Has a virus changed everything?

The COVID-19 virus has ignited enormous change, fear, concern and collaboration in every sector of our world-economic, health, education, industry, religion etc. This worldwide virus has captured our attention by its possible harm, led us to change all our daily priorities, lifestyle and motivated us to consider the well-being of total strangers. Leaders from many areas of discipline are relentlessly offering their skills, wisdom and resources to stop the spread of a virus that has the potential to fatally harm a small percentage of our population infect a large percentage of people for a limited time with pain and suffering. What if we believe there is a virus even deadlier than COVID-19? What would we do with that knowledge? I, like many, have been listening intently to the news reports, guidelines from the Center of Disease Control and leaders of our state and nation. I am making every effort to follow the wisdom of those who are knowledgeable in what I can’t fully understand. That feels like the journey of faith to trust in God’s inspired Word, the Bible. The All Knowing, All Powerful, Creator of life has given us His Wisdom in the Bible, and sometimes it is hard to accept, understand and follow. Many ignore it or do not consider it relevant to life today. . God inspired some ordinary people, under the leadership of His Spirit, to write this Book of Wisdom and historical account to help us today. Why do we resist it?

“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work”. 2 Timothy 3:16-17

Many disregarded the initial warnings of COVID-19, perhaps it didn’t seem relevant for our life, or maybe we didn’t trust the source of information. We struggled to give up control, freedom and access to what we enjoy, want or believe we need. And then, the stories of real people impacted by COVID-19 caught our attention. Life began to be ‘cancelled’ or ‘postponed’. Resources became unavailable that we depend on and feel entitled too. So, we began to listen to the authorities to learn and change the way we think, live and love during this pandemic. That is what the Bible has done for me. The Bible has taught me who God is, who I am and how to think, live and love in a way that honors Him, considers others and develops me into the person I was created to be. The Bible also teaches about a suffering that will last well beyond a 14 day quarantine. Eternal suffering in hell. God is the Creator of Life with a desire for a loving relationship with mankind. With excitement, He gave life to the first man and woman, Adam and Eve, and provided them a generous world of widespread wonder, meaningful work, purpose and companionship with Him and one another. There was only one restriction, with one guaranteed outcome of death if chosen. That is what they chose. Adam and Eve disregarded God’s loving, wise instructions, resulting in the penalty of death to themselves and all their descendants- including you and I. Since that time, every person born, other than Jesus Christ, has a virus of a different kind called sin that leads to eternal suffering. It can feel asymptomatic for much of life. And yet, the bible is clear that this sin separates us from God and only by faith in the life, death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ, will we be saved from the impact of sin-eternal suffering. Jesus said in Matthew 18 it would be better for someone to be born crippled than to be born with two hands and feet and thrown into the eternal fire at the end of their earthly life. Revelation describes hell as a place of smoke of torment, with no rest, day or night. We have been urged to help ‘flatten the curve’ of this COVID-19 pandemic for the sake of people’s lives and our medical system’s capacity to help. We have changed how we are living our lives for the sake of the well-being of neighbors, loved ones and total strangers. What if Christians lovingly and passionately warned others who are not considering the wisdom of the Bible about the deadly virus of sin and the gift of eternal healing that is available to anyone who believes in Jesus Christ.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” John 3:16-17

As soon as the sin pandemic arrived with the first man and woman, God put a plan in place to heal us. In the midst of what we call the ‘curse’ to mankind, hope was promised.

“You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:6-8 God offers us the gift of eternal life, instead of eternal suffering, because of His great love. “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23

What if God has permitted the COVID-19 to captivate the world's attention so that we could share the Hope we have today in the midst of uncertainty?

“Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect…., 1 Peter 3:15

The Apostle Paul has taught us so much about God’s plans, purposes and provisions through his own suffering and imprisonment. As Paul wrote to the church in Philippi from prison, he reminds us that life circumstances can serve as a way to advance the Gospel.

“Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me has actually served to advance the gospel.” Philippians 1:12

What if we stopped at nothing, as the world is trying today to stop COVID-19, to share this Good News about Jesus to our world where none is exempt from the impact of sin.

All need a Savior. One person’s testimony of faith can spread the Gospel to places well beyond our geographic bounds. Epaphras is an example…… Let’s be like Epaphras who helped others know how he had been rescued from darkness.

“We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all God’s people— the faith and love that spring from the hope stored up for you in heaven and about which you have already heard in the true message of the gospel that has come to you. In the same way, the gospel is bearing fruit and growing throughout the whole world—just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and truly understood God’s grace. You learned it from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf, and who also told us of your love in the Spirit. For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” Colossians 1:3-14 My prayer today- for the team of those redeemed by God’s great love... "I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1:3-6 Blessings of Peace, Hope, Courage and Love, Mary Beth -March 21, 2020