You May Be Sick and Not Even Know It

Various sicknesses often times have different incubation periods. One sickness could take a day before you feel sick and others take a week or two before you hit a fever. Many times, the only reason we go to the doctor is because we have the symptoms of sickness: belly aches, fever, chills, cough, congestion, fatigue, etc. Without these symptoms, how would we know when we’re sick? Would we even seek treatment at all? What happens when a person gets sick and doesn’t know it?

There is a disease for which there is no human cure. A disease that ruins lives and spreads faster than any other illness. Its harmful effects can destroy the body, the mind, and the spirit. It has broken up families, broken people, and yet most people do not know they have it. I’m talking about sin.

Guilt VS. Sin

You might think that guilt and sin are usually packaged together. That guilt is the symptom that people get because they sin and that it is the only way a person can be alerted to deal with their sin. Paul wrote in Romans 3:23, “for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” In this, Paul informs the Roman churches that everyone in the world has sinned. Later, in Romans 6:23, he informs them of the wages, the “diagnoses,” that comes with sin. “For the wages of sin is death.”

What Is Sin?

Before moving forward, we should really talk about what sin is. 1 John 3:4 says, “Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness.” John tells us here that when we commit sin we are committing lawlessness. Against who? God (Gen 39:9, Exo 10:16). Against what law? God’s law. If you’ve ever told a white lie, you’ve sinned (1 Tim 1:10). If you’ve ever hated somebody, you’ve sinned (Gal 5:20). If you’ve ever been greedy, impure, have told a dirty joke, or prioritized something above God you’ve sinned (Eph 5:3-6). The point is we’re all in the same boat, all dealing with this terrible illness.

Where’s The Guilt?

As mentioned before, you might think that guilt and sin go hand in hand. But what if you don’t feel guilty? What then? You’ve still sinned because the bible tells us we’ve all sinned, but what’s the big deal? Take a look at what Paul told Timothy in 1 Timothy 4:1-2,

“Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, 2 through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared,”

Far often than not, we humans are lured in by what feels good or feels right. We do what everyone else is doing and are led to believe things that just aren’t true. If sin becomes natural to us and doesn’t bother us, our consciences (like the liars’) become seared or numb. We have ironed out in our minds that sin is fine and may not even be able to identify sin because we are so numb to it. We no longer feel anything. Not even guilt.

What’s The Cure?

You may not feel guilty about your sin but you most certainly have committed it. We all have. Even the most seemingly perfect people fall short ever day. So what do we do? This disease is active and it on us all brings spiritual death. What’s the cure?

Christ died on the cross for all of humanity (John 3:16). The blood that He shed has a redeeming power (1 Peter 1:18-19) that washes away our sins (Acts 22:16). We must obey the gospel (2 Thes 1:8) and receive the grace that God freely gives (Eph 2:8). Jesus is our great physician. If we want to be cured, we need to seek Him for treatment. Whether you feel guilty or not, sin is real and we all need salvation.

I hope this discussion has been as beneficial to you as it has me. What an appreciation for Christ a lesson like this gives! If you’d like to learn more about obeying the gospel or have any other questions about the bible, click on the “Contact” tab and hit me up. God bless you and keep you. Have a wonderful day!

In Christ,

Zack