Few people, including church people, believe in cause and effect on the spiritual level. In spite of God’s numerous teachings on the subject of sin and punishment (see Deuteronomy 26 and Leviticus 28), religious people cannot accept the fact that a loving God would punish them for sin that Adam’s fall supposedly forces them to commit. Both Old and New Testaments bear witness to the fact that the Lord’s law of cause and effect applies to churched and unchurched alike, and that He puts physical and mental sickness, natural disasters, war, etc. on so-called “Christians” and “Christian nations” is totally alien to the Institutional Church. As Jesus Himself said in Matthew 24:24, not even His Very Elect are exempt from His Father’s wrath if they sin. Jesus Himself did not receive a sin-and-get-away-with-it pass from the Father, so why should those who call themselves by His name? We are commanded to “abstain from any appearance of evil” (1 Thes. 5:22). If we will be punished for “appearing” to do a sinful thing, why would we not be punished for actually doing the thing?

Americans, as well as the rest of the world, are represented by the man at the pool of Bethesda whom Jesus healed of an incurable physical infirmity. Later the Lord found him and said something to him the whole of professing Christendom refuses to accept: “Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you.” Translation: “Stop sinning or God will afflict you with a worse problem than the one you had” (Jn. 5:1-14). Christ’s Words: “Sin no more lest ….” indicates that the man’s physical problems were the result of sin. Though it is written in the Bible, those who own Bibles reject the Lord’s Words to the man concerning cause and effect. Nor do they believe the Words found in Exodus 15:26 which were also spoken by Him: “If you will diligently harken to the voice of the Lord your God, and do that which is right in His sight, and will give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I WILL PUT NONE OF THESE DISEASES UPON YOU WHICH I HAVE BROUGHT UPON THE EGYPTIANS, FOR I AM THE LORD THAT HEALS YOU.” A careful reading of this message from the God who does not change (Mal. 3:6) reveals this message from on high: “If you obey Me I will keep you free from sickness. However, if you disobey Me I will put sickness (among other things) upon you.” Few people believe what the Lord said concerning the sin-curse connection. Though that same Lord told a crippled man, “Your sins are forgiven you … rise and walk” (Mat. 9:1-6), His Words fall on deaf ears. The 12 tribes of Israel–God’s chosen people–were defeated, slaughtered and taken into slavery because of sin. Why do we, their biological and spiritual descendants, believe that we can do the same and get away with it? What makes us special? Modern religious man is living in a fool’s paradise. Truly, Satan has deceived the whole world (Rev. 12:6). L.J.