Saving Lives With the Gospel
We hear a lot of talk about vaccines these days. Some people behave as if this is the first time in our history we have been asked to get vaccinated to fight a deadly virus, but doctors have been using vaccines to fight diseases for ages.
In the winter of 1925, there was a deadly outbreak of diphtheria in Nome, Alaska. The plague threatened the lives of over 10,000 people who were living in the area, especially children. There was a vaccine located, but it was hundreds of miles away and because of a blizzard, it could only be accessed by land. The best way to cross those frigid 674 miles was by a team of sled dogs. Leonhard Seppala, the musher that led the dogs, and his team had to cross almost 700 miles in a blizzard. The journey could have cost him his life, but he is remembered as a courageous hero who saved many lives.
Just like the Alaskans faced a deadly disease, we as Christians also face sickness and disease. Sin is the disease of our soul. In the same way that cancer can start small and grow bigger, sin can start small, but quickly spread through our soul. Physical sickness can creep in without you realizing it, just like sin. Both can ruin futures, change lives, and destroy relationships. But thankfully, there is also a cure for the disease of our soul; the gospel! In Romans 6:3-4, it states, “Or don’t you know, that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that just as Christ was raised from the dead, through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.” The perfect blood of Jesus cures us from the disease of sin.
In Matthew 28:16, Jesus gives us the command of taking this soul saving gospel to the world. The command is simple, but the job isn’t always easy. Similar to how Leonhard Seppala faced challenges in saving his town, we will also have to overcome obstacles. It can be hard to reach people with the gospel. In Acts 28:27, Paul says, “For this people’s heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed...” This passage talks about the people tuning out God and turning away from Him. Sometimes people don’t want to listen to the gospel, but that doesn’t mean we should stop trying. We have been commanded to have courage. In Joshua 1:9, it says, “Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”
Even though we face challenges, when the gospel does get through, seeing people follow Jesus can be extremely rewarding. In Acts 8:26-40, Phillip meets an Ethiopian man who is reading a passage from Isaiah. The man tells Phillip he does not understand what he is reading. Phillip offers to help him and they end up engaging in a bible study. Later, the man ends up getting baptized. It is encouraging and rewarding to see someone follow Christ. When Seppala thought about giving up, the reminder of all the lives he could save kept him going.
In summary, we should be thankful we have the resources, such as vaccines, to save our physical lives, but it is an even greater blessing to be able to have a cure for our spiritual lives. Romans 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” In his great act of courage, Leonhard Seppala saved thousands of lives from the deadly diphtheria virus. In an even greater way, Jesus’ selfless decision to die on the cross and defeat the disease of sin saved the whole world.
Caroline Kizer