The prolific police shooting death of Dennis McHugh in Beaumont California – applying Romans 13 here, compared to how pastors obeyed Caesar over Christ during Covid

I realize I seem to pound the subject of this Covid phenomenon into the ground. But because so many pastors and professing Christians are still in denial of their sin and disobedience to our Lord, I believe this is necessary.

I have much respect for Sheriff Chad Bianco. To the best of my knowledge, he may have been the only Sheriff in California that did not obey our leftist Governor in his draconian Covid tyranny. Having said that, let’s apply (or compare) this justified shooting to how 95% of pastors in California sinfully submitted to our Governor during the first year (or two) of Covid.

Well followed, I mean well-worshipped men like Costi Hinn, Josh Buice, Paul Washer, Todd Friel, and yes even John MacArthur (for about five months) sinfully misinterpreted Romans 13, shutting down their churches at the request of the “authorities.”

They either ignorantly or cowardly applied or twisted Romans 13, claiming “we must obey the authorities,” or “Romans 13 is very clear.” These are the same men that have previously warned Christians to never twist the Scriptures. Costi Hinn even went as far to publicly shame Biblical men that refused to cowardly close their churches, stay at home, and/or put an effeminate hygiene product on their face.

Romans 13:1-5 says,

“Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same. For he is God’s minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God’s minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil. Therefore you must be subject, not only because of wrath but also for conscience’ sake.”

When Romans 13 stated to be “subject to” the authorities, Paul was not saying the Church had to submit to the unlawful demands that sinfully go against Christ’s bride, His Scriptures, or His Great Commission. As stated before, here is my interpretation of Romans 13:1-5.

Christians are not required to submit to, nor obey the governmental authorities when,

1. The authorities ask (or demand) a Christian to do what the Scriptures forbid
2. The authorities ask (or demand) a Christian to not do what the Scriptures command
3. The authorities request (or demand) violates our religion (or Christian conscience).

Of course, we could go further into this, but that’s a simple three-prong test.

Now back to the aforementioned video of this prolific police shooting.

The Lord’s Church (His saints) is not the “evildoer” mentioned in this passage. The Church is not the one “who practices evil” by meeting on the Lord’s Day. As I stated in this sermon, when the Church does not meet on the Sabbath, they are in direct violation of the Fourth Commandment, to keep the Sabbath Day holy. The congregating Church is not the one who will bring “judgment” and/or the “wrath” of God upon themselves for obeying God, while not obeying the authorities to ‘stay at home.’ But in fact, it is men like Dennis McHugh as seen in the below video, who are practicing evil, while unlawfully resisting the lawful requests of the authority, that this passage is speaking of.

That passage is speaking of the “evildoer,” not the congregating church, and Dennis McHugh is demonstrating the one who is sinfully “resisting” the “authorities.” Hence, the consequence is that the “authority” (the police officer) does not bear the sword in vain.

Lastly, if you’re a police officer reading this, according to the Scriptures you and I are like the common criminal, and the wrath of God abides upon us, and we need to be saved from our sins. Read more about salvation here.

And now the video.