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The Sin/Sickness Connection
By Jeff Reed
Is there a relationship between illness and sin? If I am sick, am I being punished? These are questions I have personally dealt with in my own experience with illness. Everyone experiences illness to one degree or another. Everyone will eventually die (Hebrews 9:27). It is evident that God did not design our physical bodies to last forever. Sickness is a common plight for everyone.
An Early Connection
We can see a direct relationship between sin and illness early in human history. Because of the first sin of Adam and Eve, God declared “Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life” (Genesis 3:17), and “By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return” (Genesis 3:19). It is evident that because of sin, pain, suffering, and death entered into the world.
We can also see a connection between sin and sickness in Deuteronomy 28. God promises the nation Israel blessings for obedience to Him and promises curses for disobedience. One of those curses is that “the LORD will plague you with diseases until he has destroyed you from the land you are entering to possess. The LORD will strike you with wasting disease, with fever and inflammation, with scorching heat and drought, with blight and mildew, which will plague you until you perish” (Deuteronomy 28:21-22).
God gave laws in Leviticus 13-15 that are intended to keep disease from occurring and spreading. These laws are understood by the modern scientific community to be based on sound physical principles of disease prevention. Failure to follow these laws of hygiene would have the natural effect of spreading disease. God also gave laws in Leviticus 11 concerning which animals would be safe for humans to eat. He is the Designer and Creator of all life. Therefore it is reasonable to understand that these prohibitions against eating certain animals are based on solid scientific truths.
AIDS
“The pandemic of Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) is caused by the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV).” This disease has killed over 25 million people since it was identified in 1981 and presently kills between 3 and 4 million people annually. The virus is currently present in over 38 million living people and the number is steadily increasing. The most generally accepted origin of the virus is from hunting and eating monkeys and apes, most specifically chimpanzees—animals that are clearly prohibited as food in Leviticus 11. Because of this sin, the HIV virus entered into the human population.
HIV is transmitted among humans primarily through sexual contact. It is through the sinful practices listed in Leviticus 18 that HIV and other diseases can be spread. It is recognized that monogamy in marriage and abstinence before marriage are the only realistic methods available to prevent this disease from spreading.
Unfortunately, the sins of others can affect the innocent. One half million children die each year from AIDS that they have either inherited from their mothers or from sexual abuse. Romans 3:23 states, “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” So it may be from our own sins or from the sins of others that we suffer illness. But that is not always the case.
Experiencing Grace
Consider what is recorded in the Gospel of John. “As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, ‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind.’ ‘Neither this man nor his parents sinned,’ said Jesus, ‘but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life’” (John 9:1-3). Sometimes we suffer illness so that we can experience the grace of God in our lives. By suffering through sickness and hardships God can develop His character and wisdom within us.
The apostle Paul suffered with a physical illness that was figuratively a “thorn in the flesh.” He asked Jesus to remove it and Jesus replied, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:9-10). Although it may not be natural for us to think of it like this, there are times when an illness can be a blessing.
Am I Being Punished?
If I am sick, am I being punished? As we have seen, this may not necessarily be the reason for your illness, but it could be. Consider what Paul wrote to the Corinthian church about the consequences of not observing the Passover reverently, “That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep” (1 Corinthians 11:30). This is a direct indication of illness and death being punishment for sin. There is also an incident where Jesus warned a man that He had healed of paralysis, “Later Jesus found him at the temple and said to him, ‘See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you’” (John 5:14).
We may not know if our sickness is punishment, but it would be wise to consider the possibility. We should consider it an opportunity to examine our lives and repent of any sins. We should do as James tells us, “call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven” (James 5:14-15). It is comforting to know that we will be forgiven of sin if it has caused our sickness.
The Connection
There is a definite sin/sickness connection. Illness entered the world because of sin. It is sustained and spread because of sin. Although, sometimes we experience illness so we can more fully appreciate God’s grace. Just as there will be an end to sin in the future Kingdom of God, so will there be a complete end of illness. “There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away” (Revelation 21:4).
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