COVID 19 has been a worldwide tragedy that has changed our lives. Some people are traumatised by it, while others deny its severity or try to ignore it. We can be enormously grateful for those scientists who worked hard to understand the virus and formulate vaccines.
The Problem
Many people don’t realise that there is a worldwide problem which affects us all, and is far, far worse than the virus. It is an old-fashioned word, and it is an unpleasant concept. But it features strongly in the Bible. It is ‘SIN’.
Like it or not, we all sin. And like it or not, we all die as a result.
If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us (1 John 1:8). For the wages of sin is death.… (Romans 6:23).
Isolation is a good precaution against contracting the virus, but it cannot shield us from sin, because it comes from within ourselves: ‘And [Jesus] said, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him. For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person”’ (Mark 7:20–23).
One in three people with Coronavirus display no symptoms. But none of us are free from the symptoms of sin.
The Remedy
The various Coronavirus vaccines which now exist are the result of magnificent efforts, and have cost incredible amounts of money. But the cost of the remedy for sin was phenomenal. The only man who never sinned died an excruciating death so that our sins can be forgiven, and so that we can be saved from eternal death.
For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life (Romans 5:6–10).
We cannot ignore the problem and hope we’ll be all right. We need to listen to what God has told us about our predicament, and respond to His offer of salvation.
Anna Hart