A Conversation - Pt. 3

In case you're entering the conversation mid-stream, I've been posting excerpts from an email interaction I've been enjoying with one of my childhood friends. We haven't seen each other in 15 years and we come from different faith backgrounds... and yet we've both been encouraged by sharing. The enemy of our souls tries to intimidate us so that we won't ask (or answer) important questions. But it's so fun when we finally just go for it!

My friend asked me to expand with thoughts about the virus analogy from the last email:

I am curious to hear your thoughts and understanding of Gethsemane and Golgotha – what, why, how, etc. Maybe even linking it all to your virus theme, if the simile lends itself to that much latitude.

Yes, I think the virus analogy works great. I first came across this analogy in a teaching that I heard here at the Coastlands a few years ago. If you're interested, you can download it here.

Some additional thoughts / parallels with the evil / sin as a "virus" analogy:

• I think we could say that Jesus' blood is the only source of immunity. When God allowed Jesus to be infected with a lethal dose of the virus, He didn't stay dead. Since His resurrection, His blood carries the antibodies we so desperately need. Like infants born with HIV, we've all been infected, and are "dead in our transgressions" (Eph. 2:5). Receiving Him means receiving the gift of immunity / antibodies we didn't previously have in our system.
• Many people try through their own efforts to fight the dread disease. They do good stuff, go to church, give money, blah, blah, blah... But the Bible teaches that forgiveness / immunity is a free gift (and so it can't be earned). The sin / virus hijacks the host's natural systems. Our willpower and efforts are part of that system. Any attempt to become healthy / righteous without resting in the grace of His gift will actually backfire (i.e. get me sicker).
  
• What is tricky about treating viruses is that they can mutate into deadlier, harder-to-treat versions of themselves. Ironically, the mutation often occurs as a result of the attempted treatment! That's what religion is. A mutated form of the virus. It's man's attempt to approach God. I think religiousness / legalism is a deadlier, mutated virus that's tougher to identify and eliminate than regular, obvious sin. That's why we're encouraged to be "diligent to enter that rest..." (Heb. 4:11).

Tune in later for more of the conversation...