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charisstomahttps://notatheologian.home.blog/2020/07/11/should-christians-wear-masks/?fbclid=IwAR1vDCZUPpSZt_N2VXiKSIAzP5eZEYB7KgGFPgMGq5P1Y_cNLpNIhOT_PtM
Should Christians Wear Masks?
If I Wear a Mask, Does that Mean I Don’t Trust God?
We read about this in Matthew 4:5-7. Satan takes Jesus to the top of the temple and says to him: “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, ‘He will command his angels concerning you,’and ‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.’”
Jesus responded with a simple:
“Again, it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’” Matthew 4:7
When Satan suggests that, if Jesus is powerful enough and if he had enough faith in this Father, he would recklessly put himself in a dangerous situation, Jesus responds by showing that God does not want that.
God intends for us to use common sense and not to needlessly test Him:
“The prudent sees danger and hides himself, but the simple go on and suffer for it.” Proverbs 27:1
We don’t need to jump off buildings to prove ourselves. We can wear seat-belts and not worry about God being upset at us for not trusting Him.
And we can wear masks without offending God by using precautions.
I Don’t Believe Masks are Effective. Why Should I Wear One?
There’s been a lot of information going around in both directions regarding the efficacy of masks in preventing the spread of the virus. What if I don’t see the need to wear one myself? Perhaps I’m in an age group or demographic that is not concerned about the effects the virus might have on me personally. Perhaps I simply believe this whole thing is being blown way out of proportion?
I’m not going to argue with anyone here about scientific evidence or if this is a serious situation or not. There are a lot of voices speaking to this already.
Instead I’m going to say something that might unseat you a bit…
It doesn’t matter.
It doesn’t matter if I don’t think masks are effective. The woman standing in line behind me does.
It doesn’t matter if I’m not worried about catching the virus. The man passing me in the aisle is.
It doesn’t matter if I believe people are overreacting. The person taking my order believes the precautions to be necessary.
Now you might be reacting in a traditional way for someone from the USA. We have been steeped in individualism from the day of our birth: our rights, our freedoms, our choices.
But we need to pause for a second and consider if that is the way of the Kingdom of God.
Romans 14
Paul dives into a really similar situation to the one we are in today, and especially focuses on personal liberty within Christian community.
In Romans, Paul writes to the Jewish and Gentile church in Rome. One of his main priorities with his letter is to show how they were to treat each other as members of one body from entirely different cultures.
You can imagine it was a bumpy start.
In Romans 14, Paul takes on the issue of eating specific foods. When Christ fulfilled the law, all food was made clean, and there were not more restrictions on eating unclean foods like pork.
(For more information on this check out this link: https://www.gotquestions.org/abolish-fulfill-law.html)
The Jews would have likely had a hard time suddenly being okay with eating pork, something they had stayed strictly away from since the time of Moses. The feeling that eating it was sinful wasn’t going to go away overnight. The Gentiles would have seen no issue with it and making kosher food would have been a huge imposition on their lifestyle. How should this body of believers handle this situation?
As an American, my initial reaction my easily be “You do you, and I’ll do me. I don’t need to alter my choices to make you more comfortable. It’s my right to eat pork, so I will.”
But…that’s not how God sees it.
Paul’s answer to this problem sucker punches our individual liberty right in the gut.
“I am convinced, being fully persuaded in the Lord Jesus, that nothing is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for that person it is unclean. If your brother or sister is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by your eating destroy someone for whom Christ died.” Romans 14:14-15
Basically, Paul is saying that eating pork is fine; it’s clean. But if it distresses your brother or sister in Christ, then don’t do it. Abstain out of love.
He goes on to say that abstaining from eating these kinds of foods for the sake of the unity of the Christian community is, in fact, serving Christ and not just your brother or sister in the faith.
“For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and receives human approval.” Romans 14:17-18
I believe we could easily add “masks” after eating and drinking above.
The Kingdom of God is not a matter of your freedom to refuse a mask, but of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.
If you believe that masks are ineffective and an imposition on your personal liberty, I would encourage you to see the topic through this same lens of sacrificial living.
Peace in the body, unity in the body, is more important than our personal liberty.
There are a few objections I can anticipate here:
What about my freedom in Christ?
Do we have freedom in Christ? YES!
Through Christ’s sacrifice we are free from the bondage to sin and our own inability to earn any part of our salvation through works. We could never earn even a piece of salvation on our own and it is a gift to all who believe in Jesus. We have been set free!
But that freedom is not meant for us to wield to satisfy our own desires, fulfill our own wants or sustain our own comforts.
We are called to use this freedom for a purpose:
To serve.
“For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.” Galatians 5:13
Why should I accommodate others by wearing a mask instead of them accommodating me?
Even if I think that wearing a mask is annoying and ineffective, the feelings of my brothers and sisters in Christ who see it as a major safety concern override mine. They see it as a matter of life and death, as a sin to disobey the requests of our government leaders, and as a sin to put the lives of others in danger. And Christians are called to accommodate them in this matter even if we disagree since the accommodation is not sinful.
If masks are ineffective and I don’t wear one… no harm done.
If masks are ineffective and I wear one… no harm done.
If masks are effective and I wear one… I protect others.
If masks are effective and I don’t wear one …I put hundreds of people in danger unnecessarily.
So why not wear a mask?
I would not want my own pride in my knowledge to cause harm to other. I want to be humble and realistic about my own limitations and the consequences of what could happen if I am wrong.
Does this mean I have to alter everything I do based on how others feel about things?
No. This is only for situations that revolve around a non-sinful action.
Our first responsibility is to God and doing our best to live righteously. We cannot sin to make others feel happy, but there is nothing in the Bible that would suggest that wearing a mask during a pandemic is sinful.
We know from our study above that it is not a sin to take precautions surrounding illness and that God does not want us to test Him for unnecessary miraculous intervention.
We are also called to respect our governing authorities so long as their commands do not conflict with God’s Word. That might be a concern for the future and something to stay aware of, but wearing a mask doesn’t automatically sign you up for additional actions.
With this example in Romans, eating pork is not a sin, but if a member of my body feels it might be, then I don’t eat pork. That decision harms no one.
If I believe that abstaining from wearing a mask is not sinful because I do not believe they are effective, but a member of my body believes that they are effective and it is a sin not to wear one, I should wear the mask. That decision harms no one.
Paul is speaking to a single body of believers. What about the feelings of the general public?
It’s important to read Scripture in context and understand that Romans 14 is speaking to a group of believers. These are people whose love for one another was intended by God to be a beacon of light pointing toward the truth of the Gospel.
This is not, however, the only place in the Bible where we are told to give up personal liberties for the sake of others. In the case of non-believers, we give up personal liberty for the purpose of sharing the gospel.
Paul speaks about how much he sacrificed his personal liberty in his pursuit of sharing the gospel with everyone in a way that was effective.
“To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some.” 1 Corinthians 9:20-22
Paul did not sin in doing this, but made an effort to alter his behavior so that his message would be better received by the group he was ministering to.
My personal liberties are of much less importance than my effectiveness in sharing the Gospel.
If my not wearing a mask deters even one person from taking my message about Christ’s love and sacrifice seriously, is it worth it?
If my not wearing a mask deters even one person from taking my message about Christ’s love and sacrifice seriously, is it worth it?
One idea that might help make wearing a mask feel more like a ministry could be to add a Bible verse to the outside. We’ve already seen many masks with personal messages. Why not add a favorite verse to yours as a 6 feet apart conversation starter?
The Heart of the Matter
If you’ve been one who has previously rejected the idea of wearing a mask during this pandemic, it is my hope that you are reconsidering that decision.
We are called to do everything in life as if we were doing it for the Lord. That includes the decision to wear a mask or not.
We can know that God will not fault us for being prudent and cautious when it comes to spreading illness. He will not see us as faithless and fearful for wearing a mask.
Whether or not a Christian personally believe a mask is effective or useful for them, if it is important to others, they should make an accommodation out of love for the body of Christ and to not take away from sharing the Gospel.
But there is one more element to address and that is the heart behind the action.
When Jesus is asked what the greatest commandment is, he responds in two parts:
Love God
Love Neighbor
In doing so, he summarized the entire law.
What is so important about this summary is that it shifts the focus from following the letter of the law to following the spirit of the law. We are not called to a list of emotionless actions and routines. We are called to love from the heart and that will spill out in our actions.
God does not want forced worship or works without love as the motivator.
This is why we have verses like the following:
“Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver” 2 Corinthians 9:7
If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.” 1 Corinthians 13:2-3
The real question Christians should be asking is not “Should I wear a mask?” but “What is in my heart?”
Is my heart focused on worshiping and loving God? Is my heart focused on serving and loving my neighbor?
When I put on a mask, do I feel resentful or do I feel overwhelming love for my neighbor? Do I focus on how uncomfortable it is, or do I see it as outward expression of the love in my heart for the people God has created? Do I see it as an obligation or as a sacrificial gift of love?
The heart behind the action matters to God. And it should matter to us.
My prayer for myself is that I will be able to walk through this difficult season with a heart that is overflowing with sacrificial love, and that I am able to give up personal liberties without any resentment or discontent.
Because Christ is enough.
“I know how to live humbly, and I know how to abound. I am accustomed to any and every situation—to being filled and being hungry, to having plenty and having need. I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength” Philippians 4:12-13
Perhaps that’s the verse I’ll write on my mask.
Should Christians Wear Masks?
If I Wear a Mask, Does that Mean I Don’t Trust God?
We read about this in Matthew 4:5-7. Satan takes Jesus to the top of the temple and says to him: “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, ‘He will command his angels concerning you,’and ‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.’”
Jesus responded with a simple:
“Again, it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’” Matthew 4:7
When Satan suggests that, if Jesus is powerful enough and if he had enough faith in this Father, he would recklessly put himself in a dangerous situation, Jesus responds by showing that God does not want that.
God intends for us to use common sense and not to needlessly test Him:
“The prudent sees danger and hides himself, but the simple go on and suffer for it.” Proverbs 27:1
We don’t need to jump off buildings to prove ourselves. We can wear seat-belts and not worry about God being upset at us for not trusting Him.
And we can wear masks without offending God by using precautions.
I Don’t Believe Masks are Effective. Why Should I Wear One?
There’s been a lot of information going around in both directions regarding the efficacy of masks in preventing the spread of the virus. What if I don’t see the need to wear one myself? Perhaps I’m in an age group or demographic that is not concerned about the effects the virus might have on me personally. Perhaps I simply believe this whole thing is being blown way out of proportion?
I’m not going to argue with anyone here about scientific evidence or if this is a serious situation or not. There are a lot of voices speaking to this already.
Instead I’m going to say something that might unseat you a bit…
It doesn’t matter.
It doesn’t matter if I don’t think masks are effective. The woman standing in line behind me does.
It doesn’t matter if I’m not worried about catching the virus. The man passing me in the aisle is.
It doesn’t matter if I believe people are overreacting. The person taking my order believes the precautions to be necessary.
Now you might be reacting in a traditional way for someone from the USA. We have been steeped in individualism from the day of our birth: our rights, our freedoms, our choices.
But we need to pause for a second and consider if that is the way of the Kingdom of God.
Romans 14
Paul dives into a really similar situation to the one we are in today, and especially focuses on personal liberty within Christian community.
In Romans, Paul writes to the Jewish and Gentile church in Rome. One of his main priorities with his letter is to show how they were to treat each other as members of one body from entirely different cultures.
You can imagine it was a bumpy start.
In Romans 14, Paul takes on the issue of eating specific foods. When Christ fulfilled the law, all food was made clean, and there were not more restrictions on eating unclean foods like pork.
(For more information on this check out this link: https://www.gotquestions.org/abolish-fulfill-law.html)
The Jews would have likely had a hard time suddenly being okay with eating pork, something they had stayed strictly away from since the time of Moses. The feeling that eating it was sinful wasn’t going to go away overnight. The Gentiles would have seen no issue with it and making kosher food would have been a huge imposition on their lifestyle. How should this body of believers handle this situation?
As an American, my initial reaction my easily be “You do you, and I’ll do me. I don’t need to alter my choices to make you more comfortable. It’s my right to eat pork, so I will.”
But…that’s not how God sees it.
Paul’s answer to this problem sucker punches our individual liberty right in the gut.
“I am convinced, being fully persuaded in the Lord Jesus, that nothing is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for that person it is unclean. If your brother or sister is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by your eating destroy someone for whom Christ died.” Romans 14:14-15
Basically, Paul is saying that eating pork is fine; it’s clean. But if it distresses your brother or sister in Christ, then don’t do it. Abstain out of love.
He goes on to say that abstaining from eating these kinds of foods for the sake of the unity of the Christian community is, in fact, serving Christ and not just your brother or sister in the faith.
“For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and receives human approval.” Romans 14:17-18
I believe we could easily add “masks” after eating and drinking above.
The Kingdom of God is not a matter of your freedom to refuse a mask, but of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.
If you believe that masks are ineffective and an imposition on your personal liberty, I would encourage you to see the topic through this same lens of sacrificial living.
Peace in the body, unity in the body, is more important than our personal liberty.
There are a few objections I can anticipate here:
What about my freedom in Christ?
Do we have freedom in Christ? YES!
Through Christ’s sacrifice we are free from the bondage to sin and our own inability to earn any part of our salvation through works. We could never earn even a piece of salvation on our own and it is a gift to all who believe in Jesus. We have been set free!
But that freedom is not meant for us to wield to satisfy our own desires, fulfill our own wants or sustain our own comforts.
We are called to use this freedom for a purpose:
To serve.
“For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.” Galatians 5:13
Why should I accommodate others by wearing a mask instead of them accommodating me?
Even if I think that wearing a mask is annoying and ineffective, the feelings of my brothers and sisters in Christ who see it as a major safety concern override mine. They see it as a matter of life and death, as a sin to disobey the requests of our government leaders, and as a sin to put the lives of others in danger. And Christians are called to accommodate them in this matter even if we disagree since the accommodation is not sinful.
If masks are ineffective and I don’t wear one… no harm done.
If masks are ineffective and I wear one… no harm done.
If masks are effective and I wear one… I protect others.
If masks are effective and I don’t wear one …I put hundreds of people in danger unnecessarily.
So why not wear a mask?
I would not want my own pride in my knowledge to cause harm to other. I want to be humble and realistic about my own limitations and the consequences of what could happen if I am wrong.
Does this mean I have to alter everything I do based on how others feel about things?
No. This is only for situations that revolve around a non-sinful action.
Our first responsibility is to God and doing our best to live righteously. We cannot sin to make others feel happy, but there is nothing in the Bible that would suggest that wearing a mask during a pandemic is sinful.
We know from our study above that it is not a sin to take precautions surrounding illness and that God does not want us to test Him for unnecessary miraculous intervention.
We are also called to respect our governing authorities so long as their commands do not conflict with God’s Word. That might be a concern for the future and something to stay aware of, but wearing a mask doesn’t automatically sign you up for additional actions.
With this example in Romans, eating pork is not a sin, but if a member of my body feels it might be, then I don’t eat pork. That decision harms no one.
If I believe that abstaining from wearing a mask is not sinful because I do not believe they are effective, but a member of my body believes that they are effective and it is a sin not to wear one, I should wear the mask. That decision harms no one.
Paul is speaking to a single body of believers. What about the feelings of the general public?
It’s important to read Scripture in context and understand that Romans 14 is speaking to a group of believers. These are people whose love for one another was intended by God to be a beacon of light pointing toward the truth of the Gospel.
This is not, however, the only place in the Bible where we are told to give up personal liberties for the sake of others. In the case of non-believers, we give up personal liberty for the purpose of sharing the gospel.
Paul speaks about how much he sacrificed his personal liberty in his pursuit of sharing the gospel with everyone in a way that was effective.
“To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some.” 1 Corinthians 9:20-22
Paul did not sin in doing this, but made an effort to alter his behavior so that his message would be better received by the group he was ministering to.
My personal liberties are of much less importance than my effectiveness in sharing the Gospel.
If my not wearing a mask deters even one person from taking my message about Christ’s love and sacrifice seriously, is it worth it?
If my not wearing a mask deters even one person from taking my message about Christ’s love and sacrifice seriously, is it worth it?
One idea that might help make wearing a mask feel more like a ministry could be to add a Bible verse to the outside. We’ve already seen many masks with personal messages. Why not add a favorite verse to yours as a 6 feet apart conversation starter?
The Heart of the Matter
If you’ve been one who has previously rejected the idea of wearing a mask during this pandemic, it is my hope that you are reconsidering that decision.
We are called to do everything in life as if we were doing it for the Lord. That includes the decision to wear a mask or not.
We can know that God will not fault us for being prudent and cautious when it comes to spreading illness. He will not see us as faithless and fearful for wearing a mask.
Whether or not a Christian personally believe a mask is effective or useful for them, if it is important to others, they should make an accommodation out of love for the body of Christ and to not take away from sharing the Gospel.
But there is one more element to address and that is the heart behind the action.
When Jesus is asked what the greatest commandment is, he responds in two parts:
Love God
Love Neighbor
In doing so, he summarized the entire law.
What is so important about this summary is that it shifts the focus from following the letter of the law to following the spirit of the law. We are not called to a list of emotionless actions and routines. We are called to love from the heart and that will spill out in our actions.
God does not want forced worship or works without love as the motivator.
This is why we have verses like the following:
“Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver” 2 Corinthians 9:7
If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.” 1 Corinthians 13:2-3
The real question Christians should be asking is not “Should I wear a mask?” but “What is in my heart?”
Is my heart focused on worshiping and loving God? Is my heart focused on serving and loving my neighbor?
When I put on a mask, do I feel resentful or do I feel overwhelming love for my neighbor? Do I focus on how uncomfortable it is, or do I see it as outward expression of the love in my heart for the people God has created? Do I see it as an obligation or as a sacrificial gift of love?
The heart behind the action matters to God. And it should matter to us.
My prayer for myself is that I will be able to walk through this difficult season with a heart that is overflowing with sacrificial love, and that I am able to give up personal liberties without any resentment or discontent.
Because Christ is enough.
“I know how to live humbly, and I know how to abound. I am accustomed to any and every situation—to being filled and being hungry, to having plenty and having need. I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength” Philippians 4:12-13
Perhaps that’s the verse I’ll write on my mask.
