Replies

Yes! You are right on. We need to be much more concerned about a State government exercising power over the Church which belongs to God; than whether John MacArthur has all his theology right.

It is this principle of God’s Sovereignty over His own Church Universal that is the issue here. It is recognized by our Constitution in the First Amendment, but it is God expressing His Will through His Natural Law that gives the First Amendment it’s value and purpose.

That is why “We are endowed by our Creator with certain inalienable rights” The governments of human authority cannot take from us what God has given and commanded us to do —even if the State believe it’s for our own welfare and their intentions are good.

The principal that Christians have lived by, and died, for over 2,000 years is: That when the Civil Authorities require what God forbids; or forbids what God requires, then we obey God. In all other secular matters we obey the authorities over us as God commands in Romans 13 until those authorities over-reach their God-given authority and require of us something that belongs to God. In this case, it is his command to assemble and worship Him.

Is there risk from Covid-19?, of course; but when God’s people make a conscious decision of FREE WILL to put their lives in God’s hands and do what He commands, it is GOD that enables that right and NOT the STATE’S right to deny it!

All the State can do is exercise it’s raw power over us, and they will make us suffer. Over the centuries monarchs and Governments have taken our fortunes and and our lives if we did not bend the knee to Caesar and deny God. To be a Christian was and is today not for those who seek an easy and compliant religion when the hard times come; and the Prince of this world requires us to choose which King we will serve.

I don’t know the fine points of John MacArthur’s theology beyond that he believes Jesus Christ to be the Son of God and that he takes him as his Lord and Savior. I don’t know if MacArthur takes a Calvinist or Pentecostal view of the Holy Spirit. But might I not support him in this struggle for lack of this knowledge given his surrender to Jesus Christ? I would not dare.