Some of us have been very willing to justify complying with whatever the governor orders. Some of us have reacted against these mandates and restrictions.
A division in our thinking as Seventh-day Adventists has emerged, similar to that seen in the wider society. However, there's a different twist to it for us because of our understanding of future events surrounding state-mandated Sunday keeping.
I've heard several people suggest that following government mandates requiring mask-wearing and closing churches because of the coronavirus could eventually lead to our following orders to accept Sunday and give up the Sabbath. Is there a slippery slope here? Will following government mandates now predispose us to receiving the mark of the Beast?
I'll have to say yes, and no.
No
It doesn't necessarily follow that if we obey the speed limit and the other traffic laws, or if we comply with any of the various regulations that we're already accustomed to, that we'll go on to take the Mark of the Beast. Likewise, it shouldn't automatically follow that if we comply with mask mandates and social distancing rules that we are in any greater danger of taking the Mark. But is there a point at which we cross a dangerous line?
Originally there was only one Authority, and one response to it – obedience. The principle underlying both of these is love. Satan invented a new principle called selfishness, and it produced rebellion and, later, the abuse of authority. Neither of these existed before. Neither has a place in God's kingdom going forward.
As Christians, rebellion is not to be part of our experience. No invention of Satan is needed to round out a Christian's character, is it? Is rebellion a legitimate response to the abuse of authority? It might seem so, but if you look closely, it isn't. It's the natural response, to be sure, but that doesn't make it the right response.
The New Testament urges us to obey the government. It says the “powers that be” are God's ministers to do good. These passages are hard for many people to accept, seeing that the various governments of the world have often oppressed people and otherwise misused the authority they have. Sometimes they outright trample on the rights of conscience and contradict God's laws. How should we navigate this?
Jesus grew up under an oppressive, abusive government. He, and the people of that time, could complain about having their rights trampled on if anyone could. Many would-be saviors came on the scene touting rebellion as the solution. When Jesus emerged as a possible Messiah, the people generally were expecting something similar from Him. But that's not the approach He took.
In His law-magnifying sermon on the mount, Jesus said a lot of things that ran counter to the prevailing opinions of that time – and ours as well. He said some things that are hard for our carnal hearts to come to terms with. In fact, much of what He said is simply ignored.
“And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also. And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain” (Matthew 5:40-41).
So if someone designs to take advantage of you, let them have more than they wanted. If someone compels (mandates) you to do something, do even more of it. That's one interesting way to exercise your freedom. I'm sure no Jew in those days enjoyed being compelled to carry a Roman's load for a mile. Now Jesus says carry it two miles. Suppose the government compels you to wear a mask?
Jesus didn't contend for His own rights. In the Sabbath-Sunday crisis in the last days, it's not so much our rights that are on the line, but God's right to our service. Our message is “Fear God, and give glory to Him” and “worship Him that made...”. Our primary concern is God's will, not so much our rights. While the world is contemplating a “new humanism” that puts “man at the center”, we are placing God at the center.
Yes
The common good will ultimately override our rights. Now, for example, public health considerations are overriding individual freedom to some extent. We don't have to like this, it's just a reality. No appeal to our individual rights will be heard when public opinion has decided that the Sabbath should be a work day. For the sake of the common good, individual rights will be set aside.
Some Adventists, during the Sunday law crisis in the 1880s, felt that they needed to defy the state and work on Sundays. Ellen White said no. She gave some valuable counsel at that time about how we should relate to the Sunday laws. We need to make sure we understand that counsel. The Sunday law in those days, although misguided and wrong, didn't compel anyone to break the Sabbath. Things hadn't progressed that far yet. We didn't have to set aside God's Law, we only had to set aside our rights. We could do that, even if we didn't really want to.
But what about when the state actually does legislate the mandatory breaking of God's commandment? The Apostles ran into a situation like this in Acts chapter 5. The Angel said “Go, stand and speak in the temple … ”, but the Council had straitly commanded them not to teach in Jesus' name.
Acts 5:29 “Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.”
Notice carefully that they said “we ought to obey God rather than men”, not “we ought to disobey men rather than God”. They were obedient people. The emphasis was obedience to God's Commandments, not disobedience to man's. They respected authority. When men presumed to abuse their God-given authority, and issue a command that would require disobedience to God's command, the apostles respected true Authority.
Obedience to God and obedience to the state are not opposites – necessarily. They are very similar, in the sense that both are obedience. Only when the state contradicts the Law of God do we run into a moral problem. But it isn't really our problem. It's the state's problem. They created it; they put us into that spot. It's their rebellion, not ours, on display in that case. We are not rebels. We are obedient to authority. We will be accused of being lawless, being against public order, breaking down the moral restraints of society, but this will be false. Our obedience has been constant and consistent.
The Slippery Slope
Where I see the danger, is if our Commandment-keeping is cultural and not intentional. Do we go to church on Sabbath because we grew up doing it, or maybe because our friends all do it? Is our Adventist, Commandment-keeping lifestyle something we have intelligently chosen, or something we just are in the habit of because of our cultural tradition? If we do what we do because everybody else is doing it, I can see how we would easily be among those who receive the Mark of the Beast. If we mindlessly do whatever we're told, we will probably mindlessly take the Mark. If we float with the current, we will go over the waterfall.
But if we truly fear God and strive to give glory to Him in everything we do, we will be in no danger of slipping down the slope of conformity and receiving the Mark. If our obedience is real, our respect for government authority will not translate into disobedience to God. Our respect for authority will guarantee our allegiance to the Greatest Authority, which is God Almighty.
Eric is a local church elder in southwest Virginia, and he makes dentures for a living.