MLC Sermon Notes Note 0305

Disease

Despite all the advances of medicine, the increase in knowledge, the availability of sophisticated equipment, disease is still with the human race. No sooner has science found a cure for one sickness when an even deadlier one looms on the horizon. Now it is AIDS, a disease that will be the talking point of millions in the next few years. Tens of thousands are expected to die of this disease in the coming years. But I will not bombard you with statistics; the news media is making a good job of that. Instead we will examine the problem of disease from the Bible standpoint. Standby for some amazing revelations.

1. What Causes Disease?

Yahweh has built the human body in such a way that it has in-built resistance to disease. A normal healthy body carries within it defence organisms capable of overcoming known or expected attack. But, and here is where the system breaks down, when the body is weakened (through starvation, exhaustion, accident, chill, etc.) our in-built defences are overcome by germs, viruses, bugs or whatever, and we go down with a sickness or disease. All this is well known: so I'll not amplify. There is however another cause for disease.

Yes, blatant disobedience (sin) is another cause for disease. The Most High can give permission for a person to be smitten with a disease - for whatever reason. Consider the case of king Jehoram who greatly sinned in the eyes of the Lord. The result was he and many of his family were smitten with disease.

Here we can see that disease was sent from above as a result of sin. But we should not conclude that disease is always the result of sin. In the case of the patriarch Job, a perfect and upright man in God's opinion, disease was sent as a test of faith. Satan claimed that God was bribing Job; and that Job's faith and obedience were only expressed for gain. Yahweh disagreed and allowed Satan to strike Job with terrible boils from the crown of his head to the sole of his foot. Read the book of Job for details.

2. Is Yahweh's Design Faulty?

The physical bodies we inhabit are designed to illustrate great spiritual truths. One of these truths concerns the matter of disease. Here are some well known facts from which we will draw a few comparisons:

On the lower physical plane

There exists a great host of alien organisms constantly ready to attack the human body. They are in the air we breath, the water we drink and the food we eat.

• Healthy bodies are normally more able to resist attack than weak bodies.
• But needless exposure to attack does not guarantee victory even for a healthy body. For example even a healthy doctor can catch leprosy if s/he is careless. Illicit sex can lead to AIDS.
• Innocent victims of disease abound. e.g.:
• Weak and hungry children whose resistance is low.
• Haemophiliac patients who rely on blood transfusions
• Married people who contract disease via their diseased partners.

On the higher Spiritual plane

• Evil angelic forces who constantly try to corrupt people.
• The need to be spiritually strong (good food, rest, exercise)
• The need to avoid temptation and exposure to evil: because even a healthy mind can, unwittingly, be tainted by sin.
• Innocent spiritual victims abound in our society. They may be found in all countries and on every level of society; just as physical diseases are.

Is Yahweh's design faulty? The answer is no. The Most High has designed the human body perfectly to illustrate great spiritual truths. And if we learn and apply those spiritual truths - even if we ourselves are physically sick or in poor health, then Yahweh's overall purpose will have worked in our lives, no matter how bad our physical health may be. In other words, the Most High has designed the human body as a blueprint, an illustration of the spiritual realities which concern our salvation. And though we must not think that every physically sick or diseased person is also spiritually sick, we must look at this whole matter of disease as a great spiritual object lesson from which we can draw spiritual lessons.

3. Healing

The four gospels contain more stories about the Saviour's healing ministry than his sermons. Why? Simply because those physical healings all have higher spiritual lessons. Indeed many of Messiah's miracles are called 'signs' because of this fact. Consider these verses which tell of his power:

The Saviour's miracles are recorded not just to show that he can heal every physical disease. They are recorded to prove that he can also cure every spiritual malady. He can heal all our diseases - even spiritual AIDS. Many groups suffer from spiritual AIDS, an 'Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome' which leaves them unable to resist the alien spiritual attacks of sin.

4. A Divine Health Warning

Faithful obedience to Yahweh's commandments is the best defence against spiritual disease and death. It is the only way to stay spiritually healthy. Just as faithfulness to your spouse is the only defence against physical AIDS. The vital relationship between obedience and good health is emphasised in passages like these: NOTE: Do not be afraid to warn your people of these facts.

5. Spiritual Power

The followers of Christ had - to varying degrees - an enormous freedom to heal. They were not only healthy people themselves, but were able to heal all manner of diseases.

Note the close connection between disease and the influence of evil. Evil agencies (angels) depart when they come into contact with God's power.

6. Spiritual Responsibilities

Believers have responsibilities. And one of them is to bring the spiritually sick and diseased to Christ for healing. He will gladly forgive and heal the broken heart. He is the only one able to heal the leprosy or AIDS of sin. He is the Master Physician. Come to him for healing before it is eternally too late.

No matter how spiritually sick you may be, healing is possible in Christ. He can heal you. As regards physical healing, you could do no better than follow the advice of the apostle James.

MLC Sermon Notes