Picture this. You were born with a terminal hereditary disease that you cannot cure yourself. No earthly medicine will heal it. No surgery or transplant will correct it. Without a cure, you will absolutely die from it. But a permanent cure does exist. There is healing available to you, FOR FREE. In fact, someone died to give it to you. Would you take it?
There’s an interesting little true story from thousands of years ago about a man described as a “mighty man of valor.” He was a commander of the Syrian army, so we know he was a man of strength and war. A powerful leader. Only, this man had leprosy.
He was told about a prophet in Israel who could heal him. With great expectation he went, and when the prophet told him to wash himself in the Jordan river seven times, this mighty commander became furious. He expected theatrics and honor, but this prophet refused to see him in person and told him to go wash in a river he was disgusted by.
At this point, his servants were braver and wiser than he. They said to him, “If he had asked you to do something great, wouldn’t you have done it? All he said was to go wash yourself and be clean.” It was simple. This mighty man of valor was so used to war and power and ceremony that he stumbled over an instruction so simple a child could have done it.
If he hadn’t humbled himself and listened to his servants, he would have died a leper. But he did listen. He went and washed in the Jordan river seven times, and was healed from his leprosy.
You don’t even have to get off the couch.
This is not a joke. It is more real than real.
A part of the gospel that is not emphasized nearly enough IMHO is that God sent His Son to save what is already condemned. Jesus did not come to condemn the world—the world is already condemned. The world is already sick, already dying, on its way to eternal separation from God. Every person is born with a terminal hereditary disease. Good deeds don't cure it. Water baptism doesn't cure it. Confessing your sin doesn't cure it. Animal sacrifice doesn't cure it. Eating right and exercise will not help you. There are no incantations that will save you.
These things cannot change your carnal nature, your identity, or your destiny. There is no work or physical activity you can do to heal this disease. It is cured ONLY through faith in the blood of Jesus "that cleanses us from all sin." This is why we must be born again so that we become born from above, with the incorruptible seed of God. You need a new Father. It could not be more simple than this. You were born with a terminal hereditary disease that you cannot cure yourself. But there is a permanent cure. There is healing available to you, FOR FREE. Someone died to give it to you.
A lot of people feel judged by Christians or condemned by Christians. This is not what Jesus came to do. We are already condemned, and He came to rescue us from absolute, nothing-we-can-do-to-stop-it-by-ourselves death.
Some Christians feel that their job is to point out sins and call people to turn from their wicked ways. Should we sin? NO. We should not! But stopping sinning does not save you. The actual wage of sin is death, not sinning less. If you sinned even 1 time your entire life, it would require the death penalty. Sinning less won't save you or make you more holy. The good news is that Death was already done for you. You don't have to die to pay the debt you incurred from your sin. If you trust that Christ died for your sin and rose from the dead, you are given the righteousness of Christ. You don't have to perform for it. You get to rest in it. You get to live from it. You live FROM Christ's righteousness, not for it.
He takes your sin upon Himself and gives you His perfect righteousness and eternal life. You are adopted into a new family with a new bloodline. It is free to you. No “gotchas” or hidden fees.
Would you do it?
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References:
2 Kings 5, John 3, 1 John 3, Rom. 3, Rom. 4, 2 Cor. 5:21
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