You Need This Physician

IT IS medically said that any disorder that affects the correct functioning of the body is a disease. Thus the normal functioning of the human body is impaired when diseased. This shows that a disease is a troubling condition in the body. Hardly, therefore, will any human being with sound mind welcome a disease, knowing its deadliness. It is no wonder we all rush to hospitals and pay huge sums of money for medical care when we fall sick.

Similarly, any disorder that affects the correct functioning of the soul is a disease. As the human body gets diseased so the human spirit or soul also gets diseased. Sin is the disease of the soul. The soul is the spiritual part of man so its disease is spiritual. A diseased human spirit or soul may be termed as a sinner, who is dead spiritually, that is, separated from the righteousness of God. And every child of man who is born into the world comes as such.

He or she is helplessly under the control of sin and thus practices sin habitually with no sense of genuine repentance that leads to freedom from the bondage of sin. Sometimes, such a person may try to employ the power of self-will to stop sinning, but soon realise that self-effort is futile. The disease of the soul is a master that takes its victims into slavery. The Lord Jesus Christ revealed this truth in His words to the Jews who had believed in Him.

“So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, 'If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. They answered him, 'We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, 'You will become free?' Jesus answered them, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin” (John 8: 31- 34, ESV).

Clearly, sin is a deadly master. A person can be a president, governor, military commander or wealthy Chief Executive Officer of a conglomerate and still be a slave – a slave to sin. There are many powerful and great people in the world, who disrespectfully order their fellow human beings around to do their bidding, whereas they themselves are slaves to something else – sin which commands them to live by its dictates.

Truth is: a sinner’s soul is diseased so he cannot function correctly. A person’s soul functions correctly when it is freed from the controlling power of sin and maintains a love relationship with God, his Creator. Adam’s soul was working correctly, having a great love relationship with God until he fell into sin. As Adam’s soul was diseased through sin, he separated himself from God and fell short of the glory of God, having suffered spiritual death.

When a person created in the image and likeness of God doubts the existence of God, says in his heart that there is no God, and refuses to hear the gospel of salvation and believe in Jesus Christ, he shows that he is indeed diseased. Similarly, a person who professes to be a believer of Jesus Christ, but lives in sin or practices sin habitually shows that he or she is not completely set free.

Every human being irrespective of race needs a physician who has superior mastery and authority over the soul and body to just not treat but actually heal them. Now, in the heavens and on the earth there is no such a competent physician who can effectually free man from the bondage of sin except the Holy One of God. Only the Lord Jesus Christ possesses the power and authority to heal man of the disease of the soul through His sinless blood.

God loves the world but hates its sins. Thus He sends rains to both the righteous and unrighteous, and causes the sun to shine on both of them. In the same vein, He gives wisdom to medical doctors everywhere in the world to treat diseases and sickness that affect the body. Health professionals are indeed servants of God with Jesus Christ as their superior Physician.

He heals both the diseases of the body and soul or spirit. A soul healed by Jesus Christ may be tempted to sin in a world of sin, but will not utterly fall and be under its power to practise sin habitually. We know that most physical diseases are caused by the spiritual disease of the soul – sin. This is why many sick people receive healing in their body when their sin problems are dealt with, that is, when their sins are pardoned, forgiven or removed through faith in Christ Jesus.

One day, the Lord Jesus Christ, forgave a sinner of his sins and immediately the paralysis that was tormenting him left him. The Scripture says, “When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, ‘son your sins are forgiven. I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home. He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!” (Mark 2: 5, 11, 12).

Before Jesus Christ started His earthly ministry, the angel Gabriel had testified of His coming to heal man of his sins (Matthew 1: 21). John the Baptist also bore witness about Jesus Christ when he revealed Him to the world, saying, “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world” (John 1: 29).

While talking to the Jews who had believed in Him, the Lord Jesus Christ said, “…if you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8: 31- 32, ESV). The Lord Jesus continued, “If the Son (referring to Himself) sets you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8: 36). Yes, you only need the great Physician!

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FROM James Quansah, Kumasi