California, as well as several other states, is starting to reopen in phases. Each phase outlines which specific businesses can restart. Additionally, there are rules for how they are to conduct business – for example, curbside pick-up only. Government leaders want to make sure people stay as safe as possible, even though so much is still uncertain.
Unfortunately, there are reports that numerous of these reopened businesses have not been following the safety rules. Whether because they can’t afford to install certain safety equipment, or because they don’t have all of the correct personnel, or because customers aren’t adhering to the rules, the guidelines have not been met. The question now is, what will the legal consequences be for breaking the rules?
As Christians, we know that God provided us with rules to help us be as safe as possible while we live in a world infected by sin. But, due to various circumstances, there have been times that we all have broken those rules. The good news is that while we might have to face the immediate consequences of our bad actions (poor health, jail time, etc.), the ultimate consequence of eternal death has been taken care of already by Jesus! “Because we broke God’s laws, we owed a debt—a debt that listed all the rules we failed to follow. But God forgave us of that debt. He took it away and nailed it to the cross” (Colossians 2:14). May we find comfort knowing that God’s grace has made us debt-free!