Healing Evangelism: Sin Is A Disease

Striking similarities exist between sin and disease. Here are the most out­standing parallels:

1. Like the pain caused by disease, pain from sin varies from person to person. Some can sin with impunity. Others trans­gress only with great pain of conscience. Some are easily persuaded to turn from sin. Others are indifferent, callused or even hos­tile. Consequently, our approach in reaching people differs from one to anoth­er. This is indicated by the writings of Jude.

“And of some have compas­sion, ma­king a difference: “And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.” Jude 1:22-23

2. Like pain affects breathing, heart rate and the emotional state of a person, sin impacts body, soul and spirit. Sin is not merely a legal or philosophical entity that exists only on paper or in the abstract. It has real, concrete consequences.

“For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death.” Romans 7:5.

“We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. “I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful na­ture. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. “For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. “Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.” Romans 7:14-20. (NIV)

3. Like disease, sin is not always easy to detect. Sometimes sin hides in the soul, lies about its presence, appears as some­thing good instead of bad, and eludes the spiritual sur­geon’s grasp.

“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? “I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his do­ings.” Jeremiah 17:9-10.

4. Like disease, sin does not have to exist in gross forms to be deadly. The smallest sin leads to eternal death.

• “But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” Genesis 2:17
• Then when lust hath con­ceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is fin­ished, bringeth forth death. James 1:15.
• “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23.

5. Like the symptoms of disease, the symptoms of sin often attract more atten­tion than the sin, which caused them. When the source is removed, the symptoms disap­pear.

“But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. “For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adul­teries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blas­phemies: “These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man.” Matthew 15:18-20.

6. Like disease, sin is hereditary. Sin has made man predis­posed to further infec­tion and invasion.

• “Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.” Psalm 51:5.
• “Wherefore, as by one man sin en­tered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sin­ned.” Romans 5:12.

7. Like disease, sin is communicable.

“Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good man­ners.” I Corinthians 15:33.

8. As medical science treats disease without condemning the diseased person, Jesus showed us how to love the sinner while hating the sin.

• “When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more. John 8:10-11.
• “To wit, that God was in Christ, re­conciling the world unto him­self, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath com­mitted unto us the word of recon­ciliation. II Corinthians 5:19.
• “For when we were yet without stren­gth, in due time Christ died for the un­godly. For scarcely for a right­eous man will one die: yet peradven­ture for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sin­ners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:6-8.

9. Pain caused by sin is regis­tered upon the conscience. If a person has a damaged conscience, he has little or no sensitivity to sin.

“Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron.” I Timothy 4:1-2.

Why People Wait

As pain level increases, life can­not go on without ob­taining relief. Yet, the greater the pain, the more severe the cure must be. For this reason, many people endure their pain until it gets out of con­trol. They dread the very thing that their delay guarantees: a radical cure. If they wait too long, a cure may not be pos­sible at an advanced stage of disease.

At first, many people deny the exis­tence of a problem. They may have secret misgivings about their pain, but openly, they refuse to admit that anything is wrong. This denial is so strong that even when they suffer seizures, fainting spells, numbness, loss of mental and physical abilities and other serious symptoms, they still claim to be fine.

Why do certain people behave this way? Pride causes some to maintain an image of strength. Some fear a show of weakness more than they fear disease. Others refuse to be embarrassed by physical examinations or procedures. Irrational phobias about doctors, hospitals, knives, x-rays, and needles stop others. Some imagine the worst possible scenarios: amputation, blind­ness, paralysis, or even death. A sur­prising number allow cosmetic consequences such as scar tissue or loss of hair to stop them. Many who have suffered bad experiences vow that it will never happen to them again. Some believe they cannot financially afford to do anything about their condition. A great many simply say they are too busy and cannot take the time to get themsel­ves checked out. Others do not want to inter­rupt their obligations to families or employ­ers. Some believe that the pain will go away of its own accord.

Getting Relief

Eventually, people in pain take some kind of action to get relief. This is the crucial point. Will their action treat the symptom rather than the disease? Will it only exacer­bate the problem? Will it lead to far more radical remedies at a higher cost? Will they end up as a much greater burden for their families and be lost to their employers after all? Will they lose much more than their hair or their pride?

A century ago, charlatans roamed this country selling exotic potions, snake oil, and strange mixtures that supposedly cured almost every physical problem known to man. While the Food and Drug Administration has curtailed most of this activity, a lucrative market still exists for placebos, herbal con­coctions, unapproved drugs and treat­ments. Some manufacturers of these dubious products make wild claims: hair growth, cures for cancer, AIDS, heart disease, infertility, and more. Why do people believe this adver­tising? Because pain drives people to find relief. They jump at the first ad they come across that directly addresses their need. Couple this with a strong aversion to proper medical treatment, and a sale is made. Unfortunately, the only product they really buy is the illusion of a pain-free exis­tence.

Going After the Pain

When pain persists, the search for help intensifies. People eagerly talk about their problem and all the possible solu­tions for it. If their parents or grand­parents suffered from the same disease they may try to imitate their “patented” home remedies. Mystical or superstitious types delve into old wives tales or even wizardry. They collect bits and pieces of advice and try to patch it all together to make it work. Others em­bark on a health food and healthy lifestyle campaign, buying, reading and subscribing to everyt­hing they can on the subject. Still others peruse the drug and health aid shel­ves of pharmacies and experiment with every bottle or package that remotely relates to their pro­blem. Whatever relief these self-applied remedies afford the sufferer, in the end they lose the battle if the real source of the problem is not touched.

Confusion and Despair

Finally, another barricade prevents some people from seeking medical attention—-they simply don’t believe in it. They think the medical establishment is an elaborate sche­me designed to rob millions of their money. With no basic confidence in medicine or medical practice, they will not submit themselves to it. They see doctors as playing guessing games and manipulating patients like pawns on a chessboard, and charging exorbitant prices for it. Unfortunately, these reservations have proven true in enough cases to keep the doubts alive.

Even people who venture into the arena are confused about which direction to go. There are debates about which doctor to choose and which philosophy of treatment to believe. Should people place their confidence in the os­teopathic, chiropractic or medical schools of thought? Others are confused about the new emphases on herbal treat­ments, acupuncture, or hypnosis. Will these ideas work? Are there other innovations waiting in the wings? Will future research discover that present treatments are more detrimental than helpful? In the end, many are left to contend with the same old pain that will not go away.

In addition to the parallel between sin and disease, a clear relationship also exists between behavior toward physical pain and spiritual pain. As we look at these reactions, we must expand our definition of spiritual pain to include guilt, loneliness, fear, rejection, and any other discomfort of the human soul and spirit. All of them are sympto­matic of the root disease, sin.

Denial.

When spiritual pain begins, many people refuse to admit that anything is wrong. Even those who admit a problem insist that sin has nothing to do with it. Such people often self-destruct and their world crumbles around them. Yet, they cling to their denial.

As with physical pain and disease, pride stands as a mono­lithic obstacle to the cure for sin. “I’ll make it. I’m OK. I just had a rough day at the office. Don’t worry about me.” Expressions like these are pride’s smokescreens. The fleshly nature violently resists any show of weakness or vulnerability. “A man’s pride shall bring him low.” Proverbs 29:23. Pride prevents him from seeking help. As a result, he loses all he has, pride included. Many people will not move from their seat at an invitation. They may not kneel in prayer, or even bow their heads. Such resistance stems directly from a prideful heart.

Phobias.

Irrational fears seize many people when they consider giving their lives to the Lord.

“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath tor­ment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.” I John 4:18.

Some may fear any kind of relation­ship with God. In their eyes, He is too awesome, too demanding, or too holy. They may see the worst things that could happen should they release their faith—-such as losing their marriages over religion, alienating their family or friends, losing their identity, or becoming a fanatic.

In the same vein, some peo­ple become nervous or embar­rassed when asked about salvation. Somewhere in their past, they may have been stung by hypo­crisy, or felt keen disappointment in some­one who claimed to be a Christian. Even worse, they may have been secretly hurt or brutalized by a family member or a false Chris­tian. Buried injustices leave deep and ugly scars. Perhaps they know that a true surrender to Christ will involve higher costs than they are willing to pay at the moment. They may fear that they cannot maintain their walk with God should they start out.

Indecision.

When decisions seem too big, many people cannot make any decision at all. They blame their procra­s­tination on busy schedules, prior commit­ments, the demands of family and job, or simply their own lack of preparedness. People often say, “I’m just not ready,” when they want to keep all their options open. A decision means losing their freedom to choose. Many soulwinners overlook this motive in dealing with pain.

Painkillers.

When spiritual pain, loneliness, guilt, or fear increases to the point that something has to be done, tem­porary relief is usually only as far as the tavern or liquor store. People don’t start drinking because alcohol tastes good, or because it’s good for them, or to become an alcoholic. They drink because they want to either numb the pain they feel inside, or to substitute the pain with pleasure. Even those who drink for the fun of it or for social reasons, are using alcohol to address deep needs.

Drug abuse begins much the same way. While it may sound strange to say it this way, it starts out as an innocent and honest try to get relief from boredom, frustration, personal loss or anxiety. Unfor­tunately, it ends up as a much greater pro­blem than the one it was supposed to solve. The key is to recognize that, in the mind of the user, alcohol and drug abuse are logi­cal, easily accessible solutions to the problem of pain. Drink­ing and drugs actually makes sense to the people who use them.

In order to get relief from spiritual pain, many people ex­periment, not with drugs, but with ideas.

“Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imagina­tions, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the uncor­ruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.” Romans 1:21-23

Thousands of people are converted every year to cults, religions, philosophies and heretical beliefs. Why? People enter these groups, not because they discover truth in them, but because a deep hurt in their lives predisposes them to conversion. They fall prey to the first group that addresses that pain. A totally new interpreta­tion of life grants them an im­mediate escape from their problems, piques their curiosity, and promises all the things they’ve ever wanted: peace, meaning, accep­tance, love and belonging.

Consider for a moment, the rallying cry for several of these groups and notice how it appeals to people in pain. One group stresses eternal marriages and bap­tism by proxy for family mem­bers. How good that must sound to people going through marital strife or who have wronged their families and want to make amends. Another group continually points out the absurdities and inconsis­ten­cies in other religions. This appeals to the spirit of bitterness in people by legiti­mizing it and giving it new targets. New Age groups promise mystical power and control over one’s life and destiny. This looks like the perfect answer to those with a poor self-image or a sense of inadequacy. Many groups who have no particular tenets of faith build empires on love and acceptance. Those hurt by hatred and rejection all their lives find this extremely attractive. Most importantly, people usually join groups because someone in the group reached out to them, not because of intellectual or doc­trinal reasons.

Soulwinners must recognize that few people get saved as a direct response to doctrinal truth. Doctrine becomes a major factor in their minds after salvation, but until then, the most significant gesture for them is for someone to talk about the pain and hurt they feel and use words and im­ages they understand.

Self-help.

Just as many people in physical pain turn inward for help and determine their own plan of attack, those in spirit­ual pain often try to figure themselves out, and then announce their solutions, often outlandish or irrational ones. Psych­olo­gist’s and psychiatrist’s offices are rou­tine stops for these people. They also get ideas from books, movies, television pro­grams, fads, fashions, trends, gossip, boy­friends, girl­friends, next-door neighbors, and other popular sources. You’ll hear these people say something like, “Finally, I think I know what my problem is,” or “I don’t care what anybody thinks, I need to…,” or, “Don’t try to talk me out of this.” They sink into depression while they look for the answer. As soon as they’re convinced that they know what the problem is, their mood swings upbeat, and they forget their pain.

Pain gives birth to life-changing decisions. Such people may drop out of school or enroll in college or change ma­jors. They may get married, get divorced or get involved in a new relationship. They may quit their job, change positions within their company, change employers or start their own business. They may buy a house, a sports car, a boat, a motorcycle or some type of gadgetry, get into body-building or Karate, redecorate, buy all new furniture, buy a new wardrobe, take expensive vaca­tions, join the Army or move out-of-state. Sometimes they have plastic surgery, change names, go on crash diets, or affect other cosmetic changes.

While some of these changes seem harmless or perfectly normal, the wise soulwinner notices them and probes for the underlying reasons. The spiritually healthy person makes changes when oppor­tunity knocks and the decision is pleasing to the Lord. The person in spiritual pain forces changes at inopportune times to please the self and subdue his pain. The healthy person is happy at any place or cir­cumstance in life, and doesn’t depend on change for happiness. One who is in pain always perceives the change as the way to happiness. The more irrational the change seems, the more likely it is a result of acute, spiritual pain.

Constant, unabated pain often c­auses people to erupt in outbursts of an­ger. If physical pain does this, spiritual pain is even more notorious for it. In severe pain, people scream out curses, viciously attack­ing whoever or whatever they see as the reason for their hurt. Many times they curse God because they see Him as being ul­timately responsible for their an­guish.

“But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy com­munication out of your mouth.” Colossians 3:8.

Many people blame others for their pain, rather than deal directly and rationally with it. Blaming, cursing, attacking, and implicating others temporarily blunts pain. It stems from several prejudicial attitudes. Here are some of them:

a. “I don’t deserve this.” These complain about the unfair­ness and injustice of life. They take special care to vilify God and curse Christianity. They deny God’s love, poin­ting to their pain as proof that God does­n’t love them.

b. “If you hurt me, I’m going to hurt you even worse.” Revenge consumes such people. They focus in on a mother, father, spouse, or whomever they perceive as respon­sible for their condition. Often, they hide their feelings in public, but in private, they dig, taunt or curse the target of their wrath. They know what to say and when to say it to cause the most pain.

c. “I don’t know who hurt me so I’m going to make every­body as miserable as I can.” These embittered souls are virtually bap­tized in the gall of hatred. They lash out at everybody and every­thing. Nobody is right. Everybody is hypo­critical and out to get them. Their bitterness and anger is the only way they see to balance out the inner pain.

• “Therefore I will not refrain my mouth; I will speak in the anguish of my spirit; I will complain in the bitterness of my soul.” Job 7:11
• “Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitter­ness.” Romans 3:14.

d. “I can’t stand to see you happy while I am in pain.” Jealousy and envy often find expression in anger, bitterness and resent­ment. Sufferers desire to be like the whole­some people around them, but are unwilling to confront their own condition in the right way. They end up criticiz­ing bitterly the person they secretly admire.

Gross sin.

People in intense pain tend to make matters worse in order to make them better. They smash their fists against brick walls, refuse treatment (includ­ing food and water), defy doctor’s orders, and act in ways that are clearly self-destruc­tive. Why? It may not be as irrational as one might think.

Damping. When an injury occurs, the body’s first reaction is known as damping. Dam­ping occurs when repetitive signals from nerve endings that detect touch and pres­sure close a “gate” in the spinal cord that blocks the transmission of injury impulses. Gating also occurs when certain pain-in­hibiting neurons that descend from the base of the brain are activated. The gate they control in the spinal cord is activated by morphine and similar drugs, and by certain naturally occurring substances called endor­phins that are produced within the brain. This process is thought sometimes to act spontaneously during emergencies such as accidents or combat. One may not be acting without purpose then, when he or she seeks a deliberate injury. There is a certain numbing effect created, even though it is temporary.

Sin causes spiritual pain. We might assume that once people realize this, they will stop doing the thing that causes the pain. Unfortunately, the opposite often happens. Very often, they descend into deeper, viler sin. Each time they transgress, they experience numbing or even pleasurable effects. “Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season.” Hebrews 11:25.

Each sin calls for another sin worse than the one, which preceded it. The gamb­ler risks more and more money each time he gambles in order to make up his losses. The drug user goes from marijuana to amphetamines, cocaine, crack, ice, and whatever else he can get. The flirtatious girl goes from a petting session to secret fornication to openly flaunting sex and sin. The dishonest boy goes from pilfering candy to purse snatching to robbing a store or bank. While each step down gives a rush of pleasure, it is all an expres­sion of pain hidden deeply in the heart.

Sin as a weapon. When people who behave this way believe their actions will hurt those who have hurt them, they often use sin as a weapon against them. They go to great lengths to shock, shame, embar­rass and offend those they deem responsible for their pain. They take a devilish delight in the outcome of their actions.

Certain gross sins such as abortion and abusive behavior are especially seen in this context. Abortion, for example, is a direct result of pain, according to experts in the field. They say,

“Women who seek abortion of their ‘un­wanted child’ find themsel­ves ‘socially aborted’ long before they seek the medical abortionist. They are aborted, rejected and un­wanted by those close to them—-their husbands, par­ents and friends. By the time these same women reach the abortionist they are al­ready iso­lated and afraid; they feel literally trap­ped.” (Hilgers and Horan; Abortion and Social Justice).

Abusive behavior is similarly an outgrowth of a much deeper problem. “The abuser has little self-esteem, often considers himself a failure, relates poorly to people, is jealous, and accuses his mate of being non-supportive or unfaithful. These symptoms are also present in the child abuser…He often vents his frustra­tions, the hurts and pains of his childhood on his own child­ren.” (Graham and Ward; The Billy Graham Christian Worker’s Handbook).

“For this cause God gave them up unto vile affec­tions: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: “And likewise also the men, leaving the natu­ral use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themsel­ves that recompence of their error which was meet. “And even as they did not like to retain God in their know­ledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; “Being filled with all unrighteousness, forn­ication, wicked­ness, covetous­ness, mali­cious­ness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, “Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, “Without understanding, covenant­breakers, without natural affection, implac­able, unmer­ciful: “Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are wor­thy of death, not only do the same, but have plea­sure in them that do them. ” (Romans 1:26-32).

Reversion to type.

In crisis or dis­tress, or in the pre­sence of certain stimuli, the body usually reverts to an intuitive re­sponse. It manifests instinctive, “knee jerk” behaviors such as batting the eyelids, sneezing, flinch­ing, salivating, ducking or running. These re­sponses are hard to avoid, even when they are clearly not appropriate.

The innocent Adam and Eve wel­comed God’s presence in Eden. The guilty Adam and Eve hid from Him and made themsel­ves clothes of fig leaves. Sin always incites behavior opposite of the will and desire of God. It causes people to fall back on familiar old excuses and cling to ideas contrary to the Word of God. These beha­viors are involun­tary, unresponsive to rea­son. They are less matters of the head than of the heart. Often, we hear these common responses:

a. “Nobody loves me.” Insecurity in­flicts untold pain on people throughout their lives. They refuse to believe that anyone, least of all, God, loves them or cares about them. Often they lack a definition of love. Insecurity resis­ts heal­ing, and will usually respond only in the context of time.

b. “I’m not good enough.” The Apostle Paul addressed this pain sev­eral times in the Scriptures. “For by grace are ye saved thro­ugh faith; and that not of yoursel­ves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” Ephes­ians 2:8-9. We often think of this in terms of pride, but for many it is an expres­sion of the despairing pain of never being good enough. Such people live their lives desper­ately seeking the ap­proval of a parent who gave them only criti­cism. This is not always the case. Some­times, people have com­mitted sins for which they feel guilt. Un­resolved sin brings with it a sense of the impen­ding judgment of God, and drives the soul away from God. “But your iniquities have sepa­rated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.” Isaiah 59:2.

c. “I can’t believe.” Since we are created in the image of God, the human spirit wants to believe. People who say they can’t be­lieve are confessing pain. Beneath their callused remark lies bitter disap­pointment, disillusion­ment, or someone’s failure to build the foun­dation for trust. Belief is not a feat for the mind alone. Some claim to disbelieve because of intel­lectual reasons. The real truth is that they resist believ­ing in a God whom they associate with someone who has hurt them so deeply.

d. “I don’t understand God.” No one really understands God, but that does not keep believers from worship­ping and serving Him. When peo­ple say they cannot under­stand God, they are ex­posing pain. Per­haps contra­dictory stan­dards and rules were forced upon them, or a tragic event in their past remains un­resolved, or life has always see­med out of control. Through under­stan­ding, they search for order and meaning. Disor­der and mean­ing­lessness are painful to the soul.

e. “I hate God.” People who claim to hate God are angry for some­thing that they can blame on no one but God, such as loss, tragedy or death. Death itself does not necessarily precipitate this feeling, but pre­mature death does. So does the sense of being cheated or dealt with unfairly. People take it as a per­sonal affront. Yet, they realize that God is the only One who can ultimately help them. This dilemma com­pounds their pain. Feeling trap­ped, they respond with hatred towards God.