In order to guide you in what things to choose for your life, God labeled them. He labelled as sin or righteousness all those things you are prone to get involved in . He labeled as sins those things that would hurt you and the people around you . He labeled as righteousness those things that are good for you and those people around you. BUT, even though the Holy Spirit spoke to your conscience and warned you before you sinned, you did it anyway. The moment you sinned your first sin, you contracted the spiritual disease of sin. The symptoms of sin are struggles with things like anger.

Galatians 5:19-21 gives you a short list of some of the sins that will destroy your life. The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery (excessive indulgence in sensual pleasures); idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God (Gal 5:19-21).

When you get sick, you start having symptoms. Based on the symptoms, doctors can often diagnose what type of disease you have. That is the way the spiritual disease of sin is; it has symptoms that show up in your life. Based on the symptoms, the treatment will be somewhat different. If you get addicted to something, you will exibit symptoms of loss of self-control in a certain area. If you start feeling hopelessness, you will typically lose your desire to engage in life. If you start being pressured by anger, you will start losing your ability to control your temper. If your child starts being rebellious, they will start resisting perfectly normal requirements placed on them. The victim will also start experiencing emotional pain that manifests itself in their body.

When your body starts hurting somewhere, sometimes it is just temporary and goes away without you having to do anything about it. That is what happens to people infected with a spiritual disease; they hope they are just going through a phase. But, when the pain, suffering, and struggles persist, they realize they have something that is more serious than they thought. Most people have more than one spiritual problem in their life. They have to pick the one that is bothering them the most. Or, they have to pick the one that is causing all the other spiritual issues in their life. The most important thing is for them to acknowledge that they have a problem that need attending to.

Once a person realizes that they have a disease that isn’t just going to go away without treatment, they usually try to see if they can cure it. They will do research and try to diagnose the symptoms. Then they will act on that research and try various cures. If they misdiagnosed themselves, the treatments will have no effect. If they chose the wrong cure for the correctly diagnosed disease, they will fail to effect a cure. It a similar way those who contract a spiritual disease will try to cure themselves. But, spiritual disease cannot be cured by human procedures. Spiritual diseases, even the ones that their symptoms seem to be minor, are incurable through human procedures, treatments, and systems.

Rom 6:23a (NIV) For the wages of sin is death. Now, the actual definition of death isn’t to cease to exist. The technical definition is to be separated. If you die physically, your spirit is separated from your body. You don’t cease to exist, you just can’t use your body anymore. When you die spiritually you get separated from God, His family, and His eternal Kingdom. All the benefits you would have had as a child of God, a member of His family, and a citizen in His eternal Kingdom are forfeited. In that case, you would be spiritually dead. But, Romans 6:23 doesn’t just say that the wages of sin is death. The whole verse says: “Rom 6:23 (NIV) For the wages of sin is death, BUT the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Rom 8:32 (NIV) He Who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us ALL--how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us ALL things? In other words, salvation opens the door to ALL THINGS. Salvation is you receiving the gift of God which is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord That made you a child of God, a member of His family, and a citizen in His eternal Kingdom. Rom 8:17 (NIV) Now if we are children, then we are heirs--heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in His sufferings in order that we may also share in His glory.

1 Pet 2:24 (NIV) He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by His wounds you have been healed. Your problem with anger has healing provided for it right along with your salvation.

• He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree: Since sin is terminal, it set you up for being separated from God forever. You were dead (separated) because anyone having sin cannot join God, His family, or His eternal Kingdom. So Jesus took your death that you were suppose to suffer; and, He died in your place. He was crucified on a wooden cross (tree).


• So that we might die to sins (be separated from it): The cause of addictions, emotional suffering, relational difficulties, financial problems, physical diseases, and spiritual crises is sin. The symptoms of sin are all these maladies that are hurting mankind. But, Jesus is your cure. He is training and empowering you to DIE to sin. But, being separated from sin is just a small part of it all.


• And live for righteousness: Righteousness is a condition where you are empowered to only do good things to yourself, other people, and God’s plan. The solution to your issues with anger is, Jesus is going to fill your life with good, wonderful, supernatural, and miraculous things (righteousness). Righteousness is going to crowd out the pain, stress, and constant damage anger issues are doing to you. All you have to do is yield to Jesus’ power, training, and love. He will show you how to get rid of all the damage sin has done. And, He will do this by flooding you with righteousness that He has purchased for you.


• By His wounds you have been healed: This is talking about the fact that Jesus didn’t just die for you on the cross. Prior to His death, He was beaten almost beyond recognition. These wounds that were inflicted on His body purchased you relational, emotional, financial, physical, and spiritual healing. It was a heavy price; but, Jesus did it because He loves you so much that He did what it took to get you the full benefits.

Rev 3:20 (NIV) Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with Me. It is one thing for Jesus to do all that for you; it is another thing for you to open the door and let Jesus enter all the areas of your life. He did His part; now you must do your part, if you are going to benefit from all His provisions. You have a God-given free will; Jesus isn’t going to knock the door down, walk through it, or cause it to disappear. Your relationship with Jesus will ALWAYS be Him waiting for you to do your part before He installs His provisions in you.