Are Sickness and Sin Linked?
Last night, someone in my Hope Group (Bible Study Group) asked whether sickness and sin are linked. If I’m experiencing sickness, is this because I have sinned? Here are a few thoughts in response to this question.
Sin Generally Leads to Sickness
As a general thing, yes. Sin, the rejection of God, has corrupted God’s good creation. As a result of sin, things like sickness, disease and death enter the creation. In Romans 5:12, we read:
Sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned.
Our sin leads to death. Sadly, sickness is the route via which this death often comes.
2. Sin and Sickness are Sometimes Directly Linked
The link between sin and sickness is sometimes direct. In John 5:14, soon after Jesus has healed a man, we read:
Jesus found him at the temple and said to him, “See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you.”
Here, Jesus links sin and potential future illness. Sin has the potential to lead to further suffering.
Similarly, in 1 Corinthians 11:29-30, we read:
For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves. That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep.
Here, we see that some illnesses—and even deaths—in the Corinthian church were a direct result of sinful behaviour.
Then, in James 5:16, we read:
Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.
Here, confession of sin is linked to healing, which assumes that the sin itself is somehow linked to illness.
3. Not All Sickness is Directly Caused By Sin
We can’t assume that all sickness is caused directly by a specific sin. This is obvious in John 9:1-3, where we read:
1 As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. 2 His disciples asked him, ‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?’ 3 ‘Neither this man nor his parents sinned,’ said Jesus, ‘but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.
Here, the point is that the man’s blindness isn’t a direct result of his sin, nor his parents’ sin. Rather, God has allowed this so that he can display his works.
Similarly, the sickness and suffering Job endures comes not as a result of his sin, but as a result of a conversation between God and Satan (see Job 1). Job has no idea this conversation has taken place!
Two Comforting Truths and a Suggestion
Much of the time, we can’t be sure whether there is a direct link between our sickness and our suffering. However, if you’re feeling worried, take comfort in these two truths:
Truth 1. Jesus Came to Deal With Our Sickness and Suffering
In Isaiah 53:4-5, we read:
4 Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. 5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.
Jesus came to bear our pain and suffering. He was pierced on the cross for our transgressions and sins—the root cause of our sickness and suffering—to ensure that, by his wounds, we would be healed.
At the spiritual level, the healing is complete for those who trust in Jesus. At the physical level, healing will come, because…
Truth 2: A Day is Coming When There Will Be No More Sickness
In Revelation 21:4, we read that, when Jesus returns:
God will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.
On this day, sickness will be eradicated.
Suggestion: If Worried, Repent and Confess
If you’re sick and you’re worried that this is a direct result of your sin, follow the advice in James 5:16. Confess your sins and repent, turning back to God. Then you may be healed. God may restore your health. Note, it says, “may”, not “will”. But even if you’re not physically healed, it’s much better to have repented of sin than to remain unrepentant! It’s better to be right with God and suffer, than to feel well but remain far from him.
