Targeted treatment
Every week day I turn up at the Level 3 oncology at Royal Brisbane and wait for my name to be called. It doesn’t usually take long before a voice comes over the speakers, “Stephen Gellatly, LA2”. My name is called and I am being summoned to my treatment location LA 2. “L.A.” stands for “Linear Accelerator” a machine that gives my daily dose of radiation to the area of disease. This treatment is regarded as targeted, zoning in on the unhealthy, diseased cells while leaving the healthy cells untouched (that is the plan anyway and we believe with God’s help this is being achieved).
This treatments safety and effectiveness is conditioned on a couple of variables. Me laying still and allowing the treatment to have its effect, and the operator of the machine lining me up correctly and setting the machines parameters properly. As I have thought about this process, even as I undergo it each day, I often think about spiritual parallels to this treatment that apply to all of us. We are, even as born-again believers, subject to the effect of an even greater disease than cancer; the toxic condition of sin. But as ones who have been saved, who are being saved and who will be saved, God is intent on treating us for this debilitating condition of sinfulness.
Yes when we surrender our lives to Jesus and are born again of His Spirit we are forgiven, the eternal punishment for our sins is cancelled out. But the work of salvation is an ongoing process that is God intention to get rid of the areas of sin that are holding us back from the God ordained purposes He has for us. And just like the daily treatment in LA 2, so too God has some targeted treatment to get rid of the disease.
2 Timothy 3:16 reads, “All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness…” You see God has a treatment He wants us all to submit to in order that we can overcome the pervasive condition of human sinfulness. It’s a targeted treatment that zones in on the offensive areas of our lives so that we can overcome the deadly disease of sin. That treatment is the targeted truth of His living word being brought to bear upon our own lives, habits and attitudes; it’s the humbled, submissive reading of God’s word and receiving its truth. Often we can read the word and see instruction for others, but the first port of call in our daily bible reading should always involve us letting the truth of God’s word do some targeted treatment on us. Like me laying down and remaining still while the Linear Accelerator does its work, so too we need to come and quiet ourselves before God in order to allow Him to target the areas He wants to deal with.
This also requires us to trust the work of the Holy Spirit and resist the words of the enemy. You see God is loving, caring and careful as He treats us for our underlying condition. But the enemy wants you to be restless and he wants to use scripture to condemn and destroy you. In all of this there is a faith required to allow God to target areas we may be afraid to let go of, but if we do as He says, allow His word to search us and destroy the dark cancer of sins power over us, we will be set free in increasing measure to live a freer, more righteous life.
Ps. Steve.
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