Monday, September 27, 2021

What the Bible Says About Obedience to Earthly Rulers

 

Romans 13 verses 1-2 “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment.”

This is and interesting conversation to have at the present time with the Covid Vaccine debate raging in the news. As Christians should we listen to the governments call to take the vaccine or not. From the governments point of view they stick to the science, or the facts as they see them, which are that the general population will be much safer from the Covid virus if everyone who can take the vaccine does.

Among certain denominations their is considerable distrust of the government and many Christians are skeptical about the virus and the vaccine. Believing that the virus was man made and released with a purpose in mind to get as many people as possible to take the vaccine – gene therapy. With the intention of causing humanity to become infertile or die premature and early deaths resulting in depopulation of the planet.

The theories currently doing the rounds are that the virus was released to kill the most vulnerable and to cause wide spread uptake of the vaccine which might be the delta variant of the virus. Which could be the destroying the immunity of those who are vaccinated. Which could be causing those vaccinated to become virus producing factories producing new and more lethal variants of virus and which will kill the host whose immune system is compromised and infect those around them. While most likely killing them as well. There is also the Zombie option which may or may not involve 5G.

So with that amount of distrust in evidence it is not hard to understand there being considerable resistance to the governments overtures to take the vaccine. Don’t get me wrong I have some reservations about the virus being a cleverly orchestrated scheme to get people to take the vaccine as well.

However for me it comes down to trusting the government that God has put in place to do the best for the people. As the verses in Romans say we are to obey the governing authorities who have been instituted by God and to resist them is to resist God and incur judgement.

1 John 4:7 “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.”

1 Peter 2:17 “Honour everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the emperor.”

James 1:19 “Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger...”

Matthew 5:43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbour and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust...”

Romans 12:14 “Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them.”


So you see where I’m going with this. We are to love because love is from God and whoever loves is born of God. Honour everyone, Love your brothers and sisters in Christ. Fear God and honour the government. Listen quietly and be patient not angry. Love and pray for your enemies. God is good to you and He is good to the wicked as well. Bless those who persecute you and don’t curse them.


We are asked by God to obey the authorities and to love, bless and pray for people even if they are our enemies and persecute us. We are also not to fear or be fearful.

1 John 4:18 puts it this way: “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love...”

With God we are to courageous. The bests example I can think of in scripture of courage, because of faith in God, are Joseph in Genesis chapters 39 through 50 and of Joshua and Caleb in Numbers chapters 13 and 14.

Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers because of their jealousy. He was taken to Egypt and quickly rose to a powerful position only to scorn Potiphar’s wife and be imprisoned for thirteen years. Pharaoh had a dream and Joseph was remembered. He interpreted the dream for Pharaoh and found himself elevated to the position of one of the most powerful men in Egypt. 

He oversaw the harvest of seven record seasons to tide Egypt through seven years of famine. His family came to Egypt in the famine and he forgave them and welcomed them. Surely a tale of great courage overcoming hopelessness and giving glory to God.


Caleb and Joshua were sent as part of a group of scouts to survey the territory in the promised land that God was intending to give to Israel. When the scouts returned Caleb and Joshua recommended that Israel prepare to enter the land for God would deliver their enemies into their hand. All of the other scouts recommended that they not enter the land because the people were exceedingly tall and strong and giants were there. As a result of their courage God excluded all of their generation from the promised land except Caleb and Joshua. Their belief in God and courage brought a great blessing on them and after the forty years of wandering the desert both men entered the promised land. Joshua as leader of the people and Caleb as a right hand man.

Fear and timidity are not a part of God’s plans. As Christians we have the same ability to contact God as Joseph, Caleb and Joshua did. We have faith in the same God that they did and we do not have to live in fear. By dwelling on the coming World Order and fearing the things they are doing and by fearing Covid and the Vaccine we are placing ourselves in the same position as the congregation of Israel did when they wouldn’t enter the promised land.

Virus and vaccine or none we need to go boldly on walking in the Spirit. Whether we take the vaccine or not there is no need to fear our enemies or bow down and cower in fear before them. God is in control

Isaiah 41:10 Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

My final message to you in this article is "Trust in God for you are hidden in God with Christ Jesus." You have no need to panic or fear and no need to share a gospel of fear with the people. Christian or otherwise. I’ve had the vaccine and I trust in God to protect me from it should it turn out to be more than just a vaccine. But more than this I know God has ordered my days and He has decided my path. I need not fear death for I am in the hand of God in Christ Jesus.

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