The analogy of Cancer and the
Gospel is better than you may realize. We concluded last time reading over
Ephesians 2. Paul calls us dead, in the illustration, You have cancer.
Maybe you
don’t believe me, or Paul?
You think you
don’t need a surgeon?
Dr. William Li, MD, Cancer Researcher, President and Medical
Director of the Angiogenesis Foundation says, “every single person absolutely has
microscopic cancers growing inside them.”
See, you didn’t think that you
needed a surgeon didn’t you!? – You think you’re “healthy as a horse!?”
Surprise surprise, the same is true of your spiritual condition. You believe
there is no need for Jesus and you probably don’t even acknowledge His
credentials? Just as we are all laden with cancer cells, regardless of your
life style, you are laden with sin.
Consider these passages.
Jeremiah 17:9 ESV The heart is deceitful
above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?
1
Corinthians 2:14 ESV The natural person does not accept the things of
the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand
them because they are spiritually discerned.
Ephesians
4:18 ESV They
are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of
the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart.
In theology, we
call this Biblical description of man “total depravity.”
As my friends have children of
their own I can’t help but learn as I watch these children progress from
diapers, to elementary school. The one common thing with every child, none of
their parents need to teach them how to disobey, or do wrong. If you were to
watch any one of these households for a few days you’ll see the parents
constantly struggling to teach children to good, not bad. – This my friends is
evidence of the cancer that lives within all of us, called sin.
Many of my friends are Buddhist, at
least by name, and they believe that humans by nature are good, and can “live a
life of perfection.” The fact is, they are wrong! Even through our young
children we see the depravity is unavoidable. Our very nature reeks of sin
cancer. So let’s define how we get to this state…
Sin is a biblical word that has
been said for so long that it has become gibberish. So let’s redefine sin
within this particular illustration.
Sin is anything
that that is a part of our being that prevents us from being “perfect.”
2 ways you get this Sin Cancer.
1. You are human
If you don’t belive you have commited sin, your humanity
alone proves you are guilty. We have a saying in Old Testament, “the sins of
the Father are Passed down to the son.” Romans 5:12 ESV Therefore, just as
sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death
spread to all men because all sinned—
2. You cause it to grow within by actions.
Doctors say that there are numerous ways of causing existing
cancer to be activated and grown within us. Sin is within us at
birth. Our acting upon sinful desires allows the sinful nature to become a
cancer within our being. James
1:14-15 ESV But each person is tempted when he is lured
and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has
conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth
death.
Consider back on your actions. What kinds of cancer have
shown their presence in your life? Some examples to help consider: (lying,
stealing, adultery, lust, murder, hatred, pride, jealousy…)
Once you have named a “cancer” in your life, answer the
following.
1. When did you start doing it?
2. Have you ever been able to stop it?
3. When you think you stopped it, when did it come back?
Sin, is a cancer that you can’t just rid of… it comes
back. There is a hope of no returning cancer one day.
