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I had my first appointment this week with my dentist since the orders related to the coronavirus pandemic have been in place. It was quite a different visit to my dentist than I have ever experienced. Many of you have probably been introduced to the changes in such visits to which I am describing. First, were it not for the address to which I know my dentist’s office is located, I would not be certain that I was in the right place. Due to the practical hazmat suits being worn by all of the office and dental staff, I could not recognize the faces or the voices of these people that have checked and cleaned my teeth for years. After having my temperature checked and my health for the past 14 days investigated thoroughly, I was ushered quickly into an examination room (I literally saw no other living soul, only bodies covered in cloth and plastic, with just a sliver for eyes). I was made to wash out my mouth…before they ever even said hello. Then they told me all the things that they would not be allowed to perform in a normal dental cleaning visit because “we cannot risk spreading aerosols into the room.” Other than the muffled words of my dental hygienist through her three face coverings, the only sound was the hum of a “Germguardian” air purifier, conspicuously stationed beside my head to eradicate any unwanted microbes. Admittedly, this is the closest I have ever come to experiencing what the lepers in the biblical stories knew so well—“UNCLEAN!”
It is quite staggering to consider all of the changes that have become commonplace within the last several weeks, particularly as they relate to sanitation. Masks, gloves, handwashing, disinfectants, and social distancing have all become the standard fare in our social interaction. There are any number of rules that have been put in place so as to prevent the spread of infection. Understandably, with the threat of a pandemic which spreads rapidly, and for which there is no known cure or reliable treatment, these practices in cleanliness have come to be accepted as a welcome, if not necessary evil, by most. However, at the threat of overstating the obvious, and without ignoring attempts to do the best we can, we must be resolved with this startling conclusion that has plagued (no pun intended) humankind since the Fall—our world will never be germ-free! Or, as the famous bathroom theologian would so eloquently quote, “Wash your hands and say your prayers, ‘cause Jesus and germs are everywhere.”
Yet, as we struggle to stay well in the fight against disease, a forthright evaluation finds that infection-causing germs, as horrendous as they may be, is not our greatest enemy. Something much more insidious erodes us, not just physically, but even more so morally and spiritually. Even worse, it is not something that is caught by another, but rather it is fomenting within each one of us at this very moment, even since our birth. It causes our deepest heartaches, can destroy every relationship, and separates us eternally from God. Sin is our great enemy. And if we do not fight this infection, our very souls will be damned. It is in the battle against this enemy that God would send His own Son to set us free. He gives His Holy Spirit to bring victory. He provides His Word for daily instruction for incorruptible living. Take note of how Scripture paints the path toward a soul unsoiled by sin.
1. Christ has vanquished sin.
“And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him” (Colossians 2:13-15). Paul could not have stated it any more definitively. For the believer, sin has lost its threat of penalty and its grip of power. And one day, at His command, even its very presence will be vanquished.
2. The battle against sin rages on.
Though Christ died and rose so that we would not sin, John also explains, “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us” (1 John 1:8). As followers of Jesus, we must realize anew each day that the struggle with sin is real. We must not foolishly ignore the warnings or the instructions from Scripture of how we can daily choose to become less influenced by sin and grow in godliness.
3. We must mortify the flesh.
“For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live” (Romans 8:13). The King James Version uses the old word “mortify” to describe what must be our attitude toward sinful desires. They must be given no quarter in our lives. Boundaries and accountability must be established and maintained so that the enemy of sin will die, and we might live.
4. We must be filled with the Spirit.
While following Christ includes the termination of many practices for which we have become so skilled and accustomed, which lead only to shame, even more so are we to set in motion those disciplines that will bring God glory and lead to our good. “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh” (Galatians 5:16). Sin can only be eradicated in the life of one who is pushing hard after Christ, increasingly allowing Him to Lord every area.
I suppose our futile attempts to eliminate all germs from the atmosphere will continue. Personally, I am thankful that people are taking more baths and coughing into their elbows more. More clean living will do us all some good. However, I am even more hopeful of the power of Christ over the sin so prevalent in and among us. Sin has caused deeper despair and destruction than any virus. And Christ’s victory over it is complete. Through our resolute trust in and obedience to Him, we can know increasing freedom from sin’s infection.
Jason