I remember one occasion when our son Kenny was a boy, maybe 11 or 12
years old, and he was telling me something. I don’t remember what it
was. But his story dragged on. And my mind was preoccupied with other
matters.
However, my attention was quickly restored when he blurted out: “Dad, you’re not listening!”
Ouch!
I was there. Hearing words. But not listening. My mind was somewhere else.
Today’s Bible reading(1 Sam. 3)
tells the story about the prophet Samuel when he was just a boy being
raised and mentored by Eli the Priest. It was a time in history when
direct revelation from the Lord was rare.
One night after Samuel went to bed, he heard a voice calling,
“Samuel. Samuel.” Thinking it was Eli, the boy arose to see what the
Priest wanted. Eli told Samuel to go back to bed. He didn’t call. This
happened two more times.
After the third time, Eli realized the Lord was speaking to Samuel.
He instructed him to return to bed. And when the voice called again to
reply, “Speak, Lord, for your servant hears.”
When God spoke the fourth time, Samuel responded and the Lord
revealed to him an incredible message regarding what would occur in
Israel.
Samuel heard the Word, heeded the message, and grew up to become one of God’s great prophets.
This text has special meaning to me, because it was one of my
earliest sermons as a boy preacher. “Speak, Lord, For Thy Servant
Heareth.” King James Version. (I think I “stole” it from Aude McKee).
While the outline is filed away in my storage unit, the message is
stored in my mind. And I’m reminded to ask myself, “Am I still listening
to the Lord?”
The Lord is speaking. Are you listening?
While some would dispute this claim, I’m convinced the days of
miraculous divine revelation have ceased. The Hebrew writer reminds us
that today God speaks to us through His Son (Heb. 1:1-3).
Jesus promised the apostles that He would send the Holy Spirit and He
would reveal His Word to them and guide them into all Truth (Jn
16:13-14). Paul affirmed that he received the inspired message. Wrote it
down. And it’s preserved for us to read today. (Eph 3:3-5). Peter
further declared that we’ve been given “all things that pertain to life
and godliness” (2 Pet 1:3). Indeed, “the faith” has been “once delivered
to all the saints” (Jude 3). We call it the Bible.
God has spoken.
But are you listening?
It’s possible to sit in a Bible class and be listening for something to argue
about, instead of really listening to what God has revealed.
One may hear a sermon, but selectively hear only those parts that apply to other people and fail to make personal application.
During this time of virtual worship, we can watch a service and hear a
sermon, but find ourselves critiquing the technology and the
video/audio quality instead of hearing and heeding the message.
In fact, one may do their daily Bible reading but not retain or
remember what they’ve just read. Or see how the text applied to their
lives.
To really hear what God says, we need to be more like Samuel. He was
humble. Possessed a servant’s heart. Was receptive to the Lord’s
message. Took it seriously. And obeyed the “voice of the Lord.”
From his earliest boyhood days, Samuel developed a relationship with
the Lord (1 Sam 2:26). His attitude toward God and His Word is summed up
in 1 Samuel 3:19. “So Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him and let
none of his words fall to the ground.”
Don’t allow His words to fall to the ground. The Lord is speaking. Are you listening?
Listening to His commands regarding salvation? Christian living?
Worship? Stewardship? Discipleship? Relationships? Honesty? Marriage?
Family life? Personal responsibilities? And love for one another?
I wonder if our Father is looking down from heaven and saying, “My child, you’re not listening?”
For the past two years, the world has been given a front-row seat to
the process of science as the pandemic of SARS-CoV-2 has made its way
around the world and back again. This article examines the virus and its
components with a goal to understand how the virus works and how it is
changing over time. Further, we will seek to consider the implications
of viral evolution and step back to think about how viruses fit into a
biblical worldview.
Before January of 2020, relatively few individuals used the term
“coronavirus” in everyday language, much less understood the
implications of it. While there are a few different coronaviruses that
cause things like the common cold, prior to SARS-CoV-2, only two had
caused major problems in humans: severe acute respiratory syndrome
coronavirus (SARS-CoV) and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus
(MERS-CoV). An outbreak of SARS-CoV occurred in 2002-2004, which
infected over 8,000 people and killed nearly 10% of those infected.1
MERS-CoV was associated with the Arabian Peninsula and occurred from
2012-2015 with about a 30% death rate, but a very low transmission rate.2 As of October, 2021, there have been a total of 2,578 cases with 888 reported deaths (34.4%) since 2012.3
By contrast, SARS-CoV-2 has spread globally in just over two years with
over 419 million cases worldwide and over 5.8 million deaths (~1.4% of
those infected) so far according to the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus
Resource Center.4
Unfortunately, these numbers do not clarify for us the difference
between people who died from the effects of COVID versus those who died
of other causes but had COVID.
In general, SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV are naturally found in rodents
and/or bats but have undergone “zoonotic transmission” to infect humans.
Zoonosis is a term used to describe a disease that has undergone
“spillover” from vertebrate animals to humans.5
As you might guess, there are barriers and challenges that prevent many
diseases from infecting different organisms. However, some barriers are
not insurmountable. Many questions still surround how and what changes
took place to give us SARS-CoV-2—were they natural mutations in animal
populations or were they part of experimental efforts perhaps aiming to
thwart an epidemic? There are those on various sides of these issues.6,7,8,9
This article is not intended to settle the question of the origin of
the virus or to take a particular side. Instead, we want to ask more
fundamental questions: what is different between SARS-CoV-2 and previous
deadly coronaviruses? Why does it spread so quickly? What will happen
moving forward? And what are the apologetic implications of the
coronavirus?
What is SARS-CoV-2?
Before discussing the specifics of SARS-CoV-2 and how it has changed,
some fundamental details and concepts need to be covered. First, the
basic route and mechanism of infection needs to be mentioned. Each virus
or family of viruses have specific routes by which they infect cells
and organisms. For instance, does the virus infect via the
gastrointestinal tract, the airways, or some other route? With
SARS-CoV-2, the airways are the route of infection, and this has brought
on many discussions around masks, face shields, distancing, etc.
Once inside the body, how does the virus infect cells? This requires a
specific protein(s) on the host cell that the virus can bind to. For
SARS-CoV-2, the S or Spike protein of the virus, discussed later, binds
to specific proteins like ACE2 on the cells of the host. For this
interaction to occur, the S protein and ACE2 must be able to bind to one
another. The Receptor Binding Domain (RBD) region of S protein can bind
specifically to ACE2. After binding, there is a process that then
allows the virus to enter the cell and hijack the cellular machinery to
produce additional viral particles before exiting the host cell. There
are a couple possible routes (e.g., membrane fusion, endocytosis) that
could be used here, and there is evidence of these routes for
SARS-CoV-2.10
Additional details of this process for SARS-CoV-2 including the role of
S protein and the RBD will also be discussed in more detail later.
Before diving into those details, we need to understand a little more
about what the virus is made of and how it works. Viruses are
categorized into groups based upon various features in addition to their
specific genetic (DNA or RNA) sequences. For example, SARS-CoV-2 is an
enveloped virus meaning that it has a lipid bilayer around the viral
particle or virion that originates from the host cell as the virion
(complete virus particle) is released. Other viruses, in contrast, lack
this envelope and simply have a protein “shell” (known as a capsid)
surrounding the viral contents (called a non-enveloped virus). Polio and
rhinovirus (a major cause of the common cold) are examples of
non-enveloped viruses.
As seen in Figure 1, SARS-CoV-2 has a characteristic structure that
involves several key proteins. Note that many “accessory” proteins
needed by the virus are not depicted. The name “coronavirus” is a
reference to the crown-like image caused by the S protein. Corona is Latin for crown.
Another critical point related to understanding the virus is how
information is stored in the virus. Living cells such as human or
bacterial cells use double-stranded DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) to store
their genetic information. We call the sum of all the DNA information
in a cell the genome of the organism because it encodes all the
genes needed by the organism. These genes include DNA information that
is used to build the machines needed by the cell to control the various
cellular functions. In this context, DNA is the long-term information
storage molecule.
Cells also have another molecule known as RNA (ribonucleic acid). RNA
strands are made using the DNA sequence as a template (in the process
called transcription), and RNA typically only lasts for a relatively
short period of time. Some of the RNA made in cells, called “mRNA” for
messenger RNA, provides the information used to build proteins (in the
process called translation). RNA is generally single-stranded compared
to the double-stranded form of DNA. However, RNA can fold on itself in
complex structures and shapes.
In contrast to cells, viruses can have DNA or RNA genomes. SARS-CoV-2
has a positive sense, single-stranded RNA (+ssRNA) genome.
Single-stranded means that, unlike DNA, the RNA does not come with a
complementary strand. Being positive sense is analogous to being already
in the mRNA form. This means that the RNA can be translated by the
“host cell” (infected cell) ribosome directly into proteins without
needing to be transcribed before translation. As will be discussed
later, having a +ssRNA genome means that this cell has to encode some of
its own machinery for copying itself.
One approach to studying genomes is to map out the genes and features
of different portions of the DNA sequence. Think of this like mapping
out the chapters and sections of a book. A genome map of SARS-CoV-2 is
shown in Figure 2. Some sections appear as large “open reading frames”
(ORFs) meaning that they get translated into long protein sequences and
then cut into smaller functional proteins. Other protein-encoding
segments are also denoted such as the now-famous (or infamous) S protein
introduced earlier. The accessory factors and ORF1a and ORF1b include
several proteins critical to the ability of the virus to hijack host
cell machinery and for the repackaging of virus particles.
DNA, the genetic material of humans, and RNA, the genetic material of
SARS-CoV-2, are made of long polymers of nucleotide bases. Five
different nucleotide bases exist: adenine (A), guanine (G), cytosine
(C), uracil (U), and thymine (T). DNA and RNA each use four of the five
bases. A, G, C and T are used by DNA, while A, G, C, and U are used by
RNA. The full SARS-CoV-2 +ssRNA sequence (its genome) is made up of
nearly 30,000 nucleotide bases in a very specific sequence. While the
map in Figure 2 does not show the nucleotide sequence, an example of a
portion of the sequence is shown in Figure 3 comparing a region of
SARS-CoV-2 with other viruses as explained below. Note that this
sequence is from a database that records the information in DNA form,
which uses thymine (T) instead of uracil (U).
Genetic Comparisons Between Viruses
One way to study viruses is to see how the sequences vary from other
known viruses. Interestingly, SARS-CoV-2 is only 79% similar to
SARS-CoV.11
The closest sequences to SARS-CoV-2 are viruses isolated from bats
found in Yunnan province 1000+ km from Wuhan denoted RaTG13 and RmYN02.12, 13
RaTG13 is the closest sharing 96.2% identify while the RmYN02 shares
93.3% identity with SARS-CoV-2 reference sequence (note the reference
sequence is the first sequence that was released by Chinese researchers
before the variants). In this context, nucleotide “identity” means that
two sequences are identical at that percentage of sites. Thus,
100% identity would mean that they have the same nucleotides at all
possible sites. In a 30,000 nucleotide sequence, a 90% identity means
that 27,000 sites match between two sequences. In Figure 3, sequences
from a small portion of these genomes are aligned demonstrating both
regions where they match as well as regions where differences are found.
Where spaces (dashes) exist in the alignment represent sequences that
are not found in all four sequences.
The differences between SARS-CoV-2 and RaTG13 may seem subtle, but
they are significant. One of the most significant differences is that
SARS-CoV-2 has a sequence called a Furin cleavage site in the Spike
protein, while RaTG13 lacks this sequence. Parts of the protein sequence
of the Spike protein are mapped in Figure 4 for comparison. The Furin
cleavage site is named such because a protease (an enzyme that can cut
proteins at a specific site) named Furin is able to make a cut at this
site splitting the protein into two segments. Interestingly, the
cleavage of this site by Furin makes the virus able to infect human
cells more readily.14
It is worth noting that RmYN02 has some amino acids near this region
that are similar to the Furin sequence, though it does not match up
exactly with SARS-CoV-2, and it does not appear to be a functional Furin
site. However, this is not the only difference in the Spike protein
that is important. For instance, the RBD is another region where
SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein differs from other viruses, and it is a region
that has changed during the pandemic.15,16
These changes are among some of the key changes that may explain how
the virus was able to jump from infecting other animals to now infecting
humans.
In the next part, we will examine how SARS-CoV-2 has mutated
throughout the pandemic. This is a live example of “evolution” in real
time, and it offers opportunities to ask questions about what is
possible in terms of evolutionary change in a virus.
Part 2: What Is and Is Not Changing In SARS-CoV-2
In the first part of this article, we spent time trying to understand
SARS-CoV-2 and the general process of infection. We explored the
features of SARS-CoV-2 including the genome sequence and some of the key
proteins that participate in infection. We noted that some key regions
were different from other viral sequences found in nature—notably
specific regions in Spike protein: the furin site and the receptor
binding domain (RBD). Now we look at a larger question: how is this
virus changing over time? Yet again, we have another opportunity to
expand our vocabulary as we hear about “variants.” Let’s unpack this a
bit and then investigate what types of changes we are seeing.
As a virus infects an individual, the virus attaches to a cell and
then enters the cell (called penetration). Once inside the host cell,
the virus is “uncoated”, which means that it is “opened up” so the viral
genome can be copied using protein machinery from the host cell. Viral
proteins are also built during this time. Then, viral particles are
assembled before they are released by the host cell. To understand
changes occurring in the virus, we will look for a moment at the portion
of the viral life cycle that includes copying of the genetic
information.
Proteins Involved in Replication and Repair in SARS-CoV-2
SARS-CoV-2 copies the viral genome using a protein not found in human
cells (or most organisms for that matter!): an RNA-dependent (or
directed) RNA polymerase (RdRp).17
The RdRp in SARS-CoV-2 is called Nsp12 (nonstructural protein 12).
Since humans have a DNA genome, we do not use an enzyme like this—we use
DNA polymerases to copy our DNA. In SARS-CoV-2, Nsp12 copies the RNA
genome (with the help of some other proteins like Nsp7 and Nsp8).
To say that Nsp12 “copies” the genome is to say that it “reads” the
RNA strand and assembles complementary bases into a new strand (Figure
5). Where there is adenine (A) in the genomic RNA, it will place uracil
(U); where there is guanine (G), it will place cytosine (C), and vice
versa. The strand built by this process is called the complement to the
genomic RNA and is negative sense or (-)RNA (meaning it is not used
directly to make a protein). Then, the polymerase can use this (-)RNA
strand as a template to build copies of the positive (+) sense genomic
RNA.18
Why is this important? Well, copying DNA or RNA is an opportunity for
errors to creep into the sequence. Perhaps like me, you took
keyboarding or typing in high school. One of the goals of that class is
to learn how to type as fast as possible with as few errors as possible
(while not looking at the keyboard). As the polymerases do their job, it
is possible for a wrong nucleotide to be inserted (like hitting the
wrong key on the keyboard). This accumulation of mutations over time is
referred to as genetic drift and is the basis of why some viruses change
year after year (like influenza).
In our genome, our polymerases use proof-reading (that’s really what
it is called) to check for errors and correct them. This leads to a
fidelity of one error for every billion bases inserted!19
Most RNA polymerases do not use proofreading since RNA generally
doesn’t last very long. Similarly, many viruses do not have proofreading
in their genome—but SARS-CoV-2 does!20
Nonstructural protein 14 (nsp14) in SARS-Co-V-2 is a bifunctional
protein including one portion that serves as an exoribonuclease (called
ExoN).20 ExoN is a 3’ to 5’ exoribonuclease and can remove
ribonucleotides that are incorrectly inserted by the polymerase. Think
of this like the backspace key, enabling you to undo errors in typing so
they can be replaced with the correct “letters.” What this means in a
practical sense is that this virus doesn’t change (evolve) very quickly.
Yet, in the past two years, we have heard repeatedly about new
“variants” of the virus. While this seems like a contradiction, we must
consider several important factors: how large is the genome? How many
virions are made per infection? How many infections have occurred? With a
genome of 29,000 ribonucleotides and an estimated mutation rate of
1.25×10-6 per nucleotide per infection multiplied out by
millions of infections, it isn’t surprising that we have seen changes in
the virus.21 But, just how much has the virus changed?
Exploring the Changes in SARS-CoV-2
As the virus began to spread, researchers quickly began sequencing
the genomes of the viruses and cataloging the sequenced viruses in
databases—some publicly available and some only available to other
researchers. There are now over 4.3 million SARS-CoV-2 viral sequences
for us to be able to compare in the public NCBI Virus Variation
database.22
This is a bit of a unique situation because we’ve never had such a
large pandemic occur while we have had the ability to sequence the
genetic information of the virus in real-time worldwide. This massive
effort has provided a way to track genomic changes (i.e., mutations in
the virus) over time to see: what types of changes are occurring? And,
what types of changes are not occurring?
In Figures 6 and 7, portions of the nucleotide sequence (shown as DNA
nucleotides) are compared for the reference sequence versus several
variants including the infamous delta and the rapid-spreading omicron.
It is clear even from this snapshot that some positions rarely (if ever)
change while others seem to have changed more than once. In Figure 6,
we see examples of deletion (loss of nucleotides) and insertion
(addition of nucleotides). Note that these instances occur with
nucleotides in multiples of 3 (3 deleted and 9 inserted). Because the
genetic code works by using three nucleotides (called a codon) to encode
one amino acid, it means that the protein product will retain most of
its original sequence. Thus, it is likely to fold and function
generally—though the specific mutations (insertions and deletions) may
have functional consequences on the protein. This also explains why
mutations involving the insertion or deletion of 1 or 2 nucleotides (or
any number not divisible by 3) are far less likely to occur: changes
like these are more likely to have larger, usually negative, effects on
the protein products.
In Figure 7, a portion of the Spike protein Receptor Binding Domain
(RBD) sequence is shown. In this region, several of the variants have
single nucleotide changes. These show up in the figure as uncolored
spaces with letters that differ from those above (or below) in the
alignment. The RBD is important for interacting with the human ACE2
receptor, which serves as both a “landing site” for the virus and helps
the virus make entry into the cell through a critical enzymatic step.10,23
Changes in the RBD sequence are likely to impact how tightly the Spike
protein interacts with ACE2. Thus, these are of particular interest to
researchers trying to predict the threat posed by the variant.
Note, these figures show only small sections of the >29,000
ribonucleotide sequence. In these examples, we see deletion, insertion,
and single nucleotide changes. These represent the types of changes seen
throughout the viral genome with the single nucleotide changes being by
far the most common. At this point, perhaps you are wondering: how many
changes are in the variants when compared to the reference sequence? By
using a multiple sequence alignment approach like what is seen in
Figures 6 and 7, we can get quantifiable numbers of differences among
the variants and the reference sequence. In even the most extreme
cases—like the Omicron variant—the total number of nucleotide changes
(including insertions and deletions) is around 100 (less than 1%). Thus,
for over 99% of the sequence there are no changes! Admittedly, this is a
bit surprising, but considering the proofreading function of ExoN,
perhaps it is to be expected.
It is worth noting that the “new” variant of Omicron, termed BA.2,
does have some additional mutations. However, early reports indicate
that this variant may act similarly to BA.1 and though there does appear
to be some evasion of antibodies, it is not necessarily evading all
approaches.24,25
The ability to evade antibodies is most likely due to changes in Spike
protein. This simply means that Spike protein has changes in areas that
antibodies typically bind causing the antibodies to bind more weakly to
this variant than to other versions. Due to its similarities with BA.1,
BA.2 has probably been circulating for some time but has not been
noticed because the changes are relatively subtle.
As of this writing, ten variants are considered “Variants Being
Monitored” (VBM) by the Centers for Disease Control, two are listed as
“Variants of Concern” (VOC): delta and omicron.26
In reviewing mutation data on these variants, most of the mutations
tend to occur in the Spike protein-coding region with additional
mutations in the ORF1ab region and some variants showing mutations in
the nucleocapsid (N) protein-coding region.27
Mutations in the Spike protein tend to be focused within the N-terminal
domain or the RBD, as noted above. These are the regions that
antibodies typically bind, especially those formed through vaccination
with the mRNA vaccines.
As seen in Figure 8, Spike protein point mutation sites for the RBD
are mapped onto a three-dimensional model of the protein for the Omicron
variant. The mutation sites are highlighted as red spheres. The region
in red is the RBD. The concentration of red spheres in this area
underscores the importance understanding how this region is changing and
what impact that has on viral transmission and treatability. Changes in
this region can result in evasion of antibodies that target Spike
protein.28
In other words, some of these mutations in the Spike protein make this
region less able to be bound by antibodies from vaccination and/or prior
infection. It is also worth noting that in addition to antibodies,
T-cells also respond to SARS-CoV-2 and T-cell response includes binding
to Spike (or other viral proteins). Notably, T-cell response in
vaccinated and/or prior infected individuals still mostly retain the
ability to recognize Omicron.29
Implications of the Mutations Observed in SARS-CoV-2
What can we learn from this? There are a few key takeaways for us to
consider. First, mutations in SARS-CoV-2 are still rare in the sense
that we do not see widespread mutation throughout the viral genome. This
is due to the error correction mechanism and apparently a low tolerance
of genetic change. The mutations that are occurring are enabling the
virus to survive and spread more readily while causing more mild
symptoms in general. Thus, you could argue that natural selection is
filtering out mutations that do not enable the virus to spread. As noted
by Dutch botanist and geneticist Hugo de Vries, “Natural selection may
explain the survival of the fittest, but it cannot explain the arrival
of the fittest.”30
Natural selection does not provide the mechanism for the origin of new
information, which is necessary for the evolution of new viruses and
organisms.31
Second, the types of changes we are seeing fall into the basic
categories of insertions, deletions, and single-nucleotide changes. The
largest insertion in the sequences examined was 9 nucleotides.
Interestingly, this sequence is not found anywhere in the virus or in
any of the variants examined except Omicron. There is a similar sequence
in the genome (about 4,000 nucleotides away) that is off by one
nucleotide, but I have not seen a lot of speculation around this
sequence.
There are some limitations to this brief study. For instance, there
are 10’s to 100’s of thousands of sequences for some of these variants.
So, there will undoubtedly be variability among the various samples.
Yet, even with such variability, the general themes noted above remain: no novel sets of information have been generated by the DNA changes observed.
More specifically, no new proteins or enzymatic functions have been
observed. Instead, mutation and selection appear to be at work on the
existing protein-coding genes, which is why we see most mutations
focused on regions like the Spike protein-coding sequence. In order for
new features to develop as in the Neo-Darwinian model of evolution, new
genetic information is needed, but we do not observe this occurring.31, 32
In conclusion, SARS-CoV-2 is mutating (or evolving), but it also
clear that it is still SARS-CoV-2. We are seeing first-hand what types
of mutations are possible. Note that this does not necessarily mean that
we know what is possible in a living organism—viral growth and mutation
has unique constraints. Other studies have argued that mutations tend
to modify or break existing features rather than build new ones.32, 33 This appears to hold true in SARS-CoV-2.
As we reflect on this, we will next turn toward thinking about what
can be expected as we look ahead in terms of the pandemic. Then, we will
spend a moment reflecting on larger questions: did God create viruses?
Where do they fit in the larger picture of the creation?
Part 3: What Are Viruses Good For?
In the first part of this article, we examined the structure of
SARS-CoV-2 and mechanism of infection. While the type of virus is
similar to some viruses known to infect humans, this is the first time
this particular version has been found, and it appears to be adapted to
infect humans compared with other similar viruses in bats. We followed
this with a second part discussing the types and numbers of mutations
observed in SARS-CoV-2 during the pandemic. While this virus has
accumulated on average around 100 mutations throughout the pandemic,
most of these changes are concentrated in the spike protein and a few
other regions. In addition, the mutations fall into the typical
categories of point mutations, insertions, and deletions. Interestingly,
SARS-CoV-2 has an enzyme that proofreads the genome, which minimizes
mutations and helps explain why the virus seems to be changing
relatively slowly.
In considering this, it is worth asking, why do we have viruses
anyway? From a human perspective, it can often seem like all viruses are
bad. After all, the only time the media (or society more generally)
tends to focus on viruses is in the context of the seasonal flu or in
the case of an outbreak of some deadly virus—like MERS or SARS. In fact,
the word “virus” originated from the Latin term for poison.34
Our language has clear implications for how we view viruses. Do viruses
provide evidence against God’s design in nature by implying He created
something “bad”?
Do Viruses Have Roles In Nature?
As a little exercise in considering the roles and purposes of
viruses, let’s first ask: how many types of viruses are there? Current
taxonomy of viral species by the International Committee on the Taxonomy
of Viruses lists 10,434 species.35
It seems generally agreed that this is an under-representation of the
total number of viruses in nature, as additional viruses continue to be
discovered year by year. In support of this idea, it has been stated
that there are ~1031 bacterial viruses (called bacteriophages) in the biosphere, which exceeds the estimate of the number of stars in the universe!.36,37 Interestingly, only approximately 219 viruses have been found to infect humans.38 Of these viruses, relatively few cause disease or death in humans.38 Far fewer have been found to cause epidemics or pandemics.38, 39
Yet, as humans, we generally focus on these few cases that cause
disease rather than on the thousands of viruses (perhaps hundreds of
thousands or millions?) that exist throughout nature.37
To be clear, the 1918 Spanish flu, HIV, SARS, MERS, and SARS-CoV-2
have all had a major impact on our world. Many lives were lost or
dramatically changed because of these viruses and their associated
epidemics or pandemics. Yet, the integral role of viruses in nature has
not been all negative as will be pointed out below.
Second, if there are so many different viruses, what do they do? Are
there natural and ecological functions and roles for viruses. The answer
to that is YES. In fact, there are many functions and roles for viruses
in nature. For example, bacteriophages, mentioned above, help control
bacterial populations.40
In addition, bacteriophages can aid in transfer of genes between
bacteria, serve as a nutrient repository, and defend bacteria against
other bacteria.40 Further, viruses may also play similar roles in eukaryotes and higher organisms including symbiotic relationships.41, 42
In humans, infection with GB-virus C has been associated with slowed
progression of HIV infection, suggesting that this virus helps block HIV
from infecting host cells.43 Some have argued that the roles of viruses worldwide are so important that life as we know it would not exist without viruses.37
So, does coronavirus have a natural role in bats or pangolins? This
is a harder question to answer as few people are looking at this
question—the general starting assumption is that viruses are “poison” or
“pathogens”.42 Interestingly, this assumption, based upon
evolutionary presuppositions, may be impeding our understanding of the
roles of viruses in nature. Additional research will be needed to
identify and explore such roles.
Why Do We Have Viruses?
Consider for a moment: why would God allow viruses? Again, recall
that most viruses do not cause problems and disease in humans, and it is
reasonable to consider that many viruses have useful
roles in nature. Could viruses be originally created entities that
perhaps have also decayed since the fall like our own genomes37?
If viruses were originally created by God to serve specific roles in
nature, then it is possible that the nature and roles of viruses have
been corrupted over time by genetic mutation.31 The
biochemical components in viruses are highly sophisticated—for example,
reverse transcriptase (making DNA from RNA), error-correction,
self-assembly, etc. These complex systems are best explained in a design
model.
This perspective on viruses being designed entities will prove to be a very fruitful research endeavor.37
In fact, understanding the original design of viruses may help us
identify the roles of viruses and how those roles have become corrupted
over time. This may help us understand virulence and the ability of a
virus to spread and mutate, which may help us predict future pandemic
threats.
What can we expect moving forward? As we move forward, we can expect
that SARS-CoV-2 will remain around continuing to change. The rate of
change may slow since the virus is infecting fewer individuals than when
it was spreading at its peak. Changes in the virus may enable it to
continue to spread and possibly even cause new outbreaks, but the
changes also seem to reduce the ability of the virus to cause serious
illness in most people. Note that serious illness is still happening
especially in individuals with multiple risk factors, and we need to be
serious about looking after those who are most at risk. The good news is
that new treatments and approaches are becoming available to help
minimize the health impact where possible.
Conclusion
SARS-CoV-2 has spread around the world over the last two and a half
years and caused major loss of life. Though the virus has mutated over
the past two years, no new genetic information has been generated nor
have novel features developed as needed by a Neo-Darwinian model.
Further, while the origin of this strain of the virus may remain
contentious and debated, it is clear that viruses as a whole are
designed entities fulfilling important roles in nature. It may be hard
for us to identify those roles in the present time due to the genetic
changes that have taken place in those viruses since the Fall in Genesis
3. Nevertheless, viewing viruses as designed entities that have
experience genetic change and decay since the Fall will serve as a
valuable framework for research in this area. In addition, this view
helps remind us of God’s power in creation and of the consequences of
sin that have been building since the Fall.
Endnotes
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Jesus said: “Because
lawlessness will abound, the love of
many will grow cold” (Matthew 24:12).
Lawlessness is rampant in the world. We can be thankful if
we live in a county where the rule of law prevails and
lawlessness is kept somewhat under control.
But Jesus is referring to lawlessness in the church!
Persecution would come. “And then many will be offended, will
betray one another, and will hate one another. Then many false
prophets will rise up and deceive many. And because
lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But
he who endures to the end shall be saved” (Matthew 24:10-13).
This prediction has been fulfilled: many false prophets
have arisen; they have deceived many; lawlessness does
abound; and the love of many has grown cold.
What is lawlessness?
Lawlessness is a customary disregard of laws. A lawless
person has little respect for law and refuses to be restricted by
it.
We witnessed an annoying example of lawlessness when
we visited Carlsbad Caverns in the United States. In front of us,
a young woman, in her twenties, rubbed her hand on every
cave formation she could reach, although, and probably
because, a sign said not to touch the formations.
Although everyone has violated laws, not everyone is
lawless in this sense.
A law-abiding person wants to obey the law, but
sometimes falls short. Every driver, for example, exceeds the
speed limit at times. A lawless person ignores the speed limit!
Why does lawlessness cause love to grow cold?
Jesus said: “Because
lawlessness will abound, the love of
many will grow cold” (Matthew 24:12). And indeed the love of
many has grown cold.
This is inevitable because lawlessness and love are not
compatible. Lawlessness is a form of self-indulgence, and love
is not self-indulgent. Love “does not seek its own” (1
Corinthians 13:5).
Lawlessness betrays a lack of love.
When Jesus was asked, “Which is the first commandment
of all?” (Mark 12:28) He replied, “‘You shall love the Lord your
God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your
mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the
second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On
these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets”
(Matthew 22:37-40). By rejecting God’s law, a lawless person
also rejects the love on which God’s law is based.
Lawlessness betrays a lack of love for God.
“The LORD is our Lawgiver” (Isaiah 33:22).
How can a lawless person (who scorns law) love the
Lawgiver?
Jesus said, “If you love Me, keep My commandments”
(John 14:15) and “He who does not love Me does not keep My
words” (John 14:24). John explained: “Whoever keeps His
word, truly the love of God is perfected in him” (1 John 2:5).
“For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments.
And His commandments are not burdensome” (1 John 5:3).
God’s commandments are not burdensome for someone
who loves God because he wants to please God.
To a lawless person, however, God’s commandments are
burdensome, because he does not love God, has no desire to
please Him, and dislikes restrictions that conflict with his own
desires.
Lawlessness betrays a lack of love for man.
“Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the
fulfillment of the law” (Romans 13:10).
A lawless speeder lacks love for others on the road, lacks
love for others in his car, and lacks love for those who love
him.
God’s law is based on love. God has declared evil to be
unlawful because it is harmful to man. God loves man and
wants to protect him from harm.
A lawless person considers his own desires more
important than the welfare of others.
Lawlessness results in immorality and evil practices.
“We know that the law is good if one uses it lawfully,
knowing this: that the law is not made for a righteous person,
but for thelawless and insubordinate, for the ungodly and for
sinners, for the unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers
and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, for fornicators, for
sodomites, for kidnappers, for liars, for perjurers” (1 Timothy
1:8-10).
Someone who loves God and man concurs with God’s law
and strives to live a godly life. He recognizes God’s law as good
because it is based on love and protects man from evil.
The lawless person, however, rebels against God’s law
because he does not have the love of God in his heart, he gives
priority to his own desires, and has little concern for the
welfare of others.
Lawlessness results in false religions.
One might suppose that religious people would not be
lawless. But what did Jesus say to the religious leaders of His
time? “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you
are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful
outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all
uncleanness. Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to
men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and
lawlessness”
(Matthew 23:27, 28).
Lawlessness leads, not only to immorality, but also to
wrong religious practices. To these same religious people Jesus
said: “Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying:
‘These people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me
with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. And in vain they
worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men’”
(Matthew 15:7-9).
Lawlessness results in worthless worship. Lawless religious
people deceive themselves into thinking they are serving God
when actually they are serving the lawless one. They are in the
habit of serving God, not according to His word, but according
to their own wishes.
Jesus warned: “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’
shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of
My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord,
Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons
in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And
then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me,
you who practice
lawlessness!’” (Matthew 7:21-23).
Thus, people who are very religious can reject God’s law
to follow traditions, their own desires or the spirit of the times.
Their zealous religious practices are lawless if they do not
comply with the word of God.
There can even be lawless people in God’s kingdom. But
on judgment day they will be removed. “The Son of Man will
send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all
things that offend, and those who practice
lawlessness, and will
cast them into the furnace of fire” (Matthew 13:41, 42).
Christ came to redeem us from lawless deeds.
“Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might
redeem us from every
lawless deed and purify for Himself His
own special people, zealous for good works” (Titus 2:14).
Why is this redemption necessary? “Whoever commits sin
also commits
lawlessness, and sin is
lawlessness” (1 John 3:4).
Everyone has sinned (Romans 3:23). Thus everyone has
committed lawless deeds, whether lawlessness is for him a way
of life or something he strives to avoid.
Because Jesus “loved righteousness and hated
lawlessness” (Hebrews 1:9), He allowed Himself to be crucified
to redeem us from lawless deeds by paying the penalty for our
sins.
To accept this grace we must give up our former lawless
ways and serve Christ. “For just as you presented your
members as slaves of uncleanness, and of
lawlessnessleading
to morelawlessness, so now present your members as slaves
of righteousness for holiness” (Romans 6:19).
Through baptism we are united with the death, burial and
resurrection of Christ: “Therefore we were buried with Him
through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from
the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should
walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:4).
Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law.
Law condemns everyone because no one keeps law
perfectly (Galatians 3:10-12). “Christ has redeemed us from
the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is
written, ‘Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree’)” (Galatians
3:13).
Christians have been freed from “the law of sin and death”
by “the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:2).
“For what the law could not do in that it was weak through
the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of
sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh,
that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in
us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the
Spirit” (Romans 8:3, 4).
Thus, as we strive to keep the law, we must understand
that we cannot be saved by law-keeping, but only by the grace
of God, which He extends to those who have a living, obedient
faith, to those who walk according to the Spirit.
Christians serve God under the “law of Christ” (1
Corinthians 9:21; Galatians 6:2). They are guided and judged
by “the law of liberty” (James 1:25; 2:12), a law in which
“Mercy triumphs over judgment” (James 2:13).
The Christian’s freedom from the curse of the law, does
not mean however that he may be lawless! “For you, brethren,
have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an
opportunity for the flesh” (Galatians 5:13).
Just as it is wrong to think that salvation can be earned by
law-keeping - “You have become estranged from Christ, you
who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace”
(Galatians 5:4) - it is also wrong to “turn the grace of our God
into licentiousness” (Jude 4 NASB), by thinking that salvation is
possible by faith only (see James 2:24).
The Scriptures warn us about lawless influences.
We may not attach ourselves to lawless people. “Do not
be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what
fellowship has righteousness with
lawlessness? And what
communion has light with darkness?” (2 Corinthians 6:14).
Because of lawlessness, many Christians fall away. Paul
wrote: “Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will
not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of
sin is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts
himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped” (2
Thessalonians 2:3, 4).
This great apostasy began at the close of the first century
(1 John 2:18) and is called “the mystery of
lawlessness” (2
Thessalonians 2:7). This apostasy still exists: the great
majority of those who call themselves Christians, do not follow
Christ.
Satan is behind these lawless influences: “Then the
lawless one will be revealed.” ... “The coming of the
lawless
one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs
and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are
perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be
saved” (2 Thessalonians 2:8, 9, 10 ESV).
We must resist lawless influences.
What have we learned?
“Because
lawlessness will abound, the love of many will
grow cold” (Matthew 24:12). Lawlessness is contempt for law.
Lawlessness displaces love. They who love Jesus keep His
commandments. The lawless one rebels against God’s law.
Many religious people are full of lawlessness. Their worship is
worthless. Christ came that He might redeem us from lawless
deeds and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for
good works.
May our love for God’s law increase.
With the Psalmist let us say: “Oh, how I love Your law! It
is my meditation all the day” (Psalm 119:97). “Great peace
have those who love Your law, and nothing causes them to
stumble” (Psalm 119:165). Amen.
To judge is to decide on someone’s guilt or innocence, either
in a court of law, or as personal evaluation of behavior.
Listen carefully to this command of God: “You shall do no
injustice in judgment. You shall not be partial to the poor, nor
honor the person of the mighty. But in righteousness you shall
judge your neighbor” (Leviticus 19:15).
Thus, God commands us to judge our neighbor! He also tells
us how to judge. Our judgment is to be just, impartial and
righteous.
Our competence to judge is limited.
You may be thinking, “Why did Jesus say not to judge?”
There are circumstances in which we may not judge, but
there are also circumstances in which we are obligated to judge.
Jesus said: “Do not judge according to appearance, but
judge with righteous judgment” (John 7:24).
Thus Jesus also commands us to judge! And He tells us how
to judge: with righteous judgment and not according to
appearances.
What do the Scriptures teach about judging?
We may not judge according to appearance.
This means that we may not judge on the basis of
insufficient, superficial information. Outward appearances are
often misleading.
It was night. The street was dimly lit. A man lay on the
pavement with blood oozing from a wound on his head. I stood
beside him with blood on my sleeve. From appearances, some
might have concluded that I caused his injury. Actually, in a
drunken stupor the man had collided with a lamppost while riding
his bicycle. Having arrived first on the scene, I got blood on my
shirt when I helped him off the road so he would not be run over
by passing cars. I asked bystanders to phone an ambulance and
we were waiting for its arrival.
Righteous judgment must be based on conclusive evidence:
“how it is” rather than “how it looks”.
Sometimes we are personally unqualified to judge.
Jesus said, “And why do you look at the speck in your
brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or
how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck out
of your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? Hypocrite!
First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see
clearly to remove the speck out of your brother’s eye” (Matthew
7:3-5).
What if we condemn someone for something we are doing?
Our judgment may be correct, but we are not qualified to judge
someone else if we are under the same condemnation.
After listing sins deserving death, Paul explains: “Therefore
you are inexcusable, O man, whoever you are who judge, for in
whatever you judge another you condemn yourself; for you who
judge practice the same things. But we know that the judgment
of God is according to truth against those who practice such
things. And do you think this, O man, you who judge those
practicing such things, and doing the same, that you will escape
the judgment of God?” (Romans 2:1-3).
We may not judge on the basis of personal opinions.
Later in Romans, Paul discusses a situation where some
Christians were vegetarians and others ate meat, a matter of
personal preference: “Let not him who eats despise him who does
not eat, and let not him who does not eat judge him who eats;
for God has received him. Who are you to judge another’s
servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be
made to stand, for God is able to make him stand” (Romans
14:3, 4).
In the same context he says: “But why do you judge your
brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we
shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is
written: ‘As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me, and
every tongue shall confess to God.’ So then each of us shall give
account of himself to God. Therefore let us not judge one another
anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or
a cause to fall in our brother’s way” (Romans 14:10-13).
Sinful activities are not being discussed in this passage. It is
not sinful to eat meat, nor is it sinful to refrain from eating meat.
In connection with personal preferences, we may not judge one
another.
We may not judge when evidence is lacking.
Since only God knows the hearts of men, we can easily be
mistaken.
As Paul wrote, “Some men’s sins are clearly evident,
preceding them to judgment, but those of some men follow later”
(1 Timothy 5:24).
When sins are evident, we must judge. Those committing
hidden sins will be judged by God. We should not play God by
presuming to judge things that are hidden.
As Paul wrote: “Therefore judge nothing before the time,
until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden
things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts” (1
Corinthians 4:5).
Hidden matters must be left to God.
Our judgment must be righteous.
“The LORD our God is righteous” (Daniel 9:14). Righteous
judgment is based on the righteousness of God.
If our judgment is contrary to the will of God, we are
condemning God! As the Lord asked Job: “Would you indeed
annul My judgment? Would you condemn Me that you may be
justified?” (Job 40:3).
By judging wrongly we contradict God’s judgment. Therefore
we must be extremely careful how we judge.
God requires everyone to judge righteously.
Paul explains that even the heathen - and we live in a
heathen society - are responsible for judging rightly because of
knowledge of the righteous judgment of God that they have from
creation, “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against
all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the
truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is
manifest in them, for God has shown it to them” (Romans 1:18,
19).
After specific condemnation of idolatry, homosexuality and
lesbianism (Romans 1:21-27), Paul lists other common sins of
then and now: “being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual
immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of
envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are
whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters,
inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, undiscerning,
untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; who, knowing
the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such
things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also
approve of those who practice them” (Romans 1:29-32).
Even the heathen ought to know that such things are wrong;
yet, they not only do them but “also approve of those who
practice them.” A judgment that glosses over such sins is not
righteous.
Of course, evil men object when their sins are exposed.
When Lot said to the homosexuals of Sodom, “I beg you, my
brothers, do not act so wickedly!” they replied, “This fellow came
to sojourn, and he has become the judge!” (Genesis 19:7, 9
ESV).
It is a gross misuse of the words of Christ when evil men say
‘Do not judge’ to ward off sanctions for their sins.
Sin in the church must be condemned.
The church at Corinth tolerated a brother who was living
with his father’s wife!
Paul wrote, “It is actually reported that there is sexual
immorality among you, and such sexual immorality as is not even
named among the Gentiles - that a man has his father’s wife!
And you are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he
who has done this deed might be taken away from among you”
(1 Corinthians 5:1, 2).
“I wrote to you in my epistle not to keep company with
sexually immoral people. Yet I certainly did not mean with the
sexually immoral people of this world, or with the covetous, or
extortioners, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of
the world. But now I have written to you not to keep company
with anyone named a brother, who is a fornicator, or covetous, or
an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner not even
to eat with such a person. For what have I to do with judging
those also who are outside? Do you not judge those who are
inside? But those who are outside God judges. Therefore ‘put
away from yourselves that wicked person’”
(1 Corinthians 5:9-13).
In such cases, the judgment of the church is merely the
application of the righteous judgment of God. To neglect to judge
is to ignore the judgment of God.
A wise brother should resolve disputes between Christians.
“Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to
law before the unrighteous, and not before the saints? Do you not
know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world will be
judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters?
Do you not know that we shall judge angels? How much more,
things that pertain to this life? If then you have judgments
concerning things pertaining to this life, do you appoint those
who are least esteemed by the church to judge? I say this to your
shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you, not
even one, who will be able to judge between his brethren?” (1
Corinthians 6:1-5).
God will judge us the way we judge others.
In that list of sins deserving death in Romans chapter one
we also find ‘unforgiving’ and ‘unmerciful’. If we are unmerciful,
we will not receive the grace of God.
From that perspective Jesus says: “Judge not, that you be
not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be
judged; and with the same measure you use, it will be measured
back to you” (Matthew 7:1, 2). “Therefore be merciful, just as
your Father also is merciful. Judge not, and you shall not be
judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive,
and you will be forgiven” (Luke 6:36, 37).
To receive mercy we must bestow mercy.
We want to receive mercy when we are judged. Thus we
must be merciful when we judge others. This is why James says,
“So speak and so do as those who will be judged by the law of
liberty. For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown
no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment” (James 2:12, 13).
We may not condemn the guiltless by neglecting mercy:
“But if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy and not
sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless” (Matthew
12:7).
Does this mean that everyone will be absolved by God?
Certainly not. Jesus says that few will be saved and many will be
lost (Luke 13:23, 24; Matthew 7:13, 14).
Mercy, too, must comply with the righteous judgment of
God. What if we are unmerciful to those to whom God shows
mercy, or if we are merciful to those to whom God does not show
mercy? Thus, we must study the Scriptures so we can judge our
neighbor in righteousness. “He who justifies the wicked, and he
who condemns the just, both of them alike are an abomination to
the LORD” (Proverbs 17:15).
What have we learned about judging?
God commands us to judge our neighbor! Our judgment
must be just and impartial. Our competence to judge is limited.
We may not judge according to appearances. Sometimes we are
personally unqualified to judge. We may not judge on the basis of
personal opinions, and we may not judge when evidence is
lacking. Our judgment must be righteous. Sin in the church must
be condemned. God will judge us the way we judge others. To
receive mercy we must bestow mercy.
“Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with
righteous judgment” (John 7:24).
“You shall do no injustice in judgment. You shall not be
partial to the poor, nor honor the person of the mighty. But in
righteousness you shall judge your neighbor” (Leviticus 19:15).
Amen.
Something is precious to us because of its high intrinsic value
or because it means much to us personally. These two are not the
same, since we often cherish something that has no intrinsic value.
It might have extrinsic value to us, or it might be much less
valuable than we think it is.
A disaster can reveal what is precious to us. I know a man
who fell down a flight of sharp stone stairs. He lay sprawled at the
bottom, groaning and moaning: “Oh no! Oh no! It’s broken! It’s
broken! I broke my smartphone!”
Noticing what the Scriptures label as precious can help us
cherish things that are truly precious, and recognize things that are
not.
We may not cherish material things.
Remember Solomon’s evaluation of the material realm:
“Vanity of vanities, all is vanity” (Ecclesiastes 1:2).
On judgment day, precious stones will be worthless.
Many try to prop up their self-esteem by adorning themselves
with expensive possessions, gems and jewelry.
The spiritual harlot, portrayed in Revelation as Babylon the
Great, deals in “merchandise of gold and silver,
precious stones and
pearls, fine linen and purple, silk and scarlet, every kind of citron
wood, every kind of object of ivory, every kind of object of most
precious wood, bronze, iron, and marble” (Revelation 18:12).
There is an outward appearance of great wealth, but the
harlot’s chalice is filled with filth, fornication and blood; and when
she faces God in judgment, her wealth is gone: “The fruit that your
soul longed for has gone from you, and all the things which are rich
and splendid have gone from you, and you shall find them no
more” ... “For in one hour such great riches came to nothing”
(Revelation 18:14, 17).
Love of money leads to perdition.
“And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content.
But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare,
and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in
destruction and perdition. For the love of money is a root of all
kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their
greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows” (1
Timothy 6:8-10).
We should cherish spiritual things.
Spiritual values are eternal.
Wisdom is more precious than gold.
Of wisdom we read in Proverbs 3:15, “She is more
precious
than rubies, and all the things you may desire cannot compare with
her.”
Job declared:
“But where can wisdom be found?
And where is the place of understanding?
Man does not know its value,
Nor is it found in the land of the living.
The deep says, ‘It is not in me’;
And the sea says, ‘It is not with me.’
It cannot be purchased for gold,
Nor can silver be weighed for its price.
It cannot be valued in the gold of Ophir,
In
precious onyx or sapphire.
Neither gold nor crystal can equal it,
Nor can it be exchanged for jewelry of fine gold.
No mention shall be made of coral or quartz,
For the price of wisdom is above rubies.
The topaz of Ethiopia cannot equal it,
Nor can it be valued in pure gold.
From where then does wisdom come?
And where is the place of understanding?”
...
“Behold, the fear of the LORD, that is wisdom,
And to depart from evil is understanding”
(Job 28:12-20, 28).
Our faith is more precious than gold.
Peter addresses his second letter “To those who have obtained
like
precious faith with us by the righteousness of our God and
Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 1:1).
In his first letter, referring to our living hope and incorruptible
inheritance, Peter says: “In this you greatly rejoice, though now for
a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials,
that the genuineness of your faith, being much more
precious than
gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to
praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter
1:6, 7).
Most precious are the gracious gifts of God.
God’s gifts in nature are precious.
“See how the farmer waits for the
precious fruit of the earth,
waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain”
(James 5:7).
When Moses blessed Israel, he said of the tribe of Joseph:
“Blessed of the LORD is his land,
With the
precious things of heaven, with the dew,
And the deep lying beneath,
With the
precious fruits of the sun,
With the
precious produce of the months,
With the best things of the ancient mountains,
With the
precious things of the everlasting hills,
With the
precious things of the earth and its fullness”
(Deuteronomy 33:13-16).
Let us value the precious blessings of the earth, and thank
God for them.
God’s mercy is precious.
“How
preciousis Your lovingkindness, O God! Therefore the
children of men put their trust under the shadow of Your wings”
(Psalm 36:7).
God’s thoughts are precious.
“How
precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God!” (Psalm
139:17). The word of God, which reveals His thoughts, is a
matchless treasure.
In 1988 when I visited Dan McVey in Ghana, I was surprised
that his bookshop contained many expensive leather-bound Bibles
and only a few inexpensive Bibles. I asked why he had so many
expensive Bibles for a country with much poverty. He explained
that most people wanted a durable Bible because it was their most
prized possession. They had to save up for it, so they wanted it to
last a lifetime. They might not be able to afford glasses, so they
wanted a Bible with large print.
How much are God’s thoughts worth to us? Is God’s word our
most prized possession? Can we say with David: “How
precious also
are Your thoughts to me, O God!”
God has given us precious promises.
“Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of
God and of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given to us all
things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of
Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to
us exceedingly great and
precious promises, that through these you
may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the
corruption that is in the world through lust” (2 Peter 1:2-4).
We have been redeemed by the precious blood of Christ.
“And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges
according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves throughout the
time of your stay here in fear; knowing that you were not
redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your
aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with
the
precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and
without spot” (1 Peter 1:17-19).
To redeem someone is to purchase his liberation. We sold
ourselves into the slavery of sin but we were redeemed with the
precious blood of Christ. We stand in awe of God who loved us so
much. How precious we must be to Him that He was willing to pay such
a price for our liberation. In gratitude we bow to His will and serve
Him with joy.
“You are not your own. For you were bought at a price” (1
Corinthians 6:19, 20).
Christ is the precious cornerstone in God’s spiritual house.
“Therefore thus says the Lord God: ‘Behold, I lay in Zion a
stone for a foundation, a tried stone, a
precious cornerstone, a sure
foundation’” (Isaiah 28:16).
We need a solid foundation. Christ is the precious cornerstone
of God’s temple. Only by aligning ourselves with Him can we be a
living stone in God’s spiritual house.
“Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men,
but chosen by God andprecious, you also, as living stones, are
being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up
spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture, ‘Behold, I lay in Zion
a chief cornerstone, elect,
precious, and he who believes on Him
will by no means be put to shame.’ Therefore, to you who believe,
He isprecious” (1 Peter 2:4-7).
God’s kingdom is worth more than any earthly interest.
“The kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful
pearls, who, when he had found one pearl of
great price, went and
sold all that he had and bought it” (Matthew 13:45, 46).
Serving God is worth more than physical life itself. Paul
declared: “But none of these things move me; nor do I count my
life
dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the
ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the
gospel of the grace of God” (Acts 20:24).
What is precious to the Lord?
A gentle spirit is precious to God.
“Do not let your adornment be outward - arranging the hair,
wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel - rather let it be the hidden
person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and
quiet spirit, which is very
precious in the sight of God” (1 Peter 3:3,
4).
Although this passage is directed to women, the principle
applies to all: “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the
earth” (Matthew 5:5). Jesus was “gentle and lowly in heart”
(Matthew 11:29). The fruit of the Spirit includes “gentleness”
(Galatians 5:23). Let us cultivate “a gentle and quite spirit,” which
is precious to God.
Precious to the Lord is the death of His saints.
“He will spare the poor and needy, and will save the souls of
the needy. He will redeem their life from oppression and violence;
and
precious shall be their blood in His sight” (Psalm 72:13, 14).
“Precious in the sight of the LORD is
the death of His saints” (Psalm 116:15).
The day of death is victory day for the faithful Christian who
can say with Paul: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the
race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown
of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to
me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved
His appearing” (2 Timothy 4:7, 8).
What is precious according to God’s word?
We may not cherish material things. On judgment day,
precious stones will be worthless. Love of money leads to perdition.
We ought to cherish spiritual things. Wisdom and faith are more
precious than gold. Most precious are the gracious gifts of God. His
gifts in nature, His mercy and His thoughts are precious. He has
given us exceedingly precious promises. We have been redeemed
by the precious blood of Christ. He is the precious cornerstone in
God’s spiritual house. God’s kingdom is worth more than any
earthly interest. Precious to the Lord are a gentle spirit, and the
final victory of His saints.
As Christians, let us cherish these precious things. If you have
not yet become a Christian, you are depriving yourself of life’s most
precious treasure. Amen.
