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Along with spring and summer come allergies for many people. You can’t see the pollens or allergens in the air, but you can feel the consequences as they can cause a lot of suffering this time of year.
The Bible has some strong words about sin: “The soul who sins will die” (Ezekiel 18:4).
Just like allergies cause their consequences without us even seeing the allergens, there are consequences to our sins, even if we don’t see or recognize our sins, our wrongdoings, for what they are. The consequences are death and really eternal death or separation from God.
Every big sin, every little sin; every sin we try to justify, every sin we deny: they all have consequences whether we like it or not. Just like allergy sufferers don’t get to vote on whether allergies exist or not, we don’t get a vote on whether consequences for our sin exist or not. We can’t wish them away.
But we can praise God that we do have a cure! Allergy medicine can alleviate the suffering of allergies to some extent, but God’s cure for our sin is a complete one.
Jesus came to be our cure. Though without sin, he took on the punishment for our sin by dying on the cross. On that cross he took on himself the death and the separation from God we deserved. There he won forgiveness for all our sins.
Yet Jesus didn’t stay dead, but rose again. Now we see the fruits of his work. Through him we won’t truly die, but instead through death we will live forever in heaven with our God. That is what we cling to and hope for; that is what we receive. Just as we take medicine in the hope that it helps, we have faith in God and by that faith we take in the medicine and cure Jesus accomplished. Thanks to God that we are cured with his forgiveness!
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