The Cancer of the Soul

Cancer is a corruption in our body – a malignant tumour that tends to spread.  We can feel and see the signs of cancer in the form of lumps and melanomas.  These growth always start small, nearly undetectable, but will continue to develop if unchecked until they are inoperable.

We are born spiritually sick.  We have a hereditary disease, passed down from Adam, which corrupts all that God intended us to be.  It is called the Sin Nature and it is the cancer of our soul. This Sin Nature has signs of corruption in the form of jealousy, bitterness, hatred, anger, pride, etc.  To start with, these symptoms may be very small, nearly undetectable, but if unchecked they grow and grow until the corruption has infiltrated all facets of our soul.
One day there may be a cure for cancer, but the only cure for the Sin Nature is death and resurrection. (The Sin Nature does not follow us into Heaven).  Until then, we must try to keep this disease in remission.  Medicine has its own treatments to stop the deadly spread of cancer.  God’s treatment for our soul is a daily intake of the Word (Bible) and faith in the promises within.
It is a long process of rehabilitation.  Ever so slowly the spread of the Sin Nature is halted until we get to a point where we start reversing the corruption.  Eventually, there will be very little evidence of the existence of the Sin Nature in our soul.  But we mustn’t be fooled - the Sin Nature is never cured, it’s only in remission.  Should we ever stop our treatment, the soul-cancer will start to spread yet again.

A Balanced Diet

One of the major causes of illness and disease is from deficiencies in our body.  The body is not designed to survive on only one source of food.  It needs a balanced diet, consisting of various vitamins, minerals, proteins, carbohydrates, etc. Different food groups combat and prevent different ailments.  With regard to taste, some food groups are far more appealing than others and often the tastiest are the least beneficial.  Yet, if we only eat food that tastes nice and neglect that which doesn’t, we will soon cause deficiencies within our body and leave ourselves open to all sorts of ailments.

For a Christian to maintain a healthy balanced spiritual life, God has given the Bible.  It contains spiritual food.  Some spiritual truths are very appealing whilst others are bitter doctrines of correction.  If we only digest the truths that are appealing and neglect the truths that are challenging, we do so at the detriment of our soul.  Soon, we will be found deficient in certain areas in our spiritual life and open to all sorts of spiritual attack.

Beneficial Drugs

Drugs get a bad name from the damaged caused when they are misused and abused.  However, drugs are made to be beneficial to mankind.  In medicine, they are useful in many processes of healing and have relieved a great deal of suffering.  It is ironic that many have benefited from using drugs, while others have destroyed their lives because of them. 

God designed Christians to be beneficial to all humanity - to help heal a sick world through the example and power of Jesus Christ.  Yet Christians (like drugs) get a bad name because of the damage they cause. Historically and presently, Christians are viewed as judgmental and self righteous, exhibiting little tolerance and even less grace. Individually, we should ask ourselves if people are better or worse off through knowing us?  Do we take from those around us without giving? Do we always want grace, mercy and compassion but never give it.  Are we encouraging or draining to those around us? 
God designed Christians to be a gift to the world - a pipeline for His grace.  If we are focused on self instead of God, we will be like a devilish drug - a source of suffering to all who get involved with us. 

Blind Faith

A blind person views the world in a different way to most of us.  They don’t have to see an object to know it’s there.  The blind develop other senses and may rely on guide dogs or sticks to help them avoid obstacles and arrive at their destination.  Often, the combination of their tools and senses gives them a greater vision of the world around than those who have eyes to see. 

Humanity is completely blind to the spiritual world; however, God has not left the Christian to stumble in the dark.  We are told to see things using our sense of faith.  Faith may be blind, but it is certainly not deaf (through hearing we have believed).  Faith is guided by the Word of God and we must use this spiritual-sense so as not to get lost in our spiritual life.  God has also given us a stick (the Holy Spirit) to alert us to danger and help avoid obstacles.  God has also supplied a guide dog (a Minister) to help us reach our destination (by teaching the Word).  Keep in mind that guide dogs must be looked after to be effective and faithful in their service.  If we persevere by utilizing our God-given tools, we will inevitably develop a greater insight into that which is happening in the world around us.

Getting Older

Thank God for old age.  This is His way of reminding us that our time on earth is winding down.  He never intended this corrupt planet to be our permanent home.  God only allows us limited time to seek Him. A spare split-second and faith (in Christ) is all we need to assure our place in Heaven.  If the vitality of youth were to continue to the very day of our death, many of us would never feel the need to seek God. With healthy bodies and an abundance of energy, it is easy to say arrogantly, ‘I don’t need God! I’m in charge of my own life. I have strength and beauty aplenty. I can be my own God.’
We easily forget that, if not for the grace of God, we wouldn’t have the basic necessities such as oxygen, sunshine and water to keep ourselves alive even for a minute.  Inevitably, it’s our failing bodies that remind us that we are dependent creatures.    
As we become older, the crutches of youth are slowly kicked out from under us.  For some, it requires falling into that helpless state of old age to finally ask for a hand-up.

Living in a Sick World

On entering a hospital, you quickly see it is filled with sick and injured patients in need of treatment.  You will also note the patients all suffer from different ailments - some have cancer, some kidney failure, others broken bones - the list goes on.  Doctors and nurses use different procedures and techniques for each circumstance – there is not one treatment that cures all.  The remedy for a cut finger will not be successful for those who have kidney failure. 

We live in a sick and dying world where every nation is like a patient.  However, not every nation suffers from the same illness.  Some are afflicted with poverty, some with tyranny, while others have war or famine.  Prosperous countries are chronically sick with indifference and dependencies. Our job, as Christians, is to help bring these nations to good health (salvation), but how do we convince these nations to take their medicine (God’s Word)?  That which works for one nation won’t necessarily work for another.  A nation suffering from war or famine will require different treatment to a nation suffering from apathy. 
We should firstly pray that God will work into every nation’s circumstances so its people will see the need to seek treatment.  Then we should pray that God sends the right doctors (missionaries) who know those special treatments that will lead to a successful administration of the cure (salvation).

Suffering from Spiritual Leprosy

Leprosy (or Hanson’s Disease), destroys the nerve system leaving a patient without feeling and completely numb to pain.  Disfigurements attributed to leprosy are in fact ‘untreated’ infections that turn gangrene.  Those with leprosy are said to be the hardest patients to treat - because they don’t suffer feelings of pain and discomfort, they completely ignore their injuries and don’t seek aid until it is too late to treat.  

People living in the prosperous nations can be said to be suffering from Spiritual Leprosy.  Because they are not hurting, they are the most difficult people to give the good news of salvation.  Those in nations afflicted with poverty and war are far more responsive to God’s great offer of salvation because they are feeling the pain and are seeking a cure.
Living in a rich nation, it’s easy to become dependent on outside stimulus for entertainment.  It is not long before the nation is over-stimulated, desensitized to violence, indifferent to the feelings of others, numb to the surrounding natural beauty and neglecting important priorities.  Sadly, this leads to Spiritual Leprosy which results in a nasty infection of national apathy.  However, because the nation is not suffering, it does not seek the aid (Salvation) that it so desperately needs.   No wonder evangelists and missionaries have far more success in saving those in third world nations than they do in their own.

Healing Powers

A doctor is someone qualified to practice medicine.  They identify health problems and by using different techniques (from a prescription to surgery), realign or remove a blockage to allow the body’s natural healing processes to begin. We mistakenly think that doctors heal the sick – in fact, doctors rely on the human body’s marvelous ability to heal itself. 

Ministers of God’s Word are like doctors.  They help the spiritually sick by identifying problems and administering Biblical solutions.  If the patient accepts the treatment, then God can start the process of healing. However, in a world with so many ailments (violence, abuse, depression, anger, prejudice, indifference, apathy, poverty, affluence, etc) a one-off treatment does not exist. Just as doctors have their area of specialty, ministers are also gifted with aiding a certain category of patients.  Some have the divine gift to treat those suffering from indifference. Others will specialize in bringing hope to those in despair, or enlighten those with prejudices, or lift those in poverty.  
We should always be thankful to our ministers; but remember, if we have received spiritual healing caused from their insightful prescriptions (sermons) all they did was remove a blockage or realigned our spiritual life so God’s amazing grace can flow back in to accomplish the actual healing.

Taking Our Medicine

Medicine is an external substance that aids in the internal restoring of health. Doctors often prescribe the remedy; however, it is up to an individual whether or not they follow through and take the prescription.  Medicine may either taste nice or awful, but its primary purpose is to assist in healing a sick or injured body - not delight the senses. 

Whether we like it or not, we all have very sick souls (sin nature).  To aid in restoring us to spiritual health God has prescribed a medicine that we should take daily - the Word of God (Biblical truths).
It is up to the individual to follow through and take God’s prescribed remedy. At times we may not feel like taking it and some days it may taste awful (doctrines of correction).  However, we should always keep in mind the purpose for God’s Word is to aid in healing the sickness in our soul.  Without the daily intake of God’s Word, the sin nature within us will soon take control. Symptoms such as depression, bitterness, worry, stress and anger will start to reveal themselves.  The continuing unfairness of life will become unbearable.  Soon we will be laid-up with spiritually sickness and become a burden to ourselves and all those around. 
We have everything to gain, and nothing to lose, by taking our daily spiritual medicine - even when it sometimes leaves a bad taste in our mouths.

Daily Soul Care

To maintain good dental hygiene and strong, white, healthy teeth there are certain things we must do daily.  Floss to take away bits of food caught in the teeth. And brush to stimulate the gums and remove the build up of plaque.  However, if we stop our daily mouth care it will soon becomes evident to all.  Teeth go yellow and start to decay.  Gums become infected and as a consequence whenever the mouth is opened, our breath would make a skunk blush.  No matter how attractive we are, people will soon go out of their way to avoid us.

Dental hygiene is an excellent illustration for our soul-care.  If we want to maintain a strong, healthy soul we should examine it daily.  We must quickly remove those bits of pride, jealousy, anger, etc, by privately admitting them to God (1 John 1:9).  If we fail to do so, those sins will start decaying sections of our soul.  Following that, a daily soul-brush using God’s Word to remove the build-up of wrong priorities and stimulate our spiritual life. But if we neglect the daily soul care it won’t be long before our whole soul is infected and rotting.  Soon, it will become evident to all that our attitude stinks and before long they will go out of their way to avoid us. 

Ignoring Our Body

We all have a duty of care toward our body.  Wherever our soul goes, it must travel within our body (except in death).  When we suffer pain, get sick or old, we may wish to leave our body but whether or not we like it, we’re stuck with it (for now anyway).  Since we can not exchange our body, we should maintain a healthy relationship with it.  When ignored or abused, our body has ways of reminding us (through pain, illness, etc) that we have a duty of care.

God says, He will never abandon us.  This is very reassuring in a crisis; however, we must look at the flip side of the coin.  In prosperity, when we abandon God or ignore Him, He is still with us.  God never leaves us for an instant.  He never forsakes us and He never gives up on us.  We can never rid ourselves of Him.  So it makes good sense to maintain a healthy relationship with our omnipresent God.  Just like our body, He has ways of reminding us that we are ignoring Him, to the utter detriment of our spiritual and eternal wellbeing.

Intoxication

Drunkenness is a matter of choice.  In fact, many small choices lead up to the state of intoxication.  A person must continuously choose to let alcohol pass their lips and must choose to swallow.   At the first sign of light headedness, the wise person abstains, but the potential drunk chooses to continue until the point of intoxication.

There are other forms of intoxication.  We can easily get drunk on bitterness, jealousy, lust or pride.  As with drinking, intoxication is a matter of choice – lots of small choices.  We choose to let subjective thoughts turn into bitterness or jealousy.  Then, instead of abstaining, we swallow foul thought after foul thought, and in no time we are intoxicated with hatred, anger and revenge.  Similarly we become drunk with pride, lust, arrogance and power.  Then, as with all drunks, it will not be long before we are making fools of ourselves and hurting those we love.   
The truth is, from time to time, we all have these thoughts (the Bible says we are liars if we say we don’t).  So at the first sign of intoxication, the wise person abstains by admitting those thoughts to God (1 John 1:9.) and starts afresh with a sober mind.

Uneven Strength

Athletes soon realize that they must exercise all parts of their body or injuries will inevitably occur in the parts they have neglected.

This rule applies to Christians individually and collectively.  As a Church we should not concentrate on Christian fellowship and neglect learning the Word of God.  As individuals we should not put all our effort into serving strangers and neglect serving family.  If we are strong in only one area, the neglected area will inevitably collapse under the strain.
This is also true in our relationship with God.  Our spiritual strength does not come from us - it originates by allowing God to work in certain aspects of our life.  God strengthens, revitalizes, comforts, encourages and gives confidence to those areas of the soul we surrender to Him.  However, those areas we refuse to give over to God will soon feel the strain.  It is through that strain many of us realize that we have to hand all aspects of our lives to God so He can build them up to enable us to have all-round spiritual strength and not suffer unnecessary injury.

Body Language

Our bodies have a unique way in communicating – not in words, yet the message is normally very clear.  If we step onto something sharp, our body immediately sends signals to our brain to move.  If we drink too much alcohol, our body lets us know its displeasure by suddenly throwing-up, plus it will remind us the following morning with a nasty hang-over.  Our body tell us when food is required or needs to dispose of it.    When we regularly exercise, the body rewards us with a sense of well-being to encourage further exercise.  Alternatively, it sends messages of fatigue when it has been over-exercised.  Pain is the body’s way to alert us to change our behaviour if we are doing something that is causing damage.

God has many ways of communicating with us that doesn’t involve direct speech.  He speaks through His Word (the Bible) and speaks through our conscience (our sense of right and wrong).  He gives an inner peace and joy to encourage us in the right direction.  He also communicates with feelings of unrest and emptiness when we have left the true path.  God is constantly sending us messages in ways that don’t interfere with our free will.  Maybe we should take the time to listen to what our Creator is trying to tell us.

Critically Injured

A critically injured woman staggered to the hospital.  Immediately she was whisked to the Emergency-Room for treatment.  The doctor on duty examined her and shouted to the nurse, ‘Quickly, get me a comb and makeup.  This woman’s appearance is atrocious.’  Soon the injured woman was on the operating table getting her hair brushed, new clothes and a complete makeover. 

As Christians, we sometimes get so caught up with outward appearances that we don’t fix the real problem.  Like Adam and Eve after the fall, we become so preoccupied with appearances that we devote our time sewing fig leaves to cover up.  When people come into our lives and church seeking grace for inner wounds (obtained from living in the Devil’s world), we often ignore those wounds and concentrate on adjusting their outward behaviour to conform to our own legalistic standards.  No wonder spiritually wounded people see the church as the last place to go when seeking treatment. 

Gym Membership

A young man, keen to get fit, purchased ‘life membership’ to a long established gym.  After a few weeks he lost interest and never attended the gym again.  Many years later he grew fat and lazy.  His family and friends even voted him ‘least likely to ever exercise’, but unbeknown to everyone, the man who was so anti-exercise remained a member of the gym to his dying day. 

We are wrong to assume, because a person doesn’t act as a Christian - they are not a Christian.  When anyone believes in Christ, God instantly writes their name in the ‘Book of Life’.  From that moment onward they are an eternal member of the Family of God.  Soon after that they may lose interest in Christianity, but they still remain a member of Heaven. 
Our eternal salvation (Heavenly Membership) is eternally secure – it was purchased by Christ at the cross.  It doesn’t depend on what we do, but on the work accomplished on our behalf by the Lord Jesus Christ on the Cross.  We can do nothing to earn salvation – we can do nothing to lose it.  Salvation is simply accepted as a gift.  Once accepted, our name is irrevocably written in the ‘Book of Life’ and it is there for eternity.  However, the shape we are in on reaching Heaven and the rewards received, depend on the amount of time we have spent spiritually exercising on earth (doing God’s will). 

Gym Attendance

When we desire to get into shape or build a little muscle, we can join a gym or sporting club.  However being a member is not enough to get fit - it is only the initial step.  If we want results – first we must do the right thing (exercise) and second, refrain from doing the wrong thing (by eating excessive junk food).

If we want to be strong Christians we soon realise that attending or being a member of a church is not enough for spiritual growth – it’s only the initial step. Spiritual growth first comes from exercising in the Word of God (using the promises and reflecting on the profound truths within the Bible) and second, refraining from doing the wrong thing (sin).  Furthermore, teachers of God’s Word are like personal trainers and we only benefit if we put into practice their Biblical advice.