mfairlady
mfairlady

2 Kings 5 Naman the Leper: There is No Cure For Sin

By Mary Fairchild

Clovermap

1581 Bunting Clover Leaf Map; Israel in the center.

How could what the Lord and his apostles said be accurate if the true condition of regeneration and justification is repenting and believing?  For the perfectionist in many of us, this would most likely lead to introspection and loss of assurance.  We’d always wonder if we ever were truly sorry enough for our sins and ever really fully wanted to surrender to Christ.  Our assurance is not based on what we did in the past.  It is based on what we believe right now.  If repentance is a co-condition of everlasting life, then our assurance is based on both our current beliefs and our current desires.  Then, “Do I desire to follow Christ fully today?” becomes an assurance question.  If faith in Christ is not enough, then it’s not enough.  Believing that Jesus died on the cross to take away the sins of the world is the ultimate proof that Jesus indeed guarantees everlasting life to all who believe in Him.

NAAMAN THE LEPER—2 Kings 5: In the Bible, Leprosy is a type of sin, and we are all afflicted with the spiritual disease of sin. Naaman knew that his leprosy would eventually cause him to be isolated form society. Just so, sin separates us from God (Isa. 59:2). Naaman was insulted by Elisha’s simple remedy for his disease; but when he realized that there was no cure, Naaman humbled himself and washed in the Jordan River seven times.

THE ONLY WAY TO BE CLEANSED FROM SIN IS TO HUMBLY ACCEPT CHRIST’S SACRIFICE AT CALVARY (1 John 1:7). NAAMAN WAS NOT CLEANSED IN SYRIA JUST BY HEARING THAT ELISHA COULD HEAL HIM. He went to Elisha and followed Elisha’s direction. Just so, God has prepared a way for our cleansing from sin. We must believe it is possible to be cleansed from sin through God’s ultimate sacrifice.  Naaman offered Elisha gifts for the healing that he received, but Elisha would not accept them. We can never pay for the cleansing God gives. Naaman determined that he would not worship or sacrifice to the heathen gods any longer; he would worship only the God of Israel. Our cleansing from sin SHOULD (not required for salvation; see Lot’s life in Sodom) result in a change of direction in our life.

THERE IS NO CURE FOR SIN:  We may “try to make ourselves look good” by outwardly conforming to Christianity.  We my “deny our sin” and be deceived into thinking that we have not sinned (1 John 1:8).  We may “try to cover our sins,” but God immediately sees them and men eventually see them (Numbers 32:23; Isa. 59:12; Gal. 6:7). We may “try to justify our sin with our good works:” “I just hope my good deeds will outweigh the bad things I do.”

DO YOU OCCASIONALLY THINK ABOUT BECOMING A GREAT PERSON? A great athlete, a great musician, or even a great Christian? The Lord tells us how to become a great Christian in Matthew 20:26, “…WHOSOEVER SHALL BE GREAT AMONG YOU, LET HIM BE YOUR MINISTER (servant).” In 2 Kings 5 we see two servants: a young girl who served a captain’s wife; and Gehazi, who served the prophet of God. The life of Naaman’s maid matched her message. When she spoke the truth about the God of Israel, her mistress listened to her message, and her master later became a believer in the God of Israel. Does your life match your message?

GOD IS AWARE OF OUR NEEDS AND FAITHFULLY PROMISES TO SUPPLY THEM. “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:19). He asks us to delight in Him and show our delight by seeking Him first; then all the material things that we need will be supplied. “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matt. 6:33). He continually warns us not to want “things.” Let your conversation [manner of living] be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee” (Heb. 13:5). WHEN WE COVET, WE REVEAL OUR LOVE FOR THINGS IS GREATER THAN OUR LOVE FOR GOD.

Gehazi exemplified greed, not greatness. To be great before God, our life must exemplify the characteristics of a servant–being surrendered and allowing the Holy Spirit to bear fruit through us:

HUMILITY: consciously submitting my will to the Lord and to those in authority over me
DILIGENCE: giving careful attention to the details and deadlines in carrying out the wishes of those in authority over me
PLEASANTNESS: a noticeable joy in serving
COOPERATION: a constant flexibility in serving
CONCERN: showing a sensitivity to the needs of others
GENEROSITY: meeting the needs of others with my time and money

99 times in John’s Gospel the word “believe” occurs.  Repeatedly the Lord is quoted as saying that the one who believes in Him has everlasting life.  Never once does he say (in John or any of the Gospels) that the one who repents has everlasting life or that the one who believes and repents has everlasting life.

In Galatians 3:6-14, Paul refers to faith and believing as the sole condition of justification no less than 8 times(vs. 6, 7, 8, 9 twice, 11, 12, 14.)

In John 4 the Lord did  not ask the woman caught in sin if she was sorry for her sin.  Nor did he try to ascertain if she was willing to turn from it.  Nor does John even tell us whether later she even turned from it or not.  The only issue the Lord raised is that she had to know the gift  (everlasting life that cannot be lost) and the giver (the Lord Jesus Christ, the Messiah).  Once she believed that Jesus gives everlasting life as a free gift to all who simply believe in Him (once she drank the living water), she was born again.  There was no call to repent and no mention of repentance.

How could what the Lord and his apostles said be accurate if the true condition of regeneration and justification is repenting and believing?  For the perfectionist in many of us, this would most likely lead to introspection and loss of assurance.  We’d always wonder if we ever were truly sorry enough for our sins and ever really fully wanted to surrender to Christ.  Our assurance is not based on what we did in the past.  It is based on what we believe right now.  If repentance is a co-condition of everlasting life, then our assurance is based on both our current beliefs and our current desires.  Then, “Do I desire to follow Christ fully today?” becomes an assurance question.  If faith in Christ is not enough, then it’s not enough.  Believing that Jesus died on the cross to take away the sins of the world is the ultimate proof that Jesus indeed guarantees everlasting life to all who believe in Him.

WORKS CITED

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *