What Has the Coronavirus Taught Us About Church?
More than anything, COVID-19 has brought to light the fact that we are the church, you and I, Christian. We literally house God!
In the Old Testament, according to the Law, the Jewish people needed a building to have full access to God. Behind a giant curtain in that temple, only priests from the tribe of Levi could enter. On the other side, they repeatedly made bloody animal sacrifices to God for sins; annually purifying the people. The moment Christ died, that curtain split from top to bottom! When this thick veil was torn by God it allowed both the Jew and we Gentiles to approach Him boldly! The dividing wall, which represented the Law, was gone!
Jesus became a better Priest than the priests from Levi because He would never die again. He also purified us once and for all time by way of His own blood at the real temple in heaven. Unlike the Levites, He doesn’t offer up weak animal blood, again and again, for the forgiveness of sins–but His blood only once! Because of the Cross, the need for a building was gone–the temple–as well as the requirement for human middlemen, levitical priests.
The Coronavirus has scattered our physical church gatherings, but nothing can truly scatter the Body of Christ! Why not? Because we’re all one in spirit, not one through a building! We’re all taught by His Spirit, not simply by a person on stage. Yes, pastors and teachers are extremely important; their gifts are valuable. But sitting in a pew has been taken away. The buildings themselves, taken away. Are we now breaking a commandment? No!
The confession booths? Gone. Baptismals? Dry. Human priests? Obsolete, although they’ve been obsolete since Christ. Peter said we’re all part of a royal priesthood. Tongue-speaking? Unheard by non-natives. The laying-on-of hands? Illegal, lest you spread something deadly and contagious.
Those who’ve insulted and threatened others for not attending legalistic, Covenant-mixing groups? They can now see how valuable online teaching and worship is. What many call church because they don’t have a local assembly in which they feel welcomed, or they physically can’t go, others will now see as important.
If anything, the Coronavirus has taught us nothing can separate us from the love of Christ, nor can anything truly separate the Spirit of His Body! Us! We continue to live! We continue to love! We continue to hope! We continue to mature and grow! You and I, dear believer, we are one both now and forever!
Hebrews 3:6, 4:14-16, 9:11-24, 7:13-25, 10:1-18, 1 Timothy 2:5, Ephesians 2:14, 1 Peter 2:9, Romans 12:4,5, Matthew 27:51, John 17:21-23, Romans 8:31-39, 1 Corinthian 6:19
This devotional is from an upcoming book! Check out Matt’s other bestselling books here!