Sunday, February 2, 2014

This may be a long post...

I read a statistic that says 1-2% of all cancers disappear without chemotherapy treatment, without medications, without surgery.  Why?  It's called "spontaneous remission."

Now let me just pause for a brief (or maybe not so brief) moment and tell you what I think about the word "remission."  In the medical field, remission is what say when you have an incurable disease, such as cancer, RA, MS, etc, that goes away for a time, but always has the possibility of return.  I love the fact that it goes away, I hate the part about the possibility of return.  It's like saying, "This dark cloud you've lived under for the past days is gone...but you better watch out, it could sneak up on you again at a moment's notice."  Where is the hope in that?  I hate the word remission because it offers but a momentary hope, a wisp of peace, a shadow of reprieve.  

Theologically, however, the word remission takes on a whole new meaning!  Hebrews 9:22 KJV says, "without the shedding of blood is no remission."  The theological meaning of remission is "the act of absolving."  Absolve: to set free from, to remove, to withdraw.

Think about this for a moment:  Remission:  Re-mission.  Mission meaning "to send,"  and  Re meaning "away."  Remission is to send away!

Jesus said this:  "For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins."  Matthew 26:28 KJV

Hebrews 9 tells us that without the shedding of blood (atoning sacrificial blood through Christ) there is no remission, and Jesus tells us in Matthew 26 that this is his blood shed for the remission of sins.  But let's look also to the prophet Isaiah who tells us, "He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of peace was upon him; and by his stripes (shedding of blood) we are healed."  Isaiah 53:5

If we can believe that the atoning sacrifice of Christ's blood shed on the cross is the payment for and brings the remission of our sins, why then, can we not believe that the atoning sacrifice of his blood shed on the cross is payment for and brings the remission of our diseases?  It is the same blood and holds the same power for forgiveness and healing.

I believe it comes down to trust.  We can trust him for the forgiveness of our sins, but we lack the faith that the same blood can heal our diseases.  Why?  Fear?  Maybe.  Control?  Possibly.  

Think about the woman with the issue of blood. Her amazing story is not unlike many who suffer today.  "When Jesus had again crossed over by boat to the other side of the lake, a large crowd gathered around him while he was by the lake....A large crowd followed and pressed around him.  And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years.  She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. And when she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, because she thought, "If I can just touch his clothes, I will be healed." Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering. At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him.  He turned around in the crowd and asked, "Who touched my clothes?"  "You see the people crowding against you," his disciples answered, "and yet you can ask, "Who touched me?"  But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it.  Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and trembling with fear, told him the whole truth.  He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you.  Go in peace and be freed from your suffering."  Mark 5:21-34

For those of us suffering with "incurable diseases" such as MS or RA or Depression, Cancer or diabetes or Fibromyalgia, I think we hope for the medical term of remission.  We hope that someday, somehow we can get to a place where our disease takes a vacation, but we live with the fear that it may return again.

But if we apply the theology of remission we can hope in something greater than a temporary cure.  When we apply the atoning sacrificial blood to our diseases, and like the woman above, we have faith enough to touch the hem of his garment, I believe we have the hope of a permanent cure.  

You see, sometimes we have to "suffer a great deal under the care of many doctors," and we have to spend all that we have (financially, mentally, emotionally) before we reach a place where we are desperate enough to press through the crowd and touch the edge of his robe.  We have to reach a point of sheer desperation, utter hopelessness and blinding fear before we are willing to reach out to the one who's blood was shed for the remission of our sins and the healing of our diseases.  We have to give up hope in all others and place our faith in the only one who can bring us back from the brink of death.

As for me, I believe in the promise of remission.  Not because the medical field offers a temporary hope, but because my Savior gave me the promise of his atoning blood.

Only By His Grace,

Billie













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