COVID-19 And Obedience to the U.S.Constitution or the Bible.

All scripture references, unless otherwise noted, are from the King James Version of the Holy Bible.

It is interesting to me that some preachers are more obedient to the U.S. Constitution than they are to the Bible. It is true that the first Article of the Bill of Rights guarantees the freedom of religion. It is as follows:

"Amendment 1

- Freedom of Religion, Speech, and the Press

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, or abridging the freedom of speech or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble and to petition the government for a redress of grievances."

The Bible has something to say about this subject also. In Romans 13:1-7 Apostle Paul wrote and I quote, "Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same: For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.  Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake. For for this cause pay ye tribute also: for they are God's ministers, attending continually upon this very thing. Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour." And in Titus 3:1 the same apostle said to,  "Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good  work,..." The "...them..." here refers undoubtedly to the church. 

It is also interesting to me that we are to obey Acts 2:38 which Apostle Peter told his Jewish listeners, "...Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." and yet we seem to ignore what he instructed in 1st Peter 2:13-17 where he said, "Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme; Or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well. For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men: As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God. Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king." It would seem that as the old saying says, "what is good for the gander is good for the goose." 

I am glad that I obeyed the Bible when I turned to God in 1965. The Lord Jesus said to me "read My Word and start in Matthew." I, as Paul said in Acts 26:19,  "...was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision..." Admittedly I did not see the Lord Jesus but I did hear His voice and I obeyed His command. I had never read the Bible before.  It was in reading His word I learned how to be saved. That was going on 55 years ago. I have never been sorry. You say that you have repented and been saved by grace. It was the grace of God that I read in His word to be baptized in Jesus name. It wasn't keeping the law, it was the graciousness of God in my life! If you my friend have never repented of your sins, been baptized in Jesus name for the forgiveness of those sins, and received the Holy Ghost as they did on the day of Pentecost, do so today. You too will never be sorry!