It has been a bad month for me. I’ve been sick. Chest X-ray says it is not pneumonia. Lack of effectiveness of antibiotics says it is not bacterial. No evidence of pleurisy. (Thank goodness. I did that once and it almost killed me!) So, the doctor thinks I have a major viral infection in my lungs. Marsha, as always, has been the angelic Nightingale at my side. But at the end of the day….I’m still sick.
Spiritual Health is the absence of Spiritual Sickness. But what is spiritual sickness or spiritual disease? Herman Bavinck, an old-time theologian, reminds us that there are three types of spiritual disease.
First, there is the disease of the mind. This has to do with pride of intellectualism and doctrine. The doctrine or the teaching is essential, but not all doctrines are crucial and so to argue over them is at times fruitless, useless, and pointless.
As a seminary professor for over 30 years, I have seen this disease in many students and some professors. And sometimes in the local church. On some points we need to be “dogmatic” and other times “bull-dogmatic.” But then there are times we just need to walk away.
The second disease is the disease of the heart. This involves the subjective feelings that lead to mysticism. We need doctrine to protect us from this. The church has been infiltrated by this disease mainly through worship models and counseling theories.
The third disease is the disease of the will. This is difficult to diagnose for it involves acts of piety, morality, and religious activity, but is often virtue signaling that is self-honoring and not God-honoring.
I hope my physical illness goes away soon. But I must always be on guard to diagnose spiritual diseases in my life.
Serving Him with you Until He comes for us. Fred | 
