This is the headline for an article on the BBC website on the 9th October.
It is difficult to maintain an open mind upon matters that could affect any one of us, and with potentially fatal consequences. Mistakes do happen, and we can all make them, but when they could mean that a misdiagnosis has been made and a serious illness has gone undetected, we are not as likely to forgive and forget. We all know that although cancer is still responsible for many deaths if it caught early enough many can be saved from its consequences. What is our view of the mistakes that have been discovered at Kings Mill Hospital?
This story reminds me of an equally serious business. There are many people today who have been victims of misdiagnosis. I am not talking about a medical condition but a spiritual one. The Bible tells us all that we are sinners in the sight of a holy God – we have fallen short of His standards and expectations. That situation makes us guilty before God. The Bible diagnosis is simple: ‘The wages of sin is death’. To put it another way, ‘the soul that sinneth it shall die’. We are all suffering from a terminal illness that can rob us of fellowship with God, or a relationship with God in heaven.
The misdiagnosis comes from people around us. Atheists assure us that there is no need to worry as there’s probably no God. Good living people seek to reassure us that ‘it will be all right in the end’ because we live a good life, or, on balance, we are good people. Some religions tell us that God is love and would never punish sin and sinners. Some religions offer systems and styles of life to overcome the consequences of sin. There are plenty of options, or so it would seem.
In a serious case of illness most of us would want to consult the experts. We would want the best possible medical treatment that was available. Some, who can afford it, seek private medical advice. That is why we recommend that in the case of our spiritual condition we seek the expert guidance that the Bible offers. It is not a matter of what I think, or what anyone else might think. What does the Bible say? Romans chapter 6 verse 23 says, ‘the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord’. If we want to avoid the consequence of our spiritual condition we need to accept Jesus Christ as our Saviour.
