The Miracle Cure

My church buddy is a contractor, and he offered to send his fence guy, Jarrod, to replace the old and damaged panels in my yard. His one condition was that I somehow share the gospel with this man while he was working on my new fence. This article, which I gave to Jarrod, was my response to that request.

Christianity is like the drug penicillin. Before the discovery of this antibiotic, the fatality rate for those who contracted pneumonia was around 40%. After penicillin became widely used, that number dropped to between 5–10%. This sharp decline was one of the most striking examples of how antibiotics revolutionized the treatment of infectious diseases—hence the name "miracle drug."

Now, I said that Christianity is like penicillin in that it is highly effective. The difference, however, is that while penicillin has a 90-95% success rate in preventing death, Christianity offers a 100% guarantee.

Let me explain:

• Penicillin kills bacteria by preventing them from building strong cell walls, which they need to survive. Without sturdy walls, the bacteria break apart and die, allowing the patient to recover and live.
• Christianity addresses the rot of sin. Human beings die physically and spiritually because they deteriorate under its effects—hatred, envy, pride, disobedience, lust, and so on. All of this ultimately leads to the breakdown of the body and the loss of the soul apart from God.

Traditional remedies—like trying to be a good person or doing good deeds—don't work because they only mask the rot; they don't cure it.

Thankfully, God has provided a cure through Jesus Christ. Here's how it works: Jesus, as God's Son, was able to absorb all the infection of every sinner by dying on the cross as a payment for humanity's moral failures. Then, to demonstrate that sin (the rot) could infect but no longer kill, God raised Jesus from the dead to prove that the remedy worked—a true miracle cure!

Today, we receive injections or pills to get antibiotics into our system. In the same way, we receive healing and forgiveness for our sins when we believe in who Jesus is and what He has done for us. This doesn't involve needles or pills, but rather expressing our faith through repentance and baptism (Acts 2:38).

Jarrod may have to return, if he's able, in 10–15 years to once again replace my rotting fence. However, he himself can remain rot-free and ready for eternal life—if he accepts the miracle cure that Jesus offers today.