Over the last few weeks several of you have come to me asking the question,
‘What is going on? Why are so many of us so sick?’ I’d like to deal with
that today. In a way, the last couple of sermons do relate to this, but I
think that there is some more to be said. It is my hope that what I have to
say will be of practical help as you work at being a faithful Christian in
this time and place.
Let’s start with this. We need to ask the right question in dealing with
this. Asking the right question is so important. And the right question is
this: What is God doing? We need to see more and more clearly that the
things that happen to us don’t just ‘happen’. They are all part of God’s
plan, down to the minor details. We need to be repeatedly asking that
question. ‘What is God doing in this situation?’ Looking at a situation this
way, with this question in mind, will provide hope and peace and comfort.
So, the first lesson is simply to remember to ask this question and not some
other. ‘What is God doing in this situation?’
Now, we need to answer it. What does the Bible have to say? Obviously, there
is no verse that says something like, ‘This is what God is doing at Faith
Reformed Church by bringing much and serious sickness to that congregation.’
We will, however, find our answer within its pages. God has already answered
our question. But He has answered it in such a way that it will require
wisdom to see it. And He’s done it that way on purpose. We will need to look
for principles and patterns and examples that speak to our situation. And
that’s what we’re going to do. We’ll start by looking at Job. Let me
summarize the part of Job’s life covered by the book. Satan enters the
council of God and brings a charge against Job who was reputed to be
blameless and upright. ‘He’s good only because life is easy. Change that and
the real Job will be revealed.’ So, God gives Satan permission to change his
life. In quick succession, Job loses his money, his children and his health.
And though encouraged to ‘curse God and die’, Job doesn’t. He wrestles with
the terrible situation and the slander brought against him, but he does not
sin. At the conclusion, God speaks to him and confronts him. Job comes to
see that he didn’t really know God as well as he thought, as well as he came
to know Him. That’s the summary.
What does that have to say about our situation here? Job’s life is a
reminder to us of the reality of spiritual warfare. Satan is real – very
real – and he hates us – with a passion. We forget that there is a roaring
lion who seeks to devour us. Spiritual warfare is real. It is a battle to
the death. If you would win, you’ll need to keep in mind what it is that
Satan wants to accomplish. All he wants to do is get you to distrust God. It
is not necessary that you curse God, commit some atrocious sin or become
possessed by a legion of demons. His goal is much simpler. His goal is
unbelief. That might show as something large as in ‘curse God and die’. But
it might just as well start as something small, like giving in to fear or
self-pity. Satan tempts you to reject the truth that Jesus is your faithful
Savior. He tempts you to live the way an unbeliever would. He tempts you to
look away from the one true God so that you might look to some idol of the
heart. So, what does a Christian say to himself when confronted by some
illness or even the prospect of death? What does a Christian say when he is
being tempted by Satan? He reminds himself of this Gospel truth: ‘What is
your only comfort in life and death? That I am not my own, but belong with
body and soul, both in life and in death, to my faithful Savior Jesus
Christ.’ [Heidelberg Catechism] While the unbeliever panics and is undone by
his fear, the Christian trusts Jesus. He does not give in the Satan’s
temptations to unbelief. In this he prays, ‘Lord, I’m not that strong. I
know that I cannot do this by myself. And to be honest, the future looks a
little scary. But I do trust You now, and I want to continue to trust You.
Help me to do that.’ No shattering fear. No self-pity. No rage against ‘fate
’. No bold self-confidence. In short, no unbelief – by the grace of God.
Remember that you have an enemy. Prepare now for his attacks. They will
come. You will not be spared. Your soul is at stake.
But there is more in Job. What Satan intends as a temptation, Jesus intends
as a test. While Satan tempts you and wants you to fail, Jesus tests your
faith and wants you to pass. Job’s faith was tested, and he passed the test.
He didn’t give in to unbelief. Having your faith tested and passing that
test is so rewarding. For one thing, it gives you the assurance that the
faith that you have is real. What a tremendous blessing that is! But there
is more. Job got to know God better. Most people these days do not desire an
intimate relationship God. To them He is this deity who is more like a
distant uncle whom you only see at weddings and funerals. But, if it is true
that life can only be enjoyed in the light of the Father’s smile, then what
can be a greater reward than getting to know Him better? Passing the tests
of faith results in great rewards – assurance of faith and intimacy with
God – rewards that we need to learn to value more.
Let’s move on to John 9. This is the account of the man born blind. The
disciples ask the right question. It’s a variation on our question, ‘What is
God doing in this situation?’ Jesus told them that he was blind in order
that ‘the works of God might be displayed in him.’ Then, Jesus restored the
man’s sight. The man’s blindness was an opportunity for Jesus’ power to
shine in a very dark world. Do Christians today get sick so that they might
be strikingly healed by Jesus? Yes, that is one way in which Jesus’ power is
revealed. But Jesus’ power is also – and better! – revealed when the
Christian is not healed and yet still responds to that adversity with trust
and patience and joy. Jesus’ power is not a matter of healing bodies.
Rather, it is a matter of healing people. The healing of the soul is as
important as the healing of the body. A person who trusts his Savior in the
face of adversity – like serious illness – is evidence of the power of
Jesus. Some of you will be [and have been] placed in this sort of situation
so that Jesus’ power might shine through you. Your sickness will be an
opportunity for the Gospel to shine. But understand what this means. It
means that there will be suffering. The man was blind. From birth. He
suffered. You will suffer also. But you must see it as suffering for the
Gospel. Yes, even being afflicted with some illness can be suffering for the
Gospel. It all depends. It depends on how you respond. If, in the midst of
your sickness, you respond as a faithful disciple, knowing that your God is
at work in that particular situation, trusting Him to be faithful to you,
then your suffering is for the advance of the Gospel. Your sickness has a
holy purpose. And your faithfulness will be rewarded. A Christian in this
situation prays, ‘Father, this is not fun. It hurts. A lot. But I gladly
accept this part of Your plan for my life since it will bring praise to You.
Give me the ability to rejoice in the midst of my suffering so that people
will see Jesus at work.’
Then there’s 1 Corinthians 11. This is where Paul writes about the Lord's
Supper. Listen: ‘For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body
eats and drinks judgment on himself. That is why many of you are weak and
ill, and some have died. But if we judged ourselves truly, we would not be
judged. But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we
may not be condemned along with the world.’ The reason why many [!] were
getting sick – even to the point of death – was that they were sinning. Our
God is a holy God. And while He is so very patient, there comes the point
where He will act in justice. And that is what happened in Corinth. Jesus
was disciplining the church. Now, bear in mind that there are two kinds of
discipline. There is the discipline that is intended to instruct. The piano
student is guided into the discipline of practicing every day so that he
will be able to enjoy playing well someday. That is the discipline of
instruction. It’s not that there is some sin to be exposed and dealt with.
Rather, there are things to learn. But there is also the discipline of
correction. Here, some stubborn sin is being confronted. Israel complained
about the manna and demanded meat to eat. So, Yahweh gave them meat to eat –
until it came out of their nostrils. The discipline of correction. In
Corinth, Jesus was applying the discipline of correction. Does He still
apply that discipline? Absolutely. Are there Christians today who are being
disciplined in this way because they refuse to repent? You’d better believe
it. Again, Jesus is very patient. And yet, ‘He who is often reproved, yet
stiffens his neck, will suddenly be broken beyond healing.’ [Proverbs 29:1]
There is a limit to Jesus’ warnings. I’m not talking about some sin that you
have struggled with and are wrestling with, trying to be rid of. I’m talking
about a sin that you refuse to repent of. Examine yourself. Is there some
sin that you know that the Spirit has been pointing at that you have refused
to deal with? I regularly pray that my heart would be tender toward God and
not stubborn or rebellious so that whenever the Spirit points out my sin I
would be quick to repent of it. I believe that the danger is real. Do you?
Our question was, ‘What is God doing?’ I’ve shown you some of what the
Scriptures teach about that. I’ve talked to you about spiritual warfare, the
tests of faith, suffering for the sake of Jesus and His Gospel and being
disciplined by God. There is something here for each of you to consider. I
sincerely hope that you will take the time to think about these things and
to pray that whatever it is that the Spirit wants you to get, you’ll get it.
