In a previous devotion, we shared from Dr. Paul Brand’s book, Fearfully and Wonderfully Made, how he treated a man whose fingers had been gnawed off by rats while he slept, because he had leprosy and it had deadened the nerves in his hands. Dr. Brand wrote this man “suffered because the rest of his body had lost contact with his hands.” Leprosy had made the man’s hand unhealthy, so his brain did not sense pain in his hand and didn’t send a message for help to his brain when the rat began tearing away flesh.
The hand was diseased and lost touch with the brain.
In our series on self-care, we discussed in great detail how soul care is critical to good health. The disease of leprosy in the body as described by Dr. Brand, is an invaluable parallel to the disease of sin. Sin dulls our soul and causes us to lose communication with God. It’s not too difficult to identify born-again believers who look and talk like the old man of sin from which they have been set free. Indeed, who among us has not fallen back into the disease of spiritual leprosy by thinking, talking, dressing, and even—pursuing—sin? Any area of our life that dethrones God produces spiritual leprosy because it breaks off our communication with God.
Sin separates us from God’s presence and replaces the fruit of the Spirit with the works of the flesh.
But God’s Word gives us hope in the struggle with sin. Yes, we—as born-again believers—struggle! We still have to contend with our enemies: the devil, the flesh, and the world culture! The Bible instructs us how to be victorious!
This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart; who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.
But you have not so learned Christ, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.
Therefore, putting away lying, “Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,” for we are members of one another. “Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil. Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need. Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.
And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.
Ephesians 4:17-32
Ah, my dear friend, no one wants to be infected by leprosy. Do we want our mind and heart to be infected by sin when God has cleansed our soul? When we are vibrantly alive with the fruit of God’s Spirit, His pure presence in our life gives hope to all those who are still infected by the leprosy of sin. Sure, we have scars from our past but now—we are gloriously free! Why would we ever want to go back to the disease which killed our soul? When we are born again, we do not have to live like a leper!
