Where does sickness come from?
We dwell in a very confusing world. One fact is obvious
though: sickness is real in our world and all of us sooner
or later face an illness or another. Some are quickly
healed, others take longer and others never get healed.
Interpretations about the origin of sickness is even more
confusing. Some blame it to viruses and bacteria. "If we
could get rid of all of them, we would be fine!" Others
blame it on genetics. "It's all my parents and grandparents
fault!" (at least they can't blame their mother-in-law!)
Others blame it on the environment, and still others blame
God. Some even go as far as to blame aliens from outer
space! Who is right in all this?
The Bible is the only true source who can reveal this to us.
Let us open God's Word and find out!
1. The original God's goal for
man.
Gen 1:26 "Then God said, 'Let us make man in our image, in our likeness.'"
God created us on the sixth day of creation. He created us in his image, giving
us dominion of this whole planet. If we believe that God gave us sickness as
well, then He is subject to it too, as we are created to His image!
Gen 1:31 "God saw all that he had made, and it was very good." Notice the words
"very good". Some teach that God wants people to have sicknesses, depression and
pain in order to them learn some spiritual truths. If this is true, why did God
not give this teaching tool to Adam and Eve? Fair is fair! Instead we notice
that they were created "very good".
He even goes further by giving them directions of what to eat in order to stay
healthy. Gen 1:29-30 "Then God said, 'I give you every seed-bearing plant on the
face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will
be yours for food.'" No, disease and sicknesses was not God's plan for humanity
at creation! But where did sickness come from?
2. Origins of diseases.
Gen 2:16-17 "And the LORD God commanded the man, 'You are
free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of
the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.'"
Here is the first indication of possible sickness and death: disobedience: "you
will surely die."
"But wait a minute! When Adam and Eve sinned, they didn't die!" No, they didn't
die, not immediately. They lived for hundreds of years after the incident, but
they eventually did die. Why did it take them so long to die? Gen 2:9 "In the
middle of the garden were the tree of life." That tree of life, as long as they
were eating from it, was given them life, eternal life. One of the immediate
consequences of sin was a complete separation of humankind from the tree of
life. Why? To avoid for them to live forever in sin!
Gen 3:22-24 "And the LORD God said, 'The man has now become like one of us,
knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take
also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.' So the LORD God banished
him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken.
After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden
cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the
tree of life." The consequences of sin were real. Death occurred.
Spiritual death came first, as man now was ashamed to meet God in person. Adam's
first response to God's voice after he sinned was: Gen 3:10 "I heard you in the
garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid."
Physical death came next, and this was made clear by God Himself: Gen 3:19
"Until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are
and to dust you will return."
Humankind was now subject to diseases, sickness, illnesses and deterioration.
Sin which is separation from God, was the source of these nasty diseases. Here
the aging process is mentioned. Rom 5:12 "Therefore, just as sin entered the
world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all
men, because all sinned."
3. Physical Healing and Forgiveness are correlated.
Generally, sickness is not the consequence of a particular sin that a person
committed. Sickness is not the result of personal sin. It is the consequence
from Adam's and Eve's original sin. It is a consequence of man's separation from
God.
Jesus demonstrated a correlation between forgiveness and healing. He said to the
paralytic: Mark 2:5 "Son, your sins are forgiven." Immediately the Pharisees
complained. They thought he was blaspheming (yes even in Jesus' days there were
backstabbing in the church)! In order for Jesus to show that he had authority to
forgive, he healed that person as well. Mark 2:10-12 "'But that you may know
that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins . . . .' He said to
the paralytic, '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!'"
Jesus connected His ability to forgive to His ability to heal the sick. As Jesus
is against sin (not the sinner), he is against sickness as well! Sickness is not
from God, it comes from the devil himself! The cause of sickness is not demonic,
however the very existence of sickness is due to the evil one.
4. Satan smiting Job directly.
Job 2:7-8 "So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD
and afflicted Job with painful sores from the soles of his feet to the top of
his head."
This text is very clear. Although God allows diseases and sicknesses on this
planet, the source of it is not God, but the devil himself.
5. Illnesses are considered a curse in the Bible.
If you read Deut 28: 21-61, you will notice a whole list
of curses. Among them are: diseases, plagues, fever, inflammation, severe
burning fever, scorching, boils, tumors, scabs…. It is clear here that God does
not consider sickness to be a blessing, but rather a curse. The good news though
is that Jesus died in our place and redeemed us from the curse… Gal 3:13-14
"Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it
is written: 'Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.' He redeemed us in order
that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ
Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit."
And by faith we can receive "the promise of the Spirit."
6. Under the power of.
Acts 10:38 "How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the
Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who
were under the power of the devil, because God was with him."
The Greek word here for "under the power of" is "katadunasteuo" which literally
means "to exercise dominion against, i.e. oppress"
It is clear from this text that Jesus was healing all the sick who were "under
the power of the devil". Sicknesses was and is still caused by the devil
himself. He "oppresses" us with it.
7. Rebuke.
When Jesus encountered a demon, Luke 4:35 "Jesus rebuked
him, saying, 'Be quiet and come out of him!'" The Greek word for "rebuked" is "epitimao".
A few verses later Jesus is invited to the house of Simon Peter's mother-in-law.
That poor woman had a terrible fever. Luke 4:39 "So he bent over her and rebuked
the fever, and it left her." Here again the word "epitimao" is used. The same
word is used for both rebuking devils and fevers! Jesus spoke to the fever the
same way he spoke to demons. Please do understand that while all illnesses
are not caused by demons, a demon can be at the source of sickness.
You cannot rebuke a lifeless thing. Jesus was speaking to illnesses as I would
speak to another human being. When Christians today use their prerogative of
rebuking sickness, they are speaking to the power behind illnesses.
8. To Be Bound.
Jesus, our example healed a woman "Luke 13:11 "who had
been crippled by a spirit for eighteen years." Immediately He attracted the
criticism of the pastors of His days. Luke 13:14 "There are six days for work.
So come and be healed on those days, not on the Sabbath." "How dare Jesus heal
on a Sabbath! Who does He think He is!" It is sad and ironic that the ruler of
the synagogue had not even attended to the sickness of that poor woman during
the other 6 days! Doing God's work always attracts criticism from those who do
not know God.
Jesus response is recorded in Luke 13:16 "Then should not this woman, a daughter
of Abraham, whom Satan has kept bound for eighteen long years, be set free on
the Sabbath day from what bound her?" The source of her sickness is identified
to be "Satan" himself! Religious tradition may claim that God desires sickness
in His people, but Jesus made it clear that the devil was the culprit!
9. Spirits of Sickness.
There are many Bible texts that denotate the connection between illnesses and the satanic world. A mute possessed person was brought in the presence of the Messiah. Jesus drove the evil spirits out and Matt 9:33 "when the demon was driven out, the man who had been mute spoke." Who was responsible for this sickness? The devil himself!
10. The Thief.
The devil is a thief who John 10:10 "comes only to steal and kill and destroy." Sickness does the same on us. It steals our health away and destroys us prematurely. What a contrast with Jesus who declared: John 10:10 "I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full."
11. Illness is opposite of God's nature.
It is interesting to notice that people from around the
world are quite conscious that sickness is bad. Why are so many hospitals build,
if sickness would be good for us?
God only gives good gifts. Sickness is far from being good! James 1:17 "Every
good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly
lights, who does not change like shifting shadows."
12. Jesus' healing ministry.
1 Peter 2:24 "He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed."
Jesus not only came to bring us salvation, He also came to
heal us. No one was ever turned away from Jesus. Any sick person who came in
contact with Jesus was healed. Depressions were lifted, fevers disappeared,
demons thrown out. Jesus cared and healed anyone who came to Him.
Why would Jesus heal someone, if God wanted that disease in that person? God
never contradicts Himself. He is a healer!
13. New Jerusalem.
When Jesus will return on earth, He will establish an
awesome kingdom! Rev 21:3-4 "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will
live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and
be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more
death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed
away."
No more sickness! No more pain! No more death! Praise the Lord! Sickness was
never God's design and will have no foothold in paradise.
14. Conclusion.
If you are burdened by a sickness or you have a loved one who is suffering, look up to and trust in the Lord. There will be an end to this. This is not God's design! Let us join the apostle John and say Rev 22:20 "Amen. Come, Lord Jesus."
Rob Chaffart
