Churches are not subjects of the State and, therefore, are not subject to provincial health regulations. That is a bold statement for the modern reader, but it is true. As granted to the State by God, the State has authority over Christians in one primary area: matters of public justice (Rom 13:4-7). Early Christians understood this, paid taxes, avoided criminal activity, but went underground when rulers overstepped their authority by banning Christian worship. To be sure, were churches to participate in criminal acts like child abuse or money laundering, the State would be well within its rights to intervene under law. But the State’s role was limited to oversee and enforce public justice and collect taxes to make that possible. 

Why does the State think it should control everything?

Regretfully, we have permitted the State to expand its job description well beyond God-given boundaries to include the public education of our children, our health care and the affirmation and definition of marriage. Each time the State expands its job description, the costs skyrocket, liberties are forfeited, and evil ideologies slip in. Take for example public education, an initiative founded on the belief that a collective form of education would both standardize educational outcomes and prepare children for life in the world and workforce. This worked well for a few generations, but public education is now the main tool for godless people to indoctrinate children in evolutionary theory, cultural Marxism, critical theory and a radical sexual education curriculum. Many health experts are selective in their application of science, by aborting children, administering euthanasia drugs, performing gender reassignment surgeries alongside cardiac surgeries and pediatric care. Marriages, traditionally performed by a parish minister in accordance with Scriptural definitions are now licensed and affirmed by the State that allows almost anyone to marry or remarry regardless of the morality of it. Evidently, whenever the State expands its job description, it not only gets it wrong, but actually steals a responsibility assigned to the Individual, the Family, or the Church; thereby usurping authority.

State-Church partnerships

Historically, Churches understood that they functioned in partnership with the State-neither damaging the other-in a beneficial relationship unlike any other. Citizens were taxed as a means of paying for military and judicial protection (Rom. 13:6-7) and as a declaration by the State to have a measure of authority over the citizen. Romans 13 then served not only as a reminder to early Christians but as a warning to the State to return to its actual functions and repent of tyranny, for he is the servant of God (13:4). Churches on the other hand, functioned as embassies of sorts, whereby the Church was acknowledged not to be under the authority of the State, save in matters of public justice, and therefore untaxed. Churches refrained from partisan politics-much like a foreign embassy would-but freely spoke to issues of concern and held the State accountable to its primary task of public justice. Tyrannical leaders were confronted by churchmen, in the same way that churchmen would be confronted by the State should they engage in criminal activity. But one thing was clear: Christ was the Lord, Ruler and King of the Church, and in all matters subjected the Church to his sovereign rule.

State control over the Church is increasing

As the State has increasingly become Statist (i.e. a centralized government controlling everything), Christians across our country have increasingly bowed to State experts in almost every area of life. The State determines how we must be registered, insured, incorporated, handle our funds, how we must register marriages, who and what we can teach in counselling sessions with homosexuals, how many can attend, whether or not we can sing or baptize, and what health regulations we must follow. The State-in partnership with Big Tech-censors our speech online (here’s fair warning for churches relying on Zoom or Facebook for Online services), fines and imprisons pastors for holding church services, is increasingly advocating for mandatory vaccinations in violation of personal consciences, and in some modern western nations has banned homeschooling. What’s next? When will all this stop? It won’t, unless the Church asserts herself as subject only to her true King in matters of worship, mission and ministry. 

Some comforting reminders

Some comforting news for parishioners is this: faithful church leaders love you more than any State medical official or your premier does and will do their best to keep you safe, while not permitting you to believe that you are merely a biotic being who should fear death. We will die and must accept that. In the meanwhile, we also have souls and minds to feed, and relationships to develop and a mission to accomplish. The disproportionate response to a viral threat is not only resulting in numerous economic and medical calamities, but has been leveraged by demonic powers for nefarious purposes. As churches ban people from counselling, refuse to meet with women in crisis pregnancies, and turn people away at Easter due to numerical limitations, our Enemy is claiming victory. Do not let him deceive you any longer.

Fortunately, in Canada, churches that have remained open are flourishing, no recorded deaths have resulted from public worship, and lives are being transformed as Christ’s kingship is reaffirmed. As such, even in the weightiness of the moment there is hope that God is building his church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it (Matt. 16:18).

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