Fiat Money

The Bible applies to every situation you will ever face. There are several Bible verses and biblical concepts that need to be considered in light of the Covid-19 virus and the response to it. This would include the lockdowns, the effect on the economy, etc. There is actually quite a bit more that could be said, but here are some things for you to consider:

1. God causes bad things.

It is very common in modern churches to hear that God allows bad thing to happen. This isn’t true. The Bible is clear that God causes bad things to happen (Isa. 45:7; Amos 3:6). All viruses, economic hardships, etc., are ultimately from the hand of God.

2. Confusion and fear are God’s judgment.

Some have suggested that this virus is God’s judgment on America and other countries. This may be true (Deut. 28:21), but I think it’s more accurate to say that the response to the virus is God’s judgment. This virus isn’t all that severe. Of course, for some it is. In fact, for some, it can be deadly. But, all in all, this is by no means even close to the most deadly thing out there.

The Bible does say that confusion and fear are also part of God’s judgment (Deut. 28:20, 28; Lev. 26:36). This, I believe, is more of a judgment than the virus.

3. Fear God, not people or things.

Did you know that fear can be a sin? It indeed can be (Rev. 21:8). Fear leads us to obey the thing that we are afraid of. If we fear men more than we fear God, we will obey men rather than God. Jesus was clear: don’t fear those who can kill us, but rather, fear God (Matt. 10:28). This doesn’t mean that we should do foolish things, or tempt God (Matt. 4:5-7), but neither can our lives be marked by fear.

4. Science apart from the word of God is bad.

Science is the process of trying to learn things by observation. Science is a wonderful tool that God has given us to learn about our world. However, true science must be connected to the word of God. If science runs contrary to the Bible, then the science must be assumed to be wrong, not God’s word.

This current virus, and all viruses, were caused by placing science (observation) over the word of God. All sicknesses are the result of Adam & Eve’s sin. Their sin was rooted in the fact that they trusted their eyes (observation), and a self-proclaimed expert (Satan), over what God had said (Gen. 3:2-6).

We are getting so many different “scientific” opinions on the nature of this virus and what our response should be. How do you know which of these medical opinions to trust? The ones that are the most in line with the Bible are going to be the most accurate.

5. The real death rate for those with Covid-19.

There has been much talk about what the actual death rate of this virus is. Some say the numbers of deaths are being inflated. Though I expect this to be the case, I can’t prove it. However, even if we use the official numbers, the death rate is still far below other causes of death (heart disease comes to mind, or even higher still: abortion). We’ve never taken such drastic measures against heart disease, so why are we so terrified of this? Proverbs 28:1 comes to mind.

But in another sense, I do know exactly what the death rate is for those who contract Covid-19. It’s 100%! Everyone who gets this virus will die at some point. Everyone who doesn’t get this virus will also die at some point. Death is a part of life. You shouldn’t seek it, but neither should we act like we can avoid it. God can take you out at any time, whether or not you have Covid-19. You will die, and you will face your Maker (Heb. 9:27). Are you sure you’re going to heaven? You can be (John 3:16; Rom 6:23).

6. Quarantine laws.

The Bible actually does have something to say about quarantining the sick. These laws are in Leviticus, so many Christians don’t know about them, but they are there (Lev. 13-14). In the Bible, the sick are the ones to be quarantined, not the healthy. Some may say that because the current virus is contagious even when an infected person isn’t having any symptoms, everyone should be locked down. I would just note that we really don’t know for sure what the “leprosy” in Leviticus 13-14 was. It could be that this ancient disease was contagious before symptoms appeared. And yet, God would still only have us quarantine the sick. I would also note that the flu is contagious before a person has symptoms, and we don’t quarantine the whole population during flu season, even though many die from it as well.

7. You were made to live on planet earth.

God made you to live on this planet (Gen. 1). True, this earth is under the curse of sin, but we are designed to handle the viruses, bacteria, etc., that also inhabit this world. Most of the time (though not always) our bodies can fight diseases, if we give them what they need to do that.

8. Health comes from God (through your lifestyle).

All good gifts come from God (James 1:17). Ultimately, He is the source of health (3 John 2). The healthiness of a society is somewhat dependent on their obedience to God (Exo. 15:26; Deut. 28:21-22). One of the means through which God gives the gift of health is by us living a lifestyle that God prescribes (Prov. 3:7-8; 4:20-22).

9. We are told to work.

God made man, then He put him to work (Gen. 2:7, 15). We are commanded to work (Exo. 20:9). Any response to this virus should do all that it can to allow people to work. I realize that in some cases that may not be possible, but in most cases where people were forbidden to work, they could have continued working without endangering others. Our government officials could have done much better by being less restrictive.

10. We are told to provide for our families.

God has some harsh things to say to those who choose not to provide for their families (1 Tim. 5:8). Again, the lockdowns that were perpetrated by our government officials were way too severe, and needlessly (and I would add, callously) prohibited people from providing for their families. God forbids taking away a person’s livelihood (Deut. 24:6).

11. God commanded us to proclaim the gospel and disciple the nations.

This is our mission (Matt. 28:18-20; Mark 16:15). The lockdowns have been an impediment to this mission. Kudos to those who have found ways to obey the Great Commission in creative ways at this unusual time, but for the most part, the actions of our governments have been more of a hindrance than a help to the church’s mission.

12. We are commanded to assemble.

We are not to forsake the assembling of God’s people (Heb. 10:25). We are to “come together” (1 Cor. 11:33; 14:23). There may be some instances where assembling as a church may temporarily not be a good idea. But, closing church buildings for months over a sickness that for about 99% of people isn’t fatal, is not a good reason to forsake assembling. If someone is sick, or has a compromised immune system, they should stay away from the gathering of the saints for a time, not everyone else.

13. Facebook isn’t assembling.

I’m not opposed to technology because the Bible isn’t opposed to it. Facebook, Zoom, etc., can be useful tools. But, these tools should never be considered a replacement for actually meeting together. “Meeting” online is not the best way to “meet.” We can utilize communication technologies, but face to face meetings are best (2 John 12; 3 John 13-14).

14. Holy kiss.

There was a cultural practice in the early church to greet one another with a kiss (Rom. 16:16; 1 Cor. 16:20). While this practice may not have to be done today exactly the way it was in those days, the principle of being (appropriately) affectionate in our relationships with one another is, I believe, still something that God would have us do. And, it could actually be healthy for you. “We need closer interactions with other humans, because that exchange of microbes is important for your immune system,” says Kiran Krishnan, a microbiologist and chief scientific officer for Microbiome Labs.

Of course, this doesn’t mean you should go around licking people who are sick. But to think, as the health experts and news media are suggesting, that even standing within 6ft. of a healthy person is going to lead to death is going a bit overboard.

15. Elderly dying from despair.

There is an interesting story out of Mexico. At a state run hospital, the patients in the Covid ward were not allowed visits from their family, and the nurses there weren’t supposed to have much contact with those patients either. One nurse said that most of the patients in that ward seem to “die of sadness.” This nurse began defying the rules and began actually caring for those patients, even letting these elderly patients communicate with their families over video. Conditions in that ward subsequently improved.

God made us in such a way that we need other people. We are built for relationships. At least in that hospital in Mexico, the “care” that the medical experts prescribed was actually doing more harm.

16. Can’t preach the gospel to the dying.

Everyone is going to die and face the judgment (Heb. 9:27). While everyone needs to hear the gospel, those who are nearest death have a more urgent need to hear the good news. There has been a longstanding tradition in Christendom to go to those who are dying and give them the gospel. How many people in history have been born spiritually even as they were dying physically? Yet, the way things are being handled with this virus, those with the good news are not allowed to be with those who need it the most.

17. The civil government is God’s minister.

The job of the government is to serve God. Romans 13 calls it God’s “minister” (v. 4). The civil government, like other ministers, must obey God. If the pastor of a church was demanding that his congregation rob banks to fund that church, or engage in communal fornication, would that minister be a good one? Should he be obeyed? Wouldn’t that church (hopefully) get a new pastor?

So it is with the government. If government officials command what God has forbidden, or forbid what God has commanded, they are no longer functioning as God’s minister, and therefore are not be obeyed and are to be replaced with government officials that will act as God’s minister.

18. Interposition.

The doctrine of interposition (and the “doctrine of the lesser magistrate”) teaches that tyrants can, and even should, be resisted. A lower magistrate (like a mayor, sheriff, etc.) can interpose himself between a higher magistrate (such as a king or governor) and the people the higher magistrate is trying to tyrannize. Also, an individual can interpose between a tyrant and the object of their tyranny. The church, likewise, can resist the civil government if they are trying to do things that are the church’s responsibility.

Examples in the Bible are numerous, including: Exo. 1:15-21; 1 Sam. 14:44-45; 2 Chron. 26:16-20; etc. It is interesting that some in California, of all places, have declared that they will not go along with the unlawful orders of their governor. Some sheriffs have said they won’t enforce those orders, and many pastors have stated they will disobey those orders if their churches aren’t allowed to open by a certain date. Who would have thought that some Californians would be more liberty minded than some of the more “conservative” states?

19. Snitching.

Many bad governments want their citizens to “snitch” on others who follow their (unlawful) orders. In the Bible, if someone is violating God’s law and committing a sin that is also a crime, then the people have the duty to report that person. However, when the government is acting unjustly, those who report others to the government are condemned. One such example is David and Doeg. David was being unjustly pursued by Saul. Doeg ratted him out to the government (1 Sam. 22:6-9). How does God view this “snitch”? Not very highly. In Psalm 52, this is what God says about Doeg’s snitching: “You love evil more than good…God shall destroy you forever…”

20. WHO and the UN.

Jesus was given authority over all the nations (Ps. 2; Matt. 28:18-20; Rev. 2:26-27). Any person, or group of people, who pretend to have authority over the nations are attempting to dethrone Christ. That is an obvious no-no. The United Nations is one such organization. It is the duty of every Christian to oppose the UN and any group connected with them, like the World Health Organization.

21. Fiat money.

In order to save our crashing economy, the Federal Reserve is creating more money out of thin air. God condemns those who increase the money supply by creating money out of worthless materials. “Nothing” isn’t worth very much. In Isaiah 1:22-23, people were making money out of “dross” (worthless metals). God calls this theft, and this is one of the reasons He destroyed His own people. America won’t fare any better, unless we repent.

22. You don’t define loving your neighbor.

In the Bible, loving God is defined, not as by having certain feelings for Him, but by obeying Him (John 14:15; 1 John 5:3). Likewise, loving our neighbor is defined as obeying God’s commands (2 John 5-6). In other words, if you are “loving” your neighbor in ways that are contrary to God’s commands, then you aren’t really loving them, no matter how you feel about them. “Love” that isn’t rooted in God’s word isn’t love.

23. You’re not receiving prophecies that Jesus is coming soon.

This crisis has sparked a new emphasis on Christ’s return, and many are claiming to receive dreams and prophecies that reveal the second coming is going to happen soon. These supposed revelations are in clear contradiction to Scripture.

Jesus is now seated at the right hand of the Father, ruling and reigning (Eph. 1:20-21). He is going to be on that heavenly throne until His enemies are made His footstool (1 Cor. 15:24-26; Heb. 10:12-13). In other words, He’s not leaving heaven to return to earth until His enemies are subdued. Those enemies include rebellious nations (Ps. 2). We have been given responsibilities in this nation-subduing mission as well (Matt. 28:18-20). Look around you. Are Christ’s enemies subdued? They’re not, so we’ve probably got a long way to go before His return.

24. God is building His kingdom through this.

Hebrews 12:27-28 gives us a principle: God shakes things up from time to time in order to bring down things that are opposed to His kingdom (Heb. 12:27). This “shaking” clears the ground for His unshakable kingdom to grow (Heb. 12:27-28). Clearly, this virus, or rather the response to it, has shaken things up. This shaking can be rough to live through, but with faith, we can rejoice that God is building His kingdom even as He’s bringing down the kingdoms of man.

How are you going to respond to this shaking (and the ones to come)? Will you be sad when the wicked institutions that the ungodly have built come crumbling down? Will you hunker down and wait for God to rescue you? Or, will you get busy doing what God has called you to do? Now’s the time for building and fighting, not retreating (Nehemiah 4:14, 17).