Hope For the Helpless 

Lynn had been up all night, anxious with worry.  What a wreck she had become these last days.  Just a few months earlier, she believed that she had it all: a great paying job, a nice house, good health, and a decent family that loved her.  She was such a good person, why was this happening to her?

 You see, one morning she noticed an irregular lump had formed on her stomach.  It was no big deal.  Perhaps it would be gone by next week.  Despite the pleading of her loving husband, she decided to hold off going to the hospital, hoping (and even believing) that these symptoms would go away on their own, that they would perhaps take care of themselves in time.  But soon after, she noticed that she was becoming increasingly fatigued and nauseous, and finally decided to go to her doctor to find out what was wrong with her.

 After examining her, he gave the grave prognosis: "Lynn, it is very likely that you have a very aggressive and advanced form of cancer, and it is absolutely imperative that we take some tests immediately to assess the damage."

 Finally, at 9:00 A.M. the phone rang.  Though scared to pick it up for fear of ill news, she knew she had to.  "Why is this happening, God?" she asked.  "Why me?"  Taking a deep breath, she answered, only to hear that her worst fears had come true.  "Lynn," the doctor unhesitatingly said, "the tests came back positive...you have cancer."

 All Lynn could do was weep uncontrollably over the miserable condition she found herself in.  She was absolutely helpless.  Neither her abundance of wealth or education could console her in such a time.  Even her husband had little to say.

 "But." 

 "But what?"   

"But there is some good news, Lynn." 

 "Good news?" 

"Yes, Lynn, good news.  The cancer is still treatable."  Could there still be hope for her?

 "But..."

 "But what?" 

"You're going to have to trust me Lynn," the physician said, "and do precisely what I tell you.  The treatment will not make sense to your natural reasoning.  Honestly, many have considered the remedy foolishness; others have mocked me openly; most go elsewhere for a 'second opinion.'  But I have seen it effectively work in 100% of the patients who have wholeheartedly believed and hearkened to my counsel.  Are you willing to listen?" 

Over 2000 years ago, the greatest Physician to have ever lived walked about the rocky terrain of Palestine, healing countless multitudes of their infirmities.  Some were made whole by the mere touch of His compassionate hand; others by the authoritative word proceeding from His mouth.  Truly, this was a Physician like no other.

 But Jesus Christ did not come to this earth to merely heal men and women of their physical infirmities.  Indeed, He came to heal a disease with a far greater death rate than cancer.  Jesus Christ came to heal and save His people from their spiritual infirmity, that is, their sin.

The Diagnosis

 In Mark's gospel account of Jesus' earthly ministry, we read very early on why Jesus had come:  

"Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.  I came not to call the righteous, but sinners" (2:17). 

Indeed, this is what we expect doctors to do: heal the sick.  However, a doctor must first diagnose someone as sick and identify the sickness before prescribing the suitable treatment.  This is exactly what the Word of God does for us.  For example, we read: 

"We have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin, as it is written: None is righteous; no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God.  All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good; not even one" (Romans 3:9-12).

"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23).  

The Word of God makes it crystal clear that sin is no respecter of persons.  We are told very explicitly that all people have sinned, because all people are sinners.  Therefore, according to Jesus, all people are in desperate need of Him to heal them of their damnable plight.  Indeed, this is the somber diagnosis of all of mankind! 

But the good news is this, that Jesus Christ came into this world not to save the righteous, but those who are sinners.  And so I must ask you this: do you see yourself as a sinner in need of Jesus the Messiah's remedy? 

Despite what the Word of God teaches, most people believe that they are "good" and "moral" beings, and thus do not need Jesus to save them from their sins.  Apparently, as they believe, only the "worst" sinners, such as murderers, rapists and terrorists, need someone else to save them from their horrific acts. 

Moreover, most people they believe their good works will somehow "outweigh" their bad works on God's scale of fair and just judgment.  This grand deception has perhaps sent more people to Hell than any other ever concocted by Satan.  Not surprisingly, then, we see that every religion ever invented by man is influenced by the idea that man can get to heaven by making sure they are good people while they live their life on earth.  I would challenge you to ask a Muslim, Mormon, Jehovah's Witness, Catholic, Jew, or even a false professing 'christian' what they are banking their eternity on, and I will guarantee it their hope for 'heaven' is their 'goodness' or their 'good' works.

And yet the Bible explicitly declares to us that "no one is good, no not one."  In fact, Jesus Himself tells us that the only one who is truly good is God alone (Luke 18:18).  So why are so many people deluded into thinking that they do not need to trust in Jesus Christ to forgive them of their sins?  The apostle Paul gives us one explanation: 

"Even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled only to those who are perishing.  In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God" (2 Corinthians 4:4).  

In the Bible, the enemy of our souls, Satan, is described as a roaring lion who roams the earth, seeking to destroy whom he will.  Being the "god of this world," he is able to delude the people of this world by blinding them of their need for a Savior from their sin.  This is why the good news - namely the fact that Jesus Christ came into this world to save sinners - is passed over by many people.  Satan has blinded them into thinking that they are not wicked enough to need a Savior from their sins.  The ironic thing is that the 'goodness' that people boast of is the very thing that sends them to Hell.  And Satan delights greatly in this.

Elsewhere, Paul tells us that even the most privileged people of all time believed that they could earn their own salvation.  Speaking of Israel, he says: 

"For, being ignorant of the righteousness that comes from God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness" (Romans 10:3). 

Blinded by their own pride and arrogance, people today are no different.  Rather than accepting God's free gift of Christ's righteousness, they busy their lives trying to establish their own.  Unfortunately, our dirty hands pollute the 'sacrifices' that we 'offer' to God.  Indeed, as the prophet Isaiah says, 

"We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment.  We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away" (Isaiah 64:6). 

The entire Old Testament book of Leviticus was written to show us that God is too holy to accept defiled and polluted offerings.  In fact, God makes it quite clear to His people that if He were to accept anything less than perfect, His holy name would be profaned amongst the nations.  God is too jealous for the sake of His great name to accept any sacrifice that has been "blemished" by our sin.   

In fact, the Israelites could not even enter into the presence of God without first being cleansed by the priest's atoning sacrifice for them.  For example, we read: 

"You must keep the Israelites separate from things that make them unclean, so they will not die in their uncleanness for defiling my dwelling place, which is among them" (Leviticus 15:31). 

If uncleanness kept the Israelites from God's dwelling place then, so also will any uncleanness keep men and women from heaven, the dwelling place of God.  I pray that you will not die in your uncleanness, for anyone who does will be cast away from God's holy presence, lest His dwelling place be defiled by their sin.

The Remedy

Perhaps you have been thinking why we have called this link "Good News," when all we've talked about is bad news and the lost and defiled state of our sin-ridden souls.

Well, the good news is this: that God has done for us what we could never do for ourselves; that is, He gave us His only Son to live a perfect life of righteousness on our behalf, and then die the death that we deserved.  Indeed, as the apostle Paul tells us,  

"God made Christ, who knew no sin, to become sin on our behalf.  He did this so that in Christ, we who believe should become righteous before God" (2 Corinthians 5:21, Author's translation).

"For Christ has already accomplished the purpose for which the law was given.  As a result, all who believe in Him are made right with God" (Romans 10:4, NLT).

"But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons" (Galatians 4:4-5). 

Jesus Christ has done for us what we could never do.  The perfect righteousness that God in His holiness demands of us is realized fully in Jesus Christ, the sinless and perfect Savior of the world.

The good news is that when one fully trusts in Jesus as their Savior from their sins, His righteousness is immediately credited to their soul's bank account.  With the merits of Jesus, they will now be able to stand in the presence of a holy God, for God now sees them as He sees His Son - spotless, pure, and blameless.

Only when Lynn realized that she was dying was she willing to accept the doctor's diagnosis.  Only when Lynn had come to an end of herself could she cry out to God for help.  As awful as the news of cancer was, it was perhaps the best thing that could ever happen to her.  Now she was ready to hear her physician's good news.   

This is the Good News for you: though your soul is riddled with cancerous sin, God is offering you the righteousness of His Son, Jesus Christ, as a free gift.  We read in the Bible,  

"For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 6:23). 

The great Physician is willing to heal all who heed His remedy.  He has diagnosed all as being under the power and dominion of sin and death.  He now offers to all the only remedy to remove the very sin that is and will separate you from a holy God. 

My prayer is that you will heed such 'bad' news (i.e. that you are a helpless sinner who cannot save yourself) and receive the 'good' news (i.e. that God Himself, in Jesus Christ, is reconciling people to Himself through Jesus).  With Lynn, cry out, even now, to the only Physician who can cleanse your soul from the defiling effects of your sin.  Indeed, the Bible assures us that: 

"Every one who desperately cries out for help upon the name of the Lord Jesus will be saved" (Romans 10:13, Author's translation). 

The Bible also promises us that Jesus will never cast away anyone who comes to Him by faith (cf. John 6:37).  The great Physician is entreating you to come to Him, even now.  Do you hear the Great Shepherd calling you? 

"Come to Me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light" (Matthew 11:28-30). 

As Lynn's physician comforted her, so now Jesus Christ, the great Physician offers you words of consolation.  "There is still hope...but you are going to have to trust me and do precisely what I tell you."  

Certainly, this is the Good News that your searching soul has been longing for.  There still is hope.  Believe that Jesus Christ, as God, has done what mere humans could never do.  Believe that, "Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous in place of the unrighteous, so that He might bring us to God" (1 Peter 3:18, author's translation). 

Let us remember the Words of Jesus that we previously looked at:  "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.  I came not to call the righteous, but sinners" (Mark 2:17). 

If you see yourself as a sinner in desperate need of Christ's healing, cry out right now, 

"O God, I have fallen short of the righteous standard that you have demanded of me.  I know full well that I have sinned against you, and that I am a desperate sinner in need of mercy.  I believe that the wages of my sins deserves death.  And now I believe that You sent Your Son, Jesus Christ, to die for my sins, the very death that was due me.  I believe that as God, Jesus was sinless and perfect.  I believe that He rose from the dead three days later as the victorious and conquering King of the universe.  Be merciful to me, the sinner.  Take my life and hide it in Jesus Christ.  May His righteousness become mine.  May I worship You forever more through Him alone.  In the name of my great healer and Physician, Jesus Christ the righteous One, Amen."

Oh Sovereign Lord, be pleased to save Your lost sheep.  May they hear the gentle voice of the Savior calling them, even now.  May they bring honor, glory, and praise to Your great name through Your beloved Son.  Do Your powerful work, O Spirit of God!  Let light shine out of darkness for every person who reads about the greatest news ever given.  In the worthy name of Christ Jesus my Lord, Amen.  

If you want a Bible to read, need prayer, or have any questions about Jesus Christ, please email us at: info@LethbridgeBaptist.com

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