The Biblical commandment regarding Vaccination

The Biblical commandment regarding Vaccination

What is the commandment that is applicable in deciding on the vaccination?
The Bible does not say "Thou shalt take the vaccination."

Nor does the Bible say "Thou shalt not take the vaccination."

Therefore it is clear that the LORD has given that choice to us and left that decision with us.

We cannot justify ourselves by taking the vaccination. Nor can we justify ourselves by not taking the vaccination. We cannot pat ourselves on the back and tell ourselves, "Well done! GOD is pleased with me because I have obeyed His commandment."

We are also not in a position to tell others " You have disobeyed GOD'S law by taking the vaccination" or "You have disobeyed GOD'S law by not taking the vaccination."

What then is the commandment?

We can come to the LORD JESUS today like the lawyer and ask Him with sincerity and He will speak clearly to us.

 But when the Pharisees heard that He had silenced the Sadducees, 

they gathered together. 

 Then one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, 

testing Him, and saying, 

 "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?" 

 Jesus said to him, "'You shall love the Lord your God 

with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.' 

 This is the first and great commandment. 

 And the second is like it: '

You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' 

 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets."

Matthew 22:34-40

The LORD JESUS further simplified the command to His followers who had literally experienced His love while they were with Him when He lived as a human being on earth.

 This is My commandment, 

that you love one another as I have loved you.

John 15:12

We are called to check our own motives and the attitudes of our hearts.

GOD'S commandment is 'LOVE' and it begins with GOD'S love in our hearts.

 There is no fear in love; 

but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. 

But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.

1 John 4:18

We must check our thoughts and heart against GOD'S commandment of love.

" Am I doing this to glorify the LORD Whose love has filled my heart?"

"Am I putting my selfish interests aside and making this decision in the interest of others?"

"Is my decision based on my faith or is it based on fear - fear of the virus or fear of the vaccination?"

In the early Church also there was a similar issue regarding circumcision. There were very strong views for and against circumcision. Interestingly, the LORD JESUS did not specifically speak about this matter, although He Himself was circumcised like any Jewish baby boy.

The apostle Paul, who Himself was a circumcised Jew, writes to the Galatian Church to whom this became an issue.

 Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, 

and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage. 

Indeed I, Paul, say to you that if you become circumcised, 

Christ will profit you nothing. 

And I testify again to every man who becomes circumcised 

that he is a debtor to keep the whole law. 

You have become estranged from Christ, 

you who attempt to be justified by law; 

you have fallen from grace. 

For we through the Spirit eagerly wait 

for the hope of righteousness by faith. 

For in Christ Jesus 

neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, 

but faith working through love. 

You ran well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth? 

This persuasion does not come from Him who calls you. 

A little leaven leavens the whole lump. 

I have confidence in you, in the Lord, 

that you will have no other mind; 

but he who troubles you shall bear his judgment, 

whoever he is. And I, brethren, if I still preach circumcision, 

why do I still suffer persecution? 

Then the offense of the cross has ceased. 

I could wish that those who trouble you 

would even cut themselves off! 

For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; 

only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, 

but through love serve one another. 

For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: 

"You shall love your neighbor as yourself." 

But if you bite and devour one another, 

beware lest you be consumed by one another! 

I say then: Walk in the Spirit, 

and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 

For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, 

and the Spirit against the flesh; 

and these are contrary to one another, 

so that you do not do the things that you wish. 

But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 

Now the works of the flesh are evident, 

which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 

idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, 

selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, 

drunkenness, revelries, and the like; 

of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, 

that those who practice such things 

will not inherit the kingdom of God. 

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, 

longsuffering, kindness, goodness, 

faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. 

Against such there is no law. 

And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh 

with its passions and desires. 

If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. 

Let us not become conceited, 

provoking one another, envying one another.

Galatians 5:1-26

Spiritual Warfare - 8

Taking my stand for people – Gaining territory

 Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you, as I said to Moses.   Joshua 1:3 (NKJV)


 Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. ² And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma   .Ephesians 5:1-2 (NKJV)

Once I have found my position of victory and security and know how to take my stand in that position, I need to progress from there to gain territory. Gaining souls is gaining territory. This we do, because of the love of Christ in our hearts for others. In  spiritual warfare, fighting for others is gaining territory. Bringing people from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light, bringing people to salvation in Christ Jesus, helping people to be established in the faith, set free from the snares of the devil, and causing them to walk in victory, is spiritual gain for us. Exposing and destroying the works of satan in the lives of people brings defeat to his kingdom.  Thus we progress in this path.

This we do, by preaching, teaching, interceding and helping with love.

We have been commanded and given the authority in Jesus, to preaching and teach.

 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. ¹⁹ Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.   Matthew 28:18-20 (NKJV)

 I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: ² Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.   2 Timothy 4:1-2 (NKJV)

We have been given the authority and power in Jesus to trample the enemy and set people free.

 And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”   Matthew 16:19 (NKJV)

 And He said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. ¹⁹ Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.   Luke 10:18-19 (NKJV)

We have been given the anointing in Jesus to set the captives free.

 “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, Because the Lord has anointed Me To preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound; ² To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn,   Isaiah 61:1-2 (NKJV)

We have been asked to serve with love.

 For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.   Galatians 5:13 (NKJV)

Therefore in the spiritual battle, we fight for others.

 And I looked, and arose and said to the nobles, to the leaders, and to the rest of the people, “Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, great and awesome, and fight for your brethren, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your houses.”   Nehemiah 4:14 (NKJV)

 For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”   Esther 4:14 (NKJV)

We don’t fight with people, but we fight for people.

We don’t fight for land or possessions, but we fight for people.

Since we have been saved by grace, we should desire to see that grace extended to others so that they also may be saved. The sufferings in this world cannot be compared to the eternal torment in hell-fire. We have a glimpse of it in the story of Sodom and Gomorrah, when the Lord rained down brimstone and fire and the smoke went up like the smoke of a furnace. God’s grace and mercy prevail before His judgment comes.

When the morning dawned, the angels urged Lot to hurry, saying, “Arise, take your wife and your two daughters who are here, lest you be consumed in the punishment of the city.” ¹⁶ And while he lingered, the men took hold of his hand, his wife’s hand, and the hands of his two daughters, the Lord being merciful to him, and they brought him out and set him outside the city. ¹⁷ So it came to pass, when they had brought them outside, that he said, “Escape for your life! Do not look behind you nor stay anywhere in the plain. Escape to the mountains, lest you be destroyed.”   Genesis 19:15-17 (NKJV)

Rotorua in New Zealand gives us a picture of the place of eternal torment. It gives us a glimpse of bubbling, boiling mud and Sulphur. May we consider this and have our hearts filled with compassion to see many saved from being cast into hell.

But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, ²¹ keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. ²² And on some have compassion, making a distinction; ²³ but others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh.   Jude 20-23 (NKJV)