This is the first of three messages on how to respond in a godly way to the global outbreak of Coronavirus.
My
flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion
forever. (Psa 73:26)
How
do we respond to a global pandemic as believers?
1.
REMEMBER THAT OUR FLESH AND OUR HEART MAY FAIL
Since
the fall of man into sin in Genesis 3, we are susceptible to all the effects of
curse because of sin – thorns and thistles, pests and diseases, sicknesses and
ailments; Immuno-deficiency and cancer; SARS or whatever causes Covid_19. All
these may not only infect me and you, these diseases including the current
pandemic may kill, yes could kill me and you. Therefore, we need to know this –
our flesh and our heart may fail. The flesh may collapse and die. The heart may
stop pumping blood. But this phrase, flesh and heart encompasses the whole
being – the body and soul. Human frailty is being demonstrated by the tiny
virus. Brevity of life is constantly shown whenever we hear of deaths of one
kind or another. By 25th March Italy had lost almost 7,000 persons
to Coronaviruses complications and there was about 500,000 people infected
globally.
1)
Do not Panic or Fear the Pandemic
Let us first appreciate that it is
normal to fear… even to fear death because death is our enemy. But it is wrong
to fear what is not to be feared. God constantly warns his people not to live
in fear of anything or anyone other than himself. It is God himself who is to
be feared – not death. And yes… I have no fear of contradiction in saying that
God has sent Coronavirus pandemic so that he may be feared. The fear of the
LORD is the beginning of wisdom (Prov. 9:10). At almost every place where God
says do not fear, he also promises to be with us. I will take one such example.
The Lord told Isaiah,
"Do not call
conspiracy all that this people calls conspiracy, and do not fear what they
fear, nor be in dread. But the LORD of hosts, him you shall honour as holy. Let
him be your fear, and let him be your dread.
(Isa
8:12-13)
How
do we fear the Lord? We are to fear the Lord by calling upon him when he is
near. The way to stop fear is to believe God. The Lord Jesus Christ taught – “Do not fear only believe” (Mark 5:36;
Luke 8:50). Faith in God is the antidote to fear, and only those who are in
Christ are immune to this servile fear.
Secondly, let us not panic... it is one thing to fear, it is another to be gripped by fear to the extent that you panic. Right now the world is hysterical because people are afraid of contracting the disease, lest they die. It is seems to me that the media is basically sending the whole world into panic mode. The mainstream media and social media are contributing to the panic mode that we are dealing with right now. To panic is to allow the pandemic to paralyze you so that you are unable to do what you ought to be doing. There is no need to panic because you may not contract it... and even if you do you are unlikely to die. And if you were to die, you would never die again - there is only one death per person. In any case you will not die a day early or a day later than when God has appointed for you! Therefore do not panic - God is on the throne.
2)
Death is bound to come at one time or another
The
Psalmist says as a matter of fact – my flesh and my heart may fail – “I am
frail.” He is not fretting, he is not afraid of his physical circumstances. He
simply acknowledges the fact that these eventualities may befall him. What if
you contracted this sickness? What if you died? Let us remember that it is
appointed for man to die – just as sin
came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread
to all men because all sinned (Rom. 5:12). And again, just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes
judgment (Heb. 9:27)
Therefore,
death of one cause or another will come, it is not a matter of if but of when.
Sometime in the near future or sometime in the far future, death will come upon
us. We may be fearful or be afraid – but that will not stop death from coming.
The sure way to be prepared for death is to be found in Christ who conquered
death. It is Christ to whom we should go who alone is the way the truth and the
life. It is to Christ alone we should go, in whom alone immortality dwells. It
is to Christ alone we should turn for this life and for the one to come.
This problem affects everyone and
this is pandemic is not the only one that has ever struck the globe. Let us
realize that whether we like it or not, we are in a pandemic-stricken earth.
This is a fact. People are infected and those infected are infecting others
usually unawares and sometimes out of negligence. Thousands upon thousands are
sick and others are dying. Not long from now many more will be infected and it
is possible that it will be in the Millions very soon. It is written,
No
temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he
will not let you be tempted beyond what your ability, but with the temptation
he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it (1 Cor. 10:13)
It
is possible that some of us will be infected and die. The Lord says do not fear
for I am with you. God says that we are not to be dismayed because the Lord
will give us aid. He will strengthen us and cause us to stand, upheld by his
righteous omnipotent hand.
It
is not possible for non-believers not to fear or panic. They are on their own.
They are not saved by Christ, nor are they indwelt by the Holy Spirit of God.
They do not have the promises of God. They are bound to not only fear but to panic.
You who is not saved from your sins; you who have not believed in the Lord Jesus
Christ – you need to fear, now than ever before. For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness
and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth
(Rom. 1:18). The Lord will deal with the world of ungodliness as he dealt with
those who lived in the days of Noah. Therefore, fear the Lord and believe in
his Son and live. This is the sure way to be delivered from fear. It is the
only way in which you will receive a new heart, a heart that cannot fail at any
cost.
If
your flesh and heart fails today. If all your support gave way today. If you
contracted a terminal illness today. If Coronavirus was to come upon you today –
where would you turn? Would you turn to self-pity and die? Would you weep your
eyes sore in self-pity… and what could that accomplish for you? – Nothing! If
you called all the people you know, and used all the money you have – would that
help you? Unless you turned to the Giver of life, the healer of souls and
heart, the Lord Jesus Christ, there would be no eternal hope for you. If you
died in unbelief and rebellion, God will certainly send you to hell. If you die
without Christ, there will be hell for you.
TURN
TO Christ and live!
This was initially a message preached at Trinity Baptist Church on the 22nd March 2020.
Here is the link
[1] 1689 LBCF, Chapter 22.1,
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