Pastor and author Tony Evans says the spread of various COVID-19 variants is God's way of showing the world He's still in charge.
Evans, pastor of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in Dallas, made the comments during a January 9 sermon. Evans said he opposes vaccine mandates while adding that vaccines can prevent severe illness and hospitalizations.
"These variants aren't just variants. ... This is God showing medical science, politicians, people – 'I don't care what you come up with. I'm talking now. I'm talking now,'" Evans said.
Evans quoted 2 Chronicles 16:12, in which Asa, king of Judah, developed a disease in his foot.
"He kept looking to the physicians," Evans said, referencing the verse. "... And he refused to look to the Lord. And he died.
"When God keeps stuff rolling like this …," Evans said, discussing COVID-19. "Yes, vaccines help. Vaccines stop things from being as bad as they could be. And you should have a choice, whether it's natural immunity or whether it's therapeutics. You shouldn't be mandated to put chemicals in your body. But you should be free to if you choose to. So our issue is against mandates, not against vaccinations – if you choose to, and there are a whole lot of biblical reasons for that."
"... People don't know what to do, so stuff keeps changing because God keeps messing stuff up," Evans said. "... Romans 14 says you're free to choose [whether to be vaccinated] – the whole chapter says you're free to choose. [Paul] comes to verse 23, and he says that whatsoever is not of faith is sin. So whatever decision you make, be able to trust God with it. That's the issue. ... People are going to make different decisions. … so you have to be comfortable – and not be mandated."
Evans then discussed COVID-19 again in the view of God's sovereignty.
"This COVID deal is about something bigger," he said. "It's about ... God showing the whole world: I can shut this mama down whenever I decide to."
Photo courtesy: Creative Commons/The Urban Alternative, resized and cropped to 1200x627
Video courtesy: Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship
Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
