture, it cannot be more clear that Jesus bore both our sins and our sicknesses by His death on the cross.

Just like Jesus forgave sin on the ground of the Atonement before He actually shed His blood for the forgiveness of sin; Jesus also healed all the sick on the ground of the Atonement before He actually took the stripes for our healing.

The blood Jesus shed was for the forgiveness of sin and sin only. The stripes Jesus bore was for our physical healing. If it is true as some say, that Jesus only bore our spiritual sickness on the cross, then it would not have been necessary for Jesus to be beaten and scourged. The blood that Jesus shed from the wounds in His hands and feet would have been sufficient for the atonement of our sins. In fact, one drop would have been enough.

The importance of faith in healing

Some go as far as to say that it cannot be God's will to heal all because that would mean that people would not die. Just because it is God's will to heal everyone does not mean you will not die! Everyone dies! It is God's will that you die of natural causes, not sickness and disease. Your body will grow old and just give out and then you will return back to the dust from which you came.

I read one article in which the writer stated that faith had nothing to do with someone receiving healing. The person stated that if it was God's will to heal all, then God would just heal them, regardless of their faith. Faith has everything to do with someone being healed, because without faith you cannot be healed. In fact, you must have faith to receive anything from God because God only operates by faith in Him and His Word.

There are many promises God extends to His children, but you will not received any of them apart from faith. In fact, you need to have faith in order to be saved.