Vaccines & Mandates: A Biblical Perspective
*DISCLAIMER: the following blog is copied from a previous email I sent to my church a few weeks back. News has come out about this subject since I wrote it. For instance, the SCOTUS blocked the Biden administration’s COVID vaccine workplace mandate, which isn’t reflected in my blog. However, the wisdom here still applies today. Hope it blesses you and gives you godly clarity!*For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit - Romans 14:17 (NLT)
Let's talk vaccines & mandates. Yippee! I don't normally comment on current events, perhaps sometimes to a fault. Not that I don't have an opinion on things, but generally I want to apply James 1:19 and bite my tongue when I'm addressing a large group of people. Our words are powerful and ultimately I want to ensure, especially on trickier issues like this, that what I speak is the wisdom of God and not the wisdom of Aaron (believe me--we don't want that... ask my wife). And may the Lord give all of us wisdom during these times! As we know, He doesn't rebuke us for asking (James 1:5).
The vaccines themselves:
First of all, my view on the COVID vaccine is that it's a "disputable matter." Disputable matters, like mentioned in Romans 14:1 (NIV), can be summed up as non-essential issues in the Christian life, or grey areas, in which the Bible doesn't spell out clear guidelines. While many things about the Christian life are essential and clear, some are not. For the Roman believers at that time, it was which foods were acceptable to eat (vs 2-3) and the observance of holy days (vs 5-6). In modern times, vaccines fit into this category.
What then do we do about the vaccines? The best scripture I know on the subject is 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, which says:
Don't you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.
First off, we must know that we are not ours anymore. When we placed our faith in and surrendered our life to Jesus, it means that our life, including our body, belongs to Him. This is a kingdom of which there is a King; it's not a democracy. Jesus is Lord of our life and body, so we must "honor" him with our bodies in everything we say, do, and put in it.
Another verse we must add to the mix is Romans 14:23b, which says:
If you do anything you believe is not right, you are sinning.
We must also know it's a sin to violate our conscience. The conscience is something God created for us to use to understand right vs wrong. Although our conscience is not completely trustworthy and fallen like our earthly bodies are, but when we are living and walking humbly with Jesus everyday, our conscience is a good guide for us to follow and something the Holy Spirit will use to impress His will upon us.
The bottom line is, the vaccine is an issue in which we need the Holy Spirit's guidance. It's not clear cut in scripture. It's personal for everyone, and all of us individually need God's wisdom and leading. And because of the potential harmful side-effects of the vaccine, the Holy Spirit may impress on some NOT to take it. However, for others, because of the potential health benefits, they may sense the Spirit's leading TO take it. Remember, it's His body. We are just here to be good stewards and follow His leading. As Romans 14:8 says:
If we live, it's to honor the Lord. And if we die, it's to honor the Lord. So whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.
But whatever convictions we come to in the end, we still need to remember to walk in love towards others. Romans 14:1-3 says not to argue over disputable matters and not to "look down" on those with whom we disagree. Romans 12:10 tells us to really love people and "take delight in honoring each other." We may not realize this, but God is watching our hearts and attitudes. This season is a test for the Church. I pray we will walk in the purity and love of Christ during these contentious times, and that God will be honored by our actions and attitudes.
One more thing: whether we have the COVID vaccination or not, we must recognize that God is greater than any virus or vaccine. Psalm 91 starts out by reading:
Those who live in the shelter of the Most High
will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
This I declare about the Lord:
He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; He is my God, and I trust him.
For he will rescue you from every trap
and protect you from deadly disease.
For those who are walking humbly with the Lord everyday, they have the ultimate immunity from anything that comes against them. HIS protection is greater than any other. No needle can match His power. When we are abiding in and following Jesus, He will keep us safe and there is no need to fear. Let's remember that.
The mandates:
When it comes to the workplace mandates, however, I think our government has crossed the line. In my view, it's immoral to force people to take the vaccines because first of all, it's unconstitutional, and hopefully the Supreme Court will recognize that. Secondly, it sets a bad precedent for the coming Mark of the Beast mentioned in the book of Revelation. Thirdly, it ruins livelihoods because people are unnecessarily losing their jobs all over the country. And fourthly and most important, it removes people's right to choose to honor God with their bodies. Again, God may guide some to take the shot, but he also guides others not to take it, and it would be a sin for them to do otherwise. Everyone, every business, and institution should recognize and honor people's religious freedom.
This has already hit hard for families in our church who have job insecurity because due to their convictions they resist the COVID vaccine. Let’s pray for them. Let’s also lift our government up in prayer as well. It’s a difficult job running the country. They need our loving prayers, too. Pray that they will have wisdom to do the right things and lead people well. Let’s thank God for them as Paul writes in 1 Timothy 2.
One final note: let's stay informed about the vaccines. It’s difficult to gather all the facts these days, but to the best of our ability, let's do the research, pray, and make an informed decision. Let us not be thoughtless, but sensible as we seek to honor God with our bodies. I hope we can all be unified on that.
Photo credit: Daniel Schludi (https://unsplash.com/@schluditsch)