Killing God - Part 35: The Disease Model of Sin

Disease Model of Sin:

                Iniquity is an inborn trait, thus the way we are is how we are born! King David, in his repentance and confession of faith said, “I was born in iniquity,” ⁶⁵⁸ and added “in sin did my mother conceive me.” There are two different ideas therein: (1) David was born perverse, and (2) in some manner, his conception was in the condition of sin. ⁶⁵⁹ My personal interpretation is that reproduction was ordained by God before sin but after the original sin, coitus was more for pleasure. Obviously, the lust for sexual pleasure has always been a spiritual burden. Sexual knowledge is of God but can be abused by mankind. To this day, lustful pleasure is spiritually poisonous to many, and sexual sins are plentiful! Mankind is personally responsible for killing the Spirit when the focus becomes on pleasuring oneself. Mankind is our own worst enemy, and many a ministry has been destroyed because of the lust for pleasure!

                The argument that mankind is born “good” and learns “evil” has merit. On the other hand, David said he was born perverse.  They both are sort of right. Obviously, a newborn baby is without sin. However, infants become selfish with their first breath. They demand appeasement and scream if it is not received. Is that iniquity? Not by itself but mankind is born more like beasts than angels. ⁶⁶⁰

His (man’s) power of speech, his discriminating intellect, his upright walk, the glance of his eye--they all make an angel of him. But, on the other hand, he eats and drinks, secretes the waste matter in his body, propagates his kind, and dies, like the beast of the field. Therefore, God said before the creation of man: "The celestials are not propagated, but they are immortal; the beings on earth are propagated, but they die. I will create man to be the union of the two, so that when he sins, when he behaves like a beast, death shall overtake him; but if he refrains from sin, he shall live forever."

                This passage is pseudepigrapha but is accurate commentary. The first four attributes are what makes man human. The latter four attributes make man no more than the beasts. Original sin made mankind beast because the angel within him died, leaving him (and her) beasts. Grace restored the angelic qualities. When men are born-again, we they are still beasts but God overlooks the beast because he sees the angel-likeness within. On the other hand, the beast itself are like dark angels, and the greatest beast is described in the Apostle John’s Revelation.  ⁶⁶¹ 

                With his sexual urges, attempt to cover his own sin, and the murder itself, David, a man after God’s own heart, became a beast. Some part of him was “good” because he desired to please God. On the other hand, the desire to please himself was dominant. Paul referred to that internal conflict as “the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak”. ⁶⁶² That was the “disease” which David had, and that each and every newborn baby has. ⁶⁶³ 

                Infants’ sins are accidental since they are ways to communicate. Better than accidental, they are natural sins because even the beasts demand nourishment and attention! Thus, they are inborn sins because mankind has flesh. (Some of the sacred texts relate that before the fall, mankind nor the beasts in the Garden ate, drank, excreted, multiplied, nor died. Somehow the herbs within the Garden sustained them).  While in the Garden, indeed, man was in the image of God. Once one sin came about, man became iniquitous – more like the beast(s) than God.

                Hence, the inherited nature of mankind is the disease, but yet it’s not truly a disease; it’s iniquity or perversity. With the first breath, humans have yet to sin. Once they experience the world, the next acts are of self-interest: usually either crying or seeking appeasement of some sort. Thus, men are born with the propensity to sin, and that propensity is genetic. All men are “born this way”, as Lady Gaga’s song is entitled. Let’s examine the biological definition of disease (We shouldn’t care what the psychological definition is because it is more of a competitive religion):

An abnormal condition of an organism which interrupts the normal bodily functions that often leads to feeling of pain and weakness, and usually associated with symptoms and signs. A pathologic condition in which the normal functioning of an organism or body is impaired or disrupted resulting in extreme pain, dysfunction, distress, or death.                

                Sin is normal; all men are born that way. Disease is “abnormal”. The normal condition of the body is corruption. ⁶⁶⁴ Hence, mankind is “sick” even when they are seemingly healthy. Pathology is what is changed by disease. Mankind is born in sin, there is no change from the original condition, and hence sin is not pathological. The body of a person is not impaired or disrupted; it is its original condition as at birth. Sin is spiritual, and it too destroys. Sin is so intense that it can cause pain, stress, and even death. It looks like a “disease” but it’s not! It’s considered a disease but its not! That sinful behaviors are a disease is a rationalization. It is a repetition of the serpent who lied: “Ye shall not surely die.” ⁶⁶⁵ 

                Rationalization is not justification. When people do wrong things, they attempt to “justify” their wrongs – make them appear to be innocent. That is rationalizing – making excuses. My Christian friend, Pete, said to me, “They found out in 1956 that alcoholism is a disease.” “They” apparently were the APA. I asked, “What does your Bible say, Pete?” He did not reply. He took the truth to be what another religion said! The disease model of sinful behavior is a denial of Truth. Scripture criticizes drunkenness many places and admonishes people to remain sober and vigilant. Why? Satan seeks to devour you! ⁶⁶⁶

                Consider a disease: it is pathological – a change to the organism. Doctors can treat pathology, and very successfully so, but the doctor only treats the condition; the patients heal themselves, or so we think! Just as God created, He is the Healer. Unless it is God’s will, then healing will not occur. ⁶⁶⁷ Not just sickness but spiritual healing, even unto death. ⁶⁶⁸ The physician cannot even heal himself. Psychologists admit that they can’t fix what’s broken; only the patient can. However, it is faith which heals the sick. Those who rely on others or themselves to heal them are of little faith.

                Examine how a Christian has been born-again. (I refer back to Moses and the bronze- brass - serpent). The poisonous vipers were biting he Israelites. Those who sought to protect themselves were bitten and died. Those who trusted God by looking up at the raised serpent, depended on the blood – the red brass – to save them. Healing is not of oneself; it is always from God. Sickness or sin can only be cured by faith in God. God can fix anything! To depend on oneself to deliver from sickness or sin is elevating oneself on the pole.

                If an addiction, which sin is, is a disease, then there is little hope that the pathology can be changed back to normality. However, if it’s merely a behavior, then it can be more easily changed!  That healing power from God is a gift, as was mentioned before, and it is faith. Once the gift is given, then the recipient must exercise the faith. If there is an addiction, then self-control must be practiced: ^“…be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers.” ⁶⁶⁹ Since the Holy Spirit is there to Comfort, it is not really self-control, being more like self-submission, ⁶⁷⁰ which is submitting oneself to the will of God. It is not God’s will that anyone be addicted except to serve Him.

                The disease model of sin – behavioral addictions – is deception. That notion removes from the addicted person, the motivation and hope for change. Rather than accepting the responsibility of needed change, disease is blamed. It is rationalizing sinful behavior, implying it can’t be helped! 

                I’ve never used illicit drugs or even drank alcohol to excess because wise people prevent addictions. God delivers me from temptation in all respects. Only when I ignore God do I sin. For instance, I do not consume alcohol because it is Russian Roulette. I don’t know that I would become addicted if I consumed, however, if I never consume, I do know that I will never be addicted. God is into holistic medicine” “be ye holy for I am Holy”. ⁶⁷¹ Peter quoted that too! Holiness was not only for the patriarchs, it is for contemporary people. It is not merely law-keeping if done for right reasons – to demonstrate love to God. ⁶⁷²  

                On the other hand, I was a cigarette smoker from about six years of age (sneaked them). I was not accountable because my knowledge of them was limited. However, I smoked long after I knew that I was addicted. (I quit on my 35^th birthday). Did I cease to smoke due to my own self-control? Not at all! I prayed for God to deliver me from sin, and He did. God healed my addictive behavior, and completely took away my urge to smoke. I didn’t need a psychologist because their unknown god is not my God! 

                How about addictions to heavy drugs? Many of my Detroit Christian friends were not only addicted to cigarettes, marijuana, heroin, cocaine, and other drugs but were drug pushers as well. When they were born again, God delivered them all from all their sins spontaneously. God took away their urge to sin. They were made new creatures who were willing to submit to God. They exchanged their will for God’s will and He healed them just as promised! There was no need for a psychiatrist because they cannot heal.

                Addictions are much more than those which are chemical. Sure, the ingredients in drugs provide excessive pleasure and beg for more, but the spiritual sins are as addictive! The voyeur is addicted. The gambler has an addiction. Even the promiscuous have a sex addiction. For all those so-called “diseases”, God is the healer. It does take self-control but with faith the addicted is not alone. Sin compounds itself and is addictive. People become slaves to sin. ⁶⁷³ Addictions are spiritual slavery. To call them “diseases” is an affront to God. It denies the Law of God and minimizes the law of sin: ⁶⁷⁴ 

That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: all these evil things come from within, and defile the man.

                To deny sin and its treatment is to deny the Healer. To think that man can heal themselves is a delusion. To believe that another person can heal is misplaced credit. To call sins diseases is a lie! Why does that even matter? God is more than a superstition. God is for real. “Gods” are gods because they can create. Yahweh is the Creator. If God can create He can heal what is broken. I’ve dealt herein with addictions but faith in God can heal anything, even eternal death. Just as mankind must look up to God for eternal life, we must look to him to heal us from our sins.

⁶⁵⁸ Holy Bible; Psalm 51:58 

⁶⁵⁹ Strong’s Dictionary; “`avon “; “chatta'ath”

⁶⁶⁰ Sacred Texts; Chapter 2; Adam-Man and the World”.

⁶⁶¹ Holy Bible; Rev 11:7.

⁶⁶² ibid; Mat 26:41.

⁶⁶³ ibid; Rom 3:23.

⁶⁶⁴ ibid; 1 Cor 15:53.

⁶⁶⁵ ibid; Gen 3:4.

⁶⁶⁶ ibid; 1 Pet 5:8.

⁶⁶⁷ ibid; James 5:15.

⁶⁶⁸ ibid; 1 Pet 2:24.

⁶⁶⁹ ibid; 1 Pet 4:7.

⁶⁷⁰ ibid; 1 Cor 16:15-17.

⁶⁷¹ ibid; Lev 11:44.

⁶⁷² ibid; John 14:21.

⁶⁷³ ibid; John 8:34.

⁶⁷⁴ ibid; Mark 7:20-23.