“When Jesus heard it, He saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” Mark 2:17
I have never been more grateful for doctors than when I was battling cancer. It was a very difficult and frightening time in my life, but my oncologist and surgeon had the knowledge and skills necessary to help me fight this horrific disease, and now I am happy to say that I have been cancer-free for nearly two decades.
While a diagnosis of cancer can be terrifying, there is another illness that is even more life-threatening. It is insidious, highly contagious, and lethal. It is endemic in this world; there is not one continent that has not been exposed to it; there is not one person who is immune to it. In fact, every person is born with the genetic predisposition for this disease. Some individuals develop symptoms so severe, that they die horribly in the clutches of this disease, while others have only minor symptoms easily ignored, often until it is too late. This disease is so subtle, it stealthily invades every aspect of our lives, sometimes remaining dormant until the perfect moment when it manifests itself with fulminating symptoms. Eventually all will die without the cure.
Thankfully, there is one.
The cure is only available through one doctor, and thankfully, He is available to all who call upon Him. He is often referred to as the “Great Physician.” Of course, I am referring to the Lord Jesus Christ. I usually hear this title used when someone is praying for the sick, which is very appropriate since God is perfectly capable of restoring health to any and all who call upon His name. The Bible records numerous occasions where Jesus provided physical healing (Matthew 14:14, 19:2, Luke 4:40), but there is another sickness that infects the soul and leads to spiritual death if not addressed, and only the “Great Physician” can heal this malady we know as “sin.”
The first outbreak of sin occurred in the Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve chose to disobey God by eating of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Since that time, sin has infected each person. In some, sin has been highly active; in others, it has been dormant, but it is present in each of us, awaiting the right moment to make itself known. Untreated, sin will lead to the destruction and eternal death of the soul of man.
The good news is that the cure is available to anyone who desires it!
Like many physical diseases, the cure for sin is found in the blood. But not just any blood. Only the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, which He shed for “the sins of many” (Hebrews 9:28), can completely eradicate sin’s control in our lives. When Jesus died upon the cross, He took upon Himself the sins of the world. The Bible states that He bore “our sins in his own body on the tree that we, being dead to sis, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.” (1 Peter 2:24).
After His crucifixion, Jesus was buried, and then three days later, He rose victoriously from the grave proving that He truly was who He said He was! Jesus is the Son of God, and only He has the power to forgive sins… the ability to cure us from this deadly disease.
Not only does Jesus forgive and heal us from sin when we repent and call upon His name, He also gives us a “divine vaccine” that continues to fight off the influences of sin in this mortal life. We may experience occasional outbreaks of sin, but the remedy is already within us. With our godly defenses, we can continue to ward off new strains of sin with the assurance that it can never overpower us. The Bible records in 1 John 4:4, “Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world.” We can avail ourselves of boosters from the Word of God to help us remain spiritual healthy. Proverbs 3:8 reminds us that the wisdom of God is “health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones.” His Word continually provides what we need to “be strong in the Lord” (Ephesians 6:10).
The challenge to us is twofold. First, have you received the cure from sin that only Jesus can provide? If not, I urge you to do so today. Simply, acknowledge that you are a sinner and need the forgiveness that only Jesus, God’s Son, can give. Then ask Him to save you and become Lord of your life. It’s that simple, but it will truly change your life forever!
Second, have you availed yourself of the “Bible boosters” to keep yourself spiritually healthy? There is a reason why we are so often called to read the Word of God. It is our only defense against a sinful world. The battle rages on all around us, and we must be equipped to stand for the Lord because our battle is “not against flesh and blood” (Ephesians 6:12). We are told in Psalm 1:2 to “meditate day and night” on the law of the Lord. It is through His Word that we have victory (1 Corinthians 15:57).
There is power, power, wonder working power
In the blood of the Lamb,
There is power, power, wonder working power
In the precious blood of the Lamb.
(from “Power in the Blood” by Lewis E. Jones)
“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” 2 Timothy 2:15
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Immunize yourself today against sin and death!