Part 2
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” (Romans 13:1-5).
As a Christian we are to be law abiding citizens; Christians are to set the example for everyone else in how to be good citizens. Although Christians are to speak out against sin, immorality, ungodliness and injustice, we should always do so in a way of showing respect for our civil government. Christians are to live peaceable lives within an ungodly society, showing by our actions that our lives have been transformed by the saving power of God’s grace through our faith in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.
Paul told Timothy, “I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone—For kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness” (1 Timothy 2:1-2).
The best thing we can do for our government leaders is to pray for them—this is the only way we can really bring about change in the way they lead our nation. “The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much” (James 5:16).
The apostles of Jesus Christ lived under one of the wickedest governments that has ever existed on this earth; the Roman government eventually killed both Peter and Paul.
Writing to Christians who had been scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia (cf. 1 Peter 1:1), Peter said, “Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority, or to governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do right. For such is the will of God that by doing right you may silence the ignorance of foolish men. Act as free men and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as bondslaves of God. Honor all men; love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king…for it is better, if God should will it so, that you suffer for doing what is right rather than for doing what is wrong” (1 Peter 2:13-17, 3:17).
When the Israelites were taken as captives to Babylon, God told them: “Seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile and pray to the Lord on its behalf; for in its welfare you will have welfare” (Jeremiah 29:7).
After they were falsely accused of breaking Roman law in Philippi, Paul and Silas were brutally beaten, thrown in prison and their feet and hands were put in shackles. But instead of screaming out against the prison guards who had mistreated them and demanding their rights from the ruling authorities, they spent the first part of the night in jail praying and singing hymns of praise to God until the Lord sent an earthquake and miraculously opened the prison doors and released chains on their feet and hands. And even then they didn’t try to escape, but witnessed to the jailer and he and his family all became believers (cf. Acts 16:16-34). Paul always tried to set a good example before unbelievers.
The ultimate example of obedience to civil government was when some soldiers, chief priest and Pharisees came to arrest Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane and Peter cut off the ear of the chief priest’s servant. Jesus told Peter to put his sword back in its place because, if He so desired, He could call on His Father and He would send twelve legions of angels to take care of Him (cf. Matthew 26:52-54). Jesus could have kept Himself from going to the Cross, but He knew that it was God’s will that He suffer for the sins of humanity. “God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God…He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world” (1 Corinthians 5:21, 1 John 2:2).
There is only one exception to the rule of obedience to civil authority and that is when the government passes laws that require Christians to disobey God’s word or violate godly principles of life. When the Pharaoh ordered the Jewish midwives to kill all the male babies that were born, they didn’t obey the Pharaoh’s orders and were blessed by God for their obedience to Him rather than to Pharaoh (cf. Exodus 1:17-20).
God protected and blessed the four young Jewish men who respectively refused to eat “the king’s food” that would have caused them to violate the Law of Moses. Speaking for himself and his three friends, Daniel respectfully asked the commander of the officials that he might not defile himself and he referred to themselves as the commander’s servants. In wanting to obey God, they did not condemn the civil authority (cf. Daniel 1).
God used Peter and John to heal the crippled man at the temple gate. When the Scribes, Pharisees and Sadducees heard about it, they got together with the temple guard and told Peter and John not to speak or teach in the name of Jesus anymore. Peter and John replied, “Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God’s sight to obey you rather than God. For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:19-20).
When Peter, John and some other apostles were again preaching and teaching about Jesus Christ this same group of Scribes, Pharisees and Sadducees said to the apostles, “We gave you strict orders not to teach in this Name.” Peter and the other apostles replied: “We must obey God rather than men!” (Acts 5:28-29). More next time on this subject and on Christians paying taxes to our government.