A Godly Response to the Coronavirus Pandemic - Part 2

Before we consider another godly way of responding to this global pandemic, let us consider the reason behind the outbreak of Covid_19.

Why Coronaviruses?

Why are we faced by this situation?  ‘Why’ may be a lingering question you may have… why did God who is eternally good allow this terrible sickness on earth? It is very easy to conclude that Covid_19 is a lab-made pandemic – and it may as well be. But you do not know, neither do I.  It is not necessary to swim to the conspiracy theories that are doing their rounds. 

Therefore we need to forget these speculations and conspiracy theories for they only contribute to more panic. We are instead to honour God as holy and Him alone we are to fear for he alone can kill both the body and cast the soul into hell (Matt 10:28).

Who does not know that the world has been swimming in sin? God sounded this Coronaviruses as a thunderbolt to stop this sinful madness. The world has been calling evil good and good evil. The world has lost any appetite for the things of God – even in the church! Who reads the Bible consistently? Who prays earnestly? 

Truth has been ridiculed and evil and error celebrated. The perversion of sexual immorality, homosexuality, LGBTQ agenda was endorsed as alternative lifestyle - yet these are abominations. Abortion, which is the indiscriminate murder of the innocent babies in the womb by their own mothers has been celebrated as choice - yet God says it is murder. The whole world has been gasping under the pollution of pornography and some called it freedom of expression - yet it is perversion and defilement. Sex slavery is being paraded in the form of porn! Chronic corruption in the governments has been hailed as politics and integrity and good governance are only words used by NGOs to get  external funding. 

But now the Lord, the God Almighty has roared. He has cracked his whip and roared – who shall not be afraid? Remember that when prophet Habbakkuk thought that God was sitting idly not doing anything to the wickedness of his day? God responded that he will do something that no one would believe – what he has done is in so many ways unbelievable. Who would have thought that the world, as developed as it is today could be sent into panic by a virus? Did you think economies like China, Italy and the US could be so paralyzed by a virus?

What is the purpose of trials and afflictions in God’s scheme of things? So that the afflicted and distressed Christians may have a proper salve for every sore from the Great Physician who heals the sick – the Lord Jesus Christ. Christ is the proper remedy against every disease, at hand. 

Afflictions become a mirror by which we see the true human nature. Here you may see your face, your head, your hand, your heart, your ways, your works, and know how you have failed to glorify him. But we also see the inconsistencies of pagans and atheists as they also try to offer some help. Thank God they are offering humanitarian aid (not as much as Christians of course) but their help to the suffering condemns their convictions. For it shows that they do bear the image of God - for this we as thankful that God's common grace cannot be obliterated even in the unbelief of men. 

In good health one may be unable to see all his spiritual diseases. It is while in affliction that proper remedies are proposed and applied. Here you may find all your arguments silenced.

How do we respond in a godly way to this pandemic?

1.     REMEMBER THAT GOD IS OUR STRENGTH

My flesh and my heart may fail… BUT GOD is my strength. God is the strength of my heart. God is my strength and he should be your strength too. It does matter what you may be going through right now – it may not necessarily be Corona viruses. It may be that you have physical sickness you are dealing with, or emotional issues, or serious social challenges – let God be your strength. You may be frustrated with your husband or feel tired with your wife; it could be that you are very annoyed by your children; it is possible that you feel emotionally drained, lonely and under serious stress and possible depression – let the Lord be your strength. I suppose you may have financial pressures – with no job, or perhaps your business has collapsed and you have debts or loan to pay and bills demanding your attention. May we all find the Lord our help, our strength and our Deliverer. He is the keeper of his people Israel and he will not let our feet be moved – remember he does not sleep or slumber.

If you are going to win the race set before you or win the battle marked out for you – then you should not look up to the hills, but to the Lord from where your help comes. Your help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth. So the sun shall not strike you by day nor moon by night – the Lord will keep you from all evil, he will keep your life. He will keep your going and your coming in from this time forth and evermore (Psalm 121).

1)      Be orthodox in your understanding of God – he is sovereign

God knows who is and who will be infected. God knows where each of the Corona Viruses are located now and he will direct them to where and to whom he wants infected when he wants. He is the Sovereign God who governs, preserves, and directs them all to do his will and to accomplish his purposes. He is in heaven and he does whatsoever he pleases (Psalm 115:3). Whatever the Lord pleases he does, in heaven and on earth, in the seas and all deeps – it is he who makes the clouds rise at the end of the earth, who makes lightenings for the rain and brings forth the wind from his storehouses. He it was who struck down the firstborns of Egypt, both man and of beast (Psalm 135:6-10). God does all things – and so with Job we ask, “Shall we receive good from God and shall we not receive evil? (Job 2:10). Let the whole world know that the LORD our God is but one living and true God; whose subsistence is in an of himself. God is infinite in being and perfection, whose essence cannot be comprehended by any but himself. He is the most pure spirit, invisible, without body, parts, or passions, who only has immortality, dwelling in inapproachable light. God is immutable, immense, eternal, incomprehensible, almighty, every way infinite, most holy, most wise, most free, most absolute. He is working all things according to the counsel of his own immutable and most righteous will for His own glory. He is most loving, gracious, merciful, long suffering, abundant in goodness and truth. He is constantly forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin, the rewarder of them that diligently seek him, withal most just and terrible in his judgments, hating all sin, and who will by no means clear the guilty.

We must realize that God has decreed in Himself, from all eternity, by the most wise and holy counsel of His own will, freely and unchangeably, all things whatsoever comes to pass; yet so as thereby is God neither the author of sin nor has fellowship with any therein. God knows whatsoever may or can come to pass, upon all supposed conditions, yet has he not decreed anything because He foresaw it as future, or as that which would come to pass upon such conditions (Rom. 9:11, 13, 16, 18).

2)      Be Balanced and Sober in your actions

It is true that God will shower with love to his children always. And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose (Rom. 8:28). But we also know that what seem good to us may not be so good before the all seeing eye of God. We need to appreciate that what our Father wills is the best – so if he wills Coronaviruses, then Coronaviruses pandemic is better than global health. When he wills weakness, then weakness is better than strength. When he wills poverty, then poverty is better than riches. When he wills shame and dishonour, then shame and dishonour is better than honour and high esteem. If our heavenly Father wills that we should be dead, then death is better than life. Whatever the Father wills is the best for his children even though they may not know why it is better, it is because they are convinced of his everlasting love.

We therefore need must do what God has instructed us to do for our own good and the welfare of our neighbours. We must not be fatalists abdicating our responsibility to do what is right when it is within our power to do it.

3)      Keep away from the sin of presumption

To presume on the promises of God is sinful. To conclude that just because you are a Christian therefore you cannot be infected or die, is presumption. Has God indeed said that his children will not suffer any sickness or lack? Is God's will that his children will not suffer? Before you quote Jeremiah 29:11 for me, remember that the context of the verse is a letter that Jeremiah had written to the exiles telling them that God will deliver them after 70 years. The good plan was to remain in the Babylonian exile for that long.

The Bible is clear that rebellion is as the sin of divination, and presumption is as iniquity and idolatry (1 Sam. 15:23) and it is this very sin that led to the rejection of Saul as king of Israel. Therefore, it is sinful to take God’s promise of care, protection and act irresponsibly. We must not put the Lord our God to the test – it is true God cannot be tempted by evil. It is also true that God has given us promises in his word, some of the promises are universal like, ‘believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you would be saved.’ That was true of the Philippian Jailor in Acts 16:31 and it is true of you today because this is what the rest of the Scriptures teach.

However, for false prophet like TB Joshua to claim that the Coronavirus will be cleared by rain and such like careless statements and for anyone to believe those pronouncements, shows a serious failure to use one’s own mental capacity, ignorant of the Scriptures and the power of God. It is irresponsible to fail to use medication, or to refuse to sanitize your hands, or to continue with your life as usual without using the physical means that God has appointed.

If you neglect your responsibility, then you need to be prepared to face the consequences of your actions. Don’t listen to those false prophets and preachers who proclaim peace when there is no peace or give OT promises without paying attention to the context. Paul had been unjustly arrested in Jerusalem and had to appeal to Caesar in order that he would save his life from the evil Jews who wanted to kill him. Enroute to Rome, they were shipwrecked but the Lord assured him, “Do not be afraid, Paul you must stand before Caesar. And behold, God has granted you all those who sail with you.” A few hours later, these men in the ship with him wanted to escape and so Paul had to give the warning, “Unless these men stay in the ship, you cannot be saved.” (Acts 27:24,31). It is clear that with the promise there was divine means by which God had intended to preserve these people. 

We must not presume upon God’s promises if we have no use for God-appointed means. We believe that God is sovereign and we believe that we are responsible. We believe God is sovereign and we believe that the sovereign God has appointed the means of accomplishing his purposes.