Why is it that our ‘default setting’ tends to want to refute the truth of God’s word when our personal experiences and/or opinions don’t line up with what it clearly says in black and white?

Case and point: I have taught here over the past couple of years how scripture teaches that anyone who is truly abiding in Jesus will not continue to practice sin, and actually be walking like Jesus did as they are being conformed to His image and likeness. (1 John 2:6; 3:6; Rom. 8:29; 1 Pet. 4:1-2). But when you share passages like these, the first instinct is to want to respond with: “Are you saying you don’t sin?”, as if sharing those verses was offensive to them.

My response to that is: “It doesn’t matter what I am doing...or not doing. What matters is- what does God’s word say?” If you ‘pray’ for something and there is no response, does that negate the fact that God answers prayer? You do realize the ‘mess’ this world is in ... began with God giving a very clear warning and directive, (Gen. 2:17) and then this ‘serpent’ appeared on the scene to question that statement, casting doubt, then twisted it around to say just the opposite so that Adam and Eve would, for the most part...believe ‘another gospel’. (Gen. 3:1-11; 2 Cor. 11:3-4,14-15). The rest they say, is history; and we all know how we tend to not learn from history.

Fair warning here: I’m going longer today to wrap up my series on ‘sin, sickness, and healing’ which I began on 10.10.24 for anyone who might want to go back and review.

Please understand how aware I am that the teachings here the past 12 days could be uncomfortable for many who have read them while they themselves might be going through a serious health crisis, or know someone personally who is. I also realize how easy it is to ‘jump to conclusions’ or to mis-assume what I might be implying here.

I have no personal agenda or point to prove other than sharing with you the ‘whole counsel’ of God’s word and gospel. And the fact of the matter is: Sickness and disease is NOT a blessing. God called it a ’curse’. It was not God’s will back in the OT for His people to suffer in such ways and it stands to reason that God would not want His people today to suffer with sickness and disease. I shared the other day multiple passages where Jesus first arrived on the scene and spent much time ‘healing all manner of sickness and disease, while also casting out many unclean spirits. He is the unchanging God (Heb. 13:8; Mal. 3:6) who still...not only forgives us of ALL of our iniquities but also heals us of ALL of our diseases. (Ps. 103:2-3)

But being able to experience and be the recipient of such ‘healings’ and ‘deliverance’ requires more than just ‘believing’. Sadly, much of the ‘faith healing’ teachings place all the emphasis on that one aspect alone...”Just believe and have faith...and God will heal you.” And only God knows how many people’s faith has been shipwrecked because of such distorted teaching. Hosea nails it down pretty well as to why so many of God’s people are ‘destroyed’ - ignorance. (Hosea 4:6)

I’m not going to repeat two weeks’ worth of messages here to ‘wrap up’ this series, but I do want to share how I would personally approach and respond to facing any serious health issue crisis myself (which I am not at this time). I know...easy to give a lesson on child raising if you don’t have children yourself, or to give marital advice if you’ve never been married. And some might suggest it is cruel, callused, and insensitive to share what I have here recently when I am in relatively ‘good health’. But as I stated at the start- my experiences and opinions are no reason to twist or even refute God’s word. And once we come to a place where we are humbled and willing to admit that just maybe we have been wrong on a few things, or even a lot of things, then perhaps God will begin ‘confirming His word’ with accompanying signs again like He did for those early believers. (Mark 16:20) Have you seen the counsel given in James 5:13-16 lately?

If I am diagnosed next week with some terminal, or serious illness, I can assure you there would be some serious ‘hitting the brakes’ on my current lifestyle as God would have my undivided attention. I would be doing some serious soul-searching in prayer, and yes, even fasting as I humbled myself in seeking His face. (James 4:6-10; Ps. 139:23-24;). And let me tell you now...there would be zero temptation to immediately reject the idea or deny the possibility that I had ‘sinned’ or ‘got out of my lane’ in my walk of abiding in Jesus. Why do I say that? Because ‘sin gives place to the devil’ who comes to ‘steal, kill, and destroy’. (Eph. 4:27; John 10:10)

I am fully aware that sickness and disease and plague was a very common means of God ‘sending or allowing’ it to get His people’s attention when they strayed or even flat out disobeyed Him. And the reason I would be seeking Him above all else is because He is the same God who promised to ‘heal’ when people repented and turned back to Him. (107:20)

There’s a story in the OT about King Asa (2 Chron. 15-16) who for the most part, was a good king and did what was right in the eyes of the Lord. But we read in 16 that he got ahead of God and made a treaty with Syria which displeased God. When he was confronted and rebuked by Hanani, Asa was angry with him and had him thrown in prison. (7-10). Sad, is it not, how we can be so offended when confronted with the truth of God’s word? (Acts 7:54)

The next thing we read...King Asa ‘became diseased in his feet...and his malady was severe” .... but please note the rest of this verse: “...yet in his disease he did not seek the Lord, but the physicians.” (2 Chron. 16:12).

Let me clarify once again- I am not on some crusade against doctors or medicines; nor am I suggesting that every little ache or pain one has is God’s ‘judgment’ on you because you sinned. But we have drifted so far off the path of God’s word that we don’t even recognize His judgments anymore. (Jer. 8:7; Ps.38:1-7; 119:67-71; John 5:14; 1 Cor. 11:30; 5:5; Isa. 42:23-25).

Todays’ ‘church’ has heard all about the ‘goodness of God’ while being grossly deficient in hearing about the ‘severity of God’. (Rom. 11:22). And when I say ‘severity’...what ‘God’ do you think struck down Ananias and his wife in Acts 5:1-11? No wonder Paul reminds us of God’s assessment of mankind by stating “the way of peace they have not known, there is no fear of God before their eyes.” (Rom. 3:17-18)

We can sure give the ‘devil’ much credit for all the havoc he wreaks while forgetting he can do nothing without God’s permission. And why are we so quick to forget or dismiss the promises we see in scripture how those who truly ‘abide’ in the shadow of the Almighty...are immune or protected from his attacks? (Ps. 91:1-10; 1 John 5:18)

The religious establishment back when Jesus was here was highly offended by the things they heard Him preach. I would submit to you that today, the majority of the church ‘establishment’ is no different. How dare I suggest there might be ‘sin in the camp’ or that we could even be free from sinning, let alone implying our sins might be the reason for our sickness.

Allow me to share with you the heart of a true disciple: When Jesus suggest our hearts may be turning from Him, do we deny the fact, or begin judging ‘others’ who we think might be guilty? Or do we get before God and ask...”Lord, is it I?” (Matt. 26:21-22)

We are told by Jesus that His sheep actually can ‘hear His voice’ and will follow Him. (John 10:27). I am not of the belief that God hammers us with some disease the first moment we ‘drift out of our lane’. (Heb. 2:1). But make no mistake about it...God will use whatever He needs to use to get our attention so that our ‘spirit’ might be ‘saved’. (1 Cor. 5:5) And His ‘chastening’ is for our own good because He loves us and wants us to come to repentance. (Heb. 12:5-11; 2 Pet. 3:9; 1 Cor. 11:30-32). What is sad...is the fact that this kind of ‘teaching’ today would be considered heresy, twisted, and harmful. No wonder Paul talks of a great ‘falling away’ in the last days. (2 Thess. 2:3; 2 Tim. 4:3-4)

Let me wrap up with this reminder. God truly is a God of ‘love’, and He is ‘for you, and not against you’. (Rom. 8:31). And one thing we can learn from honest study of the scriptures is God did not come to condemn or destroy us, rather to bring us ‘life, and it more abundantly’. (John 10:10). But when God does bring judgement, chastisement, or ‘correction’, it's usually for one reason and that is to bring us to repentance so we will return to Him with all our hearts that He might in turn, lead us in to a good place where He can bless us ‘exceedingly and abundantly in all that we could think or ask’. (Eph. 3:20-21)

The real question we need to address, once again is: ‘are we abiding in Him’? You can be a good church member, profess with your lips that He is Lord, and be convinced in your mind that you are a devoted follower; but that does not translate to abiding in Him. How can I say this? Well, once again...1 John 3:6 says those who abide in Him no longer practice sin. And most, if not all ‘devoted church members’ are quick to confess they ‘sin daily’ on a regular basis. So you judge for yourself- Jesus was quick to point out that when some people suffer, it is not because they are any ‘worse sinners’ than others. (Luke 13:1-5). He just warns there that unless there is true repentance...we will “all likewise perish”.

Yes...Jesus loves us, this we know ...for the Bible tells us so. And that same Bible tells us a whole lot of other things that we might do well to go back and read again...maybe even for the first time.