In the ultimate sense, it is true that in the new heavens and new earth there will be no coronavirus. It is a product of the fall.
I think that the fourth servant song of Isaiah 53 refers to the ultimate healing ministry of Jesus. To suggest that no Christian will be sick, however, is crazy. We’re all going to die in some form or another, and all of it is a sickness of one form or another.
The Apostle Paul had a malady. It might have been his eyesight since the reference in Galatians says, “See in what large letters I’ve written to you” (Gal. 6:11). Whether that malady was his eyesight or not, there was no sense that this was something that was going to be healed. The thorn in the flesh was a malady, but there is no indication that this was going to be healed.
Some Christians must live with sickness. Some even live with ongoing, perpetual sickness. At the end of the day, all of us are going to die from one kind of sickness or another.
This is a transcript of Derek Thomas’s answer during our Made in the Image of God event and has been lightly edited for readability. To ask Ligonier a biblical or theological question, email ask@ligonier.org or message us on Facebook or Twitter.
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Derek Thomas
Dr. Derek W.H. Thomas is a Ligonier Ministries teaching fellow and Chancellor’s Professor of Systematic and Pastoral Theology at Reformed Theological Seminary. He is featured teacher for the Ligonier teaching series Romans 8 and author of many books, including Heaven on Earth, Strength for the Weary, and Let Us Worship God.
Life Issues
Resources about the challenges Christians face in a fallen world, including: anger, anxiety and worry, apostasy, depression, doubt, grief and death, guilt, legalism, money and stewardship, oaths and vows, pride, retirement, suffering, and suicide.
