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God, Decides When We Die Not Covid and Why this Matters More than Headlines

We live in a culture of death. Actually, it is the fear of death that we are surrounded by. Headlines of today’s news spread fear against any and all who have not been vaccinated. The swiftness of change in our world since the pandemic began is staggering, but even more so is the silence of children of God.

Due to Covid restriction churches have been shut down. Those who don’t go completely dark instead meet on zoom. Don’t get me wrong as a member of my local church’s tech team there is a great need for reaching the sheep through the lens of the internet. But streaming should never be the only choice.

Meeting with fellow believers in corporate worship is a command of the Christian faith. Worship with fellow believers is where we can be in the presence of Jesus Christ himself.“For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”

Instead of fighting against mandates that prohibit many from coming to church, the Western Christians have bent the knee to their own comfort. We have forsaken the incipience of the narrow gate and instead have walked down the wide paved with fear and compliance.

God, Decides When We Die Not Covid

Christians should not be afraid of death. Our current culture clutches to fear of death to demand control over the population. But God calls the Christian not to liven fear but in truth. The truth is that Covid-19 has a survival rate better than the flu for most age groups. Yes, the elderly, and those with preexisting conditions, tend to be the worst hit and no, we do not downplay the travesty of lives lost.

News cycles and politicians would have us divided. Fear is what they live on. Such fear should never be the focus of the Christian. “For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s,” said Paul in Romans 14:8.

The Christian knows that death is but a new beginning and not the eternal end that secularism teaches. Humans have a natural fear of death because death is so unnatural. Yes, you read that right: death is unnatural. Death was not in God’s original’s design but was brought into the world through sin. “Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, in this way death spread to all people, because all sinned.” Romans 5:12.

But in Christ “all things are made new,” even death. Christ in His resurrection has defeated death. What Satan had meant for evil God turned into good making death a doorway to a new and everlasting life for His children.

Why This Matters

In defeating death Jesus has made a way for His followers to enter the Kingdom of God and have eternal life. This is a message of hope, not despair. But hope as grand as this does come with uncomfortable truths. One such truth is that Christianity will always be opposed by darkness. Fear and chaos, division and strife are not from God but Satan. The world is largely inspired and manipulated by the enemy of God.

To be a true light in this world we as Christians must be willing to walk a narrow path, a less popular and comfortable path. For too long we have bowed to the fear of man in the western church, not wanting to be uncomfortable, when our brothers and sisters in the Middle East have been willing to die for the faith.

Even as you read this, Taliban forces are hunting down the underground church in Afghanistan. American Christians think going to church is an inconvenience if our favorite football team is playing or because not enough people are wearing masks.

We as Christians we’re not given a spirit of fear, but of courage. We cannot fall to the temptations of the wide road of comfort and compliance but instead must stand for truth even if it means death. Christian, in a time of great fear the hope of Christ can be a shining beacon to those so desperate for hope. We must be courageous and speak the truth in love. We must share Jesus, and His redemption of death itself, so that others may know the hope of eternal life.

 

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