spiritual cancer- Apendix 2

This book has been focused on physical cancer and the ways to cure
it. I trust that the information contained herein will help you in
your quest to get healthy, stay healthy, fend off cancer, and even
cure your cancer. But even if you are able to cure your cancer and
live a long, full life, the fact of the matter is that one day you will
die. I know that is an uncomfortable subject with many people, but
that is reality. We will all die. We are all “terminal.” There are no
exceptions. The probability of death is 100%.
You see, physical cancer is not our biggest foe. The fact is that we
were all born with “spiritual cancer.” Similar to physical cancer, if it
is left untreated, spiritual cancer will certainly result in death. Not
physical death but spiritual death…eternal death. But, “What is
spiritual cancer?” you may ask. Spiritual cancer is sin. The Bible tells
us that humanity became separated from God when Adam and Eve
sinned by disobeying Him and eating of the fruit of the Tree of the
Knowledge of Good and Evil (the tree from which God had
forbidden them to eat). Humanity became separated from God
“For God so loved the world that He gave his only Son,
that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have
eternal life.” John 3:16
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because all people are descended from Adam. As a result, the sinful
nature Adam acquired through his disobedience was passed down to
all people, including you and me.
Because of this inherited “sin nature,” everyone sins. It comes
naturally. It is part of the fabric of being human. I never had to
teach either of my kiddos to sin or to be selfish – it came naturally.
Romans tells us that because of our sin, we are under God’s
condemnation. The effect of sin on humans is that it extends to
every part of our personality, our thinking, our emotions, and our
will. This does not mean that we are as evil as we possibly can be,
but it does mean that sin has extended to our entire being. The Bible
tells us that we are born “dead in our sins.” I know that sin is not a
popular concept today. It is considered old-fashioned and passé to
say that someone is a sinner. But the Bible is clear – we are ALL
sinners.
Sin is a cancer that infects all of us. And you either get the cancer,
or the cancer will get you! The good news is that there is a cure for
the spiritual cancer of sin! There is an antidote to sin and its deadly
effects. You have probably seen it when you watch NFL football
games on TV. You know, the “wacko Christian” dude in the end
zone with the “John 3:16” sign. Have you ever read John 3:16? It
states, “For God so loved the world that He gave his only Son, that
whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
Jesus provided the cure for our spiritual cancer by His atoning death
on the cross for our sins. You see, Jesus was unique because He was
born of a virgin by the Holy Spirit. He was not born of Adam’s seed
as all other human beings are, thus He did not inherit a sinful
nature. In other words, He did not have the tendency to sin as we all
do. The Bible teaches that the payment for sin is death, and it also
teaches that without the shedding of blood there can be no
forgiveness of sin.
Jesus Christ died an excruciatingly terrible death on the cross. He
was the perfect, unblemished Lamb of God, who paid the price for
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sin in order to end the separation between humanity and God. He
provided the cure for our spiritual cancer. The ONLY cure. Unlike
physical cancer, for which there are many cures, spiritual cancer has
only one cure. Jesus says it Himself in John 14:6 “I am the way , the
truth, and the life. No man comes to the Father but through me.”
Truth is by nature exclusive. Consider the truth that 1 plus 1 equals
only 2 and not any other number. The same exclusivity applies to
Jesus. All religions do not lead to God. If someone tells you that all
roads lead to heaven, they are sadly mistaken. Trusting in Jesus
Christ, the God-Man, as He is proclaimed in the Bible, is the ONLY
way to inherit eternal life and to cure our spiritual sickness. It’s not
just me saying it…Jesus said it Himself!
Modern religions teach that Jesus’ death on the cross was not
enough to pay for all of our sins. They say that you must perform
certain good works, certain rituals like water baptism, belong to a
particular church, observe certain religious days, or make
pilgrimages to “holy cities” in order to be saved. However, this is
contrary to what the Bible teaches. Jesus, before He died said, “It is
finished.” The Greek text uses the word “tetelestai,” which means
“paid in full.” Jesus did all the works necessary to secure salvation
for sinners without their help. He didn’t pay for some sins and then
require sinners to pay the remaining balance with certain rituals or
with good works. Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “For by grace you have been
saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;
not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.”
When you confess your sins to God and trust in Jesus as your Savior
and Lord, He forgives you eagerly, instantly, and completely.
Romans 10:9-10 says: “That if you confess with your mouth Jesus as
Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead,
you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in
righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in
salvation.” Right now, Jesus is holding out His hands to you in
invitation. All are invited to come to Him. All are invited to repent
and believe. Jesus is the ONLY cure to your spiritual disease. You do
not need to go to eternal punishment in hell for your sins. No matter
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where you have been or what you have done, come to Him and He
will welcome you with open arms.
But make no mistake, time is of the essence. Do not say “tomorrow I
will come to Him.” Tomorrow may never come. Isaiah 55:6-7 says,
“Seek the LORD while He may be found; call upon Him while He is
near. Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his
thoughts; and let him return to the LORD, and He will have
compassion on him, and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.”
Do not postpone coming to Christ for what you think is a more
convenient time, but honestly confess your sins, repent of your sins,
and believe in Christ NOW.
This next section is entitled “He Died For His Patients” and
was written by William S. Plumer in 1867.
“The whole head is hurt, and the whole heart is sick. You are sick
from head to foot – covered with bruises, welts, and infected
wounds!” (Isaiah 1:5-6) Often in Scripture, sin is spoken of as a
disease, a sickness, a hurt. Christ, as the great Physician, has the
only sovereign balm.
Sin is a dreadful disease! Yes, it is the very worst disease! It was the
first, and so is the oldest malady. It infected man very soon after his
creation. For six thousand years sin has committed its ravages and
been gaining inveteracy. No other disease is so old. Sin is also a
universal disease! Other maladies have slain their thousands; but sin
has slain its millions! The whole world is a graveyard, full of death
and corruption. No person ever lived without sin. As soon as we
begin to live, we begin to transgress.
Sin makes men spiritually blind, and deaf, and dumb, and lame, and
lethargic. Sin is a terrible compilation of diseases. It is a rottenness in
the bones. It is a maddening fever, a wasting consumption, a
paralysis of all the powers. Human nature is wholly corrupt!
Sin is a perpetual disease. It rages day and night; on the sea and on
the land; in the house of mirth and in the house of God.
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Sin is a hereditary disease. We are conceived in sin and brought
forth in iniquity. Sin is also contagious. Sinners are enticers,
seducers, corrupters.
Sin is also the most deceitful and flattering disease. One of its strong
delusions is, “You shall not die!” See the throng of ungodly people
marching to perdition – the slaves of Satan, the servants of
corruption, the enemies of God! Their mirth would make one think
them to be the happiest of people – and not, as they really are –
condemned criminals, on their way to the eternal prison-house of
inflexible justice! Sin has its delusive dreams. The worse a man is,
the better he thinks himself to be.
Sin is the worst disease, because it is the parent of all other diseases.
But for sin, we would never have seen a human being in pain, or
sicken, or die. Suffering and agony have one parent – sin!
Other diseases are calamities – but sin is a wickedness! Sin is not a
misfortune – sin is a crime! It is a wicked thing to be a sinner.
Transgression brings guilt. God is angry with the wicked every day.
The more sinful anyone is – the more is God displeased with him.
Sin is the most loathsome of all diseases. Pride is the worst kind of
malady. No heart is so vile as a hard heart. No vileness compares
with an evil heart of unbelief. No sight is so appalling as a sight of
vile affections. Sin is horrible and abominable to God!
Sin is also the most dolorous disease. They multiply their sorrows –
who hasten after transgression. The most bitter cries that ever were
heard – were extorted by sin.
Other diseases do but kill the body – but sin kills soul and body in
hell forever! Sin will rage more violently beyond the tomb than on
earth. It will be followed by eternal regrets and reproaches, eternal
weeping and wailing, eternal wrath and anguish!
Sin cannot be cured by any means of human devising. All
reformations can never cure the heart. “I fast twice in the week, I
give tithes of all that I possess,” said the Pharisee – while spiritual
wickedness reigned within. We may weep and lament over our sins
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– but that will neither dethrone sin nor atone for it! Our tears are
nothing; our works are nothing; all our righteous deeds are as filthy
rags; they are of no avail.
The only remedy for sin is found only in Jesus! He is the Physician
of souls. None but He can cure a sin-sick soul. He makes no charge
for all His cures! He died for His patients! His blood cleanses from all
sin. With His stripes we are healed. Christ’s death atones. By His
sufferings we have remission of sin. In all cases where it is applied,
the gospel remedy is sovereign and effectual. It availed for the dying
thief, for the bloody Saul of Tarsus, for the cruel jailor, and for
millions and millions who once esteemed themselves as vile, and as
worthy of everlasting death!
And now, poor, sin-sick, dying soul – flee to this Physician, submit
your case to Him, and seek for the healing remedy! If you stay away,
you must die! “The wages of sin is death.”
“The blood of Jesus cleanses us from every sin!” 1 John 1:7