The Physical Symptoms of Sin

Can you remember a time when you did something really wrong and your body let you know it? Your palms got sweaty. A huge knot formed in your stomach. Sleep just would not come your way. The bodies that God created and minds that God inhabits are wired to let us know when we have sinned. We’ve all experienced it. In Psalm 38 we get a first hand account of what this looks like in David’s life. We don’t know exactly what is going on in David’s life but here is a portion of the description of the physical consequences: “My wounds are foul and festering Because of my foolishness. I am troubled, I am bowed down greatly; I go mourning all the day long. For my loins are full of inflammation, And there is no soundness in my flesh. I am feeble and severely broken; I groan because of the turmoil of my heart. Lord, all my desire is before You; And my sighing is not hidden from You. 10 My heart pants, my strength fails me; As for the light of my eyes, it also has gone from me.” David isn’t describing symptoms from a physical infection, rather from a spiritual infection. David is feeling the heat of sin. If you think you’ve never been there then you’re not paying attention or you’re in denial. God chastens those He loves. God isn’t going to let sin go unnoticed in the lives of His children. He uses the physical body and the mind to bring us to repentance. In this psalm David is acknowledging that he’s got a problem and he’s turning to God for an answer. He sees that his real problem is a physical problem. He also acknowledges to God that there are others who are out to get him. He asks God to protect him. He closes with the following words: “Do not forsake me, O Lord; O my God, be not far from me! 22  Make haste to help me, O Lord, my salvation!”

 When these symptoms of sin are evident in our lives the “cure” is repentance and confession. The cure is to appeal to the mercy and forgiveness of almighty God. Perhaps you need to appeal to Him this morning…asking Him to cleanse you. Repentance is like a strong antibiotic coursing through the veins to attack an infection. Without it the symptoms continue and can even be deadly.

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