The Traveling Pulpit
Published Quarterly By
Covenant of Grace Ministries
2704 Fairway Drive
Greensboro, NC 27408
Burley W. Moore-Bible Teacher
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www.covenantofgraceministries.com
Phone 336-292-2408
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Volume 17, Number 1 January Winter 2022
Covid and the Church
Since the establishment of COGM in 2006, I have published this quarterly Bible Study majoring on a specific subject and passage of Scripture. This edition is different from all the others and I’m going to do something that I’ve not done in previous issues. I’ll be using some verses of the Bible, but not an exegesis of the text. I want to share with you my observations of Covid and the Church. In other words, how Covid has affected local churches all around us and how pastors are responding to this historic world-wide pandemic.
Introduction
There is no doubt that Satan is plowing full speed ahead with his wicked agenda to attack the church and disrupt in every way possible, including dividing Christians over Covid. Just stop to think about that! Of all things, a real, deadly, highly contagious virus that’s killing a multitude of people many of which are lost without Christ is dividing people who claim to profess Faith in Jesus Christ. The Devil is a sly ole fox to say the least and Christians drink his cool-aid every day without ever stopping to think about it. How foolish can we get? All of this simply reminds us that we need to stay focused on the mighty principles and truths of God’s Word (Jh. 8:32). At best, Christians are divided over using masks and taking shots. I’ll attempt to lay out Biblical principles from which I have reached my conclusions. However, you may not agree with me, but follow your own conscience in another direction. Scripture does address the matter of conscience for Christians especially when it comes to dealing with one another. As you will discover in this article, since I’m doing the writing, I will present my view regarding how to do our part in preventing the spread of Covid. There are times in Scripture when God’s Word is crystal clear regarding moral issues like those found in the Ten Commandments. Then again, we don’t find anywhere in the Bible where it says, “thou shalt take or not take the Covid vaccination.” Such matters may very well fall under the catagory of conscience (Rom. 14:23), but that study is a study unto itself. For the sake of time, let me say that the only conscience that can be trusted is the one led by the Holy Spirit. That’s when we must rely on principles and truths taught in Scripture to help us reach our conclusions. Those of you who have read some of my books, perhaps know that I’ve stated many times that you don’t have to agree with me, simply love me as a brother in Christ regardless. I’ve often written on subjects with which I have struggled and I figure that if I’ve struggled with them, then no doubt, others have also. This article is no exception and for that reason, I hope it will be informative and helpful as we try to navigate through these troubled waters of Covid.
Observations
I’d like to begin by sharing with you my observations as to how some local churches and pastors that I know about have dealt with and responded to Covid and the Church. These are NOT made-up fake stories, but real live happenings. As you can tell, it will be from one extreme to the other.
Very appropriately, I begin with Pastor Number #1 whom I believe exemplifies the integrity and love of a shepherd for the sheep over whom he has been entrusted. This young pastor felt perfectly fine when he went to church on a Sunday back in the early Summer of 2020. It wasn’t until the next day when he started feeling sick and discovered that he had Covid. Immediately, he notified the congregation with an apology of possibly exposing them to it on the day before. Also, taking any necessary precautions, he closed down all church gatherings for two weeks which is what I think was recommended as the quarantine period at that time. To me, this shows love, care, and concern for the well-being of those to whom he ministered as the under-shepherd.
Pastor Number #2 was known to occasionally make lighthearted comments about Covid from the pulpit while preaching his sermons. His comments actually insinuated that Covid was not that serious and nobody ought to fear it. On at least one occasion during a sermon, he even linked the Covid vaccine to aborted fetus cells apparently trying to build a case for not taking the shot (I’ll address this subject in more detail later in this article). Regular attendees of the congregation cannot recall anything being mentioned from the pulpit in favor of masks or shots.
Pastor Number #3 on the other hand does believe in the Covid vaccine, but is also on an extreme. Let me say that the previous pastor was extreme LEFT, but this guy is extreme RIGHT. Why do I say this? Because this pastor is said to seemingly brow-beat the congregation almost every Sunday if they are not getting their Covid vaccination. To begin with, God has called the pastor to preach the Word. Yes, he is to have the best interest of the congregation at heart, but sheep are strange little creatures and must be led and not pushed. Goats are driven while sheep are led. Needless to say, his demanding dictatorial attitude has not set well with the congregation.
Pastor Number #4 comes with a defiant flavor displaying an anti-government attitude. From the very beginning of the pandemic, he always opposed masks. I’m told that several members of the church, including the pastor, went to a gathering out of town and were exposed to Covid. When they returned home, they brought this dreaded virus to the congregation. I’m not sure how many, but from my understanding not only the pastor, but several members came down with Covid. No protection and no concern for one another, just trying to prove whatever point they wanted to make. Nobody was going to tell them what to do.
Pastor Number #5 closely resembles the previous one. But it ended worse. To begin with the associate pastor came down with Covid and brought it into the church, giving it to the pastor. To my knowledge everyone in the congregation survived this storm of Covid except the pastor. He had some underlying health issues and died as a result of contracting it. Herein, is the story of Covid. The younger and healthier a person, the better they can deal with it. But for the older generation with underlying health problems, it’s more serious. Therefore, I leave you with this old song from years ago that says it well, “Others, Lord yes others, let this my motto be.”
It’s sad that some pastors and churches are so narcistic that they have lost their witness of loving people by not caring enough to do something as simple as wearing a mask or getting a shot to help keep others from spreading this mess. I personally think that local pastor’s ought to be setting an example for others to follow. We not only need to share the Gospel with people, but let them know that we care about them and not brush them off as a mere number or statistic. I like what our son, who is a pastor, said about getting the Covid shot. He and his wife have been on numerous mission trips with some to foreign soil which required various vaccinations. He said that he was willing to get those shots in order to minister the Gospel and the same truth applies when it comes to the Covid shot. He said that if it was necessary in order for him to minister safely to people, including the elderly, wherever they may be, hospitals or nursing homes, etc., then he was willing to get vaccinated. That displays a commendable and considerate attitude and spirit.
The Problem
The last thing that I want to do is hurt and harm the cause of Christ. I’m not talking about the quirks of a local church that are not biblical to begin with, but the church and pastor who are trying to the best of their ability to “get it right.” Since we are all frail, feeble, and flawed sinners, there are times when we can miss the mark and mess up in our Christian journey. No doubt, there are many things that I can discover in my own personal life along these lines because in the sight of God, I’m still a work in progress.
However, for the sake of time, space, and the relevant issue to which I speak, I want to address the subject of COVID AND THE CHURCH. In particular, some lessons that I’ve learned and continue to learn in dealing with this subject. To begin with, I believe in the local church because the New Testament clearly teaches that born again believers ought to be part of a local assembly of believers (Heb. 10:25). Even the most learned, godly, and genuine theologian on this side of Glory will NOT have full insight into all matters of Scripture. We are all seeing “through a glass darkly” (I Cor, 13:12) in this current age and continue to learn and be taught how to think and act biblically as we Christians travel this road of sanctification. This includes how to treat one another and how to respond to one another in times of distress and disagreement.
Now, to narrow all of this down and trying to stay focused on the subject at hand, I’d like to give a personal word of my dealing with as well as watching and observing how churches and pastors have acted and reacted over these past two years of the Covid Pandemic. I’ve discovered how Satan has attacked both pulpit and pew with all sorts of thoughts, pro and con about this pandemic. I’m not going to chase all the “rabbits” that have raised their “ugly heads” nor deal with all the “news” that is available on the web and TV about “masks” or “shots,” but I’m going to say a few words about how such matters have affected the church. Covid has continued to manifest itself and at the time of this writing, not only have we dealt with the Delta variant, but currently the Omicron variant. The numbers are increasing which some hard-headed folks refuse to accept and believe are fabricated. With all that being said, I proceed to tell you my story of learning how to deal with COVID AND THE CHURCH.
We are living in a world that is totally narcissistic, even in the church. For those who have read my books, you know that I’ve repeatedly said that, “there is so much of the world in the church, one can hardly tell the church is in the world.” When it comes to being a pastor of a church, he is not nor will he ever be a perfect man or pastor. However, there are higher standards to which he must be held accountable. People in the congregation may not believe in wearing “masks” or taking “vaccines” which is bad enough unto itself when it comes to protecting others from the spread of this potentially deadly virus. I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t know how much good a mask will do, but one thing is for sure, it will not do any harm in stopping the spread of respiratory diseases. Flu and the common cold can be lessened by a mask which leads us to believe it’s worth using for trying to stop the spread of Covid.
A pastor is called to “shepherd” God’s “sheep.” In other words, he is to stand guard over the welfare of God’s people. First and foremost, that means he is to “feed” and “water” the “flock of God” with the WORD OF GOD whereby they can be nourished and built up in the faith. But that is not the only thing shepherds do as we learn from the analogy of Scripture. They are to be concerned about the overall well-being of God’s people as we discover from the story of the Sheep and the Shepherd (Jh. 10:1-21). In this passage, Jesus is pictured as the Great Shepherd of His “sheep” with the “sheep” typifying His redeemed people. Herein, Jesus sets an example for biblical pastors of today, as the under-shepherds of God’s “flock” (I Pet. 5:3), in how to care about and protect the “sheep” (believers in the “household of faith” Gal.6:10).
Pastors must look out for the overall physical and spiritual wellbeing of God’s people as illustrated in fighting off the wolves that try to “devour” (I Pet. 5:8) the “sheep.” This can apply to both spiritual and physical attacks. Literally, the “wolf” in this story would love to kill the little sheep, which means taking the literal life of the “sheep” and of course it can also mean sapping the spiritual life of the “sheep.” This is what I see the Covid Pandemic doing today, often beginning in the pulpits with unbiblical teaching of Scripture and poor example. This matter is dividing churches and Christians around the world, including our own communities. A pastor ought to have the best interest of the people at heart, including both their spiritual and physical health. In today’s climate, a pastor must remain true and faithful to proclaiming the “truth in love” (Eph. 4:15) and at the same time doing everything possible in protecting those to whom he ministers from spiritual and physical attack.
Why the Opposition
Depraved human nature doesn’t like to be told what to do. It all began in the Garden of Eden (Gen. 3) when Adam bit into the forbidden piece of fruit that doomed and damned the entire human race under the curse of sin. Don’t ever forget where man’s free will leads. Unless our free will is overcome by the power of the Holy Spirit, a person will never desire Christ and the things of God. Adam wanted to be as knowledgeable as God and look where we are today. That fallen adamic depraved nature remains among us. It’s a nature with which we are born and will not be eradicated until death. The question for the Christian is, which nature are you feeding, your nature of depravity with which you were born or your new nature in Christ (II Cor. 5:17)? The nature you feed is the nature that will be the strongest.
There is nothing wrong with education as long as we don’t let it get to our heads (no pun intended); however, too many educated fools are running around trying to warp our thinking into the world of academia. It seems like most people don’t even know what common sense is in our day and age. There comes a time when we must read or listen to what is being said by others, either in the classroom or in the news media and stay informed for the sake of argument. But the bottom line is to bathe in the Word of God, compare Scripture with Scripture, turn a deaf ear to the spiritual world of sensationalism and come down to earth into the world of reality.
What I’m trying to say is, “don’t be so heavenly minded that we become no earthly good.” At this point, I confess that early into my ministry I struggled with legalism and during most of my ministry I held to the eschatological doctrine of dispensationalism. Long story short, after many years of expository preaching, God delivered me from that position. Often, coming from that school of thought today and its various derivatives, is being taught such things as the Covid vaccine containing a computer chip and some kind of concoction pertaining to the Antichrist as well as aborted fetus cells (all of which is a lie of the devil and totally untrue). People are being brainwashed by the Devil most of whom are biblically illiterate. The thing that baffles me is how even some pastors who ought to know better bite this hook, line, and sinker. All of this simply shows what a spiritual mess most modern-day churches and Christians find themselves. In other words, so much of this division over Covid comes from biblical ignorance.
Arguments and Objections
I want to begin where I just left off dealing with the argument of a computer chip. There are people who object to taking the Covid vaccine because somebody somewhere is publishing over the internet that this is a mark of the beast or is a way that the government has of keeping track of you wherever you go or whatever you do. Some believe that the government is doing all of this for the sake of population control. In other words, trying to kill off a segment of the population. This type of mentality reminds me of the Left Behind series of years ago which was actually a turning point in my life of seeing the manner in which dispensationalism is presented today. Do you believe in the Buck Rogers comic book theology or the Word of God by which we must accept by Faith? There is NO mortal man who can fully understand everything in the Word of God, including eschatology (the study of last things). But when we attempt to study eschatology it must be done like all other doctrinal study and that’s comparing Scripture with Scripture. In all fairness, there may be several different camps of dispensationalism with some being more extreme than others, but regardless of theological study, we must make every honest attempt not to violate Scripture.
Not only do some reject the Covid vaccine due to a far-fetched view of the Bible, but many seem to find a news source that favors their opinion and embrace it. That could be either a conservative view or a liberal view, just like politics. I hate what politics has become regardless of where it is found, in the church, denominationalism, government, medicine, etc. You can find people who try to tell you how to think without ever teaching you to think for yourself and be Christ centered in doing so. That’s a major problem today. You may listen to a commentator or even a preacher over the TV, read an article over the web and embrace it simply because it sounds good to you, without ever considering it to be biblical or not. For a Christian, if anything, we hear or learn violates the principles and teaching of God’s Word, then we ought to flee from it.
I’ve saved perhaps the greatest objection to taking the Covid vaccination for the last and the lengthiest of arguments. There are some people who claim that the vaccination has fetal cells in it and if not, then they object to the use of fetal tissue in discovering the vaccination. To begin with the vaccination contains NO fetal cells whatsoever; however, “cell lines” were used in the discovery of the vaccination.
From the State of Oregon’s Health Authority, we find the following report: Do COVID-19 vaccines contain fetal tissue? The two vaccines that were first available in the U.S. — Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna — are not produced using fetal cells. No fetal cells are used to make them, which means that there are no fetal cells in the injection you receive. Viruses need living cells to grow. Researchers have developed “cell lines” of living cells that reproduce themselves indefinitely in the laboratory, and they are used to grow viruses. Early in the development of these COVID-19 vaccines, a fetal cell line was used to test that the active ingredient, messenger RNA, worked as intended. The tests showed that messenger RNA, when introduced into human cells, produces the viral protein that makes us develop immunity against the virus that causes COVID-19. The Johnson & Johnson vaccine uses a virus (“Adenovirus 26”) that cannot reproduce itself. When this virus is introduced into human cells, they produce the same viral protein as the other vaccines, which makes us develop immunity to COVID-19. Producing this vaccine virus does require the use of a fetal cell line, specifically PER.C6. What is a fetal cell line? Fetal cell lines are grown in laboratories from cells originally taken from fetal tissue. They can be grown indefinitely. COVID-19 vaccine developers have used two historic fetal cell lines when testing or manufacturing vaccines:
- HEK-293 -- A kidney cell line that was isolated from a fetus around 1972
- PER.C6 -- A retinal cell line that was isolated from a terminated fetus in 1985
Producing vaccines that rely on these cell lines does not require new abortions, because the cells reproduce themselves indefinitely in the laboratory.
Below is a portion of “The Briefing” by Al Mohler, President of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, that he delivered back in 2019 while President Trump was in office. It’s entitled: Should Christians Benefit from Vaccines That Have Heritage in Fetal Tissue? Understanding the Difference in Primary and Secondary Effect. Personally, it sounds like he is doing some double-talk, but he states his reasons for using such vaccines. For a complete broadcast, google the above title by Al Mohler.
“But here we also need to acknowledge a couple of deep complexities—complexities we actually have the responsibility to confront, especially right now with the background of controversy over vaccines, we need to acknowledge there is a very real question. Can Christians, operating out of a biblical worldview, who would never support medical experimentation with fetal tissues, can those Christians ethically take advantage of vaccines that in their heritage have at least some involvement with fetal tissues or cells?
Trying to think through these issues for centuries now based upon a biblical pattern of reasoning, the Christian church has come to the conclusion that yes, it is ethical, it is warranted for Christians to take advantage of these vaccines, even as we oppose the use of fetal cells and tissues in medical experimentation. This leads us to understand a basic Christian worldview distinction between primary effect and secondary effect. It can also be explained in the distinction between a primary reason and a secondary reason.
The Christian worldview cannot possibly support any argument that we ought to use human fetal cells or tissues in medical experimentation or in vaccines. We cannot accept that argument. But we also have to acknowledge there's a basic complexity when it comes to almost any major medicine, any kind of vaccine, any kind of major medical treatment. If we knew the entire involvement at every step in the development of this treatment or the development of this drug, we might find any number of complexities. But for Christians, this would not be the primary effect. It certainly would not be the primary reason. Christians could not support anything that has as its primary reason or its primary effect the use and abuse of fetal tissues taken from abortion. That would be illicit at every turn.
But Christian reasoning has also come to conclude that Christians can by secondary effect, with a secondary reason or rationale, use such materials ethically because there is no alternative. That viewpoint also recognizes the fact that in this case we know, in other cases we might not know, but the complexity might be just as deep, the involvement may be just as problematic.”
Some have argued the ethics involved in the Covid vaccine which seems to be a big problem with many professing Christians. For that reason, I’ll spend more time on this subject, but do so as briefly as possible to get across my point. To begin with there are no fetal cells in the Covid vaccine. It’s true that fetal tissue is used in laboratory research for multitudes of reasons including some food products, cosmetics, and the discovery of medications. It was also used in the line of study for the development of the Covid vaccine. But the argument is endless as to where this fetal tissue comes from.
Not all fetal tissue is from elective abortions which is a deliberate act of taking the life of a fetus most often found in an abortion clinic. A spontaneous abortion occurs without intervention in about 30-40% of pregnancies. An induced abortion is a deliberate act to end a pregnancy and is also called an induced miscarriage. A therapeutic abortion is done to save the life of the mother and not merely for health reasons. Such a pregnancy is referred to as an ectopic pregnancy. In the event of a tubal ectopic pregnancy, both mother and fetus will die if the pregnancy progresses without intervention. A surgical abortion uses surgery to end a pregnancy. Both terms, miscarriage and stillbirth describe the loss of pregnancy, but the difference is in the stage of pregnancy. Generally, the difference in these terms is used before and after the 20th week of pregnancy.
I pause at this point and ask if you are an organ donor. I’ve been one for many years and I’m identified on my driver’s licenses as such. That means, when I die, I’ve given permission for any part of my body to be given to a living person for their benefit. Some common body parts are corneas from the eyes, heart, lungs, etc. Even in life, a person can donate one of their kidneys. In my opinion, it’s not the same exact thing but being an organ donor is the same principle as fetal tissue used in medical studies. I realize that like anything else, things can get out of hand, such as the selling of body parts which in and of itself is immoral. However, we must realize that there must be some type of financial figures involved simply because everything cost. It cost to get sick, to die and be buried, and it even cost the church to do ministry and carry out the Great Commission. For that reason, believers are to practice grace giving or some prefer to call it tithing to financially support God’s Work on earth.
Now, getting back to the subject of abortions, we must agree that the deliberate act of terminating a baby in an elective abortion is murder. I believe in the sanctity of life and am totally opposed to elective abortions. Scripture makes it perfectly clear that life begins at conception in the womb (Jer. 1:5). As we explore the great mysteries of God, we discover that He ordains the date of our (conception) births and the date of our deaths for all human beings (Ecc. 3:1-2, Job 14:5, Heb. 9:27-28). These are unexplainable to mortal man, but must be accepted by faith. Believing that life begins at conception with a spirit and soul makes that life an eternal being. Have you ever thought about the plan and purpose of God for these aborted fetuses? These are answers that we’ll never have on this side of heaven, but I sometimes wonder if God has a special plan in both time and eternity for them. When I think of how many aborted fetuses have provided better quality of life and heath for us mortals due to research, I cannot help but think of the Supreme Price that was paid for the redemption of sinners in the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. God took on flesh to come and do for us what we could not do for ourselves. Knowing that we couldn’t pay the price that would satisfy His righteous demands, He chose to come in human flesh and pay that price for us. Because of Christ’s death on the cross, God’s elect can know sins forgiven and eternal life in Christ. We often think of all the soldiers who gave their lives on the battlefield in order for us to enjoy the freedom we have today in the USA. From another point of few, just think of the fetuses who gave their lives to provide medical advancements resulting from lab research, making it possible for multitudes of people to have a better quality of life during this earthly journey.
At this point, let me define “human fetal tissue” to mean tissue or cells from a dead human embryo or fetus following any type of abortion. Scientists use fetal tissue as a source of fetal cells. These cells have been used for research since the 1930’s, and the government has funded such research since the 1950’s. At that time, it was used to create one of the biggest medical advances of the 20th century, the polio vaccine. Since then, fetal cells have been used in hundreds of thousands of other research projects. Scientists have used them to create other vaccines, such as the rubella vaccine and to improve a wide variety of techniques used in medicine. They are also used to study birth defects, eye diseases, Parkinson’s, and Alzheimer’s diseases. Fetal cells were used for making vaccines including chickenpox, shingles, hepatitis A, and one version of the rabies vaccine.
Some of this fetal tissue may have come from any type of abortion previously mentioned. There is no question that ungodly abortions take place in abortion clinics every day in our nation and around the world. But there are other fetuses that could have come from justifiable abortions. Records are kept as to where donated aborted fetuses come from. However, when it comes to research in a medical lab, I can’t imagine any major difference it would make. A dead body is a dead body regardless of the cause of death. The question we must ask ourselves, “is it ethical to use a dead body in medical research?” It’s been going on for more years than we’ll ever know. That’s a question that you’ll have to answer for yourself, but just remember the next time you take or use one of the medications that I will mention in the next few paragraphs, “how has medical lab research benefited me?”
I remember when our daughter was wanting to take health occupations in high school to see if she might want to enter the field of nursing. When she visited the cadaver department of Baptist Hospital in Winston-Salem and was able to successfully endure it, then I thought she would make the grade. In fact, I have an aunt who has willed her body to science/medical research when she dies. The study of dead bodies is nothing new and much has been learned from doing so. How a person or fetus dies may have something to do with their findings, yet there is much that can be learned from their remains. In my opinion, if it’s not wrong to do autopsy research to determine death and pass the information on to a family, neither is it wrong to do research on fetal tissue to help humanity. Those who have asked me about my view of cremation, know that I’m not a proponent of such burial. But I’ll be the first to admit there may possibly be times when embalming a body is not possible, such as a miscarried child or a mutilated body. I don’t think it is unethical to donate a body to medical study after death, but that it falls under the biblical area of conscience. From my point of view, if using fetal tissue is not ethical in a lab, neither is it ethical to be an organ donor. I want to remind you that no man can “bring a clean thing out of an unclean” (Job 14:4). Only God can do that in His mighty work of regeneration (Jh 3:1-13). God can even bring good out of a bad situation like He did with the fall of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden (Gen. 3:15) and Joseph’s trials in Egypt (Gen. 50:20). As God promised, He brought the Lord of Glory, the Lord Jesus Christ, out of the virgin womb of Mary destined to die on the cross and “save his people from their sins” (Matt. 1:21). Just think how a sinful woman could give birth to the sinless Son of God!
The Christian and Civil Government
Another argument that people use in objection to taking the Covid vaccine is that “it’s my body and the government doesn’t have the right to tell me what to do with my body.” Does that sound familiar? That’s the voice of the pro-choice bunch of women who want to have the legal right to abort their babies. Many Christian ladies opposing the Covid vaccine because of whatever reason, perhaps the fetal tissue reason, don’t realize that some of their cosmetics may come from a lab that uses fetal tissue. Now, the conservative group that is pro-life is using that same language as their opponents to say they have the right to refuse the vaccine. Personally, I see the government doing what it’s supposed to do in protecting its citizens from a harmful plague.
This bunch of self-professed conservative ladies are saying that they don’t want the government telling them what to do. Guess what? The government is telling you every time you get behind the wheel of a car how fast to drive and to register your vehicle, etc. The government tells us that we don’t have the right to take the “sword” (Rom. 13) into our own hands (meaning to take it upon ourselves to execute criminals), but go through the legal system. We don’t have the right to kill someone because we don’t like them. Try to build something on your own property and the city and county where you reside is going to tell you how to build it according to their ordinances and codes. I believe you get the point. These laws are supposed to be for the good of our society and wellbeing of others. Herein, we see a major problem with lawlessness prevailing all around us. People don’t want to live under authority of any kind just like the days of the Judges in the Old Testament (Jud. 21:25), not even the authority of Almighty God. Our highways are totally lawless, with the majority of people paying no attention to speed limits and playing with their cell phones while driving. Folks don’t care enough about themselves or others to drive safely. What we see before our eyes are people refusing to be vaccinated in defiance against authority with an attitude of “it’s all about me and who cares what happens to others.”
For the Christian, we must never forget that our “body is the temple of the Holy Spirit” (I Cor. 6:19). That reminds us that the Holy Spirit is the very source of faith and repentance Who indwells every born again believer. He is the Third Person of the Trinity Who brings us to Christ and makes us a new creation (II Cor. 5:17). We ought to be as concerned over how we treat our bodies pertaining to dress, diet, and daily habits as we are about our health (meds, doctor’s visits, medical tests, surgeries, etc). How we take care of our “body” says something about what we think of the house in which the Holy Spirit resides.
Concerning the Covid vaccine, fetal cells were used in the early line of study in the research process, but none of the vaccines contain fetal cells. There is no evidence that the vaccine causes fertility problems. All vaccines are free from metals and will not make anyone magnetic. Neither do any of the Covid 19 vaccines contain such things as eggs, gelatin, or preservatives. These vaccines do not contain manufactured electronic or microchip ingredients to track your movement. This vaccine works by stimulating your immune system to produce antibodies; therefore, getting vaccinated helps develop immunity to that disease without having to get the disease first.
School children down through the years have been required to get vaccinated with a certain regiment for the protection of themselves and other children. There may be exemptions just like some facilities are accepting them today for the Covid, but most of the exemptions are not legitimate, such as a religious exemption because there is no such biblical basis upon which a true believer can find in Scripture. It may be called a religious exemption, but it's certainly not a biblical exemption when it comes to Covid. The Bible tells us to “love thy neighbor as thyself” (Matt. 22:39).
I like the attention that one hospital system in Arkansas gave to this matter. They required their employees who wanted this exemption to confirm that they would not use such common medications as Tylenol, Tums, and Preparation H if they were filing to receive a religious exemption for Covid 19. The reason being, that fetal cell lines were also used in the development of these medications. The hospital listed some 30 common medications in addition to those just mentioned to include acetaminophen, albuterol, aspirin, ibuprofen, Pepto Bismol, Lipitor, Senokot, Motrin, Maalox, Ex-Lax, Benadryl, Sudafed, Claritin, Prilosec, and Zoloft just to name a few.
The first institution from God was the family (Genesis). Later came civil authority (Exodus, Leviticus) and then the church (Gen. 12, Acts 2) as we see the calling out of God’s people in both the Old and New Testaments. God established civil government for the welfare and protection of society (Rom. 13:1-14). If the law of the land ever contradicts Scripture then we are to “obey God rather than man” (Acts 5:29). Otherwise, when laws are in force for our wellbeing, we are to obey even such matters as the paying of taxes (Mk. 12:17).
In the case of the Covid vaccine, it’s my position that it has clearly proven itself to be for our good and the protection of those around us. My wife and I both remember the Polio Pandemic and the many who were living (existing) in iron lungs. We were some of those children who were first vaccinated with the polio shots. It’s strange what you remember as a small child, but that is one thing I’ll never forget. That vaccine was a blessing and a great God-send for the health and wellbeing of the general public, just like multitudes of other medical discoveries down through the years. Yes, even the Covid vaccine and discovery of meds to treat those infected.
Closing
In this article, it’s my desire to help the church travel through the troubled waters of the Covid Pandemic in a biblical way that would glorify God. I’m sure that there are people reading this article who will “fall out with me” and disagree with probably some strong and bitter feelings. That’s OK because I’m not one’s final authority on any subject, much less the Word of God. If you differ, then I hope you can find it in your heart to disagree agreeably. It may very well change the way we view one another, but I’m trying to learn how to be gracious toward others as God has been to me. Your convictions regarding this subject under study is between you and the Lord, not me and you.
Through this historic happening the blood bought redeemed church ought to be presenting a witness to the world that there is a Sovereign God in Heaven, Creator of Heaven and Earth, Savior of sinners, Who is in control of ALL things. It’s a time to present a witness of God’s saving grace and His powerful love in coming to earth to save the lost. It’s no time to act like a bunch of crazy fanatics, but seasoned saints who reflect the image of Christ as He submitted to the Roman governmental officials in His day of death on a cruel cross in substitutionary atonement for “his people” (Matt. 1:21). May God help us as believes to learn how to be spiritually balanced. Satan would love to get us off balance. He either wants us to be lying liberals or flaming fanatics. Both extremes are damaging to the cause of Christ and I’m afraid that’s what we see happening with Covid and the Church. Thankfully, with the vaccines showing evidence of being effective, we can begin to loosen the restrictions of masks and some quarantine periods, but always remain mindful that a Covid strain will be with us from now on, just like the flu. Why not protect others as well as yourself and your family to the best of your ability? That in and of itself is an act of love.
With all the above in mind, I’ve chosen to conclude with the passage of Scripture from First Corinthians, chapter 13, commonly known as the love chapter. The following comes from the KJV that uses the word “charity” for “love.”
"Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.”