This week, I thought it might be good for us to look at
some of the things that the Bible has to say about honoring our authorities.
With Tax Day looming on the horizon, some of us may have a hard time looking at
our government with the respect that we ought, so let’s see what God has to say
about government, and what it means to us who follow Christ.
The first thing I want us to see is that God ordains the
governments that are in existence.
Romans 13:1-7 (NLT)
“Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all
authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed
there by God. So anyone who rebels against authority is rebelling against what
God has instituted, and they will be punished. For the authorities do not
strike fear in people who are doing right, but in those who are doing wrong.
Would you like to live without fear of the authorities? Do what is right, and they
will honor you. The authorities are God’s servants, sent for your good. But if
you are doing wrong, of course you should be afraid, for they have the power to
punish you. They are God’s servants, sent for the very purpose of punishing
those who do what is wrong. So you must submit to them, not only to avoid
punishment, but also to keep a clear conscience.
“Pay your taxes, too, for these same reasons. For
government workers need to be paid. They are serving God in what they do. Give
to everyone what you owe them: Pay your taxes and government fees to those who
collect them, and give respect and honor to those who are in authority.”
There is quite a lot to unpack here, so let’s just jump
right in. The first thing that we see here is that God is the one who puts
people into places of authority. He is the one who gives us our Mayors, our
Aldermen, our President, our Congressmen. While we may not see eye-to-eye with all
of these people, it is true that God is the one who has placed them in their
positions of authority and as such, they must be respected.
Now that doesn’t mean that we just accept what they say
and do as gospel and do not stand up when we see them acting in ways that are
contrary to the good of the people. These people are just human beings who are fallible
and make mistakes. But we must always “disagree” in a way that is “agreeable”…meaning
with respect for the position that they are in.
We must also do the right things to keep from being
afraid from those in authority. Some would say that if the authority is
corrupt, it deserves to be disobeyed. But I also believe that most governments
(at least those in America) are not corrupt to the point of wanting to see
people persecuted for no reason. I do believe that a time is coming in America
when those of us who are Christ-followers might see that kind of persecution,
but if and when that comes, then we’ll talk more.
But for now, we must submit to authority. We must do
what they ask and not rebel. We must respectfully disagree when the opportunity
arises, and we must always respect the opinions of others who may disagree with
us. All of this will help make us better citizens.
More on this tomorrow, but for now, think about these
things, and God bless you!
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