Welcome to the March 26th, 2010 edition of Bible in the News. This is Glenn Abel with you.

As a political candidate for the Presidency, Barack Obama made many extravagant campaign promises, including this one:  “As President, I will sign a Universal Health Care plan into law by the end of my first term in office.”

The topic of universal health care in the United States has been a contentious one, where partisan rhetoric has heated up the debate.  All sides of the issue have the same goal - to ensure high-quality health care for all Americans as an “inalienable right.”

And so, with the passing of the health care reform bill, President Obama seemingly fulfilled this vague campaign promise and celebrated in triumph. One Senator summed up their perspective: “What this bill does is we finally take that step. As our leader said earlier, we take that step from healthcare as a privilege to health care as an inalienable right...”

The root problem not addressed

The lofty voice of pride cannot mask the fact that universal health care is really a band-aid that (to use the medical expression) only “treats the symptoms.”  To claim it as an “inalienable right” ignores the Biblical truth that man’s only inalienable right is the right to die as a result of sin.  For “the wages of sin is death.” (Romans 6:23)

The root problems of sin, disease, and death, which are rampant upon the earth, cannot be solved by man and certainly are not solved by universal health care. Perhaps better health care may prolong our life for a time, but the inevitable will come upon all.

As we read in Job 14:1-2: “Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble. [2] He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down: he fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not.”

The need to develop Godly trust

It can be tempting to follow the logic and emotions of entitlement which permeates our society:  that health care, jobs, homes, and public services are our “inalienable right” and that we can trust in our governments to provide for all our needs.

Trusting in the arm of flesh however is a fools gameand cursed by the Almighty. Jeremiah 17:5: “Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD.”

Rather than trusting in man, we need to develop Godly trust - the kind of trust that was demonstrated and taught by the Lord Jesus Christ.

Remember his example? Matt. 8:20: “... the foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head”

Remember his teachings? Matthew 6:31-34: “Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we dring? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? [32] (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. [33] But seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. [43] Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Suffcient unto the day is the evil thereof.”

Psalm 37:3 says: “Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.”

God’s universal solution

The root problems of sin, disease, and death do have a solution - provided by God Himself. Our situation is expressed in Romans 8:20-23:

Even the Apostles in the first century, who were given Holy Spirit gifts for the establishment of the gospel, including the gift of healing, realized that there is only one solution “the redemption of our body.” What is that all about? We find the answer in 1 Corinthians 15:45-50:

The kingdom of God on earth is the hope of true Bible students, and followers of Christ. This is the “eternal inheritance” that the holy men of faith looked for. As we read in Hebrews 11:13: “These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.” But the reality is, that without a change of nature, there can be no inheritance in the kingdom of God. How does this work? Let’s continue in 1 Corinthians 15:

When is this “last trump”? The Apostle Paul speaks of it being at the return of Jesus Christ to the earth. 1 Thessalonians 4:16: “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first.”

This was prophesied by Daniel in chapter 12., which speaks of this time as a time of judgment. Not all who are raised will be granted a change of nature:

And so, it is the hope of Bible students to be accounted as “they that be wise” in that day. How can we be counted such? By understanding, and being obedient to, the counsel of God’s holy oracles, now - in this life. As the proverb goes in Proverbs 12:15: “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise.”

The final state of God’s solution is depicted in Revelation 21:3-4:

Let us not put our trust in the pathetic attempts of intransigent man to find his own solutions, when God has freely provided so much more - a plan with no limits. We will draw our remarks to a close with the comforting words of 1 Corinthians 15:55-58.

Join us again next week, God willing, for another edition of Bible in the News.
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