Why the Church should listen to our Governing Authorities during Covid-19

(And almost always!)

Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. Romans 13:1

During the craziness of the last three months, I have been thinking a lot about the response of the American Church during this pandemic. And, just like anything that people go through, the opinions and actions of the Church have been all over the place on a continuum that stretches between this doesn’t even exist… to God will take care of us… to this is the worst thing that has ever happened in the history of mankind and we will never recover. Now, don’t get me wrong there are plenty of believers that make up the Church that are taking a much more level headed approach. But, that is not where the action is. Those are not the people that make headlines. So, the question is this, “As the Church what should our response be to such unprecedented events? When this pandemic began and we understood very little about it (and not much has changed… We still understand very little), the church rose up as a force. Most of us cancelled services without being told. We looked for ways to serve the most vulnerable. We made masks, we offered to make grocery store trips, and we prayed for neighbors. The church was doing what the church is supposed to do. But, as these things go, things got politicized really quickly. It doesn’t take much for us to get decisive. So, what do we do now? Well, This is why we turn to the Scriptures for help. It is so easy to let our feelings control our actions. However, this is not what believers do. We are not led by feelings but, by the Holy Spirit and the word of God. The Prophet Jeremiah told us in Jeremiah 17:9, “The heart is more deceitful than anything else, and incurable—who can understand it?” So, if this is the case (and it is), then it is probably a good thing to not make decisions based on our feelings that come from our deceitful hearts. So then, why should the Church listen to our governing authorities during Covid-19? I believe that the Bible gives us at least three reasons why we should. And, if as the Church, we believe that our hearts cannot be trusted, then it would be wise to listen to the guide book given to us from God himself. So, outlined below are three reasons to listen to our governing authorities.

1. Be subject to the Governing Authorities.

Romans 13 is very clear on the role of our governing authorities. 13:1 Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. 2 Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves… 4 For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good… 5 Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also as a matter of conscience. At the heart of this is that a rejection to follow our authorities is a rejection to follow God. There are no authorities except for those that God established. Whether I voted for those authorities or agree with those authorities have no bearing on whether or not I should be subject to them. While there are cases where civil disobedience is called for in the scriptures, it is never over a simple disagreement like whether we should where masks or distance ourselves in social situations. These are always about having to make a choice between following God or man. This is what Peter and the apostles did in Acts 5 when told by the Sanhedrin to stop teaching in the name of Jesus! 5:28 “Didn’t we strictly order you not to teach in this name? Look, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man’s blood.” 29 Peter and the apostles replied, “We must obey God rather than people. So, now some are making the argument that, “The Government is keeping us from worshiping! We must obey God rather than people.” This could not be further from the truth. Does our God live in your church building or does He live in you? Or, you might say that the Bible tells us not to forsake the assembly. But, no one ever told us that our churches could not assemble? We simply had to assemble in a different manor. If any believer did not assemble virtually with other believers that is their fault, not our governments. Your fellow believers were a Facebook Live service away, they were a Zoom Bible study away, and they were a phone call or Face-Time away. And, even as I write this, there is nothing stopping the church from meeting house to house like the early Church did in Acts. The Church is not being punished, it is being kept safe and being preserved. And, often times we confuse not getting our way with oppression. This is especially true in our individualistic culture where we can get everything on demand or shipped in one to two days. Just because I don’t get what I want, doesn’t mean I am being oppressed. The Bible tells us that God instituted our authorities for our good. And, we have to believe this truth even when it doesn’t feel true because our hearts are deceitful and our feelings can’t always be trusted.

2. What if our authorities are wrong?

I will be the first to tell you that there is a really good chance that they have been wrong about a lot of things as it relates to Covid-19. Case in point, We are now hearing that the virus does not live on surfaces as long as the CDC previously stated. But, when was the last time that you were wrong? When was the last time you said something that you needed to take back? Our church has decided to take a slower path back to public gathering in our building. And, while we believe that this is a wise course of action, I really hope that I am wrong. I hope that all the churches that have begun meeting over the last month were correct, and we don’t see a spike in infections from our churches. Sometimes we are wrong, and in this case I want to be. We have been asked to be careful in public spaces, and this is what we have determined to do. However, if our authorities are wrong, it does not change what the Bible tells us to do. Yes, our authorities are fallible (Just like us). But, our instruction wasn’t to be subject to our authorities when we agreed with them; our instruction is to be subject to our authorities. And, I know that it can be easy to get caught in a “Boy who cried wolf” mindset. It can be easy to say that I am through with all of this because they can’t get their act together, and they are wrong all the time. But, what about when they get it right and we are not prepared because we have chosen to be rebellious? Remember, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted. And, this could be the most compelling reason to follow this direction from God’s word. The Apostle Paul wrote these words under Roman occupation. The Romans were wrong ALL THE TIME! They even imprisoned Paul on multiple occasions due to his preaching of the Gospel. Yet, He still tells us to be subject to our governing authorities. The Romans were against the Church and they tormented the Church, yet the Church was still to be subject to them. Our government is pretty friendly towards us, the least we could do is be friendly in return.

3. Show Grace to those who have different opinions than you.

It is important that you show grace to those that have different opinions than you. When we return to the church building, we will be wearing masks whether everyone feels like they are necessary or not. WHY? We are going to show grace to those who feel like they are. This is how we love. We do things even if we don’t believe them to be necessary. As a man that has been married nearly 20 years, this is a truth that I follow often. So, If our authorities say that we need masks, then we will wear masks regardless of how any group might feel about it. Romans 14 tells us that if we believe that something is sin, then it is sin. And, while believing that we should wear a mask is not sin, I believe that there is a principle that can be applied. If someone believes that wearing a mask in a public space is wise, then we should help this person out by wearing a mask. Why should we cause more anxiety for this person by refusing to where a simple mask? That is not loving, and as Christians, we are to be known by our love. And, we do this by being of one heart. Church, what we are going to do is to stop making a big deal about what we are being asked to do by our authorities. Instead, as Romans 12:18 says, If possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. As much as it depends on you live at peace with everyone. This means we will stop arguing with the person that baited us on Facebook. We will wear a mask when we go out, because we have been asked to. Don’t judge or belittle those that think differently than you. Yes, you can have your own opinions, but follow the commands of scripture rather than your own heart. Thanks for taking the time to read my thoughts. I hope this is helpful as you navigate a Christian response to what you might be feeling.