Imagine that tomorrow someone appeared on the world scene saying they knew of an absolutely certain cure for Covid-19. No more fear of you or others you love dying from this virus! No more lockdown and quarantining! You could go back to being with and even hugging your loved ones, go back to work, go back to ‘normal life’! Don’t you think you’d want to sound the alarm and make sure everyone you know and love was aware of this wonderful news?
And, what if they reported that the person who came up with the cure gave his life in order to produce it? Wouldn’t you be overwhelmed with gratitude knowing that someone loved the people in the world so much that they had been willing to sacrifice their life to save them? Wouldn’t you even wonder, “How can I possibly demonstrate to others how grateful I am to the person who came up with the cure?” (Consider the outpouring of love and support that so many have shown to the healthcare professionals working to try and save Covid-19 patients—how much more gratitude should be shown to the one who came up with the way to save patients from the disease and the death it can cause!)
Now, suppose that after the cure was announced that there were millions of people who said they’d used the cure and that they’d experienced miraculous, life-changing results. Do you think in today’s divisive, skeptical climate that everyone would trust in the word of those making the claims and would embrace the one who produced the cure as being the ‘savior’ who had delivered us out of a world crisis? Even if skeptics derided their claims, do you think those who had been on their death beds and experienced the cure would remain silent? Or do you think they’d ignore their critics and do all in their power to make sure the cure was known to all of those in need?
As of this writing, there have been over 1.5 million worldwide who have contracted Covid-19; fortunately only a small fraction of the number of infected will die from the horrible disease. However, there is a far, far more deadly and dangerous disease that 100% of the world’s population has been ‘infected’ with, and it is certain to lead to death… unless a person gets the one and only cure for it. That ‘disease’ is of course sin.
The first question that most people ask about Covid-19 is, “What is it?” Similarly, it’s important for us all to know what the ‘disease’ of sin is that infects everyone who has been born since Adam and Eve.
Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. 1 John 3:4 ESV
The Bible makes it clear that sin is violating God’s laws, or His commands—commands which reveal His perfect will and which He has given to us for our good and for the glory of His name. (Think of the laws our government has instituted during this crisis in order to protect us from harm; how much more our Perfect Heavenly Father wants to protect us from harm so He has given us commands for our good, even if we don’t understand and agree with the reasons behind them since His ways are so much higher than ours!) All of God’s commands can be summed up by two: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” Matthew 22: 37-40 ESV
The Bible also makes it clear that everyone has the disease; all have disobeyed God’s perfect commands.
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God… Romans 3:23 ESV (See also 1 Kings 8:46; Psalm 53:3; Ecclesiastes 7:20; Romans 3:9 Romans 5:12)
The reality is that every person who has ever been born loves themself more than they love God, and loves themself more than they love others. Everyone who still has the ‘disease’ of sin is more consumed with doing their will than they are with doing God’s will, and they are more concerned with living for their pleasure than for His pleasure. That is ‘everyone’ unless they have received the cure for the disease of their sin.
Unlike Covid-19, H1N1,SARS, or any other illness that has led to a pandemic, everyone who has the ‘disease’ of sin will die… that is, unless they choose to receive the cure.
For the wages of sin is death…Romans 6:23 ESV (See also Genesis 2:17; Romans 1:32; James 1:15)
Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned…Romans 5:12 ESV
Whereas there is no known cure as yet for Covid-19, praise be to God, there IS a sure cure for the ‘disease’ of your sin and mine!!!
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 ESV (See also John 3:18; 36; 6:40; Acts 16:31; 1 John 4:10; Revelation 1:5)
So, in order to be ‘cured’ from the ‘disease’ of your sin, the thing you must do is to believe in Jesus!
Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.” John 6:29 ESV
And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love another, just as he has commanded us. 1 John 3:23 ESV
There is no other cure for the sin of the world than faith in Jesus.
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 14:6 ESV (See also John 1:17; John 10:9; 1 Corinthians 15:56-57)
Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Romans 5:1-2 ESV
Faith in Jesus not only cures us of the ‘disease’ of sin and delivers us from the power of sin and the penalty of sin— which is death— it also is the way for us to have eternal life with Him.
Jesus said…, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. John 11:25 ESV
Now this is eternal life: that they may know You, the only true [supreme and sovereign] God, and [in the same manner know] Jesus [as the] Christ whom You have sent. John 17:3 AMP
If we believe that Jesus’ sacrificial death in our place and resurrection from the dead is what brought forth the cure from our fatal disease of sin, how can we not be filled with joy?!! How can we not share the good news with others who are under a death sentence from their sin?!! And, shouldn’t we be willing to share the ‘good news with others even if they scoff at us and deride us for our claim of the ‘cure from sin’ that is found in faith in Jesus alone?!
This weekend as we celebrate Christ’s triumph over death through His resurrection from the dead, let us rejoice that our faith in His death has released us from the curse or ‘disease’ of sin, and the penalty of that sin which is death! Let us who believe exclaim with joy that we’ve been given the free gift of eternal life and will spend forever in Heaven with Jesus where ‘there is no more sorrow and no more tears’! And let us be renewed in our commitment to share the ‘good news’ of the gospel with all who are still infected with the ‘disease’ of sin so that they too can experience the healing that is only found in faith in Jesus’ sacrificial death on the cross on their and our behalf! Tell everyone you know! Shout it out on social media, send the good news out via cards, notes, texts and emails, do all you can to share with others that there is a cure for the world’s greatest ‘disease’ —a cure that cost Jesus His life— but that is a free gift from Him and available to all who choose to put their faith in Him!
May we all be found faithful to Jesus’ command to, ‘go and tell’. (Matthew 28:18-20) May we be found faithful to ‘ring the bells’ and shout it from the mountain top that Jesus Christ came to earth to be born a Man so that by His shed blood, His death and His resurrection from the dead, that He would bring us victory over death and enable us to receive the gift of eternal life with Him through faith in Him!
Christ has risen! He is risen indeed! And because I believe that He conquered sin and the grave, I too have no fear of death and I know that I will live with Him in Heaven forever and ever! Hallelujah! That is certainly something to celebrate and to share!!!
Easter Song
(Written by Annie Herring/ made famous by Keith Green)
Hear the bells ringing, they’re singing that you can be born again
Hear the bells ringing…they’re singing Christ is risen from the dead
The angel up on the tombstone said He has risen, just as He said
Quickly now, go tell his disciples that Jesus Christ is no longer dead
Joy to the world, He has risen, hallelujah…He’s risen, hallelujah
He’s risen, hallelujah…Hallelujah
Hear the bells ringing they’re singing that you can be healed right now
Hear the bells ringing, they’re singing
Christ, He will reveal it now
The angels, they all surround us and they are ministering Jesus’ power
Quickly now, reach out and receive it
For this could be your glorious hour
Joy to the world, He has risen, hallelujah
He’s risen, hallelujah…He’s risen, hallelujah, hallelujah
The angel up on the tombstone said He has risen, just as He said
Quickly now, go tell his disciples that Jesus Christ is no longer dead
Joy to the world, He has risen, hallelujah
He’s risen, hallelujah…He’s risen, hallelujah
Hallelujah…Hallelujah…Hallelujah
Written by Julie Van Gorp