In the second part of our series let’s continue to focus on the similarities between Corona virus and a disease far more deadly than the former even whilst exploring remedies for them…
Counter and Cure…
As of now, an effective vaccine is yet to be found for neutralizing “the deadly venom” of the Corona virus. Let’s hope and pray it is discovered at the earliest! At the Tree of Calvary, however, the “vaccine”, which is the shed blood of our Saviour Christ, was “found” for neutralizing the far more lethal venom of sin. Note the following Scripture portion testifies…
“…and through him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s blood on the cross…” (Col. 1:20 NLT)
In an amazing counter, 4000 years after Satan had contaminated the Earth using the “Tree of Knowledge”, whilst making Eve disobey her Heavenly Father and also caused her husband to disobey (see 1 Tim. 2:14), our Heavenly Father turned the tables around on the original sinner. Our faithful and eternal Benefactor, who would always steadfastly love His children in accordance with His covenantal relationship with them, would use the very “Seed of Eve” (See Gen. 3:15, Gal. 4:4) to crush the head of the great, ancient Serpent Satan (See Rev. 12:9). He did so by virtue of that “Seed’s” total obedience revolving around “a Tree of Foolishness”, ( See 1 Cor. 1:18) in contrast! Hey…this “Salvation-bearing Tree” was “planted” in the Centre of planet Earth, for Mount Golgatha in Jerusalem is a part of the middle portion of the planet Earth (See Eze. 5:5), just as the Tree of Knowledge was in the centre of the Garden of Eden! Ah… in contrast to the alluring tree in the centre of Garden of Eden, which was a delight to the eyes of Eve, this “tree” (read the Cross) was anything but a delight to the eyes of the “Seed of Eve”. Also its “fruit” of immeasurable suffering did not appeal in any way to Him, but still He partook of it in humble obedience to His Father’s will (See John 6:38/Mark 14:35-36/John 14:30).
If sin brought death to mankind, contaminating our very life source, the very the blood in us, then Jesus, who is the Life (See John 14:6/1 John 1:2) shed the blood, His very life, to virtually transfuse that pure, cleansing blood into all those sin-infected ones who accept Him as the Saviour, completely regenerating them in the process as this Scripture portion declares:
“This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” (2 Cor. 5:17 NLT)
The proof of the pudding is in the eating thereof!
Like countless Christians before and after me would testify, I, too, would herald from roof-tops–nay from mountain tops–that on the 16th of October, 1983, when I accepted Him as my personal Saviour (after having run after many worldly pleasures and found no lasting fulfillment), I tasted this transcendental experience myself! The following Scripture portion also symbolically substantiates this truth:
“for the life of the body is in its blood. I have given you the blood on the altar to purify you, making you right with the LORD. It is the blood, given in exchange for a life, that makes purification possible.” (Lev 17:11 NLT)
Following my “Born again” experience, I became a more responsible individual (much to the relief of my worried parents), I took my studies more seriously, and I was eventually blessed with a challenging job in the marketing sector of IBP Co. Ltd. (a Public Sector reputed Petroleum Company under the aegis of the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas of the Government of India). After a 13-year stint therein, when the good Lord called me to full-time spiritual work (this too is a great blessing), special grace was given unto me to come out of my “comfort zone”. Anyone who has tasted Christ would not allow anything to come between him and his Saviour. Any hesitancy on my part in answering the Lord’s call for full-time spiritual Ministry would have meant that I am giving greater importance to the “gift” (a lucrative job guaranteeing good social status) rather than to the “Giver of the gift”. Why I brought this interlude, Dear Friends, is to bring forth a truth: Anyone who reveres the Lord to the extent of being willing to do anything for Him would state the truth and nothing but the truth, especially when he is called to be his Savior’s mouthpiece. So Dear Friends, especially those who are not regular Church goers and those outside of Christian faith, you can count on me to tell the truth even as I am representing Truth, for Jesus says, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6 NLT).
Now coming back to our subject…in the context of Christ’s blood being the “vaccine” for the virus of sin, Paul teaches us: “and through him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s blood on the cross.” (Col. 1:20 NLT). This can be applied to any Christian’s life at the point of his regeneration (“justification” in the Christian doctrinal parlance). However, there are bound to be some slip-ups and subsequent revival borne out of sincere repentance in any Christian’s life in that “ethereal journey”. As a result, the following Scripture portions ally to acts of repentance on “falling” whilst walking as a Christian, and they apply to all God’s children in their “Pilgrims’ progress” (thanks John Bunyan) towards their eternal destination (Heaven):
“But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin…” (1 John 1:7 NLT)
“My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous…” (1 John 2:1 NLT)
Prayer: Father, we cannot find adequate words to thank Thee for the remedy-Salvation in Jesus- You have in place for a malaise of sin which is far more lethal than the Corona virus. Inspire all those who have not availed it to do the same without any further delay. In Jesus’ Name!
Suresh Manoharan
Hyderabad-India
J and SM Ministries
(To access the entire “A Cure for a Virus Deadlier Than the Corona Virus” mini-series, please click here.)