Rebelling Against Authority

What is the role of different governments in the world? Are we as Christians to obey those governments? Does God really use non-Christian governments to do his will? These are but a few of the questions we can ask in response to reading Romans 13:1-5. The apostle Paul seems to be putting high regard into obeying the authorities that are placed over us. Let’s take a look briefly at what the scriptures say. Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer. Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God's wrath but also for the sake of conscience. Romans 13:1-5

Paul is saying here that the authorities that are in place are God appointed. This is a really hard truth to swallow when we see so many authorities that are unrighteous. However Paul is not saying this merely from some special revelation he received, but he is saying it because he knows what the word of God says. Many times throughout the Old Testament God brings unrighteous kingdoms against the nation of Israel, and puts the nation in subjection to them as a part of his divine plan. As they are carried away into captivity they are to obey that government and live by its rules. Those authorities are, as Paul says, not a terror to good behavior – but rather are a terror to bad behavior. The authorities are God’s servants, even if they are not worshippers of God. Again I say that one only needs read the Old Testament to see how God uses non-believing kings from other nations as authorities in the lives of the Jews.

Many times we as Christians try to use the excuse that a government official, or a boss at work, or some other such authority is not a godly authority and therefore we do not have to obey him/her. If only that were the real case, then we would not be guilty of so much sin in this area of our lives. The scriptures above plainly say that the authorities are from God, it does not say anything about those authorities having to be worshippers of God. Paul is telling the church at Rome to obey the Roman government, who definitely condoned the worship of many false gods, and had its own imperial worship system. Yet they were told to obey this government not only to avoid God’s wrath, but for the sake of their conscience. The truth is this – it is not because the authorities are not godly that we don’t want to obey, it is because deep inside of us we do not want to have an authority placed over us. In the next few paragraphs I want to go over just a few examples of what I am talking about.

Let’s look at the “authority issues” that are so common among believers in the church of God. First we rebel against our government almost on a daily basis when we are in our cars. How do we do this one might say? By speeding, we rebel by speeding. This seems like such a trivial matter that we are speeders, but look at it from this angle. If everyone in the country drove whatever speed they wanted on the streets and roadways what would result? You might have someone doing 55mph down your neighborhood streets, kids would be run over, accidents would happen, and chaos would ensue. Yet God in his perfect wisdom has set up governments that will enforce speeding laws to keep God’s children safe from harm and living decently and in good order.

Next we rebel against the authorities at work so often. When we take long breaks, or we are goofing off at work when we should be working we are in rebellion to the God given authorities. First the authority is God given because God provided that job for you to work at right? Second if everyone at your work could work at their own pace, take as long of breaks as they wanted, and do whatever then how long would the company stay in business? Not very long! Yet again God in his infinite wisdom has set up authority at our work places so that we may have jobs that provide food and shelter for our families.

Lastly we rebel against authority at church. Many times pastors and preachers bring God given sermons preaching on living a godly life. Yet we sit in the pew unaffected, and walk out the door and continue in the course of sin that we have chosen. We disobey what God would have us to do, and then we find dissension in the church, and ultimately the church splits into two congregations. Or people get mad and leave the church, yet has God not placed the Pastors, and Elders in the church as a form of spiritual authority? I have seen many churches call a new Pastor only to fire him after a few months. They were certain that he was God’s man for the job, but then he preached some sermons they didn’t like so they let him go. Are we really submitting to authority when we do these things? I think the answer is obvious. These are but a few examples of how we deal with authority in a bad manner, when we should obey those authorities instead. I am just as guilty as the next guy in all of these areas, but none the less I leading a call for repentance!