If there was a proven cure for cancer, people would be lining the streets to make sure their loved ones or they personally could be treated. The headlines would be shouting the good news, and everyone would be filled with renewed hope.
There is similar hope for the Corona Virus vaccine. Once people heard it had been tested and approved, they watched
diligently for the documents saying they were eligible to sign up for the shot. Many waited in lines or put their names on lists to be called in case of an opening. Headlines each day began to state the number of people nation-wide who had been vaccinated. People once again began to make plans to see family, travel, go back to school, church, and restaurants.
I actually got my vaccine by surprise. My husband and I were walking around Vons, doing some grocery shopping. We were stopped by a clerk who asked if we had received the Corona Virus vaccine. Jerry had, I had not. I was not quite the required age of 65 yet (yes, I'm younger than him), so I was waiting for the age limit to drop. After a few questions, and determining that I was most likely a candidate, I got my first dose an hour later. They had some extra shots that would go to waste, so it was a matter of being at the right place at the right time.
After each dose (the second was scheduled for a month later), I had a sore arm. I got a headache as a result of the first shot. The second one put me down for a day with some achy joints and a feeling of exhaustion. They say those symptoms are good signs my antibodies are building up to fight the virus, so I was willing to endure the mild discomfort. We are now able to plan a trip to see our youngest grandbaby, born in January. We are hoping the travel restrictions for Hawaii will lift for our trip later this spring. We're just not sure.
Medicine is not a perfect science, and some are waiting for the other shoe to drop. This article isn't to argue the pros and cons of vaccines or cures. I simply want to make an analogy to our spiritual lives. If we are so excited about potential cures for our physical diseases, why do we hesitate to share the good news that there is a cure for sin?
Long ago, Jesus came and sacrificed His life, bearing the weight of our sins, so that we could have the certainty of eternal life. We don't have to wait in a long line for it, or hope that we become eligible. The ONLY requirement is that we confess our sins, believe in what Jesus did for us, and accept the free gift He offers. It should be making headlines every day. No one needs to continue to labor under their guilt or shame. Christ paid the price so that we might live!
This act of forgiveness not only assures us of going to Heaven when we die, but it allows us to begin truly living on Earth. Our bodies continue to decay and weaken with time and age, but our hope, peace, and joy grows and thrives. It makes sense to take advantage of a cure for our physical bodies. It makes even more sense, eternal sense, to take advantage of Christ's cure for our spiritual being.
You can take advantage of this gift today. Today is the day of your salvation. You can be certain that God will accept you into His kingdom. John 5:24 says, “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life." You don't have to wonder about it. If anyone asks, "Are you sure?" you can give a resounding, "Yes!"
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