There is much talk today about vaccines, vaccine trials, and even mandatory vaccination. The concept is tried and true, though still controversial.
To oversimplify, you are given a small dose of a disease, your body produces antibodies, and from that time, you are immune.
Similarly, it’s possible to be immunized against the “Jesus Virus” as well, in a Christian home, VBS, or Sunday School where Jesus was the all-too-familiar but not-quite-real backdrop for everything. A feel-good, be-nice caricature of faith develops rather than the real thing.
Whatever the setting, it’s possible to hear just enough about Jesus to prevent the heart’s infection with the real Person. The Jesus Vaccine will protect you from:
taking seriously Jesus’ warnings about judgment.
repenting of your sins and obeying His commands.
believing that He really rose from the dead.
living as if your treasure truly is in Heaven.
taking up your cross and laying down your life for others.
praying as if you expect Him to hear and answer.
confessing your sins to God and asking forgiveness.
having to treat Christians as your very own family.
joining a church which He came to establish.
actually trusting His death for the forgiveness of your sins.
being involved in sharing Christ with your neighbors.
doing all you can to spread the Gospel to every nation.
listening to Bible sermons with a view to applying them to life.
forgiving others as you have been forgiven.
thinking that Jesus is the very Son of God, equal to God.
realizing that all God wants us to know about Him is in Jesus.
seeing that Jesus is the only Way to God and Heaven.
hearing God’s voice in the words of Scripture.
setting aside worry, knowing He is your strong, loving Shepherd.
humbly receiving His grace as a little child.
accepting His invitation to come to Him and be saved.
These are the symptoms of the Jesus Virus from which the Jesus Vaccine will guard you. Many seem to have been inoculated at an early age. In any case, our culture appears to have acquired herd immunity.
“Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother’s name Mary, and aren’t his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas? Aren’t all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things? And they took offense at him.”
Matthew 13:55-57