Confessions of a Church: Resist Like Christians

The Psalm writer wrote:  Open my eyes, that I may behold Wonderful things from Your law. As we come before a Holy God and hear his word, may we have eyes open to the wonderful and fearful things from his law. May it move us to repent and seek forgiveness, fear disobedience, and live in light of the grace we have received.   This is the word of God.  It is eternally true and applicable for all of life.  

Ecclesiastes 8:1-9 Who is like the wise man and who knows the interpretation of a matter? A man’s wisdom illumines him and causes his stern face to beam. 2 I say, “Keep the command of the king because of the oath before God. 3 Do not be in a hurry to leave him. Do not join in an evil matter, for he will do whatever he pleases.” 4 Since the word of the king is authoritative, who will say to him, “What are you doing?” 5 He who keeps a royal command experiences no trouble, for a wise heart knows the proper time and procedure. 6 For there is a proper time and procedure for every delight, though a man’s trouble is heavy upon him. 7 If no one knows what will happen, who can tell him when it will happen? 8 No man has authority to restrain the wind with the wind, or authority over the day of death; and there is no discharge in the time of war, and evil will not deliver those who practice it. 9 All this I have seen and applied my mind to every deed that has been done under the sun wherein a man has exercised authority over another man to his hurt.

This is the word of the Lord.

When we study Scripture and land on passages such as Romans 13, or Ecclesiastes 8, we find ourselves struggling to apply these commands in part due to the nature of the government under which we live. A constitutional republic is not a monarch. We do not live under the reign of an earthly king.  In our form of government, each citizen is represented by elected officials who have sworn to uphold our founding document, the Constitution.

The checks and balances which exist between the Executive, Legislative, and Judicial branches of our government are meant to ensure that no one branch, and no individual within a given branch of government, can consolidate power and monopolize the political process and operation of the government.

Yet, as with all human endeavors which are rife with sin, our system is flawed.

Power hungry politicians, special interest groups, low information voters, and a collective worldview increasingly untethered from the Word of God has left our Nation in a situation where it is difficult, if not near impossible, to discern what is true. As Christians we want to obey the Law of God, we want to respect authority, we want to be subject to the governing authorities, we want to give honor to whom honor is due, yet because of the nature of our government, which amounts to "self government" managed by representatives, governed by the Constitution, we are finding it very difficult to know where the limits of obedience and compliance to the authorities begins and ends.

Beyond a shadow of a doubt, we know that when kings, politicians, employers, police officers, or any other position of authority commands us to sin, we obey God rather than man.

Some issues which necessitate us saying "no" to human authority and "yes" to God, are black and white.

For instance, if the local authorities were to come in here and hand the Pastor a document and told him to use that as his sermon for this Lord's Day, we would respectfully decline, and whatever came after that we would count it all joy.

We can do this with a clear conscience because the Word of God is clear that it is the Church, with her Pastors, Elders, evangelists, and teachers, which preaches God's Word, not the State. There is no wiggle room for the conscience in a matter such as this. We say "no".

On the other hand, if the Henryville Fire Department showed up at the door on a Sunday morning and ordered us to vacate the building because there is a forest fire sweeping through Clark State forest, heading our way, prudence would dictate that we comply with this order. Likely, we would spend very little time trying to investigate this matter. It is doubtful that we would say to the Fire Chief "while we appreciate your concern, allow us to send out search parties to verify the legitimacy of the claims you have made, and we'll get back to you". The expert in matters pertaining to forest fires, who has been delegated the authority, by us, to make decisions pertaining to the preservation of life and property in regards to fires, has ordered us out because of a potential threat, and prudence dictates that we comply.

These are easy examples, yet many will want to immediately run to the "what ifs":

"What if the Fire Chief orders us out of here week after week for the same reason?"

"What if we walk outside and don't actually smell any smoke?"

"What if I don't personally perceive the threat of fire to be that big of a deal?"

These are legitimate questions which ought to see the light of day in their proper place and due time. The front end of the event, standing in the Church parking lot when unknowns exist may not be the time or place for such questions.

In a similar fashion, covid mandates, masks, vaccines, and passports, 19 months into the Covid-19 pandemic, which seem to look like arbitrary, overreaching edicts issued by heavy handed politicians who are merely consolidating power, ought to be questioned. Our form of government gives us that right. We can petition, we can write letters, send emails. We can vote, join special interest groups which lobby for this position or that. We can show up at the courthouse, the State House, even the Governor's house, and air our grievances. Because of the liberty our Constitution affords us as citizens, we have many avenues through which we can make our displeasure known to those who are in authority.

Surely your workplace has such mechanisms in place. Places of business have customer service hotlines which permit you to email or call to have issues of bad service or unequal treatment addressed. Even in your home, there ought to be a way for your wife and children to bring questions to the husband and father in matters pertaining to decision making, leadership, and planning.

There is a time and place for everything under the sun, the redress of grievances, petitioning, voting, and airing complaints. These things are not a violation or in any way contradictory to the admonition we see in Scripture today which says:

I say, “Keep the command of the king because of the oath before God. 3 Do not be in a hurry to leave him. Do not join in an evil matter, for he will do whatever he pleases.” 4 Since the word of the king is authoritative, who will say to him, “What are you doing?” 5 He who keeps a royal command experiences no trouble, for a wise heart knows the proper time and procedure. 6 For there is a proper time and procedure for every delight, though a man’s trouble is heavy upon him.

That said, in all the exercising of our rights, we must remember that we are not merely citizens, we are Christians. We are Christians, and the exercise of the rights and liberties afforded us in the Constitution, must be guided by the Word of God.

How we respond to the government in what many perceive to be tyranny, oppression, and heavy handed ordinances, must be tempered through the perfect Law of God. All our petitioning, all our voting, all our public debate, all our constitutionally protected rights which allow us as citizens to directly confront those elected officials and other authorities who sit in their God ordained positions, must be exercised as Christians.  

So, what does this look like for us?

Christians ought not be grumblers.

Christians cannot be revilers.

Christians must give honor where honor is due.

Christians should give thanks in everything.

Christians count it all joy when fiery trials come.

Christians rejoice when persecuted for Christ's namesake.

Christians go the second mile when compelled to go only one.

Christians do not repay evil for evil.

Christians must be humble.

Christians cannot be wise in their own eyes.

Christians must rule well where God has called them.

Christians should think of others more highly than themselves.

Christians would do well to remember that in the multitude of words, sin is not lacking.

Christians should work diligently to protect the reputation of all men.

Christians must remember that love covers a multitude of sins.

We could continue at length. Instead I will finish with a few questions:

At what point in our current national calamity have you truly exercised your rights as a Christian citizen? Have you actually petitioned the government, met with your councilman, wrote letters to your congressman, called you state representative, with faith? Have you done your duty as citizen and Christian, or did you go straight to the railing?

Have you traded the hard work of exercising your constitutional rights for complaining, grumbling, endless speculation and reviling, all sins?

Have you spent as much time crying out to God for mercy and deliverance from the hand of oppressors, as you do clicking away a multitude of words on Facebook directing all the governing officials who will never see your post, to do it your way?

Brothers and sisters, the issues of the day before us are not so black and white as many on all sides would have us believe. Many have been quick to shout "defy tyrants!" from the very beginning of the Covid outbreak, with others just as quick to say "submit to everything, question nothing". Truth is, our Constitution gives us a right to redress and question, yet as Christians this path is through the narrow way, which means that the way in which we exercise our rights will look much different from the lost citizens among whom we live.

Yes we have rights, but those rights must be governed by God's Word.

Yes we have liberty, yet we are also called to give a defense of the hope that is within us with gentleness and respect.

Let us repent where we have taken our eyes off of Christ, where we have set aside the full armor of God, in favor of warring in the flesh against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.

At this time, if you are able, please kneel as we pray.

Dear gracious Heavenly Father,

We come before You this morning as people who are feeling the effects of a godless worldview being forced upon us wherever we turn.

Confusion, lies, and manipulations permeate the public dialogue of our day, leaving us reeling and not knowing up from down.

Father, please forgive us for our fleshly attempts to solve spiritual problems. Please forgive us for our neglect of the means You have give to us that we might live peaceably in the land.

Father, please reveal to us our sins which contribute to the judgement which seems to be pressing down upon our land on so many fronts.

Please be merciful to us Father, and deliver us from the hands of evildoers.

In Jesus's name we pray, Amen.

Please stand and listen to the comforting assurance of the grace of God, promised in the gospel to his church: 

Hebrews 2:10-15 For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to perfect the author of their salvation through sufferings. For both He who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are all from one Father; for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren, saying, “I will proclaim Your name to My brethren, In the midst of the congregation I will sing Your praise.” And again, “I will put My trust in Him.” And again, “Behold, I and the children whom God has given Me.” Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives

 To all those who thus repent and seek Jesus Christ for their salvation, your sins are forgiven in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Lift up your hearts!