Who would have predicted that the world would be facing such unprecedented disruption and death by something so small, that it cannot be seen by the naked eye?
Since COVID-19 was first identified in faraway China in December 2019, it has literally taken the world by storm. The resources of governments worldwide are being directed to fight the disease; the business world has been rocked; and fear and uncertainty and sorrow are gripping people. I expect that you, like me, find yourself being moved with compassion, as you think of those who have been most seriously affected, perhaps even within your own family. I have a son who is a health care provider in a highly infected country. We pray for his preservation.
But I can’t think about COVID-19 without thinking about the words from a very old poem, written by John Newton, author of ‘Amazing Grace’. He wrote:
The worst of all diseases
Is light, compared with sin;
On every part it seizes,
But rages most within:
This sickness of the soul goes undiagnosed for the most part. Yet sin universally infects every member of the human race as God declares in His Word, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). The symptoms of our infection can often be masked by an outwardly clean life, religion and doing good things. The problem is that God tests our hearts for sin and each one of us returns a positive test, despite how we may appear to one another. The death rate from COVID-19 is less than 1%.
The death rate from sin is 100% because the problem of death can be traced back to the principle of sin.
We live in a sinful world and that is why there is an appointed day for our physical death. We can’t change that reality. I understand that scientists are making some progress in developing a vaccine for COVID-19, which may prove to be a life-saver. In the meantime, we have heard that we can prevent the spread of the coronavirus by hand washing and social distancing.
Spiritually speaking there is nothing that prevents us from having a sinful nature which leads us to practice sin. But thank God there is a cure that is totally effective, regardless of how advanced sin has become. It is not warm water and soap but “the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7). Christ’s death on the cross provides for the cleansing of sin. Those who accept the cure will not necessarily be spared physical death, but they are granted eternal life and the prospect of a Heavenly home, at the end of this life.
We tend to underestimate the possibility that we will become infected with COVID-19. It’s other people that will get it. Right? The same applies spiritually. We can easily think of others that need cleansing from sin, but it’s not really for me. The reality is that we each need to accept the cure for ourselves. Long ago, King David being keenly aware of his sin, prayed this prayer. “Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin” (Psalm 51:2). Could you pray this prayer?
COVID-19 provides an excellent illustration of our need for cleansing from sin. This article may seem harsh, but it is written out of love for you. If our present distress provides the backdrop for your trusting Christ, you will look back on this time and say the worst of times became the best of times.
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