Reflection | Galatians 3:26-29 | 14 September 2021

 



A letter from Anthony...

“So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptised into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.  There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.  If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.”  Galatians 3:26-29

It is a welcome, but slightly strange, feeling to be let out of lockdown while so much of our state is still living under strict restrictions.  But that said, it was a wonderful blessing to be able to meet with God’s people in person last Sunday, as it will be, Lord willing, again this Sunday. 

At present our state and federal leaders are working hard to try and open up the whole state again, but their plans to do so have raised a number of contentious issues for many.  And as those who follow the Lord Jesus it is important that our decisions are being informed by Scripture.

I am sure that you would be aware that a key element of our State Government’s road map out of lockdown is a push to have 80 percent of the NSW population vaccinated.  And I think it has been this strong push toward vaccination that has opinions divided.  In recent weeks the vaccine has become somewhat of a hot topic.  Many have had the vaccine and feel comfortable with that decision, while others have legitimate concerns about having the vaccine. 

It was recently announced by the State Premier that it will be mandatory for all teachers and medical professionals to be vaccinated, and the intention is to include many other industries in that in the future.  Along with this strong push toward vaccine, many are also concerned about the State Government’s plan to introduce vaccine passports.

So how can we think about these issues in a biblical way?  I am not a doctor, nor do I profess to understand all the intricacies of the arguments both for and against the vaccine.  However, I do encourage us all to think about these challenges in a biblical way. 

As those who have been united with Christ through His life, death and resurrection we have not only been united with Christ, but also with all other believers in Christ, as we were adopted into the family of Christ.  But being united doesn’t mean that we will always see things from the same perspective, and so on controversial issues like vaccination there will be any number of different positions that we might hold.

So how can we think about the vaccine in a biblical way?

Well firstly, we must think about these issues in the light of the law of Christ.  The law of Christ is this, to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength” and to “Love your neighbour as yourself” (Mark 12:30-31).  Therefore, according to the law of Christ, as followers of Jesus, we are called to serve the Lord by loving Him and our neighbour. 

Due to the difficulty of this topic, however, it is very likely that we will have different perspectives on what is most loving toward God and our neighbour.   One may say ‘take the vaccine, it will slow the spread of the virus.’  Another may say ‘don’t take the vaccine, and stand up for those who feel oppressed and pressured into having it.’  But each of us should be led by our consciences and convinced in our minds, as Paul says in Romans 14:5-6:

“One person considers one day more sacred than another; another considers every day alike. Each of them should be fully convinced in their own mind.  Whoever regards one day as special does so to the Lord. Whoever eats meat does so to the Lord, for they give thanks to God; and whoever abstains does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God.”

It is important for us to acknowledge that either position on the vaccine (as long as it is held in order to love the Lord and our neighbour) honours our Saviour.  

So, if either position is able to honour the Lord, then secondly, it is important for us to think about whether our position will affect our gospel witness.  Now as a pastor I am in a different position to many, in that my position on taking or not taking the vaccine will directly affect my gospel witness in the community.  There will be others in this position, but for many your position on the vaccine will make no difference at all to the opportunities you have to share the gospel and won’t be a deciding factor at all.

And then lastly, it is important to ask ourselves, ‘how are our positions on the vaccine affecting relationships within the body of Christ?’  With the constant drum beat that we are hearing from our media and State Government, it is easy to get caught up in the “for” or “against” camp without even realising it.  But as those who are called to love the Lord our God and our neighbour, it is important for us to think about how our words are affecting our neighbour.  We must ask ourselves questions like, ‘Do I need to speak, or would it better serve the gospel for me to remain silent on this issue at this time?’

There are a lot of different reasons why we may be either for or against the vaccine, but these differences should not divide us.  As members of the body of Christ we have been brought into a diverse family of believers who are united through one thing, and that is the blood of Christ.  Therefore, whatever our position is on the vaccine, in Christ and amongst His body there is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, neither vaccinated or non-vaccinated, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 

In Christ, Anthony





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