“Be on your guard! If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him.” (Lu 17:3 NAS95)
Dominating the news and social media in recent months are the stories of people who have been sexually assaulted. The charges have varied from verbal harassment to violent physical sexual violation. It is like the lid has just been lifted from a can of worms and the contents are vile and disgusting. It seems like this plague has invaded every avenue of our culture including the entertainment industry, business, politics, education, and even the church. How could something this vile and disgusting have grown to this proportion unchecked? What will be the ramifications of lifting this lid? Is there a possible solution to bring peace, healing, and a culture that provides safety?
The Good, Bad, and the Ugly
I don’t believe a lot of good is going to come out of this movement, simply because it is not based in righteousness. That does not mean there won’t be any good come of this movement, for there will be some bright spots. For one thing it has revealed that our society has a huge problem that is creating deep seated pain and suffering. I am also sure that for the time being many will pause their unchecked promiscuous behavior. This movement will no doubt bring many individuals into accountability for their past actions. The greatest possible good to come from this is the opportunity to address the root of the problem. I am afraid that this opportunity is going to slip by us without being fully utilized.
There are also a lot of bad effects that can come from this movement. Elevating victimhood to heroic status is never a good idea. Those who are most victimized are buried beneath a flood of those who crave attention and those who are striving for personal gain. The use of these charges for political gain is a clue to us how easily these victims can be used or they can use these charges for power, fame, or money. The historical nature of many of these charges that go back decades creates innumerable problems, such as: Time does not enhance memories; rather memories can fade or be distorted. Truth and verification of past event becomes more difficult with the passing of time. Delayed charges, whether true or false, increase the potential for multiple innocent victims. This movement will also be used to promote the war against men, often misnamed as feminism, or the battle for women’s rights.
And then there is the ugly. Unearthing sexual sins isn’t pretty. Things done in dark corners that the participants never intended to see the light of day, usually are ugly. When we are talking about violating commitments, trusts, honor, and dignity, things get ugly. When we are considering the use of age, knowledge, power, prestige, or money being used to take advantage of the young, innocent, naïve, weak, or the helpless, then it gets real ugly. When an effort is made to reveal the ugliness of sexual abuse to punish the guilty, we need to consider the effect we may have on the innocent.
We Have a Problem
The problem of sexual abuse being widespread in our society is not new. We did not get here overnight. It has come to dominate the news now simply because women have been inspired and encouraged to come forward at this time to identify well known men as abusers. In many cases the abuser’s behavior goes back years or even decades. Although some of these cases are headline grabbers, most of sexual abuse victims will never receive the attention needed to achieve justice, healing, or even their future safety. Unless we address the root of this problem that permeates our society, it will continue to plague us. If our present culture creates abusers faster than we can route them out and prosecute them, then we are doomed to live in this self-destructive environment.
So if we really want to make progress in effectively combating sexual abuse then we need to address the very core of the problem, the root from which a variety of abuses stem.
The Root of the Problem
“”Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And He said to him, “’YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.’ “This is the great and foremost commandment. “The second is like it, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’ “On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.”” (Mt 22:36-40 NAS)
Simply put, the root of every one of our problems is the violation of God’s Law. God’s Law is the Law of Love, love God and love your neighbor as yourself. The whole of Scripture is the revelation and application of God’s law as it applies to us, who were created in the image of God. Furthermore God’s Law was revealed to us when the Word became flesh and was expressed in the life of Jesus.
All of our problems come back to this root, that we have violated the Law that governs the Universe. The lie that was perpetrated from the beginning was that we could be free from this Law and therefore be like God. The reality is that freedom from the Law of Love is as disastrous as if the Universe was freed from the law of gravity. The result is utter chaos.
The rebellious nature of man has been in continuous conflict with the Law of God since the fall of man and produces the evil we see in the world today. The Ten Commandments provide a summery application of the Law of God for an orderly society. To the extent that a nation has been successful in governing a nation by these principles has determined the measure of their success in achieving a secure, orderly, and just society. As a nation discards these simple principles the ensuing chaos is checked with a multitude of ordinances and regulation dictated by opposing factions of elitists and dictators. Security, order, and justice seem to be, and will always be, elusively, just beyond our reach.
Specifically to address the sexual abuse problem’s root we need to simply go back to the beginning and acknowledge God’s purpose and plan for sexual relations.
“And He answered and said, “Have you not read, that He who created them from the beginning MADE THEM MALE AND FEMALE, and said, ‘FOR THIS CAUSE A MAN SHALL LEAVE HIS FATHER AND MOTHER, AND SHALL CLEAVE TO HIS WIFE; AND THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH’? “Consequently they are no longer two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate.”” (Mt 19:4-6 NAS)
The root of the problem lies in the fact that our society has removed the boundaries of sexual relations and endorsed the abuse of this wonderful gift that God has given to us. As a result our entire culture suffers victimization from the ramifications of this abuse. Marriage is in trouble today in our culture, literally in crisis. Marriage and family were intended to be the first line of defense against abuse and abusers of the law of God.
Social acceptance of sexual relationships outside of marriage freed it from its safe environment. The ensuing pain and suffering that have resulted have been astronomical. Venereal disease, abortion, single parent families, prostitution, drugs, rape, and murder are just some of the big categories of suffering that have been a direct result of sexual freedom. The statistics of changes in these categories from 1960 until now is mind boggling. For example: Children born to single parents have gone up 700%.
So what has been the response to all of this suffering? It has not been repentance and a return to respect for the Creator’s instruction. Rather it is a response driven by pride and lust. Rather than returning to adherence to the laws that protect our safety, people have sought to find ways to override the consequences of sin. Contraceptives, abortion, psychiatry, psychology, “safe sex”, and thousands of laws and regulations, have been used and created to give the illusion that we are providing answers for the problems that arise from sexual freedom outside of marriage. The reality is that STD’s are epidemic in our culture, with one third of our people infected with an STD.
Epidemic Infections
For many of these STDs (sexually transmitted diseases) there is no known cure. But STDs are easily prevented simply by following the Law of God and confining sexual relationships within the confines of marriage. STDs are just the health effects that we can attach directly to the sexual immorality of our current culture. There are a multitude of indirect effects that contribute to people’s health. Many of the illnesses and diseases people contract are the results of a combination of different contributing factors. The effects of STDs, side effects from STD medication, emotional stress, and other factors resulting from a promiscuous lifestyle in a promiscuous culture, contribute to a depress immune system resulting in health problems.
In addition to the physical health effects there is the effect it has had on the moral health of our society when sex was removed from its safe environment within marriage. Biblical moral values are about how we treat our fellow humans. They are about respect for life that was created in the image of God. As stated earlier they are rooted in the Law of God, which is Love. Without recognition of the authority and purpose of Biblical moral values the cultural values become infected and perverted. Rejection of Biblical moral values is rejection of God. Government becomes the replacement for God and competing factions create a legalistic system of conflicting ordinances in an effort for each of us to gain advantage over our neighbor. Sex freed from the marriage bed becomes infected with self love, lust, and greed. In the process it is destroying each other’s self worth and degrading the intimacy that was intended bind male and female together.
There is a spiritual infection that takes place also, a disease affecting not only our relationship with God, but also the relationship between man and woman. Instead of sex being a factor in bringing man and woman together in equal bond, safeguarded by marriage, it becomes a means of self gratification at the expense of another. Sex within marriage can be about us, reinforcing that sacred bond. But outside of marriage it is about the individual and each one leaves incomplete and alone. The spiritual cost is not easily measured, but the effect is easily seen as very weighty. Huge portions of our society suffer from depression. The numbers of people who have sought help and are on prescription drugs for depression is astounding. Our present opioid epidemic is certainly an indication of unfulfilled desires and feelings of helplessness, hopelessness, and feeling unloved. Sexual freedom (free love) made love unattainable for many people. Psychology, psychiatry, councilor, and doctors have not been able to cure the effects of ignoring the purpose that God intended through marriage.
The Victims
Now that we have opened this can of worms, what are we going to do about it? “Me too” is about the victims that are stepping forward. Often their pain goes deep and has festered long. They have wounds that simply won’t heal. Their stories have struck a nerve and for the moment they have garnered a lot of sympathy. Most notably are those that were children when they were abused. How can anyone with even the semblance of a heart ignore what they have suffered and the lifelong effect it has had on them.
Two predominate questions arise. How can we help these victims of abuse? And how can we stop the abuse from happening? Believe it or not the answers to these questions are found in God’s Word, the Bible. The second question is easier to answer than the first one. If we as a society decided to go back to the Biblical standards of morality, abuses would be few and far between. When abuses did happen they would be easier to detect and correct. The first question also has a pat answer, but the application is a little more involved than most people today would understand. The answer is to provide healing for them. True healing would include physical, mental, and spiritual. God’s answer is not to just cover up the wound and anesthetize the pain, but to provide true healing.
The Abusers
The Queen had only one way of settling all difficulties, great or small. ‘Off with his head!’ she said, without even looking round. (“Alice in Wonderland” by Lewis Carroll)
People who violate others sexually are committing a heinous crime. Even those who merely verbally harass people’s sexuality are also guilty before God. But if we as a society lump all those who have been exposed for having violated another person sexually into one group with a standard punishment, then we will be as guilty as they are of violating God’s Law. For true justice to be carried out, all of the facts need to come to light. In the most severe cases the death penalty should not be ruled out. On the other end of the scale, sometimes a little education and a heartfelt apology would suffice. It is of great importance that we have a court of law that can sift through the evidence so that there is a least a possibility of a righteous judgment.
The dismissal of God and His Law in our society has left us with a perilous situation. By ignoring the standards presented in the Bible and the distortion of Constitutional Law, America has created a society that has wild oscillations from one extreme to another. First we ignore and overlook the sexual abuses going on all around us, and then there is an emotional uprising that demands all the guilty heads are to roll. As we should have learned by the French revolution, once you start chopping heads off, you never know where it will stop.
Speedy and Just
The sixth amendment of the Constitution was placed there to insure that the accused would have a speedy and just trial. The “Me Too” movement is digging up accusation of incidents 20, 30, and even 40 years old. While time itself does not remove guilt and accountability, it does make it very difficult for a court to assure a just verdict. For this reason our law cannot even try many of these cases in court. Many of these high profile cases are being tried in the public media, where none of the safeguards for justice can be applied. Judgment is being applied based upon emotional responses, accusations, and opinions. People are losing their positions, jobs, reputations, careers, and livelihoods. No doubt some of this judgment is deserved, but not so in all cases, for truth and justice have become irrelevant and the voices of the incited crowds prevail.
Let me remind you how we arrived here. Sex was removed from the safety and sanctity of marriage and delegated to consenting adults. Then it became tolerated between consenting juveniles. The resulting negative effects have been countered with a multitude of laws to no avail. The effects of neglecting God’s law have been tragic on families and individuals. It is the rationalization of an unrepentant society that has rejected God, which has allowed sexually misconduct to go unchecked for 50 years.
Innocent Victims
It would be hard to be sympathetic of serial sexual abusers. But what about the man that was guilty of an incident in his past, repented of sin and moved on. Twenty years later the incident comes to light. He is now a respected individual, living an exemplary life with a wife and children. The victim, stirred by the “Me Too” movement feels that justice was not served and still suffered emotionally. How do you execute justice without causing the suffering of many undeserving people? Judgment enacted years after the fact will impact this man and all that are associated with him in a totally different way than if it were enacted in the time frame in which the crime was committed. Can we ignore the effect on all of these people? There are many reasons a speedy trial has a better chance of being just. And a much better chance in a court of law then an open form driven by voices behind microphones.
The Easy Way Out
It may seem like the easy way out is to join the chanting crowds and bolster their cry for vengeance, bypassing the path of righteous judgment. Or maybe we could just go stick our heads in the sand and pretend the issue of sexual abuse does not exist. Neither of these actions is going to contribute to a solution to this epidemic that has had some light shown on it. Ignoring a problem does not make it go away. Do we as Christians have a responsibility to seek wisdom from God and reach out to these people? Those who are guilty are sin sick. Can they be made well again? And those who have been wounded are broken and hurting. Can they find healing?
There is a tendency to want to find something or someone to become the focus or our frustration, guilt, pain, and sorrow. In so doing we ignore the root of the problem. The societal problem can only be solved when a people turn back to God and repent of their sin and past disregard for the Law of God. The destruction of individuals, institutions, traditions, or whatever, in the long run never solves the underlying problem. When the dust settles we have only created more victims and dug the hole we live in a little deeper. The bottom line is: There is no easy way out!
Vengeance
“Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, “VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY,” says the Lord.” (Ro 12:19 NAS95)
Before we move on to the most important part of this discussion I deem it necessary to address the necessary role of law and government. The Scripture is clear that God has granted the authority to governments to maintain a lawful and orderly society. The clear violations and sexual abuse should be prosecuted by our courts and appropriate punishment executed. But even when courts of law fulfill their duties properly the victims of crimes (especially sexual crimes) are never fully compensated. Some actions just can’t be undone, words cannot be unsaid.
For those with deep wounds or deeply stirred emotions the tendency is to long for vengeance. Hatred builds and the desire to inflict the perpetrator of the crime with pain and suffering ensues. Our courts of law can punish by taking away a person’s substance, liberty, and in some cases even their life. But for the person suffering wounds that never heal, that just doesn’t seem to be enough. When a person, a crowd, or a jury is stirred by the drama to seek vengeance, then justice becomes victim and suffering increases.
Vengeance is driven by emotions void of reason. Fulfilled vengeance is never as sweet as imagined, but fulfillment leaves a bitterness that is hard to resolve. This is just one of the reasons that we need to leave vengeance in God’s hands. Only He can enact it properly and justly. Only God can righteously grant mercy for the guilty, for only He can heal the broken hearted.
The Solution For “Me Too”
“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.” (Ec 12:13-14 AV)
Since the root of the problem lies in our society’s drift from the wisdom and commandments of God. It is only reasonable to conclude that unless we return to the moral standards of the Bible we will continue to be victimized by the consequences of ignoring God’s Law.
The answer is simple, but it is anything but easy, for the opposition have established strongholds within our society. The educational system of our country, established to insure knowledge of God, is now controlled by those who are in direct opposition to God. The mainstream media (news, movies, and the arts) is controlled by an anti-God faction. Since the answer to the problem requires a return to God’s Law, it therefore follows that is not easily accepted in a society in rebellion to God’s Law.
The lie that was first presented in the Garden of Eden is now promoted predominantly throughout our society. The lie is presented in many forms, but it simply promotes this concept: God’s commandments restrict us from fulfillment of our pleasure. Remove the restriction and we will be like God.
The truth is that the commandments of God were intended to keep us safe. Since man violated that commandment in the Garden more instruction was required because man had violated God’s Law, the Law of Love. When man rejects God and His Law, man takes on the role of God determining right and wrong. The results of this action are obvious on all fronts.
The only way to curtail the “Me Too” abuse is to heed the advice from the God given Wisdom of Solomon. Fear God, and keep His commandment. The “Me Too” movement revelations are just the tip of the iceberg. God’s promise is that everything, good or bad, will eventually be exposed and judged by Him. The bottom line is that you can’t stop the abuse from happening unless you change the culture. We live in the United States of America, a culture founded upon Godly principles, but now it has turned from its roots and is becoming a godless culture. Understanding the direction of our country should only strengthen our resolve to do what we can to change that direction. First and foremost we must resolve as individuals would live up to God’s standard of righteousness, the Law of Love. Secondly we must use whatever influence granted to us to promote that which is good and holy.
The Wounded and the Hurting
If we miraculously could stop the abuse and set America back on course, there would still be the multitude of wounded and hurting people. As needed as justice is, it still doesn’t heal brokenhearted hurting people. It still doesn’t eliminate scars that affect relationships and trust issues. Psychology, psychiatry, therapists, and health workers haven’t been able to bring healing to many of these people. The decades old charges that have surfaced in the movement reveal deep-seated, painful wounds that have not healed with time. In many cases their injuries seem to have festered with time leaving the victim in a hopeless, helpless state.
A return to a godly morality is what is needed for our sin-sick culture. But what those that have been hurt and injured need is healing. The injured need a healing that restores that which was injured and maimed. Judicial action does not restore dignity, virginity, physical health, or mental health and well being. Vengeance would only create more anguish and bitterness. What these people need is healing of their body and their soul.
Healing
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.” (Lu 4:18-19 AV)
We have to admit that we do not have the knowledge or ability to heal these people that are so deeply wounded. But there is one who can and does heal those who come to Him. We call Him Jesus. There is a chorus that we used to sing that expresses in a few simple words what we need to understand.
Christ is the answer to all my longings
Christ is the answer to all my needs
Savior, Baptizer, the Great Physicians
O Hallelujah, He’s all I need.
We are spiritual beings, body, mind, and soul. What happens to our body and what we experience in our mind affects our soul. Our soul is the essence of who we are. We connect with the physical world through our body and our brain. But we are foremost a spiritual being and our spiritual connection with God has been severed by sin. Jesus came to restore our spiritual fellowship with God. To do that He had to deal with the sin problem that blocked us from fellowship with God. It is through Jesus death on the cross, and His atonement for sin, that allows us to be born again and the spiritual connection of our soul to be restored. Without this healing cannot take place, because the soul can’t be healed through the body and the mind. But without our spiritual life the soul can be wounded through the mind and the body.
I mention these things briefly hoping you don’t get hung up on the technicalities involved in a complete understanding of what makes us tick. Yet it is important that we realize that we can only do so much externally in providing an environment to promote healing. Wounds that affect us emotionally and spiritually have affected our souls and healing must come from within. Even physical wounds to the body must heal from within. Healing of the mind and soul can only come from within. Man’s attempts can at best provide a temporarily mask or deaden the pain. Only God can provide healing. He is the only great physician.
The Great Physician
We need to be careful that we don’t confuse the image and work of the Great Physician by allowing ourselves to correlate our knowledge of earthly physician and their work to how God works. The Great Physician works on an entirely different level. His knowledge and understanding is far beyond our comprehension. He views our position from a much higher perspective. He knows us better than we know ourselves. His concern for us goes far beyond the superficial; He wants us to be whole.
When we come to a earthy physician he usually begins by asking us questions. What hurts? He then examines us and requires tests to try and discover what is wrong with us. At best he may discover something that is interfering with natural healing, makes the adjustment, and then God’s designed healing process take place. Sometimes the best he can do is mask the symptoms, such as using pain medication, and then hopes the problem will fix itself. I am simplifying for brevity sake. Modern medicine has made incredible inroads into understanding the human body, but healing is still a design process or a miracle from heaven. Bypasses, transplants, and mechanical substitutes are temporary substitutes that still require natural healing.
But when it comes to healing of the mind or getting to the heart of the matter and affecting the wounds inflicted in our soul, man fall far short. In many cases those who try end up causing more harm than good. There is a role we can take in this area. I’ll talk about that later.
I bring this all up to provide a comparison to what we can expect if we submit ourselves to the Great Physician for an examination. The Great Physician already knows what is wrong with us. He knows everything.
“O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me. Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off. Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether.” (Ps 139:1-4 AV)
In poetic language this psalm reveals a God from whom nothing is hidden. From the very moment of conception He had his eye on us. Yet as David ends his Psalm he ends it with these lines:
“Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” (Ps 139:23-24 AV)
When we come to the Great Physician for healing we need to put our trust in the one who knows everything, and that includes everything about us. David ends his psalm with a request to be examined so that he might know what is wrong with himself and that God will be able set him on the path of healing. We are focusing on helping “Me Too” victims find healing, but these principles hold true if any of us are to be made whole and healed of the injuries that we acquire in this sinful world.
The revelations we receive in God’s examining room are already known by Him. It is in our best interest that we know what is wrong with us. It is not enough to know that we are sick or injured, because in many cases for us to heal properly we must cooperate with the physician. We are talking here about spiritual healing or healing of the soul. I will give a couple of illustrations from the physical to help to show how that the patient must trust the physician and cooperate.
Let’s say that you broke your leg. With our modern tools of medicine the doctor can see how the bone is broken and knows what must be done for its healing. He informs you of the situation for a couple of reasons. First the bones have to be set straight so that they heal correctly. If you don’t understand this you will not trust him as he is causing you more pain to get it set straight. Secondly you have to cooperate and follow his recommendations until it has healed. Otherwise you may prolong the healing or cause permanent damage.
As a second example: What if you were wounded? Again trust is essential because whatever wounded you must first be removed from the wound. If healing took place without removal, then it would forever be a source of irritation. An open wound also opens you up to further infections. If we don’t cooperate with the doctor and follow instruction we could face a more serious threat than the original wound.
Sometimes people die after receiving a minor wound. Usually this is because the person has some serious health problems to start with. It is important that everything is taken in consideration if a person is to find help for healing. I think that these things are even more important in the spiritual realm than they are in the physical. The physical is temporary, the spiritual is eternal. Trusting God for healing is where it must start if we are to experience true healing. Without healing, we die.
End of Life Care
Sin is the cause of all of our suffering. We were born in a world infected by sin. It was in this environment we became sinners. We were born in sin. We were infected from the start. In addition to our disease we also become victims of the effects of the sins of other people. We also often wound other people when we sin.
Sharing in this plight people are not always without compassion. We would like to relieve suffering, both our suffering and the suffering of others. I’ve mentioned the different ways that people have tried to bring relief from this kind of suffering. People try for justice, and when that doesn’t work they go for vengeance. People try mind games, psychiatry, psychology, or group therapy. People try business, drug, or alcohol, but to no avail. None of these things bring healing to the soul. At best they temporarily ease the suffering and comfort the comforting more than the suffering. In the physical world we call this, “End of life care”. If it were not for the Great Physician this is the best we would be able to do.
But the primary focus of the Great Physician and His attendants is healing. Masking the pain is counter-productive if it is done at the expense of administering treatment for healing. Health and healing for the sick and dying is why Jesus came and it is why we have hope.
The Church’s Role in Healing
Jesus is the answer. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. We know that we cannot heal people but we know who can. This is the message that we have been entrusted with. For some reason this message seems to be pretty weak today. In some cases the cry of the wounded has even come from within the Church. The Church in America seems to be unprepared to handle this issue. Do Christians realize the role they are intended to have in bringing healing to people? Has the Church lost its faith?
“and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed. For you were continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls.” (1Pe 2:24-25 NAS95)
At the core of the Church should be those who have experienced the healing power of Jesus Christ. These are people who are established in the Word of God and are no longer wandering around like a bunch of sheep without a shepherd. These are people whose sin-sick souls have been healed and have experienced new life in Christ. They have been cleansed of their sins which allow the Spirit of God to dwell within them. If these people are in leadership in an assembly, then we have a place that can minister to the wounded of this sinful world. The fruit of the Spirit in the lives of these people produce the love and compassion that is needed for people in need of a hospital.
The Church (the assembly of those who have been redeemed) provides a place of gathering where people of faith can worship God and continue to grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord. But this environment also becomes a safe space, a sanctuary in the truest sense. I think of it as a sin-free zone where sinners can gather. It is God’s intention to bring healing to people through His Church. The Church isn’t just a place where the condemned find refuge, but where they can find freedom from sin and death. It is redemption of the spirit that allows for the healing of the soul.
Healing the wounds of the soul is something only God can do. But without the role of the Church (Christians) most people will not find this healing. God’s design is to use people to bring about the necessary elements for healing. The physical connection is important as body and spirit are inseparable. Illustrating the Church as a hospital and Christians as those who tend to the patients can be helpful in helping us understand the Church’s role. As we as people fulfill our role we need to be open and flexible simply because we don’t fully understand the true condition of the patient. Only the Great Physician truly understands the condition of the soul and the nature of its wounds and diseases. We are just here to assist.
We have words of assurance because we have experienced healing at the hands of the Great Physician. We can share His Words that provide our sustenance. We can provide those physical acts of love that minister to the soul. We all have testimony of the love and healing power of God. We know that whatever the injury or disease that a person may be inflicted with, there are some basic principles that are necessary for healing. Having been down that path we can lead people in the right direction guiding and assisting along the way. It is so important that people assisting know what they are doing, as I have pointed out, those who try to help without understanding do more harm than good and contribute to the destruction of the soul.
The Path of Healing
The world around us is so messy and complicated by the effects of sin that we as Christians may have the tendency to want to just back away and pray, “God please just fix this person”. But the fact is that God has designed a path through which each individual must pass to obtain eternal life. We had to pass that way and so does everyone else. We who have started down that path can be a great help to others, but we must be honest with them. There is only way to find healing. That way is the way to eternal life.
Usually the sooner you receive medical attention the easier it is to provide the necessary care to promote healing. It is the same in the spiritual. It is not that the path to healing can change, but rather complications can arise because the wound wasn’t tended to properly. Many in the “Me Too” movement are in this condition because time has caused it to fester. There can be scar tissue, increased sensitivity, prolonged pain, reopening of the wound and sometimes additional wounds. No one has been able to help and there are trust issues, and trust is essential to allow the Great Physician to heal you. One of the greatest obstacles to healing is the suggestion that there is an easier and cheaper way than the path to healing offered by the Great Physician. The bottom line is that hesitation does not make it easier.
Physical healing is a natural process of God design. But there are things we must do. For one thing we have to be patient and allow the body to rebuild itself. Also it is important that we don’t neglect our role in keeping the unwounded part of our body healthy. I mention these two things as examples of things that can hinder a healing process that in some ways has an automatic progress. Wounds of the soul that we experience through our emotional and mental capacities are in some ways the same. There is a natural progression for healing.
Step by Step
I’ve tried to present enough information so that these necessary steps toward healing make sense. The victim must begin to see themselves as a patient not a victim, one who needs health and healing. This is the first step toward healing and requires confidence in the Great Physician and the resolve to follow His instructions.
There has to be an acceptance of the Physicians diagnosis, even if it includes a sin-sick soul. There has to be a willingness to give up our sinful ways and allow the Physician to cleanse us from our sins and sinfulness. We have to accept that this process has the potential of being somewhat painful. This is the process we call repentance. This is where true healing begins. The Physician provides forgiveness and cleansing and with that come peace and comfort.
The next step is to eat and drink and be nourished with the Word of God. Seek knowledge and with your knowledge get understanding. Your spiritual food is Word of God which provides instruction, correction, comfort, and grace. God’s Word builds our faith and equips us to stand and withstand the forces that would infect us and cause us harm. This is the step in which the Church (fellow believers) plays such a crucial role. The Church provides support, guidance, comfort and security. This step is not a stepping stone, but the beginning of a life style. Although at this stage a person has been made whole through a spiritual birth, we all begin as a babe in Christ. Continued nourishment from the Word and fellowship not only provide for our growth and maturity, but it keeps us healthy.
All may seem good at this point, but that doesn’t mean that healing is complete. There is a final necessary step that may take time to complete your healing. Not all healing takes place in a set time or through the same circumstances, because not all wounds are the same. They all differ in a multitude of ways, one of which is severity. The last step may take a level of spiritual maturity, which only comes with time. Or the depth of the wound or wounds may necessitate an extra amount of time because of their severity. I am not saying that we can’t move immediately on to the next step. What I am saying is that in most cases it will take time. Time is usually needed for proper healing.
This step is forgiveness. Without forgiveness healing will never be complete. If you think that this is harsh or unfair, you may be right. But if you understand the Law of God, then you know it is essential. Forgiveness sets you free. I am not saying it is easy, that is why it is the last step and it may take time. Forgiveness in essence says, you sinned, I suffered for it, and I will accept that for your sake. That is what Jesus did for us on the cross. When we do likewise it sets us free. Forgiveness frees us from the bonds of other people’s sins. We are free to love and not bound by hate.
I think it is necessary to add a brief note here about forgiveness. Forgiving does not in any way diminish the seriousness or evil effects of sin. Forgiving frees you from the bondage of another person’s sins. But it does not automatically free that person from their sin. The perpetrator can only find freedom through repentance. Forgiveness opens the door of forgiveness for the sinner; they have to walk through it.
I can tell you that forgiveness is necessary to receive a complete healing and I have experienced this healing. I can also tell you that forgiveness is necessary because the Word of God tells us it so. But in the context of seeking healing for those who have been sexually abused the testimony of Darrell and Shari Beebe speaks loud and clear. Missionaries to the Country of Palau their family were viciously attacked, beaten and raped. God provided miraculous physical healing. The mental and emotional healing took longer and that came through the process of forgiveness. Their story is best left for them to tell. Either read their book, “Darkness at Dawn”, or watch their testimony at this address: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZamYGuqywc
“For this finds favor, if for the sake of conscience toward God a person bears up under sorrows when suffering unjustly. For what credit is there if, when you sin and are harshly treated, you endure it with patience? But if when you do what is right and suffer for it you patiently endure it, this finds favor with God. For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps, WHO COMMITTED NO SIN, NOR WAS ANY DECEIT FOUND IN HIS MOUTH; and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously; and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed. For you were continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls.” (1Pe 2:19-25 NAS95)
Healing for the Abusers?
In the most horrific of these incidents we have a hard time wanting the perpetrators of these crimes to find relief from the punishment that they rightly deserve. But doesn’t God want to save these people too? We have talked about forgiveness given, but for the sinner it is important to realize that for forgiveness to be realized, it must be received. No greater example of grace and forgiveness can be given than by what Christ did for us on the cross. It is because of the power of that forgiveness that we can have life eternal. As recipients of forgiveness we also become empowered to forgive. For the unforgiven it seems impossible to forgive especially when the offense is great. But through the lives of the forgiven the impossible can become a reality.
In some of the most extreme cases it has been that power to forgive that has proven to be the one thing that can reach the most unlikely recipients, the hard core sinners. As in the case of Darrell and Shari Beebe, God can use some of the worst offenses to show us His love and grace in a powerful way. Those of us who are recipients of the grace of God need to rise up and say, “Me Too”. And for the rest of the world, you too can experience forgiveness through the grace and love of our Lord Jesus Christ. How wonderful it would be if “Me Too” was referring to something we had obtained instead of something that was lost.
“Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.” (Mt 5:43-45 AV)