In the context of healing this is somewhat of a red herring. What you are referring to is persecution, as opposed to bodily sickness, ailments, and the like. Even with persecution we see time and again God's deliverance and the setting free of God's people. His servants in the midst of fire and not being burned, for example.
So even in the context of persecution I would encourage, biblically, a person to have faith in God to deliver them so that they may continue to preach the Gospel and save the lost.
I understand there are martyrs for Jesus, persecuted to death (truly life). For these people they have a witness of undying loyalty to the Lord, and they will not deny Him, and neither shall He deny them.
However, this is a red herring in this discussion on faith, because faith is even applicable in this situation. That being, deliverance and believing the Lord to save them from their enemies (which has happened). For those that face death (through persecution), due to the Gospel, the word tells them to rejoice in such suffering to be called worthy to suffer for His sake.
Persecution is not the same as sickness, and healing has been made available to the sick through Christ by faith. Deliverance too is made available to those under persecution, so faith even here is of assistance (especially in regards to God's will in who that person is to reach with the Gospel).
I don't see your charge of chastisement on my post as being appropriate, in the context of those suffering persecution. Even if it was chastisement, it would only be an encouragement to trust in the Lord. It wouldn't be beating them down but lifting them up.
There's no such thing as diseases meant for persecution and those that are not. We are in the last days and people must People die through pestilences (Diseases), famine (Natural disasters), sword (Wars), beats of the earth (animals & machinery/accidents)- and all these makes up the tribulation that the saints have to go through. The saints shall die but win a crown of life as their victor’s gift.
Only a few of the believers (Church of Philadelphia) are protected from these things and the reason is, they fully know God.
Jer 24
1After Jehoiachin
[SUP]a[/SUP] son of Jehoiakim king of Judah and the officials, the skilled workers and the artisans of Judah were carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, the Lord showed me two baskets of figs placed in front of the temple of the Lord.
2One basket had very good figs, like those that ripen early; the other basket had very bad figs, so bad they could not be eaten.
3Then the Lord asked me, “What do you see, Jeremiah?”
“Figs,” I answered. “The good ones are very good, but the bad ones are so bad they cannot be eaten.”
4Then the word of the Lord came to me:
5“This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘Like these good figs, I regard as good the exiles from Judah, whom I sent away from this place to the land of the Babylonians.
[SUP]b[/SUP] 6My eyes will watch over them for their good, and I will bring them back to this land. I will build them up and not tear them down; I will plant them and not uproot them.
7I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the Lord. They will be my people, and I will be their God, for they will return to me with all their heart.
8“ ‘But like the bad figs, which are so bad they cannot be eaten,’ says the Lord, ‘so will I deal with Zedekiah king of Judah, his officials and the survivors from Jerusalem, whether they remain in this land or live in Egypt.
9I will make them abhorrent and an offense to all the kingdoms of the earth, a reproach and a byword, a curse
[SUP]c[/SUP] and an object of ridicule, wherever I banish them.
10I will send the sword, famine and plague against them until they are destroyed from the land I gave to them and their ancestors.’ ”
We are in Babylon right now, so don’t get it twisted.
Rev 13:
9He who has an ear, let him hear.
10“If anyone is destined for captivity, into captivity he will go; Ifanyone is to die by the sword, by the sword hemust be killed.” Here is a call for the perseveranceand faith of the saints.