During my quiet time this morning, I found myself reading a passage that has always given me pause and that has led to question upon question, Romans 13:1-7.
Here's the passage as translated in the NIV:
Romans 13:1 Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. 2 Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. 3 For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended. 4 For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. 5 Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also as a matter of conscience.
6 This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing. 7 Give to everyone what you owe them: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.
This is a passage that one certainly must wrestle with in terms of the relationship of Christians to the authority placed above them, especially the governments under which they reside.
How are Christians to respond to governmental authority? Especially, how are Christians to respond to those governments or leaders that do not follow biblical principles or practices?
I think it's important to remember that Paul wrote these words as Nero was Caesar of Rome, the author of one of the most horrendous persecutions of Christian in history. Yet, despite living under the reign of Nero, Paul counsels us here to submit to the governing authorities. Why?
Simply, because God has established that authority. In other words, Paul wrote to the Romans to submit to Nero and the Roman authorities because God had placed them in those leadership positions
Now, that certainly does not mean that these were godly leaders. No, far from it. But God can and does use the ungodly to further His purposes on earth, as we see with Nebuchadnezzar and Cyrus the Persian. Knowing that, Paul viewed submission to the authorities, even these evil authorities, as an act of faith and trust in God's will and plan on earth.
So, in a general sense, we are to submit to the authorities above us. To strive to be good citizens. To pay our taxes. To follow the laws. To do what is right and to follow the authority of those above us.
But what about when the governing authority or the laws of the land run counter to God's law? What then?
As Ray Pritchard wrote, we have several options. "You can go as far as the law allows you to go. You can picket, you can collect petitions, you can write letters to the editor, you can call a talk-show and sound off, you can write to your heart’s content on your own website, you can make a video and post it on YouTube, you can vote and encourage others to vote with you, you can visit your congresswoman or your senator, you can sit in the coffee shop and argue with your friends. You can take out an ad in the paper if you like. You can join with others to work for change. You can run for office. Submission doesn’t require you to keep your mouth shut about injustice and corruption."
At some point, we may have to do as Peter and John when confronted by the Sanhedrin. When told to stop preaching Christ, the apostles responded in Acts 5:29, "We must obey God rather than man."
Quoting from a sermon by Ray Pritchard:
"Pastor Kent Hughes shares some helpful insights about the circumstances in which disobedience is not only permitted but demanded of the Christian:
'Our conclusion is this: A Christian must disobey his government when it asks him to 1) violate a commandment of God, 2) commit an immoral or unethical act, or 3) go against his Christian conscience (a conscience which is informed by Scripture and is in submission to the Spirit of God). (Romans, p. 242)'
"John Stott summarizes the issue in this succinct statement:
'The principle is clear: We are to submit right up to the point where obedience to the state would entail disobedience to God. But if the state commands what God forbids, or forbids what God commands, then our plain Christian duty is to resist, not to submit, to disobey the state in order to obey God. (Romans, p. 342)'
"Again, the attitude of the heart is so important. If you read Daniel 3, you discover that Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego spoke respectfully to the king even though they disobeyed his direct orders. In other words, they disobeyed with a submissive heart. That’s why God blessed them in spite of their disobedience."
So, we submit to the authorities above us and obey the law and the dictates of that government as best we can within the bounds of our faith and God's word. We only rebel when we are clearly being asked to do that which is in violation of God's commands.
But we have to be clear about what that entails. Let's consider a couple of examples that are pertinent for at the moment.
For instance, think about the Covid-19 pandemic. Many people on social media have complained that the Government restrictions during the pandemic infringed on their freedoms or their rights.
But is the requirement to wear a mask a violation of God's law? No.
Is the requirement to socially distance a violation of God's law? No.
In fact, the case could be made that to wear masks and socially distance are both examples of loving your neighbor and/or not causing weaker Christians to stumble.
Therefore, this passage tells us that we are to submit to the authorities above us in this regard and do what the Government has required. You may disagree and say it violates your rights, but it certainly does not violate God's law.
What about the Texas abortion law? What about abortion in general?
The law of the land in the United States is that abortion is legal, like it or not. Even in Texas it is legal, up until the detection of a heartbeat.
Is abortion in accordance with the law of God? Certainly not. God's law says that we should not kill another person, and no distinction is made between the unborn and others.
But the exercise of that law is individual and personal. The law does not mandate abortion. If so, that would be a clear violation of God's commands, and would require action on the part of a Christian to not have an abortion, even if the governing authorities require it. Hence the reasoning of the Hebrew midwives to hide Moses and other Hebrew children from the Egyptians.
But this is not the case in the US. We are not mandated to abort our unborn children, unlike in other countries. So, what can we do about an immoral law that does not personally affect us?
We can do what Pritchard says above. We can protest it. We can legislate against it. We can try to sway the hearts and minds of those around us to not terminate pregnancies. All of this is in accordance with the principles of this passage. We submit to the authorities above us while working to make society and the culture better.
The bottom-line message is this: Be careful when you are tempted to rebel against the authorities or the laws of the Government above you. Take time to consider whether these laws or directives are truly asking you to personally violate God's commands, or whether you simply disagree for other reasons.
Romans 13 tells us that we are to submit to the authorities and their laws unless they run counter to God's laws. Don't confuse personal freedom or personal choice with mandates to violate God's law.