SIN, CURSE & DEATH: Spiritual Diagnosis
INTRODUCTION
Rev. Nkosi was diagnosed with stomach ulcers and immediately was put on treatment. He avoided heavy meals like Pap opting for more lighter meals. The believers stood with him in prayer calling on God to heal Rev. Nkosi from stomach ulcers.
After a few months his condition deteriorated until he was moved to a fee paying hospital were they examined him only to discover that Rev. Nkosi was misdiagnosed in the previous hospital.
He had stomach cancer, and all this time he was being treated for ulcers. Unfortunately for Rev. Nkosi an incorrect diagnosis costed his life literally.
By the time the doctors found out it was cancer, it was too late to treat the Reverand who eventually succumbed to stomach cancer.
Like Rev. Nkosi many Christians have been spiritually misdiagnosed. A spiritual misdiognosis leads to wrong treatment or responses. I pray that it is not too late for you child of God.
A spiritual misdiognosis will result in the believer or seeker becoming confused and potentially distraught when the course of spiritual solutions given by the man of God isn't working.
Self blame and the feeling that they have failed to pray more, fast often, give more, believe more, and sometimes develop feelings of guilty or shame if they are not delivered from the diagnosis.
What does it mean when the spiritual diagnosis is that you have a generational curse that is preventing you to succeed in life?
What does it mean when the spiritual diagnosis is that you have a spiritual husbands preventing you from getting marriage to a physical person?
What does it mean when the spiritual diagnosis is that you have a huge snake in your womb which is the cause of miscarriages?
In this series; Sin, Curse & Death I will endeavour by the grace of God to providing spiritual/scriptural solutions to spiritual problems.
We can diagnose curses, predict death but if we don't understand that the root problem of mankind is sin, we will be breaking altars and building new altars for the rest of our lives.
Spiritual diagnosis begins where it began in Genesis 3. Sin is the Problem, Jesus Christ's death on Calvary is the solution. It is sin that leads to the curse and death. It is not the curse that leads to sin and death. The curse is not the problem, it is the sin problem that we need to address.
THE GENESIS OF SIN (Genesis 3: 1-7)
Imagine if your Bible didn't have Genesis 3. Imagine reading Genesis 1 & 2 then Genesis 4 to Genesis 11.
Among the questions you will grapple with are;
Where is anger, jealousy, murder, lying, wickedness, corruption, rebellion and judgement coming from?
When did all these nagative things begin?
You will never understand or appreciate redemption without understanding the fall which is the genesis of sin.
You have omitted Genesis 3 therefore there is something missing.
Precisely why I consider Genesis 3 as a pivotal point or turning point in Biblical prophesy.
Genesis 3 will help you discover;
• Why the the present sinful nature of man exists.
• The subtle schemes of the devil.
• That without the grace of God drawing mankind to salvation, man is incapable of walking the path of righteousness
• The spiritual effects of a broken man due to sin, and man's own efforts to liberate himself from God is a failed mission.
• We discover for the first time the attitude of God towards sinful man in the way that he deals with Adam & Eve.
• We also discover first hand the universal tendency of man in trying very hard to cover up his own moral shame using man's efforts.
• Here we learn about the gracious providence of God in meeting man right at his point of great need.
• Here we learn the great separation, that man cannot approach God except through the mediator.
"Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?" (Genesis 3:1)
I consider myself less of the theologian. But I consider this opening verse of Genesis 3 as the conversation that changed the course of mankind, a conversation that has permanently affected the seed of mankind past, present and future.
Often great exploits begin like a casual conversation that lights up the bulbs and begin revolutions.
Some of the worst dictators would discourage groups of two, three or more people because of fear of rebellion.
For Eve, this was just one of the conversations with God's creatures but it changed everything & that conversation was to be the exit point out of the garden of Eden.
This was a big win for the serpent. The devil made sure this conversation counted, and it did.
We can use moments we interract with others to make life transforming conversations. Unlike the serpent, use the moment with that work colleague, with that patient in the hospital, with you family count.
Okay let's not be carried away. Let us return to (Genesis 3:1)
Where is the serpent coming from? We know that the snake was part of the creatures that God created.
We also know that satan manifested himself to Eve through a serpent. But it still doesn't resolve the question of sin in the garden.
Perhaps I need to just tell you the way it is; sin existed before Adam and Eve. Adam and Eve are not the originators or architects of sin.
Demons and sin existed before the fall of Man in Genesis 3.
Suffice to say though sin & demons existed before Adam and Eve, but when it comes to human race, the first sin was that of Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden (Genesis 3:1-19)
"And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the devil, and satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him" (Revelation 12: 9)
THE GAME OF DECEIPTION
Serpent : Has God indeed said, you shall not eat of every tree of the garden?
[Pay attention to the deceiption; "every tree of the garden" effectively exaggerating]
Woman: We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden. But of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest he die.
Serpent: You will surely not die.
Eve error was to add to the word of God. "Neither shall ye touch it, lest you die" this was not part of what God said.
Now perhaps we must pause here and ask why the serpent targeted a woman?
The woman was created after Adam. The direct commands of God was given to Adam who narrated them to Eve.
Eve, not being the primary recipient of God's command is much easier to mislead. So we see her adding to the Word of God.
This is something common among us today except we hear words like, "this is a fresh revelation" or "this can only be captured in the Spirit".
I often charge that most preachers of our day when they intend to lie, deceive, mislead & manipulate tend to use the 'spirit' to make their words sound authentic.
Till now the inquisitive nature of a woman takes her into all forms of cultist.
It is often women who are carried away into deceiption, then invite men to join the cults of Paparism.
Satan's deceiptive words;
• You will surely not die
• Your eyes will be opened
•You will be like God knowing good & evil
Woman captured;
• The tree's fruit was good for food
• Pleasing to the eye
• desirable for gaining wisdom
She proceeded to eat and gave some to the husband who didn't raise questions about it.
Satan's deceiption was first an appeal to the flesh. "the tree was good for food"
Secondly; an appeal to the eyes. "It was pleasing to the eyes" An appeal to the psychological part of man, his mind.
Thirdly; an appeal to the the religious nature of man. "And a tree to be desired to make one wise"
"For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but of the world" (1 John 2:16)
That old serpent called the devil hasn't really changed his strategy to capture gullible religious seekers.
"The lust of the flesh" means the tree was good to eat. The prosperity gospel makes sure they capitalise on the lust of the flesh in man.
"The lust of the eyes" means the tree was good to look at. The craft gospel like to show off so as to create an appetite for greedy.
Look at my suit, check out my expensive car, see my mansion.
Even the modern pyramid schemes use the lust of the eyes.
They show you pictures of resort holiday homes. And promise you that if you join and recruit more people you will win holiday trips, houses, cars, jets etc.
"The pride of life" means the tree can make one wise. We have now received the gospel of exclusion, status & levels.
It is the devil simply using our desire to be better than others to capture us into his web of deceiption.
REFLECTIONS
I reflect that if I don't understand the origins of sin, I will not understand the history of redemption.
If I don't understand the Genesis 3 narrative, I will not understand, nor benefit from the accomplished work of Christ on Calvary.
I reflect that there is no rationality in sin. It was irresponsible of Satan to rebel against God hoping to ursup authority in a coup d'etat.
I reflect that it was senseless of Adam & Eve to think that disobeying God will be profitable to them.
He who put His breath in me can withdraw it effortlessly, and I can be reduced to a lifeless body.
As scripture puts it; "The fool has said in his heart, there is no God..." (Psalm 14:1)
UPS Coach Lawrence Musunte
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