Pastor Ralph Posted December 21, 2014 Report Share Posted December 21, 2014 Q1. (John 9:1-3) Is sin always the cause of sickness or affliction? What are some of the good results that come out of the sicknesses and afflictions of godly people? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pickledilly Posted January 30, 2015 Report Share Posted January 30, 2015 Sin and affliction are sometimes caused by sin of self or others, but certainly not always. John 9:3 became an important lesson in faith for me in June of 2005 when my mother suffered a ruptured brain aneurysm and subsequent serious heart attack that brought her to the doorstep of eternity. We learned that if you have an aneurysm you were born with it, and the heart attack was brought on by the extreme stress of the brain injury, so she had done nothing to “deserve” this. My mother’s condition continually worsened and the doctors prepared us for the worst. Yet the Lord impressed John 9:3 on my heart. I wrote it down and kept it in my pocket to read over and over all during those long days of waiting at the hospital. I shared my faith in God’s goodness, but in light of the circumstances I just felt it was audacious to share that particular verse with my family and struggled at times to fully hope in what it seemed to clearly say. So I just kept trusting His wisdom and praying that everyone involved would be astounded by whatever He chose to do. On the 11th day after she was stricken, my mother woke up from what was thought to be her final state in a coma, and she began an astonishing recovery that took her all the way through rehab and discharge to go home 6 weeks from the day she fell ill - at 95+% restored function! She is still a walking talking miracle today! I am convinced that what was a medical crisis and impending sorrow to us was an opportunity for God to display His glorious works. He used that circumstance to grow our faith, to inspire an entire community of believers to fervently pray and trust Him, to remind the medical professionals that He is greater than all the best of their knowledge and expertise (her doctors still remind her what a miracle she is), to display His power to unbelievers, to remind His own people that He is a miracle-working God, and to give us a new perspective and heart for others in their own situations of affliction and loss. He sometimes allows sickness and suffering in order to use it as a powerful undisputable testimony of His great and mighty works, as He did in my mother’s life! And I don’t believe He does this without regard for the person suffering the hardship, using us like pawns. We know He allows all kinds of things in our lives that are meant to more fully reveal Himself to us and teach us deeper lessons of faith and hope that strengthen our relationship with our Father in ways that can’t be accomplished any other way. And then these lessons also become assets in our own ministries to others. None of us knows His mind and can’t know His reasons for physically healing some and not others. But His will is perfect and intended for our ultimate good, even when we can’t see it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gerbrand van Schalkwyk Posted January 31, 2015 Report Share Posted January 31, 2015 Q1. (John 9:1 -3) Is sin always the cause of sickness or affliction? No. Often it is the opposite. God wants to allow us and others to experience Him. By experiencing Him our and there's faith grows and He becomes real to us. What are some of the good results that come out of the sicknesses and afflictions of godly people? Sanctification, character change/ strength / improvement. Other times God uses our situations so that written can be examples to others and our actions can lead others to the Kingdom. Other times our difficult times draw us closer to God. We get to such a point that we know our only help can be from God. This hopefully let us realize to always call on Him 1st. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jen Posted January 31, 2015 Report Share Posted January 31, 2015 Q1. (John 9:1-3) Is sin always the cause of sickness or affliction? What are some of the good results that come out of the sicknesses and afflictions of godly people? Since the original sin ruined our perfect world and since the original sin we have all been born with a sin nature, in that sense yes sin is always the cause of sickness or affliction. However in this story I don't believe it was any specific sin anyone did but rather something God allowed for His own purpose. Some of the good results of afflictions and sickness: God's name is glorified, His power is shown to an unbelieving world, we learn to walk with Him in everything in life, our faith is strengthened and deepened, we can be testimony as people watch us walk through the dark valleys with confidence in the One who brings us through, we learn to want His will and not ours, we mature and are saved from what we might become. God Bless! Jen Numbers 6:24-26 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JanMary Posted January 31, 2015 Report Share Posted January 31, 2015 Q1. (John 9:1-3) Is sin always the cause of sickness or affliction? No, it isn't. God does not send disease and affliction.)Or He would not tell us to pray for healing!) Satan is the author of sickness and disease, but Psalm 119:91 says that "The entire universe is God's servant." So Satan serves God, though he hates God and God's people, but that's his lot until he's chained up in the pit. But God allows affliction as Rom 8:28,29 promises: "God causes all things to work together for good to those who love Him and are called according to His purposes, THAT we may be conformed into the image of His Son." I've experienced physical symptoms (like the red light on the dashboard in the car when something is amiss under the hood) when I have ignored emotional issues which need to be dealt with, such as dealing with repressed anger, unforgiveness, fear, worry, etc, and when I stop to deal with whatever I've "stuffed", the physical symptoms disappear. Based on His Word, no matter the cause, whether consequence of sin and guilt (self punishment), demonic affliction, just living in the world of germs and viruses, or whatever, He is Sovereign, and is the Great Physician who heals us or takes us home at His appointed time as written in His book before the foundation of the world. (Ps 139). What are some of the good results that come out of the sicknesses and afflicti ons of godly people? The Psalmist in 119:71 said "It is good that I was afflicted that I learned to know You." That is a valuable benefit of a sickness. It causes us to seek His lovely Face, not just His Hand. Another benefit is the wonderful testimony which results, such as when part of our son's thumb was severed in a bicycle accident. A hand plastic surgeon reattached it saying there wasn't much hope of the surgery being successful. Of course we prayed, and when we returned for him to check it, we saw that it had died and turned black and would need to be removed to prevent gangrene. We asked if we could have 2 more days for more prayer and to have him anointed with oil at church. He agreed. When we returned 2 days later and he unwrapped it, this Jewish unbelieving Doctor's mouth dropped open and he said "We just don't get to see miracles!" We saw that it was pink and healthy tissue again. We shared Christ with him, bought him a Bible, left him rejoicing, and I expect to see him in Heaven. Every time we look at that thumb, we remember how faithful God is to heal and to use affliction for His glory. I know of several families who've lost loved ones to terminal illnesses, who've said the illness gave the loved one time to receive Christ, and / or for the family relationships to be healed and restored as a result of the illness. When my unbelieving brother was bleeding to death in the hospital due to a malfunction of medical equipment, and no one noticed, he told me through tears and sobbing that Jesus came into his room, stopped the bleeding, told Jim how much He loves him, summoned help, and disappeared....Jim survived and shared with anyone who would listen, including his Doctors, how the Lord saved his physical life, and as a result, gave him life eternal. During an illness of several months of my own, He used it to rekindle my love for His Word which had grown dull to me, and I devoured the entire Bible in that period of time, to my joy....I thanked Him for allowing me to be afflicted, because of how He used it to bless me so abundantly. During affliction, we experience God's comfort and assurance. We remember that He suffered unto death for us, and His feet pressed the path we walk before us, so we learn to trust Him for the outcome. In our weakness He is made strong...as in Paul's affliction, which the Lord did not remove. Perhaps that's one of the reasons that Paul's life was so astonishing for the Kingdom of God. He lived in God's continual grace, which was sufficient. Afflictions also afford us the privilege of prayer for others who are under attack, and for others to pray for us. God wastes nothing and uses all things for good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clarence Posted February 1, 2015 Report Share Posted February 1, 2015 Q1. (John 9:1-3) Is sin always the cause of sickness or affliction? What are some of the good results that come out of the sicknesses and afflictions of godly people? Romans 5:3-5 says that suffering produces endurance, character and hope in God (my paraphrase). Fifteen or so years ago both my wife and I were afflicted with cancer. We had a young family at the time and life was exceedingly hard. My wife and I are now very well and our family is grown up. We are thankful to God that He allow us to go through this affliction and that He brought us out the other side. Because we have been through this we are more able to feel and empathise with people who are afflicted with illness now. Sin is not always the cause of affliction or sickness. In 2011 the nearest city to us was badly damaged by earthquakes- we are 100Kms away. although our town was effected by the quakes, the damage was not nearly as severe. Many people in the city lost their homes and employment and a significant number of lives were lost. Some people where I live said, "those people in that city must be more sinful that our town" (or words to that effect). In Luke 13:1-5 people announced to Jesus concerning the Galileans who were murdered by Pilate and the people who were by crushed by the tower of Siloam. The question put to Jesus was: Do you think that these people were worse sinners than any body else? Jesus replied the victims of thes incidences were not worse sinners than any body else in Israel and if the rest of Israel does not repent a similar fate will befall them (Jesus probably refering to the sacking of Jerusalem in 70 AD). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blezed Posted February 1, 2015 Report Share Posted February 1, 2015 (John 9:1-3) Is sin always the cause of sickness or affliction? What are some of the good results that come out of the sicknesses and afflictions of godly people? Sometimes sin is the cause of sickness or affliction but not always. Some good results are that our faith is strengthen, we learn to glorify God and we see the work of God displayed in our life. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
haar Posted February 2, 2015 Report Share Posted February 2, 2015 Q1. (John 9:1-3) Is sin always the cause of sickness or affliction? Sin is not always the cause for sickness or affliction. God allows it to happen to teach or reveal something like in the case of Job. What are some of the good results that come out of the sicknesses and afflictions of godly people? In the case of Job, God allowed Satan to test Job but the end of the trials, God prospered Job more than his former years to demonstrate his awesome ability to restore even more that was lost Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quilter Posted February 2, 2015 Report Share Posted February 2, 2015 1.No sin is not the cause of things that happens to us.When it does it makes us look up and glorify our Lord Jesus Christ. We can always count on Jesus to take care of us. 2. Sickness helps us to seek Jesus we pour out our heart to him to heal us.If God took away suffering and sickness whenever we ask then we would follow Him just for comfort and convenience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delivered Posted February 3, 2015 Report Share Posted February 3, 2015 Q1. (John 9:1-3) Is sin always the cause of sickness or affliction? No, sin is not always the cause of sickness or affliction; Jesus answered and said, “No” his blindness was not that of this man’s sin, nor was it of his parents. Q2. What are some of the good results that come out of the sicknesses and afflictions of godly people? Joni Eareckson Tada comes to my mind for she is a great witness to what can come out of “AFFLICTION” – her affliction of being paralyzed from the shoulders down after she misjudged the shallowness of the water and she dived into it. How sad it is to hear some people say, “she was not healed because of her “little” faith” – when in all reality, it is just the opposite, what came out of her affliction was and is a woman of “GREAT FAITH” – faith that developed stronger in spite of those times of anger, depression, and even religious doubts, for her faith was not placed in a weak God, her faith was placed in the Messiah, the Son of the Almighty God, it is because of “Who” her faith was placed in that she is “STANDING” strong, her battle is not over, for she is fighting third stage breast cancer and daily chronic pain. I once heard Joni ask this question, “Do any of you have battles you have fought, or are now fighting, that make you feel a little like that of Job, the man who Satan taunted God by saying, Job only loved God because of his blessings? I have found it is not on the mountain tops that we find growth, it is in the valleys. How sad it is that we hear so many pastors preaching a “FAITH” that is based on pleasing our needs, it is all about “ME”, and how I can become healthy, wealthy, and wise, but if there was ever a time that we need to hear what the Spirit is saying, it is today, there are great valleys ahead for the believer, we need to hear teachings on faith that produces “WHEAT” and not of “CHAFF” as Satan knows his time is short and he goes about taunting God that they the believers only love God because of his blessings; I want the “faith” like Job, a faith that will stand against the enemy and say, “Even if he slay me, yet will I trust Him” Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lighthouse2014 Posted February 3, 2015 Report Share Posted February 3, 2015 Q1. (John 9:1-3) Is sin always the cause of sickness or affliction? What are some of the good results that come out of the sicknesses and afflictions of godly people? According to scripture there are some sicknesses that is caused by sin. As in venereal diseases from fornication or adultery. Over eating can be a sin because a person becomes obese and this usually results in sickness. It appears we bring sickness upon ourselves by sinning in one way or another. If we were to live for Christ we would have this problem, for the Lord wants us well and to be witnesses for Him. Good results that can come out of being sick for believers could be beneficial. Sickness could remind us that although we live for Christ, some sickness could help us to remember that through suffering we are made strong, depending on God's grace to carry us through our daily life. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoiKosum Posted February 4, 2015 Report Share Posted February 4, 2015 (John 9:1-3) Is sin always the cause of sickness or affliction? What are some of the good results that come out of the sicknesses and afflictions of godly people? No, sin does not necessarily always lead to sickness or affliction. Sometimes sickness or affliction happens because God has a larger purpose in it - that is "the work of God might be displayed in his life". Some of the good results could be that the person is drawn closer to God as a result of the sickness. In addition, others could see the working of God's hands in the healing of the sickness and accept Jesus as their Lord, Saviour and Healer. Amen! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hanks Posted February 6, 2015 Report Share Posted February 6, 2015 Q1. (John 9:1-3) Is sin always the cause of sickness or affliction? What are some of the good results that come out of the sicknesses and afflictions of godly people? Very often we hear that personal suffering is due to personal sin. There is also the uncertainty of who is directly responsible – the person self or maybe even one of the parents. We know that sin has brought suffering with it into the world, but it is not always true that personal suffering is due to personal sin. In this miracle, that Jesus performed, we see His glory displayed. This is, however, not always the case, for suffering is not always healed or removed. Often His glory is displayed by the courageous acceptance of the suffering – showing His strength in our weakness. Without our Lord Jesus we are all walking in darkness and are spiritually blind. We read in 2 Corinthians 4:4, “The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God”. Satan, the god of this age puts a veil over the minds of unbelievers, keeping them in perpetual darkness. They will never see the light of the gospel of the glory of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Our only hope is for His forgiveness and cleansing of sin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RebeccaMallinson Posted February 18, 2015 Report Share Posted February 18, 2015 No. If it was, it would seem most unjust in the case of someone who was disabled in any way from birth. God creates us all, in many forms and characters. I myself was born completely and incurably deaf in one ear. I don’t hold my parents responsible! It has made me able to help others who became deaf later in life and really struggled. Sufferings are often a test, such as that performed on Job. How will we respond? Negatively or positively? Depending on people’s personal outlook on life, strength of character can be a good result from any suffering. I once knew a child with a club foot. As a tiny child, she ran, literally, before she learned to walk. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
royk Posted February 19, 2015 Report Share Posted February 19, 2015 Q1. (John 9:1-3) Is sin always the cause of sickness or affliction? What are some of the good results that come out of the sicknesses and afflictions of godly people? The body is normal, by God's grace, it has a tendency to heal itself if it is hurt. But things we become habitual in can cause illness: smoking, drinking, eating too much, etc. this can hurt the body if not stopped or mitigated in time. It can cause death. It can be a genetic breakdown. Yet healing prayer creates miracles, if it is God's will. Jesus told us to keep praying until the pray is answered, and that we must believe it will be answered, or it may not. With this foundation, it was not nice that the disciples talked about the blind man where he could hear them.He was being treated like an object, not a loving soul created by God. Jesus explained that everything happens for a reason, everything. And this man was born this way so Jesus could heal him. Greater faith come to people who pray and are eventually healed, in God's time, not ours. Or in the case of things that are not healed like we'd like, example the thorn in Paul's side. He became dedicated to evangelism to gentiles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grace2free Posted March 3, 2015 Report Share Posted March 3, 2015 Q1. (John 9:1-3) Is sin always the cause of sickness or affliction? Not always but sometimes it does. But in this case it's different. 2 His disciples asked him, 'Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?'3 'Neither this man nor his parents sinned,' said Jesus, 'but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed[108] in his life.'" (9:2-3) Jesus' answer makes it clear that in this case his affliction wasn't because of someone's sin, but because God had a larger purpose in it, that "the work of God might be displayed in his life" (9:3). What are some of the good results that come out of the sicknesses and afflictions of godly people? The good result is that you were drawn more closer to God. You learned to thank God in time of your sickness and afflictions. You felt that God is really the best friend you ever have, he didn't left you nor forsaken you specially in the times you need him most. You've lost maybe many materials or fleshly things but you gain more spiritual things. (Story of brother Job). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stanley Tavaziva Posted March 23, 2015 Report Share Posted March 23, 2015 Q1. (John 9:1-3) Is sin always the cause of sickness or affliction? What are some of the good results that come out of the sicknesses and afflictions of godly people? A common belief in Jewish culture was that calamity or suffering was the result of some great sin. But Christ used this man’s suffering to teach about faith and to glorify God. We live in a fallen world where good behavior is not always rewarded and bad behavior not always punished. Therefore, innocent people sometimes suffer. If God took suffering away whenever we asked, we would follow him for comfort and convenience, not out of love and devotion. Regardless of the reasons for our suffering, Jesus has the power to help us deal with it. When you suffer from a disease, tragedy, or disability, try not to ask, Why did this happen to me? or What did I do wrong? Instead, ask God to give you strength for the trial and a clearer perspective on what is happening. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoanG Posted June 22, 2015 Report Share Posted June 22, 2015 I do not believe that sin in the cause of all sickness and affliction. I believe that God uses people to spread his miracles, his love and his teachings. These can bring a group of people to God. They can be used to bring people back on the right path that God wants them on. They can be used to help people learn what they need to for success in this life. And to obtain life eternal in heaven. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe_Applegarth Posted August 12, 2015 Report Share Posted August 12, 2015 Q1. (John 9:1-3) Is sin always the cause of sickness or affliction? What are some of the good results that come out of the sicknesses and afflictions of godly people? No, not always, sometimes bad things happen to good people. You hear a lot of us professing to be Christians lauding God for the good things that happen but the bad things are also part of God’s master plan so that, as Jesus explained to the disciples, “…the works of God should be revealed…” in us. We are not God we are human beings and that being the case, it’s in our nature to take God’s work for granted when things are going well. When misfortune comes upon us, that’s when godly people turn to God in earnest so, in that sense, I believe He uses it to draw us closer to Him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Jerry Posted August 13, 2018 Report Share Posted August 13, 2018 Sin is not always the cause of sickness or affliction. Some of the good that comes out of the sickness and afflictions of godly people is people are praying for them, it causes us to show compassion, and it might bring people closer together. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Godswriter Posted April 5, 2019 Report Share Posted April 5, 2019 Q1. (John 9:1-3) Is sin always the cause of sickness or affliction? What are some of the good results that come out of the sicknesses and afflictions of godly people? I don't believe like the apostolics that sin always causes of sin or affliction however in certain cases it is. God is glorified in it, People can pray for others in it and it causes us to show compassion as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paula Price Posted November 13, 2019 Report Share Posted November 13, 2019 Sin is not always the cause of sickness or affliction. When we do things that we shouldn't and it affects our health, we do the wrong thing, that is sin. There are things we eat that affect our health and when told by a doctor not to eat because of health issues, and we eat anyway, that is disobedience, which is sin. In this case the blind man was blinded from birth and the scriptures states that he was chosen for the purpose of glorifying God. God uses people who are not perfect to show His power. The good results that comes from this is a persons confession of faith in the belief of Jesus despite their condition. It is easy to believe when you are whole and well but to believe and have joy and faith in the face of afflictions and hardship shows a willingness of faith that is rewarded by God. The blind man, upon receiving his sight believed in the one who gave it to him. He bowed down and worshipped. Not only was he healed physically, but he was healed spiritually as well. He said "I was blind, but now I see." Jesus is teaching here of spiritual blindness and he uses physical blindness to make a point. The Jewish leaders and Pharisees were blinded spiritually. They refuse to see Jesus as the son of God. They refused to believe. Leads me to wonder how they could believe in Moses, whom they never saw but not Jesus who was right before their eyes! Spiritually blindness!. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisema Ralitsoele Posted July 9, 2020 Report Share Posted July 9, 2020 Q1. (John 9:1-3) Is sin always the cause of sickness or affliction? No! Sin is not always the cause of sickness and afflictions. What are some of the good results that come out of the sicknesses and afflictions of godly people? Some of the good results that come out of the sicknesses and afflictions of godly people are: · Prosperity: Naomi was struck with the affliction of the death of her husband and two sons in a foreign land. In the process, her daughter-in-law Ruth also lost her husband; but Ruth determined to stay with Naomi as she returned to her home country where they both were doubly blessed with prosperity through marriage to Boaz. In addition, Ruth and Boaz were blessed with being in the lineage of Jesus Christ. Spiritual maturity. The Apostle Paul shouldn’t have suffered; but he did for the glory of God. In this way, Paul taught us to stay the course. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonathan Edwards Posted October 19, 2021 Report Share Posted October 19, 2021 Sin is not always the cause of affliction. Personal and immediate sin is not involved in the imperfections of reproduction. Christ didn't state the cause of this man's malady, God wasn't the cause, God is the Healer. It is the Devil that is the back of the cause (Matthew 12:22; Acts 10:38; John 10:10; 1 John 3:8). People who are going through deep trials are in God's school of suffering. Only when we get to heaven will we fully understand why things happened here in our earthly lives. God the All-mercifull permits and appoints human infirmities and calamities. Though we cannot understand it in this earthly realm, God is truly working the works that to be manifested. In the midst of our troubles, we know that Christ manifested divine operations. Christ manifested divine mercy, divine power and divine grace. This blind man was thought to be a monument of sin is now a monument of divine power, divine mercy and the magnificent divine redeeming grace of Jesus Christ. In the midst of the dark nites, we can give glory to God. Apostle Paul was not permitted by God to go into an unevangelized area; God had His reasons. His sufferings drove Apostle Paul to preach more about his Messiah and Saviour Jesus Christ. Apostle Paul sanctified his myriads of trials; he didn't waver in his Faith. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irmela Posted July 24, 2022 Report Share Posted July 24, 2022 Q1. (John 9:1-3) Is sin always the cause of sickness or affliction? No What are some of the good results that come out of the sicknesses and afflictions of godly people? Sometimes estranged family members are won back into the family circle and are drawn back to God. Whoever is involved with the person, maybe Dr's or carers are touched by the testimony of the afflicted person. The persons themselves are often drawn closer to God. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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