A Rememdy for Cancer in the Body

In the past year 3 people in my direct family have been diagnosed with cancer. While on the phone with my father-in-law, it occurred to me that to ask, "What exactly is cancer?" My father-in-law is not a doctor, but perhaps that's why I could understand his explanation. "Cancer" he explained, "is when cells in the body begin to destroy healthy tissues in the body. The get some wrong information that confuses them and they begin to feed on and destroy the healthy cells in the body."

That explanation has become the foundation for some reflection about the body of Christ. I believe that we've become our own worst enemies. Anything that makes us turn against one another with malice or a heart that is "biting and devouring one another" is similar to cancer. We "throw the baby out with the bathwater" and destroy healthy cells in the body of Christ.

The days we live in are full of complexity. The "church" abounds with many things paraded as Christian, backed up with a verse or two from Scripture, that are far from being an authentic expression of Jesus Christ. It's a compromise with the "spirit of the age" born out of unbelief at best, and downright ungodliness at worste. If the body of Christ refuses to discern diseases it will die of "spiritual AIDS", which is one portion of the battle we face today.

This is complexified however by the fact that in our desire to be discerning, it's entirely possible for us to go to the other extreme and become a "spiritual cancer cell" in the body and turn against the body of Christ by failing to recognize the body in truth. One passage that I've found especially helpful in this regards has been Phillipians 4, especially in light of the circumstances that this church was experiencing. The church was on the verge of self-destruction because two of the leading saints were embroiled in a dispute of some sort. People were taking sides or feeling caught in the middle. An atmosphere of suspicion and mistrust was creeping in and eroding the vitality of the corporate expression of Christ.

It's in this light, we're told to "Rejoice in the Lord always," and to focus upon on "whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute... etc." and to throw off anxiety and to pray instead of worrying.

How is this a rememedy for "cancer in the body"? First, recognize that the battle is to captilize on the circumstance to get us focused on problems to take our eyes off Jesus and to erode our joy in Him. We must keep our eyes upon Jesus and express the joy we have in Him. Then, we must be in prayer, not anxiety. Anxiety is rooted in fear and unbelief, which is the exact opposite of the Spirit of Christ. The solution? Prayer in faith and thanksgiving. Lastly, instead of looking for hidden agendas, half truths, wrong motives, etc. we need to put our energies towards looking for Christ expressed in one anther.

There's plenty of bad to be found in one another, hence the accuser of the bretheren is rarely without something to suggest to our heart to enlist us in his wicked work of destroying the body of Christ. However, if we will keep our eyes on Christ, keep our hearts engaged with Him in prayer, and focus on appreciating His reality in the body, however small, we will begin to see significant healing in Christ's body. Not only this, we'll be full of the light of Christ's truth and presence instead of the darkness of "evil suspicions" and accusations or "fretting about evil doers, which leads only to evil doing". We will be in the light, which will also allow us to see more clearly diseases in the body that should be addressed vigorously, with truth, love, and power. However, we'll be able to move in cooperation with Christ, working FOR the body and not be turned AGAINST the body of Christ.

Peace to you, Andy