Why do people look to government for help and protection when the Lord our God reigns?

Q: The fear of COVID-19 has had a staggering effect on every part of life, even the church. Why do people look to government for help and protection when the Lord our God reigns? – C.F.

A: Our country has been debating the separation of church and state for too long. But Christ cannot be separated from anything that pertains to life, for He “is all and in all” (Colossians 3:11). True Christianity is dependent on a personal relationship with God, not on externals. No pagan philosophy, no atheistic ideology, no government regulation can dislodge the joy of living as a true believer in the Lord Jesus Christ. He is big enough to cope with the gigantic social problems of these times. Man does not in himself have the capacity to do this, but Christ provides all that we need to live in this sin-sick world with victory.

Scripture warns that multitudes will reject that message, and we see that happening today. There is a cost to being a Christian and the cost for many is too great because they must forsake the lure of materialism and secular pleasure.

When someone repents of sin and receives Jesus as Savior, He gives newness of life – new direction, new strength, and a new dimension of living.

Many people who call themselves Christians actually doubt the authority of the Scriptures, believing in a god of their own imagination. Jesus Christ has been robbed of His deity. There are prominent preachers that suggest large passages of God’s Word be eliminated. Beware! The truth of Jesus the Christ can be a disturbing thought. He did not come the first time to bring peace, though He will return as the Prince of peace. He came to show mankind our sin against Him. He came to take our place for the penalty of sin. What a Savior!

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(This column is based on the words and writings of the late Rev. Billy Graham.)

©2020 Billy Graham Literary Trust. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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