Christine is ill with strep and the rest of us feel like we're on a raft in the middle of the river, stuck in the current, approaching a waterfall of inevitable illness. I have decided to dive off the raft and swim for the shore. I can ill afford to get ill at the moment.
But please pray for Christine. The poor girl is wiped out! She's been to the pharmacy and is medicated and I hope that helps but when I asked her to confess the secret sin in her life which we know must be the real cause of her illness she refused, which is, itself, evidence of her deep and secret sin.
Now, while I'm not serious about that, there is a connection between the sin in our lives and our physical health, biblically speaking. It is both a direct and indirect connection. The sin of gluttony leads to obesity and all of the conditions that spring from it (illness is the only thing that springs from obesity). That's a direct connection. But general sin, and sins of the heart and disposition, can result in poor health even when there is no connection, medically speaking.
And at the same time there are righteous saints who are horribly afflicted, and moral scoundrels who are "fat and sleek."
So when I get sick I think it's important to take my moral temperature first, but it is not wise to assume or insist upon either a spiritual diagnosis or a spiritual remedy for what might be a purely physical problem.
What do you think?
10 comments:
I agree wholeheartedly with what you've written here. The more difficult question for me, along these same lines, has to do with the diagnosis and treatment of mental illness. What is the work of satan and what is the effect of a chemical imbalance (for instance)? I sincerely believe that much of the illnesses both physical and mental that we treat today with drugs could find a cure with a spiritual remedy prescribed on the basis of a discerning spiritual diagnosis.
I'm praying for you Christine!
It is all well and good for somebody to test their own "moral temperature," as you said in the post, but I think where people get into trouble is when they begin to speculate about the origins of other people's maladies.
Certainly, it is our place to correct a brother or sister who is continuing in sin, but to speculate that there must be unnamed sin at the root of a physical illness is an exercise in pride.
I agree that scripture is clear that some illnesses are born of sin, but the problem with folks who look on an ailing brother and sister with suspicion is that there is no such thing as relative righteousness. The standard is Christ and His perfection- were it not for God's grace and mercy we would all be sick or worse- much worse. The attitude of someone who is in good health judging one who is not goes something like "I am good and they are wicked. That is why they are sick and I am healthy." The attitude is rooted firmly in pride, and they are no better than Job's friends.
You could broaden the whole idea to include such things as car accidents, economic reversals, etc... Really, I think such speculation is unhealthy (sinful), in and of itself. We live in a fallen world and man is born to trouble as surely as sparks fly upward. We should leave the heavy lifting of conviction to the Holy Spirit, and encourage our Brother's and Sisters to remain Christlike in the midst of their trials.
Josh, I agree that it is unwise to speculate about whether or not sin is the cause of someone else's malady or misfortune. It's a question that should concern us in regard to ourselves.
But I disagree entirely when you say that there is no such thing as relative righteousness. Where do you get that from? Where in scripture? Are you seriously saying that no one can be objectively described as being more or less righteous (or more or less sinful) than someone else?
I am more saying that it is a moot and irrelevant point. It's like saying the floor of a dumpster is cleaner dirtier than a toilet seat- I'm not eating off of either.
What value or prophet can possibly come from being relatively more righteous than another person, how can you know, who assigns weight to sins, should we even entertain the question?
Comparing oneself to another inevitably results in two conclusions- I am better than this person or I am worse. God does not want us to live in either place. Our identity and righteousness comes from who we are in relation to Christ. "may i never boast in anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ..." (Gal. 6:14)Entertaining questions of relative righteousness will have the inevitable conclusion of stroking one's pride or causing them to wallow in shame.
"Oh, Shame and Pride are twins
And Mother Selfish grins
To see her boys at play
Inside my heart today."
Jarudet
Inversely, entertainign questions of relative righteousness may also result in putting another on a pedestal where they don't belong or looking down another like some pompous pharisee in Jesus time. "They asked his disciples 'why does He eat with the 'sinners' and Tax collectors?" (Mark Chap. 2 somewhere & paraphrased)
I think you're right that scripture certainly doesn't state that there is no such thing as relative righteousness, and there is plenty of evidence that there is. Especially when we consider the mysterious system of rewards in heaven, and Noah, Job, Daniel and Joseph who were all described as being especially pleasing to God. Even Lot was found to be "righteous" relative to the men of Sodom. I stated my point too emphatically in my earlier comment. What I meant then and now is that relative righteousness won't get a person anywhere before the judgement throne, and pondering one's position relative to our neighbors can only serve the devil's ends.
I wasn't disagreeing with you at all, I agreed with every word of your post. Reading back over my earlier post, it read like I was taking issue with you over something. I was speaking about what I have observed in the attitudes of some folks out here in the Golden State that I have rubbed shoulders with. The issue gets me fired up! I liked your treatment of the question.
Who needs seminary? I have my brother's blogs!!!
Another question, that I would love to hear your opinion on is what about those Christians who think that seeking medical attention or taking any sort of medication reveals a lack of faith or worse? I have also rubbed shoulders with these folks, and quite often they are one and the same with the earlier group.
Josh, I still think you're giving personal righteousness short shrift. I understand the dangers of pride and the risk of a "works mentality." But our salvation is not just an eventual matter. We understand that it has for us, through the ministry of the indwelling Spirit, an immediate and measurable effect. Of course we measure the effect in terms of our increasing proximity to the standard of Christ's righteousness and not in terms of of our distance from some other sinner.
But this is really important. Our righteousness (a righteousness we can not take credit for) is what ratifies and amplifies and sells our witness as it brings glory to the God who accomplished it in us.
It's going too far to say that we are, at best, relatively clean toilets. It's a well-intentioned sentiment, but it's still an offense to the Holy Spirit who has taken up residence in us and put some considerable effort into reshaping us in the likeness of Jesus Christ.
As far as the people who would equate medical help with a failure of faith, I have no patience with them. But neither do I have any patience with the mealy-mouthed believers who pray that God would give the doctors wisdom but lack the faith to pray for divine healing.
I stand by my comment.
I don't see anything that would indicate that I am giving personal righteousness "short shrift." I think you misinterpret the spirit of my remarks. I said nothing untrue.
If one, is judging their position relative to another than they can only conclude that they are a filthy toilet seat, having nothing to boast in apart from Christ. If they derive their identity from their relationship to Christ than they rightly view themselves as being made as white as snow, but then again so is the dumpster, compost pile, and rotting carcass that they look down on. In view of what Christ has done for us how can we not respond by lifting up our entire lives as an act of worship- a living sacrifice, which is our reasaonable act of worship.
None of my remarks spoke to a person's inner dialogue with the Lord about areas in his/her life that are displeasing to Him, or even a brother rebuking and correcting sin in another's life, but rather uncharitable, hypocritical, prideful and unloving attitudes towards the brethren, which manifests itself in scenarios like the ones I have addressed in earlier comments.
p.s. I can't believe I spelled profit as "prophet."
Sometimes I think my brain is just a little too loose- like I need to tighten a bolt here or there.
I also can't believe that you didn't call me out on it!!!
Sometimes I just get typing and don't pay attention to what i am doing.
I'm enjoying this exchange though.
I noticed the spelling of prophet/profit but did not call you on it as an indication of how righteous I am.
I, too, have enjoyed this exchange.
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