“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.” – Romans 13: 1-2
As an exile to Babylon, Daniel wasn’t exactly a huge fan of King Nebuchadnezzar. But he didn’t let that stop him from respecting and submitting to Nebuchadnezzars’s authority.
Centuries later, we have Paul writing his letter to the Romans. And it is during this time that the most cruel leader in Rome’s history, Nero, is the appointed Emperor. Under no uncertain terms was Nero a friend to Christians. And yet that didn’t prevent Paul from seeing Nero’s authority as legitimate.
Through these two classic examples we see that God doesn’t require us to necessarily agree with our appointed leaders and officials. But God does command us to respect their positions of power and submit to their authority. We subject ourselves to governing authorities not because they are appointed by people, but because ultimately they are appointed by God Himself, and they serve a purpose in His plan. Whether we want to accept this or not, God appointed our nations current leaders.
Sometimes God appoints a nation’s leaders to bless the people. We can clearly see evidence of this through God’s appointment of David as the King of Israel. But then sometimes it’s not to bless a nation. Sometimes it’s to render judgment to a nation, as was the case with Israel when God gave Judah’s King Jehoiakim over to the evil King Nebuchadnezzar. (Daniel 1:2)
God does not allow disobedience to go unchecked, whether by a person or a nation. So when a nation persistently disobeys God, there are consequences!
There is but only one exception as it relates to submitting to authority: when leaders force Christians to contradict the will of God. In Acts chapter 5, the apostles are detained and thrown in prison for preaching the gospel in Jerusalem. During their trial, Peter defends their actions by saying, “We must obey God rather than any human authority.” Christians have a duty to disobey human authority when it dishonors and disobeys God’s law.
When Daniel was informed that he would be eating at the king’s table, his immediate thought was that he couldn’t defile himself by eating forbidden food. What happened? God rewarded his obedience by causing the guard to find favor with Daniel. So instead of requiring Daniel and his friends to eat the forbidden food that would defile them, the guard allowed them to eat vegetables instead. (Daniel 1:8-16)
Friend, God doesn’t want us to rebel against authority. After all, He was ultimately the one who appointed our leaders to positions of power. But when the authorities He appoints contradict His law and His will, we have a solemn duty to stand firm in our Christian beliefs. We may be ridiculed and persecuted as a result, but Jesus tells us to expect that. “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first.” (John 15:18)
Thought for Today: “Without God, there is no virtue, because there’s no prompting of the conscience. Without God, we’re mired in the material, that flat world that tells us only what the senses perceive. Without God, there is a coarsening of the society. And without God, democracy will not and cannot long endure. If we ever forget that we’re one nation under God, then we will be a nation gone under.” – Ronald Reagan
Former Blackout Artist 