Government and the Virus

It seems like every day you come across reports of common, every day innocent people who are victimized.

And it's not just an individual kind of thing. It can happen with groups and companies and even governments that manipulate and maneuver and attempt to control people. When you consider this process of manipulation, it seems to lead to exploitation as well. And of course, once you're manipulated and exploited, it seems that the victim then becomes dependent on the will of the perpetrator. And they can begin to lose confidence. And it seems that you don't have anything that you can accomplish—no potential to do anything of your own—without the perpetrator's help or their guidance. And so ultimately you become dependent and subjugated as you're victimized. And yet, as we consider our place in this world, we're not to be enslaved by the priorities or the goals or the values of this world around us. We're not to be conformed to this world. Romans 12, verse 2 certainly tells us that very thing. But we're to be transformed in our thinking. We're to be different in our minds. We're certainly told that our thinking cannot be shaped by the persuaders of this world. But instead, we're to prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. The book of Hebrews reminds us that we're not citizens of this world. We're supposed to be travelers through this life. Sojourners or strangers is the way Hebrews puts it. Exiles in this world. Because ultimately, our citizenship is in heaven. And we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. Philippians 2 certainly is a great reminder of that very thing. And so, to be so different than the rest of the citizens of this world, we're not supposed to be manipulated. We're not supposed to be exploited. And in a sense, we're the freest of all people. We shouldn't be living in fear because ultimately, God's granted us freedom from fear. And if you think about why would that be the case, it's because we belong to a kingdom that cannot be shaken. So, fear is outside that kingdom that we are called to be a part of. Our city has a builder and maker who is God Himself. And ultimately, our allegiance is to the King who said, My kingdom is not of this world. And that's our calling. And so, it becomes an issue of loyalty. Where do we place our loyalty? And that's something that we're challenged with maybe even every day. I mean, is it possible to be an American or to be a Canadian or a Mexican or you name the country? Is it possible to be an American with a little bit of Christian flavoring? Is that possible? Or to be Christians with a little bit of America or a little bit of Canadian or a little bit of Mexican seasoning? Is that possible? Because it begs the question, am I more American than I am Christian?

And so, when we consider loyalties, I don't think there's any doubt that we are constantly being pushed by forces in our culture, in our society, that are trying to make it almost impossible to recognize the differences in our values, in the values of being Christian and being whatever nationality you want to claim. But ultimately, we're to proclaim a radical declaration of independence from this world and its society and its culture, which calls us to pledge allegiance, absolute allegiance, to the King of Kings. And so, it oftentimes brings up a question. How much should we conform? How much should we conform to the authorities of this world? Oftentimes, Romans chapter 13 is brought to mind. If you'd like to turn there with me, Romans chapter 13, right at the very beginning of that chapter, talks about governing authorities and our relationship to the authorities. Romans 13 verse 1 is where Paul writes to God's church in Rome, at that time, the ultimate governing authority, the Roman Empire. And it's interesting what Paul writes to God's church at that time and also to us today in Romans chapter 13.

This is what he wrote. Verse 1, Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Verse 2, Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same. For he is God's minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is God's minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil. Verse 5, Therefore you must be subject, not only because of wrath, but also because of conscious sake. For because of this you also pay taxes, for they are God's ministers attending continually to this very thing.

Render therefore to all their due, taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, and honor to whom honor.

Now in this section of Scripture, oftentimes it's used to say a lot of different things about our connection to governing authority. And certainly Paul mentions a couple of aspects here that are important to recognize. First, he says, governing authority has been ordained, or instituted by God. And so when it comes to government, God's involved in it. God has a part in it. Now Paul is also mentioning here that if you resist governing authorities, two things happen. He says your conscience should bother you because really you're opposing God. And he also says if you oppose, there's going to be punishment from those authorities. Makes it pretty clear in that way, doesn't it? And so the third thing that Paul mentions is that to avoid fear and wrath, be subject to the governing authorities. Now, when we consider this, you can't help but wonder, should we always obey the government? Is that what Paul's saying here? Or is there more to the story? Should we always obey the government? We know from prophecy that there is a government that is coming that will dictate behavior. Revelation 13, verse 7 describes a government that is wild and is dominating and manipulating. And certainly one that is exploiting the people. It's described as a beast in Revelation 13. In Revelation chapter 13. But no doubt, it's also said to have authority over every tribe, tongue, and nation. Well, you talk about authority. Revelation 13, 7 certainly points to something that's coming down the line that we better be aware of. And so when we consider that question, do we always obey the government? Well, it's not something that just is happening down the line. If you can think of examples in your Bible, this dictating, manipulating behavior has also been something that's happened in the past as well. Take a look at what it tells us in Exodus chapter 1. Exodus chapter 1, because it seems to indicate something different than what Paul wrote about. And what it seems to point to is there are times when God expects civil disobedience. God expects His people to resist. There are times when God expects defiance to the governing authorities. Let's notice one example. In Exodus chapter 1, you can tell by the book that we're going to, we're going to talk about God's people, the Israelites, who lived in Egypt. They were under the rule of the pharaohs. And in Exodus chapter 1, the king, the pharaoh, commanded the Hebrew midwives. Let's notice this government mandate. Exodus chapter 1 verse 16. Here Pharaoh says to the midwives, When you do the duties of a midwife for the Hebrew women, and see them on the birthstools, if it's a son, then you shall kill him. But if it is a daughter, then she shall live.

Well, should the midwives follow that mandate, follow the governing authorities or not?

Well, verse 17. Next verse says, the midwives feared God and did not do as the king of the Egypt commanded them, but saved the male children alive. So the king of Egypt called the midwives and said to them, Why have you done this thing and saved the male children alive? Well, the midwives said to Pharaoh, Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women, they are lively and give birth before the midwives come to them. Yeah, probably true, but probably not the whole story, right? Not the whole... Well, what was God's reaction to these midwives and their civil disobedience, their resistance to the governing authorities? Well, verse 20. Therefore God dwelt well with the midwives, and the people multiplied and grew very mighty. And so it was because the midwives feared God that He provided households for them.

So it's interesting when we contrast this with what we read in Romans chapter 13. Here we find the midwives and their civil disobedience, and they did it for God's sake because they feared God. And what was God's reaction? He liked it. He was pleased with it.

So it's interesting when we consider a few Old Testament examples of resisting governing authorities. It seems to say something quite different than what Paul said in Romans chapter 13. Another example. Go to the book of Daniel. In Daniel chapter 6, of course, we remember the story of Daniel. Daniel was one of those very talented young men who had been carted off to Babylon when the Jews were taken captive by Nebuchadnezzar. Well, time certainly passed, and the Persian Empire came into power. And Daniel, being wise, talented, having all kinds of abilities, actually becomes one of the four most important rulers in all of Persia. He was one of three governors under the king. Now, the other leaders didn't like Daniel. They didn't like what he did. They didn't like what he stood for. They didn't like probably the fact that he was so honest and forthright. And so these leaders went to the king to make an edict, basically against Daniel and his beliefs. So in chapter 6 verse 7, we find these leaders convinced Darius the king to make a firm decree, in other words, a law, to make a law that whoever petitions any god or man for 30 days except you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions. Of course, we know the story of Daniel and the lion's den. Well, what was Daniel to do? The edict was made, the mandate was expressed, the law was in effect. Well, verse 10, when Daniel knew the writing was signed, he went home, and in his upper room with his windows open toward Jerusalem, he knelt down on his knees three times that day, and he prayed, and he gave thanks before his god. Well, not just because the edict was made that day, not just because of the mandate, but because this was his custom since early days. Now, we know the story. What happened to Daniel? Well, because of the decree, they grabbed him and they threw him to the lions. They threw him to the lions. He had to suffer the wrath of the governing authorities. But, more importantly, what did God think of that disobedience? What did God think of Daniel's resistance? Well, we know God saved him from the lions. And so, Daniel expressed just that. Looking down to verse 22, Daniel says, "'My God sent His angel and shut the lions' mouths.'" So, he didn't get mauled by the lions, didn't get killed by the lions. And so, it certainly expresses a resistance to governing authorities. That still puts Romans chapter 13 into a little bit of question. Now, it's also interesting. This is not just an Old Testament thing. We find examples of civil disobedience in the New Testament as well. If you turn with me over to Acts chapter 4.

Acts chapter 4, the New Testament church has begun and the disciples have been given a commission to preach and to teach about Jesus Christ and the kingdom of God. Well, where did that lead them? Well, poor Peter and John were arrested by the authorities, arrested by the Jewish authorities. And what did they tell them? They commanded them not to speak or to teach in the name of Jesus.

The authority said, knock it off. This is unacceptable. We don't want this. And what was their reaction? Well, notice verse 19, Acts chapter 4. Acts chapter 4 verse 19 here is Peter and John's response. They said, whether it is right in the sight of men to listen to you more than to God, you judge. For we cannot speak or cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard. In other words, nothing will prevent us from preaching and teaching in the name of Jesus Christ. We're going to do it anyway. And so they did. They did. They went on teaching in public.

And what happened? The authorities came down on them. In fact, if you turn to page Acts chapter 5, here we find the high priest issuing his decree, his mandate. Acts chapter 5 verse 28, here's what the high priest says to them. Did we not strictly command you not to teach in this name? And look, you filled Jerusalem with your doctrine and intend to bring this man's blood on us. What was their response? Well, notice verse 29. But Peter and the other apostles answered and said, we ought to obey God rather than men.

And so they put a big exclamation point on what they thought of the governing authorities' edict. Now, when we consider that the Bible teaches governing authority is from God, does that mean that the government must always be obeyed? No. No.

And that's the challenge that we face today. We don't ever want to forget that this world is deceived. This world has been deceived. In fact, the Bible tells us that all are deceived and have come under the influence of Satan the devil. John describes Satan as the ruler of this world, the ruler of this world. I mean, we all remember what it says over in 2 Corinthians chapter 4 verse 3. It describes the authorities of this world. In fact, the ultimate authority at the moment of this world and its perspective is Satan the devil, the ruler of this world. Notice how he's described in 2 Corinthians 4 verse 3. Paul wrote, if our gospel is veiled, it's veiled to those who are perishing. Why? Well, what he says in verse 4, whose minds the God of this age has blinded. Satan has misused his authority to blind people of this age. And so he influences, he manipulates, he dominates, and he exploits opinions and ideas and values and goals and hopes. And certainly he influences the governments of this world as well. No wonder he's considered the ruler of this world. He influences the world's philosophies. He influences the world's education. And yes, he influences commerce and the economy. And so the thoughts and the ideas and even the false religions of this world are impacted by his power. And they have sprung from his lies, from his deceit, his deceptions, and his manipulation. And you know, when you consider it on the surface, it seems like his exploitation has paid off. Because prophecy tells us there is a time when the nations of the world will consolidate. And there will be power. And ultimately, they'll consolidate to fight against Jesus Christ Himself. And not just a few nations, not just a few peoples, but all the nations will come to fight Christ. And so when you read sections of Scripture like Psalm 92 or Psalm 118 that talk about the deception of all the nations, well, it almost seems like Satan has succeeded. You consider the influence that he's had.

And even consider today's world. I mean, thinking about just the historical impact of that idea.

Can't help but wonder, has the world ever in recorded history really been brought together into any real sort of international unity?

I don't really think so.

Certainly, we'd have to say there have been many that have attempted global domination. There's no doubt about that. There are those that have conquered huge portions of territory. But did any of them ultimately succeed in really forming an all-encompassing government?

I don't think so. I mean, even think of some of the examples in history. Alexander the Great was certainly one that had a dominating empire. He conquered Greece all the way to India. But could he really coalesce all of that into one? Once he was gone, it went to pieces, didn't it? Well, how about the Roman Empire? Augustus Caesar certainly conquered huge areas of the world, from Spain all the way to France, from Italy to England, from Rome all the way through Turkey. Huge areas of territory. But could Augustus really put together a complete worldwide government?

Now, there was always those others that were out there attacking the empire. Of course, moving to more modern times, Hitler was supposed to bring the 1,000-year Third Reich, which lasted a whole 12 years or so. Yeah, it didn't happen. And so when you consider if the world has ever really seen something like prophecy predicts, it doesn't seem to be that way.

There hasn't been the international unity, maybe until now? Is that possible? I mean, have you considered that the pandemic is a foreshadow to the beast power? That the virus, in a sense, is a precursor. It's a forerunner to what God has prophesied. Because consider this. What has brought the world together in the last two years? It's not some dominating military force. It's the health of the world.

And this pandemic has got all of the world's government's attention. Because there's this common cause. We all have to come together to fight against this viral threat. And so we've even seen nations actually working together, sharing technology, sharing their scientific experiments in all of these things. And certainly we've seen governments exist extraordinary authority as well. In what they say, the mandate is to prevent disease. It's to ensure peace. It's to help people. And so we've certainly seen a lot of government overreach. And that seems to be that foreshadow to what lies on the horizon, prophetically speaking.

I mean, just think about the tools even our own government uses. Is it for our good or not? Certainly there are technological tools at our government's ease of use. I mean, the IRS knows what every one of us makes before we file our taxes. They already know. It's already been reported to them. The tools are already out there, already in place to track all of us.

Facial recognitions, phones that listen to you when they're even turned off. Surveillance of emails, texts, geolocation, data. It's all out there. They can track our vehicles. They can track their cameras all over the place. Credit card data. It's all out there. It's all out there. And the pandemic have spurred even more intensified surveillance. And so it's interesting when we begin to look at the whole scenario that we live in today as a precursor of things to come. I mean, there's no doubt emergencies have always been used as a justification to take away free speech.

And it is amazing to see that in the name of health, our government can suppress all kinds of things. They can suppress disloyalty. I mean, that's not a new thing. Didn't that happen during World War II? Yeah, I think so. You know, to aid the war effort, the government had to take some pretty strong stands against certain people. So there were camps set up for Japanese citizens of the United States.

Yeah, for the sake of protection, for the sake of peace, aiding the war effort back then. And so the justification for lockdowns, the justification for spending. It's amazing that the world's governments are in crushing debt right now. And where will that lead us?

Certainly in the context of the pandemic, governments have been kind of repurposed, you might say. And could it be that we face not just a pandemic that will soon go away, or is this maybe a forever kind of war that will allow government to take extra precautions to protect our safety, but yet exhibited in privacy violations and censorships on the grounds of peace? And if that's already happening, can religion be very far behind? I mean, the interesting thing is it's not just government, it's not just government. Companies collaborate with government to collect and analyze data. Anybody dispute that fact? I mean, it's known, it's out there. Internet platforms certainly have come together to suppress free speech.

It's a fact. Google, Facebook, Twitter, all their subsidiaries edit and censor materials and posts, and they've taken aggressive measures. It's not just something that's happening in China. You know, has Google bowed down to the Chinese government or Facebook? We all know it to be true. We know it to be true. But it's not just a thing that's happening in China, it's happening here as well. They can remove what they don't like. They can label it inaccurate when, what, do they study these things?

They can demote what they deem is false. And not only that, they can amplify the visibility of what they deem reliable information.

It's all very interesting when you consider this. And you don't think these platforms like Facebook have an effect? Facebook has 2.7 billion users around the world.

That's larger than the populations of the United States, Russia, and China put together.

You bet there's influence. And what it should be telling us? It's telling us, he who controls the narrative controls the people.

You control the story. You control everyone who hears it. And that is a powerful thing. Because whose story are you going to believe? Well, the one that's projected, the one that's out there, the one that's acknowledged and amplified and has the stamp of approval. And that's such an important concept that we have to be so aware of. He who controls the narrative controls the people. It was interesting, many years ago, there was an Italian novelist, a philosopher. His name was Umberto Eco. And he wrote this. He said, not long ago, if you wanted to seize power in a country, you merely had to control the army and the police.

Then he went on to say, today, a country belongs to the person who controls communications. Now, he wrote that all the way back in 1973. How much truer today? How much truer today? Today, we see very clearly in so many ways, the government controls the narrative. They control the story. And here's what we might miss in all of this. That is a satanic strategy. It is satanic, and there is no way around it. Good example to remind us of that fact? Consider the temptation of Christ. Who tried to control the narrative? I mean, you could look back at Matthew 4. When Christ was tempted, what did Satan use to control the narrative? He used Scripture itself. He misapplied, misquoted Scripture, tried to look good, tried to look true, tried to look right, but manipulated and exploited the narrative to try to do in the Savior Himself. And so it's a powerful reminder. We have to be on guard. Because that kind of control and manipulation, even when it comes to the truth, even when it comes to religion, is just ahead. It is just ahead. And this will be part of the narrative of the beast, of the governing authorities that are just on the horizon. And what a tale they will tell! Because we're reminded they're going to look like an angel of light. But that narrative, that story is going to be the doctrine of demons. But they're going to be convincing because there's going to be the signs and the wonders. Scripture says all power and all signs and long-term love will be the doctrine of demons. And lying wonders. Boy, there's going to be a show. And it's going to seem right. They're going to try to control the narrative. And that'll be the story that seems obvious. And yet, Satan's behind it all. Scripture says it is unrighteous deception if you fall for that version of what will be given as truth. And so when we consider where we are and consider submitting to human government, we better be careful. We better be careful. Now that doesn't change the fact that it's true and it's correct to say no authority is there except from God. Yeah, that's a true thing. If you want to turn over to John 19, a good example of this, from Christ Himself, John 19 verse 10, we'll take a look there. There is no authority except from God. That is true. If we took the time, we could look at Daniel chapter 2 where Daniel was inspired to write that God removes kings and sets up kings and the Most High God rules in the kingdoms of men and gives it to whom He will. That is absolutely true. And maybe the best example is what Christ Himself said just before the crucifixion. Pilate was questioning Christ. And in John chapter 19 verse 10, Pilate said to Christ, are you not speaking to me? I think that's probably inflection he used. I'm in charge. I'm the authority. Pilate went on to say, do you not know that I have power to crucify you and power to release you? Now that Greek word for power is a little bit different in other translations. It gets it probably a little bit more correct. It literally means authority. Authority. Don't you know I have authority to crucify you? I have authority to release you. And what's Christ's response? He said, you could have no power at all against me unless it had been given you from above.

He makes that very point. There is no authority that is allowed without God's attention, without God recognizing it and allowing it. That is absolutely true. And the expectation is what? That they just do whatever they please? They manipulate and exploit? Well, not at all. Notice what Christ also says. He says, therefore the one who delivered me to you has the greater sin.

Pilate, you're sinning. You're misusing your authority. You're misusing the power that God allows you to have. You're supposed to use that power for good, which is really exactly what Paul had in mind. I believe that's what Paul had in mind when he wrote to God's church in Rome. If you turn back to Romans 13 once again, where we began this afternoon, here Paul makes all these various points about obeying the governing authorities.

And it always strikes me as really amazing just to think of who he's writing to. Who is he writing to here? He's writing to God's church, His people, right at the heart of the beast, right at the heart of Rome. That's who he's writing to. And he's reminding them that they should obey the governing authorities. But one thing we begin to realize when we put Scripture together, when we recognize there are times where God approved of civil disobedience. What we recognize here in Romans chapter 13 is Paul is not talking about the problems of evil governments.

What does he have in mind when he wrote this? He has in mind an orderly society. Paul certainly has in mind good government, government that is to be helpful, to punish things that are evil, and to protect good. Yeah, where good things certainly find approval, but doing evil things must be punished. Paul certainly had that in mind. In fact, as you look back to Romans chapter 13, let's just reread what Paul wrote. And I'll reread this in the message version of the Bible. It may read a little bit different than your King James or New King James, but I think it really gets to the heart of the point of what Paul was trying to make.

Notice verse 1, Romans 13. It says, Be a good citizen. All governments are under God insofar as there is peace and order. It's God's order. So live responsibly as a citizen. He goes on, Duly constituted authorities are only a threat if you're trying to get by with something. Decent citizens should have nothing to fear. So he goes on in verse 4, Be a responsible citizen and you'll get on just fine so that an orderly way of life can be maintained. Fulfill your obligations as a citizen. You see, to say that Paul's saying obey the governing authorities in every single aspect would be misunderstanding what Paul was talking about.

It is possible that Christians should disobey the authority. In fact, in a way, it's not possible for Christians to always be subject to the authorities. And what Paul writes in Romans chapter 13 is not absolute. It depends. It depends on whether submitting involves doing what's wrong. Doing what's wrong. If the government forced us to abort babies, we must disobey. We must resist. If the government commanded us not to say anything about sexual immorality, we must resist. We must preach and teach what God's holy word says anyway.

No matter the consequences, we must teach the truth. If the government were to ban the Bible, we must resist. We must own it. We must read it. We must study it anyway. If the government tries to bring fear, we have to stand up against that fear and recognize we've been given an unshakable kingdom that cannot be removed from us. So if the government forbids us, if they command us not to assemble together, we will violate that command and gather anyway because we have a commandment from God.

We are to keep a holy convocation and fear will not keep us away no matter what because we will obey God and we will resist that wrong authority and we will worship the only true God and continue to observe the Sabbath, continue to worship, continue to pray. Even if the government demands worship of another, we will not fall down. We will not be taken in because the ultimate criterion of right and wrong is not whether the ruling authority commands it.

It's whether God commands it. That's what really counts because it is right and it is good to resist what God has allowed in order to obey what God has commanded. I'll say that one more time. It is right and good to resist what God has allowed in order to obey what God has commanded.

And so there is no doubt we live in difficult times, but even more lies ahead on the horizon. Extensive government control will become even stronger. And so will we give in and submit to ungodly ruling authorities or perhaps give our lives and say, we must obey God rather than man. You see, if the government demands us, we will not disobey God for any reason. If the government's requirements don't expect us to disobey God, well, we'll keep the speed limit. We'll pay our taxes. We'll stop at stop signs. We'll get the licenses we need. We'll follow the building codes. Yes, we'll do all those things. We will be subject for the Lord's sake. But we also realize that manipulation and exploitation surround us already. And we can't allow that to take control of our lives. We will choose not to be enslaved by the priorities and the goals and the values of this world. We will not be conformed to this world, but instead be transformed. And so we will be determined to recognize that overreaching satanic influence and never ever submit to it. Instead, we will proclaim our allegiance and let the narrative of Jesus Christ and the gospel of the kingdom of God guide and direct our lives.