Monthly Archives: September 2020

The Government and the Gospel

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The Bible shows us that Christians do have a responsibility to be involved in government. In my article: Exploring the Limits of Civil Government, I explain that Jesus’ commands apply to governments, not just to individuals and because they do, we have an obvious responsibility to inform our governments about God’s law. There’s another important reason for us to be involved, though, and that’s because the government plays a role in our ability to spread the Gospel.

The Separation of Church and State

Here in the United States, a Christian’s involvement in political matters may bring up concerns about “the separation of church and state,” but God calls us to make sure that everything we do and think is based on His word. The separation of church and state is not be taken to mean that the government is supposed to be neutral to all religions. Not only is this not a rational way of thinking, it is an immoral one too. I discuss that in my article: Christianity and the Separation of Church and State.

Both John the Baptist and Jesus Himself came announcing the arrival of the Kingdom of God. These things were very political in that day. It’s true that His kingdom wasn’t going to be coming to earth right away, but there definitely wasn’t a separation between the disciple of Jesus and politics.

Jesus’ clear command to us as His followers, is to spread the Gospel. Some have attempted to use this as an excuse to not be involved in politics, but the truth is that the Gospel is the very reason we should be involved in government.

God’s Moral Law

When I think of the Gospel, I usually think of God’s grace. I think of the fact that Jesus died for our sins and came back to life again so that we could live forever in Him. These are the facts of the Gospel, but these facts depend on whether or not we understand what is meant by “our sins.” Jesus had to die because of these sins. If a person doesn’t understand what his sins are, he could miss out on what Jesus is actually dying for. It is possible that if a person doesn’t understand sin properly, he may not even believe that he has sinned and if he hasn’t really sinned, he doesn’t really need Jesus to die for anything. A wrong view of sin leads to a wrong view of the Gospel and that leads people away from God and closer to hell.

Somehow, those we wish to bring the Gospel to, must learn about their sins and the only way for them to learn about them, is to have a proper understanding of God’s laws. A good summary of God’s laws are found in The Ten Commandments, and these laws are clarified even more by the rest of the Bible.

Cultural Immortality

When you consider the need for our culture to understand what sin means, it exposes a pretty wide gap in knowledge, depending on what culture you find yourself in. In some cultures, The Ten Commandments are pretty obvious because those cultures are already well aware of them. In other cultures, these commandments may not only be unknown, they may actually assume the opposite to be true.

In the United States, it used to be quite common for people to know about the actual Ten Commandments. I hope that when you read this it is becoming more and more popular to know them again, but if not, it still exposes a major reason for us to be involved in our governments.

When Government Ignores God’s Laws

There are many reasons why a culture drifts away from God, but a big one is that governments have chosen to ignore God’s laws in the Bible. Some of them purposefully oppose God, the Bible and The Ten Commandments. When this happens, it distorts the people’s understanding of right and wrong. Good things are considered to be bad, while bad things are considered to be good.

I have recently heard famous politicians boast about their efforts to make abortion easier for people to get. Not too long ago, politicians used to say that they were personally pro-life, but that they believed that everyone should have a choice. Things have changed quickly. Abortion went from something somewhat bad, to something you can choose, to something you have a right or even a responsibility to do! This all started about 50 years before this writing when the United States government decided to declare to the people that abortion was good. The Bible clearly says that abortion is murder. It is also a violation of God’s first command to mankind which was to fill the earth. These government actions not only destroy lives on earth, they are leading people to hell by harming the Gospel message.

As I explain in Christianity and the Separation of Church and State, God actually holds governments responsible to enforce certain parts of God’s law, such as the law to not commit murder. It’s true that we have blood on their hands if they don’t, but because they have corrupted the culture’s understanding of what is right and what is wrong, they have also made it difficult for Christians to spread the Gospel.

When a government says something is good and a Christian says that it is bad, the people have a conflict to overcome before they can even say that Jesus died for sin. In the most difficult cases, the Christian finds himself opposing the government just to speak out about the Gospel. The minds of the people are also being perverted as to what is right and wrong causing damage to the Gospel message. Because of the government’s stance on moral issues, people are more inclined to ignore the Gospel and continue in their sinful lifestyles.

When Government Upholds God’s Laws

When a government is acting properly, it punishes people for violating the civil laws found in the Bible. This makes it clear to people that the sin described in the Bible and reflected in their conscience is inexcusable. A person doesn’t have to be arrested for a sin to sense their own tendency to lean that way either. That’s where Jesus’ words have a greater effect for the Gospel. He told us that even if we hate our neighbor, we commit murder inside. The government can’t and shouldn’t be involved in punishing hate crime, but God does use our conscience to let us know when we are doing it. If the government says that abortion isn’t murder, for instance, it creates a conflict with our conscience. A person can still hate their own unborn child with little cultural accountability. They may even harbor a rebellious desire to stop filling the earth as God commanded, and pervert their conscience to the point at which they think it’s a virtuous thing.

Keeping Our Eyes on the Goal

When we do get into government issues, it is important for us to stay focused on our goal. Our focus isn’t on who wins elections. Our focus is on our Great Commission. That being said, we should also not assume that we have no responsibility to the governments of the world. The Bible tells us that we are the salt and light of the earth. Salt and light won’t do much good inside of our church walls. If we don’t participate in teaching our government their responsibility to obey God and promote His civil laws, this will also harm our efforts to obey the Great Commission as well.

Further Study

J.C. Ryle on the Government’s Role
This respected English pastor wrote about the separation of church and state over 100 years ago. Here’s some of what he had to say as it relates to Jesus’ comment to Pilate in John 18:36, when He tells him that His kingdom is not of this world.

Exploring the Limits of Civil Government
When is the government taking on too much? When isn’t it doing enough? In this article, I focus on the what government’s biblical responsibilities are and are not.

Christianity and the Separation of Church and State
What does the separation of church and state really mean? In this article, I explain that the separation of church and state does not mean that a government is supposed to be neutral when it comes to governing according to religious principles.

Worse than the Disease

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The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is clearly one of the many forms of government overreach in the United States. It’s handling of COVID-19 has exposed serious problems. A careful look at this organization’s behavior reveals some very alarming things that every American Christian should know.

Conflicts of Interest

I began seriously questioning the CDC after watching the Plandemic video that featured an interview with Dr. Judy Mikovits. She described her first-hand experience working with Dr, Anthony Fauci, the CDC and even the infamous laboratory in Wuhan China. Mikovits revealed that government organizations like the CDC were given the permission to profit from patents they developed while working with taxpayer money. She claimed that this had become an enormous motivator, one that she believed was often placed above the health of those they were supposed to be protecting.

Mysteriously, the Plandemic video itself was banned on YouTube and barrage of “fact-checking experts” mocked the video, labeling it as “false”. Search engines helped out by bringing slanderous reports to the top of searches. This made it difficult for anyone to question the CDC or disagree with their views. The social media platforms informed us that they were compelled to limit content to what the experts have said, even though these experts were the ones being implicated in a conflict of interest. Through the restrictive behavior of the media, the CDC and other government groups have been able to control the message about COVID-19. The process has also broadcast a subliminal message to all: don’t question the government, just let it protect you.

Ignore your Own Doctor?

The Plandemic video also exposed the shocking rejection of Hydroxychloroquine as a treatment for COVID-19. Judy Mikovits explained that it was a very inexpensive treatment that worked when applied early. The social media platforms had already excluded these reports, just as they did to the Plandemic video. One of these banned videos was created by 9 doctors who together had over 100 years of experience. The CDC quietly ignored the benefits of Hydroxychloroquine while pharmacies and health board openly banned its use. These actions strongly implied that COVID-19 was so bad that they needed to save us from our own health professionals and their foolishness.

Here’s what one doctor observed:

‘There is no home treatment that is recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA), the American Medical Association (AMA), or your managed care plan.

In their view, “following The Science” means denying treatment. Doctors who defy this diktat may get fired, like Dr. Simone Gold, founder of America’s Frontline Doctors, or face an investigation and possible delicensure by government agencies.’

Jane M. Orient, M.D, (https://www.wnd.com/2020/09/lessons-9-month-covid-emergency/)

Vaccine Money

By ignoring and perhaps even downplaying beneficial treatment for illness, the CDC actions continue to raise questions. Could it be that the CDC intends to make money by pushing their patented vaccinations?

It has become clear that treatments like Hydroxychloroquine aren’t the only things that have been “cleaned up” from our view online. According to the Plandemic videos, those who were critical of vaccinations have also been exposed to social media censorship techniques. It isn’t clear that the CDC is requesting that the information be removed, but they definitely aren’t doing anything to educate the public concerning existing, inexpensive medicine. What their website and social media searching does do is encourage us to believe, is that vaccination is not only safe, but necessary for health. I then learned of an obviously sinful practice that CDC and other federal organizations had shown strong approval for of for years.

The Use of Aborted Baby Parts

According to a detailed report by LifeSite, many vaccines have been developed using aborted fetal tissue. It said that this has been going on for years. In fact, the report indicates that all existing chicken pox vaccines were made using aborted fetal cell lines. These vaccines are recommended by the CDC on their website. Many of the proposed COVID-19 vaccines were using them too. Not only was the CDC involved in a conflict of interest over patents, they are approving and benefiting from those who destroy innocent human life. Statistics are clear that the single biggest killer of Americans in the United States is abortion and the CDC is not only silent, it makes use of the practice.

The CDC Owns the Virus?

Further investigation revealed that the CDC has had an interest in Coronavirus since the early 2000’s. The CDC has a patent on the kind of virus that ended up harming the world. This fact was exposed on the sequel to the Plandemic move: Plandemic Part 2: Indoctornation. The movie explains that it is illegal for nature to be patented. Could it be that human Coronavirus was an intentional invention by the CDC? If not, why do they have a patent relating to it?

What Needs to be Done

The evidence demonstrates that the CDC has done a bad job of controlling the spread of disease, while also being quite good at controlling people. Consider what they have required people to do for COVID-19. They were first required to give up their rights for 15 days to “flatten the curve”. Then they were required to give up their rights for a month to bring the death counts down. Then we were required to give up their rights in order to bring the case counts down. Then they were asked to give up their rights to wait for a vaccine. The CDC and others in government have made themselves slave owners with no end in sight. They wrongfully hold tyrannical power over citizens of the United States.

The Bible is clear that the government’s job is limited. God describes the government as having a judicial and policing role in civil matters only. God is the protector of our health in areas not given to the individual. For this reason, the CDC was never a good idea. It should not surprise us that God has allowed us to suffer for this. We should not have given government power that belonged to God. Now we must do the difficult work required to remove this power from their hands. It is now our duty to retire the CDC and return the authority back to God.

Further Information

Which COVID-19 vaccines will be derived from aborted children’s cell lines?
This is a very detailed report, but it is also very important. There appear to be attempts to hide this kind of information from the public too. Find out more about which vaccines have made use of aborted babies.

Plandemic Video
This is the video with testimony from Dr. Mikovits that was removed from YouTube. You also have testimony from doctors who’s voices were silenced during the COVID-19 Pandemic. It is being supported by donors.

White Coat Summit
Hear the voices of 9 doctors as they speak out against the CDC’s approved message. This has been taken off of YoutTube as well.

CDC Patent: Coronavirus isolated from humans
Here’s one of at least three patents that the CDC holds relating to coronavirus.

Plandemic 2: Indoctornation
This is a much larger, much darker picture of the questions surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic. It includes the questionable behavior of the CDC both now and in the past.

Exploring the Limits of Civil Government
Here’s a detailed look at the government’s real job from God’s perspective.

Christianity and the Separation of Church and State

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This document addresses a popular but irrational interpretation of “the separation of church and state.” It’s a fairly common belief today that the separation of church means that the government is required to operate in a completely neutral way when it comes to religion. I would like to explain why this view is both irrational and dangerous to liberty. As I’ve said before, philosophical neutrality is fallacious and when an interpretation of the constitution is irrational, it could easily lead to tyranny.

The Founders’ Thoughts

It is possible that some of the founders believed they were neutral to all religions, but it is clear that they didn’t design a system of government that would actually work that way. The constitution merely disallowed the federal government to govern what they considered to be the exercise of religion. It is well known that the founders didn’t want the federal government specifying certain matters for the states or for the individual. The problem is that they also made claims based on the existence of God, that did apply to everyone. Unfortunately for us, the range of practices considered to be personal choices and the ones considered to be moral and virtuous for all, are not really self-evident to everyone today. As Christians, we must realize that no matter what the constitution’s problems are, our God is real, what He demands of government is not optional for anyone.

We do know that many of the founders favored Christian principles and those principles were reflected in the things they said and wrote. Here’s what some of the prominent founders of the United States said:

“Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports. In vain would that man claim tribute to patriotism who should labor to subvert these great pillars of human happiness — these firmest props of the duties of men and citizens. . . . reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principles.” – George Washington, First President of the United States, Farewell Address

“We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion. Avarice, ambition, revenge, or gallantry, would break the strongest cords of our Constitution as a whale goes through a net. Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.” – John Adams, Second President of the United States

“Providence has given to our people the choice of their ruler, and it is the duty, as well as the privilege and interest of our Christian nation to select and prefer Christians for their rulers.” – John Jay, First Chief Justice of the US Supreme Court, Second Governor of New York

The Absurd Results of Religious Neutrality

No matter what a person believes about it, complete religious neutrality isn’t possible. It isn’t achievable because religions frequently define opposing sets of requirements. At best, a government can only pretend to be religiously neutral. Consider the religious practices of human sacrifice and cannibalism. If the United States government were really neutral, it would be required to allow these things to take place. It’s obvious to most of us that the government should not allow this, but by not allowing it, the government isn’t really being neutral.

This pretended neutrality also makes it easier for a government to destroy itself. We have seen this appear in the United States as some have suggested that the system of government itself is not neutral and must be dismantled. This is a crafty method of revolution because even if the government is torn down, a new non-neutral government will fill the void.

Over 100 years ago, a well respected pastor in England named J. C. Ryle, gave us this warning:

“To tell us that a Government must leave religion alone, because it cannot promote it without favouring one Church more than another, is simply absurd. It is equivalent to saying that, as we cannot do good to everybody, we are to sit still and do no good at all.”

J. C. Ryle (J.C. Ryle on the Government’s Role)

Opening a Door to Tyranny

When a government pretends to be religiously neutral, it damages the rule of law. It enables a tyranny to be empowered by a well known philosophical error. In logic, it’s well established that if you allow a single inconsistency in your worldview, it can be used to prove anything you want it to. This is sometimes called The Principle of Explosion. If a person can convince you to believe in a contradiction, it paves the way for them to manipulate you. If an inconsistency is used as a means of government, it can be used as a manipulation technique to make all of its behavior seem reasonable when it really isn’t.

If a government doesn’t admit its bias, it actually opens the door to tyranny. By choosing when it will pretend to be neutral and when it will not, it can make its subjective philosophy dominant over the objective philosophy of others. Since the founders intended our country to be governed by law not people, the only workable interpretation of the separation of church and state must be one that allows the government to continue to operate by law. The only way for a society to be governed by the rule of law instead of man is for that law to ultimately be in subordination to God’s law. This is a Christian principle and it was a common belief in the west at the time our government was being formed.

What Christians Believe about Government

Christians firmly believe that each person’s decision to become a Christian is personal and autonomous. If a person were to be forced to become a Christian, they would not really be a Christian. Christians also believe that whether or not you choose to be a Christian, all mankind must obey certain civil laws. These civil laws are clear and obvious in the Bible. They include things like fornication, theft, murder and lying in court. The Bible teaches that Christian morality is to be upheld, even among non-Christians. Because Christian principles are based on God’s law in the Bible, no man or government can avoid or change them. This standard exposes human tyranny and promotes liberty because every individual knows that they are free to think and speak as long as they live within the clear and simple civil laws of God provided in the Bible.

Conscience

Some might wonder how Christians would expect non-Christians to abide by their Bible’s civil laws? The answer is that God has placed a conscience into each person, whether they choose to become a Christian or not. For instance, even in places where the Bible isn’t known, people know that murder is wrong. They also know that cheating, theft and taking someone else’s wife is wrong. The problem is that mankind tends to purposefully corrupt his conscience in order do things that give him pleasure. A person’s inner compass can be suppressed. God’s written civil laws go along with a person’s conscience and a good government merely enforces that conscience so that people can live together in freedom and harmony. This may be distasteful to those who are accustomed to living for their own passions in spite of their conscience, but it is the best thing for them and for their community. More importantly, it is what God, or Creator requires.

Further Reading

J.C. Ryle on the Government’s Role
Read more about what a honorable pastor and follower of the Bible said about the the Church and state.

Rebuilding America’s Foundation
This is something I wrote as I lamented the moral deterioration of the United States. It contains some more quotes that you may want to see by American leaders regarding the Christian worldview that forms the foundation of the American republic.

The Fallacy of Neutrality
I develop the Pretended Neutrality Fallacy a little bit more in this article demonstrating that it is immediately self-refuting.

Exploring the Limits of Civil Government
This document does a better job of explaining the true role of government. The reason that there is a separation of church and state is because God is the only one who gives authority to men and He made the distinction between the two. This is an exploration of the doctrine of governmental authority.

The Christian foundations of the rule of law in the West: a legacy of liberty and resistance against tyranny
This is a very detailed document that discusses issues regarding the history and application of the rule of law in western governments.

220 Days in Luke – Day 103: The Separation of Church and State
I also commented on this subject in my devotional commentary in the book of Luke. You can find that here.

Exploring the Limits of Civil Government

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“Jesus came to them and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I commanded you. Behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.”

Matthew 28:18-20

These are some of the last words Jesus gave to us before he left to Heaven. They are very helpful when we consider the limits of civil government. Notice that Jesus made it clear that He currently holds “all authority… on earth.“

Although the commission was written to Christians, Christians are commanded to delver a message to “all nations.” The people that form the government are included in this. In fact, the Bible records the fact that civil magistrates were converted to Christianity.

It’s important for everyone to understand that neither the government nor the citizens are allowed to do whatever they want. All of us are governed by the commands of Jesus. Even the authority of civil government is limited to Jesus’ commands.

This idea didn’t just start when Jesus gave us the Great Commission. All authority was already God’s before He put it in Jesus’ hands. Jesus brought this up when He talked to Pilate.

‘Pilate therefore said to him, “Aren’t you speaking to me? Don’t you know that I have power to release you and have power to crucify you?”

11 Jesus answered, “You would have no power at all against me, unless it were given to you from above. Therefore he who delivered me to you has greater sin.”’

John 19:10-11

The Default Authority

An important thing that the Great Commission tells us is that all authority not granted by Jesus to the civil government already belongs to Jesus. If “all authority has been given to” Jesus, it doesn’t leave anything laying around for the government to take. When the Bible is silent about who is in charge, it is correct to assume that Jesus is. This limits government’s authority to what God has specifically delegated to them.

An Overview of God’s Commands to Government

In order for us to understand God’s limits on human government, we have to know everything that Jesus has commanded government to do. Thankfully, we have all of that in the Bible. We may not fully comprehend everything God tells the government to do in the Bible yet, but we all know where to look when we have a question about it. There are several places where the government’s authority is mentioned. Here’s one place:

“Let every soul be in subjection to the higher authorities, for there is no authority except from God, and those who exist are ordained by God. 2 Therefore he who resists the authority withstands the ordinance of God; and those who withstand will receive to themselves judgment. 3 For rulers are not a terror to the good work, but to the evil. Do you desire to have no fear of the authority? Do that which is good, and you will have praise from the authority, 4 for he is a servant of God to you for good. But if you do that which is evil, be afraid, for he doesn’t bear the sword in vain; for he is a servant of God, an avenger for wrath to him who does evil. 5 Therefore you need to be in subjection, not only because of the wrath, but also for conscience’ sake. 6 For this reason you also pay taxes, for they are servants of God’s service, continually doing this very thing. 7 Therefore give everyone what you owe: if you owe taxes, pay taxes; if customs, then customs; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.”

Romans 13:1-7

The main focus of this passage is a Christian’s relationship to the government, but it also holds some truth about the role of government. It tells us some important things:

  • The government is to be respected
  • The government is not to be resisted
  • The government is authorized to judge between good and evil
  • The government is authorized to punish evil
  • The government is authorized to issue the death penalty
  • The government is authorized to tax

This overview actually limits government to a very narrow area. They are only authorized to judge and punish evil, and to require taxes for that purpose. It’s pretty simple and strait forward. I think that what has made this issue difficult to discern today, is that the definition of “good and evil” has been corrupted by those who wish to obtain god-like power.

Good and Evil

It’s very important to notice that Romans 13 only gives the government permission to judge between good and evil. It does not give it permission to define what good and evil is. This is a critical thing for Christians to consider. God never gave man the authority to create new commandments. God placed all authority on Jesus, and Jesus told us to make His commands known. The government doesn’t even have the job of making Jesus’ commands known. That’s our job as Christians. The government’s only job is to enforce civil commands. God’s civil commands are more specifically described in the Old Testament and that’s where a government should go in order to know what is good and what is evil. It is wrong for them to simply make it up commands themselves:

“You shall not add to the word which I command you, neither shall you take away from it, that you may keep the commandments of Yahweh your God which I command you.“

Deuteronomy 4:2

“Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil;
    who put darkness for light,
    and light for darkness;
who put bitter for sweet,
    and sweet for bitter!
21 Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes,
    and prudent in their own sight!”

Isaiah 5:20-21

Civil Sins are the Punishable Ones

If God has given civil government the authority to punish evil but has limited it to the evils found in the Bible, then the only sins that the government is to punish are those that are specified by God as having a punishment attached to them. If a government punishes a sin that God doesn’t have a specified punishment for in the Bible, they are modifying Jesus’ commandments. They are limited to punishing only the evil that the Bible says is to be punished.

This is very important. For example, the Bible doesn’t allow a government to punish “thought crime.” Jesus does hold a man accountable for thought crime, but human government does not have the authority to punish it. In fact, human government doesn’t have the proper tools to assess the thoughts of a man. We are seeing the results of man’s attempts to know the thoughts of people today and it clearly leads to abuse and oppression.

Man’s Justice is Limited

Another very important thing for us to keep in mind, is that only God has the ability to bring perfect justice. One long-awaited promise of the Kingdom of Jesus is that He will bring perfect judgement to man for the first time in history, but this judgment is reserved for Jesus alone.

Man’s justice is always incomplete and temporary. We cannot see or punish many of the sins that God can. God is actually offended if we try to do so. Here’s what God tells us:

‘Don’t seek revenge yourselves, beloved, but give place to God’s wrath. For it is written, “Vengeance belongs to me; I will repay, says the Lord.”’

Romans 12:19

If a man attempts to punish “sins” that only God can see, we put ourselves in God’s place. It is a violation of the third commandment to attempt to vainly act in God’s name. That’s what government officials do when they create punishments for crimes that only God can properly assess.

Which sins are punishable?

To learn which sins are punishable, read God’s law, much of which is found in Exodus, Leviticus and Deuteronomy. Most of these sins are quite obvious even though the punishments have been diminished in many cultures today. That’s because God has given each one of us a built in legal system called a conscience, but we tend to minimize our failures. The “basic rule” for civil government is found way back in Genesis after Noah got off of the ark:

“I will surely require accounting for your life’s blood. At the hand of every animal I will require it. At the hand of man, even at the hand of every man’s brother, I will require the life of man. 6 Whoever sheds man’s blood, his blood will be shed by man, for God made man in his own image.”

Genesis 9:5-6

Later in the Leviticus, God gave Moses more detail:

““‘He who strikes any man mortally shall surely be put to death. 18 He who strikes an animal mortally shall make it good, life for life. 19 If anyone injures his neighbor, it shall be done to him as he has done: 20 fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth. It shall be done to him as he has injured someone. 21 He who kills an animal shall make it good; and he who kills a man shall be put to death. 22 You shall have one kind of law for the foreigner as well as the native-born; for I am Yahweh your God.’”

Leviticus 24:17-21

When a man or an animal kills a man, it is the government’s job to kill that man or animal. Laws that God allows the civil government to punish, are often related to the value of human life or private property in some way or another. This includes death for those adults in rebellion to parents (Deuteronomy 21:18-21) and those in direct rebellion against the Creator of the law (Leviticus 24:16). It also includes those who commit sexual sins of fornication and adultery (Deuteronomy 22:22-30).

The Distribution of Authority

It’s important for us to understand that Jesus didn’t simply pass authority down government officials. Individuals, families and churches have been given authority too. Most of the law is written to us as individuals. The law of God not only tells us our individual responsibility, it also informs us of our liberty (Psalm 119:45). By giving man direct responsibility under God, we are free from the control of man. The Bible teaches that God intends for us to be free (1 Corinthians 7:23, Galatians 5:13).

A good way that we observe God’s distribution of authority is by looking at what the Bible says about obedience and submission. Liberty has been given to each of us because each individual is commanded to control himself. Children are to submit to their parents (Ephesians 6:1-3) and a wife is told to submit to her husband (Ephesians 5:22). Men and women are also told to submit to their bosses (Ephesians 6:5-8).

An important teaching in the New Testament is that the church reports directly to Jesus Himself (Ephesians 5:23-24). This is also reflected in God’s instructions to church members. They were not to not bring lawsuits between themselves to civil courts (1 Corinthians 6:1-11). God also calls on younger people to take the advice of the older ones (1 Peter 5:5).

Government Overreach

Government overreach is a very serious sin. When a government takes authority that it was not given, it must take it from someone else. If God has already given the responsibility to an individual, parents, bosses or the church, the government doesn’t have the right to remove that responsibility. When a government takes authority away by force, it isn’t just taking that authority away from man. It’s taking the authority away from Jesus who distributed it.

God’s design for human government is for it to focus on judgment and the punishment of civil wrong doing. There is no mention of the economy, communications, food distribution, education, welfare, healthcare, resource management, workforce management, etc. The government may find civil disorder in any of these areas when life or property is at stake, but God doesn’t call for governmental management of these areas.

It definitely doesn’t give government the right to manage personal issues like what a person should wear or eat or what medicines a person should be taking. It doesn’t have the right to tell churches what to teach or how to meet together. It doesn’t have the right to tell families how many children to have or to tell individuals what to think.

Dealing with Oppression

Jesus had to deal with the overstep of the “Jewish local government.” They made so many rules that no one could follow them, and they excluded themselves from having to do them.

“All things therefore whatever they tell you to observe, observe and do, but don’t do their works; for they say, and don’t do. 4 For they bind heavy burdens that are grievous to be borne, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not lift a finger to help them.”

Matthew 23:3-4

Often in this life, we are forced to do things by our governments that God does not require. As a result, we have to obey or suffer. Sometimes, the only alternative is to suffer because to obey would be a sin. It’s important for us to remember that Governments are being watched by Jesus and they will be held accountable for what they have done.

“Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they watch on behalf of your souls, as those who will give account, that they may do this with joy, and not with groaning, for that would be unprofitable for you.”

Hebrews 13:17

Further Study

Here are some good places to read more about authority and the government’s limits. These have helped me as I have considered the topic.

God vs. Government
by Dr. Jason Lisle
(https://biblicalscienceinstitute.com/theology/god-vs-government/)
In this document, Jason Lisle focuses on the role of government and its interference with the church. He has an excellent focus on God’s law which he also discusses in other places.

An Examination of Romans 13
by Pastor Matthew Trewhella
(https://defytyrants.com/01/Romans13appendix.pdf)
This document provides three proofs as to why Romans 13 does not teach unlimited obedience to civil government. This is an important thing to understand as many argue that Romans 13 means that God wants us to obey all authority without question.

The Christian foundations of the rule of law in the West: a legacy of liberty and resistance against tyranny
by Augusto Zimmermann
(https://creation.com/the-christian-foundations-of-the-rule-of-law-in-the-west-a-legacy-of-liberty-and-resistance-against-tyranny)
This is an in-depth document that connects Christianity to the rule of law. This concept is an important one and one that I didn’t discuss in my writing here. This document is also very special in that it was formally written by an Australian Christian in a peer-reviewed creationist journal.

Clear Evidence that Universal Masking Isn’t Necessary

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After carefully considering COVID-19 recommendations, I came to a very strong conclusion that mask mandates have nothing to do with the danger of being infected with COVID-19.

The CDC has this recommendation regarding masks:

“CDC recommends that you wear masks in public settings around people who don’t live in your household and when you can’t stay 6 feet away from others. Masks help stop the spread of COVID-19 to others.”

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/about-face-coverings.html

First, it’s important to note that this is a “recommendation.” There are no “mask mandates” on the CDC website to the best of my knowledge. Americans should know that these mandates are both illegal and immoral as I detail in a previous article.

The main reason that I assert that mask mandates are wrong, is that they spread a lie that COVID-19 is a dangerous disease. Evidence recently came into focus that has clearly exposed the inconsistency of the experts regarding when the disease is infectious which calls universal mask wearing into question.

One thing that God teaches us is that we are to judge people by what they do, not by their words alone. What a person does, exposes the truth about what they really believe. Here’s what James said:

“Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead in itself. 18 Yes, a man will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without works, and I will show you my faith by my works.”

James 2:17-18

God tells us that when a person says he believes something, but does something else, we are not to believe what that person says. What a person does, demonstrates what he really believes. This fact turns out to be very important when it comes to the CDC’s recommendations and the truth about mask wearing.

What exposes the CDC’s deception is their recommendations regarding testing. Here’s what they say about that:

“Considerations for who should get tested : People who have symptoms of COVID-19, People who have had close contact (within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes) with someone with confirmed COVID-19, People who have been asked or referred to get testing by their healthcare provider, local or state ​health department”

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/symptoms-testing/testing.html

When it comes to actually deciding who has COVID-19, the CDC says that they only want to test those who have symptoms, or those who have spent 15 minutes with another person who was confirmed to have the disease. This exposes who the CDC really believes are dangerous.

The experts apparently don’t believe that people without symptoms are sick enough to even test for the disease. This doesn’t match with what the CDC says in another place:

“COVID-19 may be spread by people who are not showing symptoms.”

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/how-covid-spreads.html

These experts are only testing those who are sick even though they say that it “may be” spread by people without symptoms. They want us to live by what they say while they live by a different rule.

What does this have to do with universal mask mandates? It has to do with what the CDC said in the first quotation in this article. They claim in that quotation that “masks help stop the spread… to others.” What it actually means when you put all of these things together is that masks help stop the spread of the disease from a harmfully infected person to others who are not infected. Since the actions of the experts demonstrate that only people who show symptoms are worthy of testing, it exposes the fact that only those who have symptoms should be wearing a mask.

A person might argue that the only reason that the CDC doesn’t want to test people without symptoms is because they don’t have the resources to test everyone, but that’s not a good argument anymore. A recent article in the New York Times exposed the fact that the tests themselves are measuring people who have the virus but are not sick enough to test positive. The unrevealed fact was that it is possible to have the virus without being contagious enough to be a concern to the experts.

“The standard tests are diagnosing huge numbers of people who may be carrying relatively insignificant amounts of the virus. Most of these people are not likely to be contagious, and identifying them may contribute to bottlenecks that prevent those who are contagious from being found in time.”

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/29/health/coronavirus-testing.html

The article goes on to remind people that they should only seek out testing if they are truly sick. If the argument for testing is that people who don’t have symptoms are not even “COVID-19 positive,” why should those who have no symptoms be required to wear masks? What the experts are doing doesn’t match what they are mandating that we do.

This doesn’t change what Christians should do about mask mandates. As I mentioned before, God’s requirement has always been that only those with symptoms of certain diseases should be required to wear masks and be isolated from others. God’s law has no requirement for universal mask wearing. What has been revealed here is merely a confirmation of what we should already know from God’s word. When an individual knows that he has a contagious disease, he should isolate himself and may even need to wear a mask. This allows the rest of us to support the community while those who are sick, get better.

This brings up the question: If experts don’t really think that masks reduce the spread of COVID-19, why do they insist that we wear them? We may never really know the specifics of what they are thinking, but God has made it clear what we should do.

“You were bought with a price. Don’t become bondservants of men.”

1 Corinthians 7:23

For More Information

Worse than the Disease
When we see misleading information like this that comes from a government agency, it should cause us to ask some questions about what we need to change. This article explains what I think we should do.