by
Steven P. Wickstrom
The human race has a problem. The problem is that man's heart is not right with God. You could say that this is the original heart disease. It has been in existence since Adam first sinned in the Garden of Eden. The Bible says in Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. This means that we all have Not Right with God Heart Disease (NRGHD). NRGHD is the leading cause of spiritual death on planet earth. The symptoms of NRGHD are adultery, homosexuality, stealing, greed, drunkenness, and slander, to name a few.
1 Corinthians 6:9,10
Don't you know that the unrighteous will not inherit God’s kingdom? Do not be deceived: No sexually immoral people, idolaters, adulterers, or anyone practicing homosexuality, no thieves, greedy people, drunkards, verbally abusive people, or swindlers will inherit God's kingdom.
As you can see, sin, and all of its vices, is the symptom of NRGHD. The problem is that a lot of “good” people have NRGHD and don't even know it.
WARNING: If left untreated, NRGHD will result in spiritual death.
What this means is that if you don't get your heart right with God you will die in your sins. If you die in your sins you will not spend eternity in heaven with God, but will spend eternity in hell wishing you were in heaven. The good news is that there is a cure for NRGHD. The cure is to accept Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior. Romans 10:9 says That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. That's all there is to it. Romans 10:13 tells us that Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.
The risk of NRGHD can be reduced by taking steps to prevent and control those adverse factors that put people at greater risk for this insidious heart disease. For example, take the average Christian who desires to prevent NRGHD from reoccurring. The National Center For NRGHD Prevention recommends a daily regimen of exercise and a healthy diet to aid in NRGHD prevention. This regimen consists of daily prayer, reading and studying the Bible, attending church regularly, and choosing not to sin. Doing these things requires commitment and obedience to God. It means that we have to change our priorities and put God first. But when you think about it, the best preventative medicine there is for NRGHD is putting God as our first priority. This brings up the question: how do we know if God is our first priority? Here is a simple test:
- Do I read the Bible daily?
- Do I study the Bible?
- Do I pray daily?
- Do I attend church regularly? (Do I come on time or am I usually late?)
- Do I serve others for God?
- Am I learning how to deal with and resist temptation?
- Am I telling others about Christ?
- Am I confessing my sin to God and repenting of that sin?
Sometimes Christians struggle with NRGHD. You may be struggling with this disease also. Keeping your heart right with God is something you have to do daily. With God's help, you can do it. You do not have to be a victim of NRGHD; you can be an overcomer. Make God the number one priority in your life and you will defeat this disease in your lifetime.