Chris Martin

Two pastors of Valley Bible Church discuss how Christians should respond to COVID-19 restrictions on worship in light of Scripture and the U.S. Constitution. They argue that all authority comes from God and that Christians must joyfully submit to government unless commanded to sin, while viewing fallen leaders with healthy skepticism and trusting God's providence. They hold that First Amendment religious liberty remains in force, urge respectful political engagement and peaceful protest over rebellion, and say conflicts between levels of authority call for discernment centered on gospel witness. They also criticize reliance on predictive models over empirical data, stress the human costs of lockdowns, describe giving as worship rather than seed money, and say the church declined government aid.

Written after George Floyd's death, this church article reflects on race and reconciliation from a biblical perspective. It calls Floyd's death inexcusable, acknowledges that many black Americans feel unsafe, and affirms that black lives matter, while arguing that race is not a real biological or biblical category because all humans descend from Adam. It rejects a Marxist, system-focused explanation of racial conflict in favor of sin and enmity in fallen human nature, and contends that no human or systemic remedy can pay sin's debt. It holds that Christ's atoning sacrifice is the only answer, uniting believers as one new humanity and calling Christians to repentance, defense of the wronged, forgiveness, and reconciliation.