by Knowing that Asheville, NC is the East Coast’s hub for both abomination and Wicca, I considered that God’s judgment has been wielded on this area. Then, I was quickly reminded reminded that when bad things happen it is not always God’s judgment, “but that the works of God should be made manifest” (John 9:1-3).
In John 9, as Jesus and His disciples were leaving Jerusalem and the Feast of Tabernacles, they came across a man who was blind from birth. When the disciples questioned the man’s blindness, they questioned if he was a sinner or his parents. There are a few valuable lessons to be learned here.
FIRST: They were obviously correct in assuming his blindness could be due to sin, otherwise Jesus would have rebuked the question, which He did not.
SECOND: Jesus’ response shows us that when bad things happen it does not mean it is because of sin. Yes, we should be keenly aware of our sin when sickness or devastation comes upon us. Yet, we also need to believe what Jesus said, “Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents.”
THIRD: Though this man was healed, and though he gave God the praise and worship before his friends, before the religious crown, before his family and before a bunch of doubters, he was still no born-again. This man didn’t get saved until the end of the chapter, where salvation is based on believing in Jesus: “Jesus … said unto him, Dost thou believe on the Son of God? He answered and said, Who is he, Lord, that I might believe on him? And Jesus said unto him, Thou hast both seen him, and it is he that talketh with thee. And he said, Lord, I believe. And he worshipped him.” (John 9:35-38)
When Bad Things Happen, it’s “that the works of God should be made manifest.” They were made manifest in this man’s spiritual healing unto salvation. The point is, “ye must be born again” (John 3:3). Beyond praise and worship, we must “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ” (Acts 16:30-31).
