Are You Immune?

Thursday October 21, 2010

Today's Passage: Job 5:20-22 (Mess.)
Memory Verse: Lamentations 2:14 (Mess.)

Of all the complexed systems of the body, not one of them interest me more than the immune system.  To think that God has placed a group of cells in our bodies that find and kill diseases is beyond comprehension.  Why do we need an immune system?  How does it work spiritually?

An immune system (biologically), is a system of biological structures and processes within an organism that protects against disease by identifying and killing pathogens and tumor cells. It detects a wide variety of agents, from viruses to parasitic worms, and needs to distinguish them from the organism's own healthy cells and tissues in order to function properly. Detection is complicated as pathogens can evolve rapidly, producing adaptations that avoid the immune system and allow the pathogens to successfully infect their hosts.  Based on that information, our spiritual immune system is a series of spiritual processes that protects against sin sicknesses by identifying and killing soul-ties, strongholds, old habits, and addictions.  It also detects agents (familiar spirits and ignorance), and preserves healthy spiritual functioning.  Detection here is also complicated as pathogens (old habits/relationships) can return and evolve without notice.  Job 5:20-22 (Mess.) says "In famine, He'll keep you from starving, in war, from being gutted by the sword.  You'll be protected from viscious gossip and live fearless through any catastrophe.  You'll shrug off disaster and famine, and stroll fearlessly among wild animals".   Now that's a powerful system!  God promised to protect us.  We have to trust Him.  We have to decide to stand on His Word and never be moved.

Now having an immune system doesn't mean we'll be free from attacks.  We're exposed to spritual germs (just like biological ones) everyday.  Some of them are airborne, which means they come by people infecting you with gossip, betrayal, neglect, and/or lies.  God's immune system is designed to detect gossip and lies and destroy them with cells of truth.  Best practice to prevent infection is making sure your eyes, ears, hands, and face are washed thoroughly with the Word of God.  Other germs are blood-borne, which means they come by ingesting something foreign or heredity.  Ingesting foreign germs happen when we "take in" advice or teaching that isn't healthy or prepared properly.  Even with good intentions, advice and suggestions are given out religious views, not the truth of God's Word.  "Your prophets courted you with sweet talk.  They didn't face you with your sin so that you could repent.  Their sermons were all wishful thinking, deceptive illusions" (Lamentations 2:14 Message).  Inherited germs are ones that have been produced in us by our mothers and fathers.  Anger, abuse, rejection, and illness are all examples.  Immunity has been establish by receiving a full blood transfusion.  Our blood must be exchanged with the blood of Jesus.  His blood takes away all the germs the enemy designed to hurt us.  So are you immune?  Being immune means you possess the spirit of a fighter.   It means you don't sit and wait to be attacked, you're constantly on the attack.  You're a fighter...and a winner!

Prayer: God You are so awesome.  You fixed us before we could even be broken.  If we trust You, our lives will be protected by Your promises of life abundantly.  Keep us in You awesome hands Lord, and we'll always live to praise You...in Jesus' name. Amen