The Real Virus

One of the most widely-used words perhaps since Jan 2020 would be the word, 'Virus,' (in various languages of course). We’ve had to contend with this virus since then, and we still continue to do so. It’s also one of the main causes for fear, anxiety, grief, loss and so much more. It seems like it’s the most real, though unseen threat to human life at present. Little wonder it's the one thing that's on most people's minds, most of the time, and the thing we strive to protect ourselves against.

This virus has its own make up, causes certain infections, is evident by certain symptoms, has distinctive effects on human health, and has proven fatal to hundreds of thousands of people in almost every country across the globe.

While we need to maintain caution, and do all we can to stay safe, and keep others safe as well, there is however another ‘virus,’ if you will, that's been going undetected by many people across the globe since the creation of the world, many centuries ago. This virus is similar to the Corona Virus in some ways, in that it’s invisible, it has lethal effects, affects normal functioning of life, causes illnesses - physical, emotional and spiritual. But the difference between this virus I’m referring to, and the Corona Virus, is that this virus has infected every single human that has ever lived on the planet – all but one - Jesus. It has various symptoms. It causes many other unnecessary emotions in people like fear, hatred, envy, discord, etc. and it also has eternally fatal consequences for those infected with it. I’m referring to what I call, the 'virus' of sin.

What is sin?

Sin is any thought, word or deed that does not reflect the character / nature of God, and it's also the absence of any thought, word or deed that does reflect the character / nature of God. Sins can be classified as sins of commission i.e., the things we think, say and do, that don’t reflect the character or nature of God, and sins of omission – the things we don't think, say or do that do reflect the character or nature of God. Given this definition of sin, and given the lifestyle of all of us humans, it makes all of us out to be ‘sinners’- maybe not in our own eyes, but in the eyes of God.

What is God's Character or Nature like?

If sin is not reflecting the character or nature of God in our lives, we need to look at what God’s character or nature is like. God is loving, joyful, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, gentle, self-controlled, gracious, forgiving, merciful, thankful, encouraging, appreciative, and everything else that's positive and good. Therefore any unhealthy, unloving, selfish, unkind, immoral, perverted, evil, divisive thought, word or deed would be in total contrast to God’s character / nature, and would be considered sin by God. Further, the absence of thoughts, words or deeds that do reflect God’s character / nature would also be considered sin by God. Let’s remember that it’s not we who decide what’s right or wrong, but God.

What’s the Origin of Sin?

Sin has been residing in the hearts of humans ever since Adam and Eve disobeyed God's command in the Garden of Eden. Sin got a hold of humans, and has wreaked havoc in our lives ever since. It's the one thing that has been the cause of all the suffering that the world has faced, and continues to face till date. It's the one thing every single human has been 'infected' by.

What are the Symptoms of Sin?

Just as the Corona Virus has visible symptoms, sin too has very visible and, larger-than-life symptoms. We don’t need to dig deep to discover these symptoms – they’re visible for all to see. Some symptoms are quite obvious, and can’t go unnoticed, while others are well concealed, and take longer to be exposed to all. 1 Timothy 5:24 says, “Some men’s sins are clearly evident, preceding them to judgment, but those of some men follow later.

What are the consequence of Sin?

Just as the Corona Virus has so many visible and invisible effects on the human body, so also the ‘virus’ of sin has many consequences. Let’s look at those consequences briefly.

The consequence for sin was spelt out by God Himself in the Garden of Eden - Death. When God gave Adam and Eve permission to eat from any of the trees in the Garden of Eden, but instructed them to not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, the instruction was accompanied by a warning that if they did eat of that tree, they would surely die. When God used the word, ‘die,’ He was referring to both a physical death as well as a spiritual death, because man is both body and soul. Ever since then, man has lost that wonderful soul-relationship He enjoyed with God, and his soul was headed to a place called hell, where there would be eternal torment and eternal separation from God. At the same time, physical death also entered the body of man. Though man did not die immediately, he died eventually. Initially, the life span of man was over 900 years, the oldest man being Methuselah, who lived for 969 years, but later, after the Great Flood in the time of Noah, God reduced the life span on man to 120 years.