Dear BPCWA worshipper, Last week, we saw how God foreknew about COVID-19 even before the foundation of the world.  His infinite knowledge means that He alone knows the virus more than any man ever can or will.  But why do sicknesses and deaths from illnesses and diseases occur?  The Christian must be able to understand what the Bible says about such situations.

Why do COVID and sicknesses exist?  These exist because of the original fall of man into sin.  God created a perfect world at the beginning of creation.  The body that He breathed life into Adam from dust was perfect.  After Adam and Eve were created, “God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good” (Gen 1:31). However, despite God’s warning that in the day that Adam disobeyed Him “thou shalt surely die” (Gen 2:17).  Despite this dire warning, Adam disobeyed.  From that time, the curse of sin fell upon the whole of mankind.  Spiritually, man’s living soul became dead in sin.  That sin would pass through every generation of parents on to their children through birth, and on to their children after them.  Because of that sin, the body that God had created perfect at the beginning became subject to sin’s effects.  If not for sin in man, his physical body would not fall sick or die physically. 

Is God the cause of the sufferings of COVID-19?   Man, not God, is the cause of diseases and death.  God did not design His original creation to plague man.  God warned man that death will surely follow if they chose to sin.  Sadly, man chose to sin, and hence the consequences which God warned will surely occur befell man. Man’s succumbing to physical deterioration, sickness and diseases is the result of the fall into sin.  This effect is passed down to every person born into this planet.  Physical death, which is the effect of sin, still eventually caught up to Adam even hundreds of years later for we are told that “all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years: and he died” (Gen 5:5).  And so, for everyone that is born of a man and woman thereafter, what is said of every one without exception is that “he died.”  That is why even babies born into this world fall sick.  That is why even babies can die in the wombs.  Sickness and death are the evidence of the reality of God’s warning to man.  “For the wages of sin is death” (Rom 6:23).  Sin is the reason for sickness, pain, sorrows, and all the suffering in this world.  “For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now” (Rom 8:22). 

God warned of plagues.  A May 21, 2021 report states that “Globally, there have been more than 165 million confirmed COVID-19 cases and 3.4 million associated deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University.” And, “Officials from the World Health Organization (WHO) say that the global death toll is probably around two to three times the number reported, according to Reuters. Currently, more than 3.4 million people have died from COVID-19. But the new report from the WHO would mean around 6 to 9 million people have died from the disease”.  But that is not all.  COVID-19 variants have also emerged.  Matthew 24:3 recounts,”. . . the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?” Our Lord Jesus, who foreknows all things, did foretell of plagues that will precede His Second Coming in His reply “And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.” (Matt 24:6-8). Occurrences of pestilences, among the many signs that we have already been witnessing over time, were highlighted.  I am not saying that COVID-19 is the specific pestilence that will surely signal Christ’s coming again, but Christ did alert that pestilences will surely befall man as part of the warning signs.  We should not too easily dismiss this pandemic as “just another” with no significance.  Christ warned in Matt 16:2-3  “He answered and said unto them, When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather: for the sky is red.  3 And in the morning, It will be foul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowring. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?”

So, diseases and illnesses are reminders and warnings to man.  1) Man’s fall and the consequences of sin.  Rom 5:12 affirms,  “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned”.  The fact that every man dies attests to the fact that everyone, without exception, has sinned and is a sinner, “all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Rom 3:23).  The news around us reminds us of this daily.  Every time we see someone fall sick or hear these numbers, even if it were arthritis, common flu, or a fatal illness, it must remind us of the effects of sin that continue to plague our body and lives today.  2) Man’s need to turn to God for salvation.  We saw in my first pastoral on this subject how this pandemic demonstrates man’s helplessness.  Despite many technological and medical successes, the best men have remained unable to combat a virus.  We are reminded of how Pharaoh, in his pride, refused to allow the children of Israel to leave Egypt to worship the Lord.  Pharaoh was the prevailing world power and his heart was lifted up to think that nothing was out of his control.  God was longsuffering, but that longsuffering was despised by Pharaoh who thought that the Lord was no different from the idols.  God sent 10 plagues and even the “great and mighty” Pharaoh had to relent.  The one who thought he was greater than the LORD of the Hebrews was humbled.  What does it take for man to realise that he is but man, weak and helpless, and must turn to the only living and true God for the salvation of their souls? 

Dear reader, be sure of your salvation!  If you are not, please speak with me quickly!  As you read this, and when you realise the uncertainty and brevity of your life, do you know where you will spend eternity?  Even the rich and powerful Egyptians who rejected God died in the plagues.  Plagues do not discriminate based on your position in life.  Remember that sickness and death fell upon man because of sin.  You are a sinner and you must humbly acknowledge that before Him.  If you fear COVID-19 because of the fear of dying, there is something that you must fear more – that one day you will stand before the judgement throne of God and spend eternity in the lake of fire if you are not genuinely saved.  For God has promised to every man – “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment” (Heb 9:27).  So, “fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” (Matt 10:28).  It is in love that this Almighty God and Judge of all the earth is now showing to all men everywhere … prepare yourself to die one day.  Today, cry to Him in prayer, confessing that you are a sinner deserving of punishment for your sins, and ask His Son, Jesus Christ, to come into your heart to save you and wash you of your sins. 

Yours in our Lord’s service,

Pastor