Does sin cause sickness?
Notes
Transcript
1 As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. 2 And his disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” 3 Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him. 4 We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work. 5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” 6 Having said these things, he spit on the ground and made mud with the saliva. Then he anointed the man’s eyes with the mud 7 and said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means Sent). So he went and washed and came back seeing.
Just about a year ago I preached on “Why do bad things happen to good people? Are wealth and health our rights as God’s children?” And I thought I need to revisit a particular aspect of this.
So, today I depart from 1st Peter and ask the question:
Does sin cause sickness?
Does sin cause sickness?
Well, contrary to all the prosperity preachers out there on the God channel, Premier Radio and the Internet we find that we are not promised an easy, trouble free life here on earth. The false idea propagated by the Joel Osteen’s of this world is that you can have “your best life now” have not read the Scriptures or twist them to say something positive beyond the realm of what God’s Holy Word actually says.
The issue is that many people and maybe even here today who have a false guilt for their lack of faith. And this stops us from moving forward in our Christian lives because we are stuck believing a lie that we are at fault for the bad things that happen in our lives.
Now, in a general sense sin is the cause of all the trouble in the world. In Genesis 3 we have the record of the fall when Adam and Eve and the curse brought upon the earth as a result, which I’ll now read:
Genesis 3:14–19 (ESV)
14 The Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, cursed are you above all livestock and above all beasts of the field; on your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life. 15 I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”
16 To the woman he said, “I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children. Your desire shall be contrary to your husband, but he shall rule over you.”
17 And to Adam he said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, ‘You shall not eat of it,’ cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life; 18 thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field. 19 By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”
We immediately see that with the serpent there is bruising or crushing of heads and heels, pain in childbirth and the earth is cursed and death ensues. It is a total calamity that continues down to this day and seems to be getting worse. You could say there is devolution rather than evolution. Things are not getting better. This, of course, is evident in the
2nd Law of Thermodynamics that says that heat always cools down. But this law is true universally in that everything is winding down, or that disorder or entropy is increasing.
And this can be true about the increase of disease, sickness, allergies, intolerances, cancer, etc today. The exceptions to this are the one-off events of pandemics such as the bubonic plague that wiped out a 1/3 to 2/3rds of Europe’s population, and 1/3 of the Middle East and which visit our planet every so often. But even so, it is evident that sickness is on the rise rather than on the wane.
We know generally then why there is sickness in our world and it is a direct result of sin and the curse but as yet we have not found any specific sins that cause sickness. Except, there are, of course, in that we self-abuse, drink heavily, sleep around, and eat just processed foods, all of which can lead to the likelihood of sickness will ensue - and these are all self-inflicted.
Or one might get sick because of a lack of rest or overworking. Remember that even Jesus slept and rested. Don’t ever feel guilty for stopping when you need to - and make sure you are taking that one day in seven. And when you’re sick, rest. Basic stuff this but it seems it still needs to be said.
The ultimate form of sickness is death. We are told in:
Romans 6:23 (ESV)
23 For the wages of sin is death.
And as yet no human cure has been found for that! The search for being immortal has not been found. The elixir of youth unattainable, even if they do find the Holy Grail!
The word sickness in the bible is about weakness. And if we do not die of a disease we die because we simply wear out.
The fact is we all have a virus and that virus is sin.
Living forever is something on offer through Jesus’ death for our sins, burial and resurrection…we can right ask now, where is death’s sting?
Or to complete the verse we just mentioned:
23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
But the question remains:
Can sin cause sickness?
Can sin cause sickness?
besides what we have talked about?
Well, the answer is an uneasy yes.
A couple of weeks ago we spoke of Miriam and Gehazi. Miriam got leprosy for a week after she went up against the leadership of her brother. Gehazi for a lifetime for his greed despite being warned. And we have Herod Agrippa in
21 On an appointed day Herod put on his royal robes, took his seat upon the throne, and delivered an oration to them. 22 And the people were shouting, “The voice of a god, and not of a man!” 23 Immediately an angel of the Lord struck him down, because he did not give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms and breathed his last.
And there is the case of the Corinthian church which was so divisive and taking the Lord’s supper in an unworthy manner found in
30 That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died.
And the ultimate sanction found in
1 But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property, 2 and with his wife’s knowledge he kept back for himself some of the proceeds and brought only a part of it and laid it at the apostles’ feet. 3 But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land? 4 While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to man but to God.” 5 When Ananias heard these words, he fell down and breathed his last. And great fear came upon all who heard of it. 6 The young men rose and wrapped him up and carried him out and buried him. 7 After an interval of about three hours his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. 8 And Peter said to her, “Tell me whether you sold the land for so much.” And she said, “Yes, for so much.” 9 But Peter said to her, “How is it that you have agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord? Behold, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out.” 10 Immediately she fell down at his feet and breathed her last. When the young men came in they found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her beside her husband.
The issue here was not that he kept part of it back but his hypocrisy in pretending to be 100% committed when he and she were not and still get the acclaim for it.
These few instances were very, very specific and understood as to why they happened.
If you feel the need to confess every sin in the book just because you think you might be ill because of ‘just in case you have sinned’ then you are barking up the wrong tree. If you were sick because of sin you would know exactly what is the problem. And it would not take long to confess it and deal with it.
Why am I talking about this subject today?
Why am I talking about this subject today?
The last couple of weeks this subject has come up on three different occasions, all separately. So, I wanted to settle our hearts and minds about it.
It is a very important one because sickness raises all sorts of questions in our minds about whether we are at fault or not for the illness that we have, especially if it is a long-term one.
And something that is fairly obvious to those who come to this fellowship is that there are many here with long-term, life-long illnesses, including myself. I hope that this is an encouragement to you - no one is exempt from being unwell including all those ministers who claim you should ever get sick and say “where is your faith?”
Have you noticed how many prosperity preachers wear glasses? Or have had laser treatment to hide the fact! Oh, and they do get sick.
Oh, and they do die, the ultimate proof that you cannot avoid weakness! I REALLY hate preachers who claim you should have it all in this life. It sends people down a guilt trip or inspires a greed and a lust that is forbidden in the Scriptures.
Friends, the bible tells us of leaders who get sick including Paul himself. In fact, because he was sick he ended up in Galatia and preached to them the gospel. Who knows, maybe he was on one of his travels passing through and he got waylaid. Couldn’t continue the journey. But then saw an opportunity:
13 You know it was because of a bodily ailment that I preached the gospel to you at first, 14 and though my condition was a trial to you, you did not scorn or despise me, but received me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus.
How was his condition a trial to them? Maybe he needed help getting to the venue or sitting down, or coughing all the time. Who knows? The great apostle Paul was sick.
I suppose you could say there is the law of Romans 8:28 coming through:
28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
I’ve said before: We are not promised that anything will go right for us this side of Heaven,
How many times must I remind you?
We are not promised that anything will go right for us this side of Heaven,
We are not promised that anything will go right for us this side of Heaven
if anything we actually are promised the opposite.
I’ve said this before too: We have gained the idea that somehow we are entitled to healing and wellness and a good life. But the Scriptures instead say we have the right to suffer (1 Pet 4:19).
And when his health was taken Job said to his wife when she said: Curse God and die!
Job 2:10 (ESV) “You speak as one of the foolish women would speak. Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?” In all this Job did not sin with his lips.
Notice that Job did not sin by saying that adversity came from God. In another translation it says:
“Shall we receive the good at the hand of God, and not receive the bad?” (NRSV)
Yet it was Satan who had attacked him. His wife suffered also. And he can attack us too.
Paul was given a thorn in the flesh from the devil…and had to live with it:
2 Corinthians 12:7–10 (ESV)
7 So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me.
9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
If our great apostles needed healing and others were sick from time to time without being condemned as lacking faith are we to expect that we will live a sick-free, trouble-free life? They did not think it was because of a particular sin either.
I am grateful for those who have been outspoken and living lives before God despite their obvious sicknesses such as Joni Eareckson Tada, Nick Vujicic and Justin Peters.
Does God heal?
Does God heal?
God DOES heal today. There is no reason not to ask for it. And God may tell us that we shall be healed or we are given the gift of faith for healing; others have the gift of healings, if so, use it! Hold onto God’s promises but we are not promised healing as a right. It maybe that God will heal you or someone you are praying for but unless God speaks the Word don’t be presumptuous.
However, we are told in:
14 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.
The onus is on the one who is sick. The sickness here though seems to be one that is on the verge of dying and the real possibility of healing.
And of course God heals, and I have been privileged to see it, but there does seem to be a change in the church a short time after it came into existence. A time when shadows like Peter’s could heal to a time when the advice was to take medicine:
23 No longer drink water exclusively, but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments.
And even the hope that someone might get healed, who had a sickness unto death. Who am I talking about? Paul tells us:
25 I have thought it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus my brother and fellow worker and fellow soldier, and your messenger and minister to my need, 26 for he has been longing for you all and has been distressed because you heard that he was ill. 27 Indeed he was ill, near to death. But God had mercy on him, and not only on him but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow.
There seemed to be no certainty on Paul’s part that he was going to be healed. Indeed, from the way we read this it is plain that others on the journey had died. And, of course, it is better to be with the Lord but that does not dampen the sense of loss.
This was true for me in my previous church when the Church Secretary who was the best of men, a godly man and well loved got cancer and died. To this day I am sad. Why? Because I miss him. This is the sorrow added to sorrow.
I can’t cover every aspect about sickness today, only asking the question as to whether our personal sin can cause sickness. So, I want to encourage you.
It is extremely rare for sickness to come because of a specific sin. If that was true of you you’d know exactly what you need to repent of. But, it is far more likely that everyone of us gets sick because this earth is under a curse and the curse came about because of sin. This is especially true if you were born disabled or sick.
Sickness is not necessarily a negative thing. If anything, it means we have to cling all the more to God and rely on Him.
In the meantime we can pray for healing and we can trust God to know exactly what He is doing. And there is a day coming when all trouble will come to an end.
It seems to me the main promise of healing is not in this life but in the next:
4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
It is better to be with the Lord. Amen. But in the meantime, whether in sickness or in health, commit your ways to the Lord and follow Him.
Sing: O love that wilt not let me go 263
Sing: O love that wilt not let me go 263
Sing: Guide me thou they great Jehovah. 102
Sing: Guide me thou they great Jehovah. 102
Benediction
Benediction
5 May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, 6 that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.