When you’re sick, sometimes your physician treats the symptoms, and sometimes he or she diagnoses and treats the underlying condition.
For most viral illnesses, for example, the appropriate action is to reduce the signs and symptoms of the illness, for example, addressing fever or muscle pain, since current medicine doesn’t treat the underlying problem.
Sometimes, though, treating only the symptoms and not the underlying illness results in masking the real problem, leading to greater health problems, or even death.
The Spiritual Counterpart
We sin because we are Sinners. Our sins (lower case “s”) are symptoms of a fatal disease: Sin (upper case “S”), our rebellion against God.
It is unfortunately possible to feel good about improving your behavior without addressing the fatal, underlying, condition of Sin.
In our own strength we can “improve,” becoming more moral, appearing more Christian, but not actually becoming a Christ-follower.
The Moral Non-Believer
There are many people in the pews who are not saved, but appear to be upstanding Christians. They have worked on their sins, but have not turned to Christ to deal with their Sin, their underlying rebellion against God. They are whitewashed tombs.
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. (Matthew 23:27)
Because they consider themselves moral, they’re apt to believe they don’t need the Lord. They are terminally ill, but don’t know it. (See Matthew 12:43-45 and 2 Peter 2:20-22)
And Jesus did not come to call the righteous but sinners to repent. (Luke 5:32)
Symptom or Fatal Disease?
Be sensitive to “sins” and “Sin” when you talk with others. Is the person a believer who wants to live more according to the Spirit? Or is the person not saved, but wants to reform his or her behavior?
If they are Christian, the Holy Spirit has been working in them to convict them. You may want to concur with their concern, deepen their determination to flee from their pattern of sin, exhort them to live in the Spirit, and forsake the flesh. You may want to give them resources to help.
If they are not Christian, their pattern of sin is a symptom of a fatal disease: rebellion against Almighty God. You need to agree they have a problem, but, instead of helping them solve the specific issue, try to turn them to God. Lead them to Christ. (See Becoming a Child of God.)
If you deal just with their concern about a specific pattern of sin (sin, lower case “s”), you’re working with them on the symptom, but not dealing with the disease (Sin, upper case “S”) that will result in eternal death. The danger is that if you allow them to focus on the specific sin, and not the underlying disease, you’ll leave them worse off.
Help them see they have a fatal disease. Show them the Lord.
