Remind the people … to be subject to rulers and authorities …
Summary: Being subject to authority is a common topic in the Bible. It seems unfair that we would have to serve an ungodly ruler. Yet this world is not all there is. We need to serve God and trust in his eternal plan.
We have talked about this topic before. It seems to come up often in Scripture. Yet, as we have discovered, our memories are a leaky vessel, and some things bear repeating.
If we take Paul’s sentence in the abstract, we have to ask who is Paul talking about? Who are the rulers, and what are the authorities? Rulers come and go, which leaves authorities as the most interesting topic.
The word authority is itself interesting. The root of the word is “author.” The author of life and all that exists is God (Genesis 1:1). It follows, then, that the highest authority is God himself.
If God is the highest authority, what authority does he give to men, and which authority should we be subject to? What is Paul saying here?
This is a complex topic. From a spiritual perspective, God is the supreme authority. From a worldly perspective, it appears that we live amid a people constantly vying for power. One of the most difficult challenges we face as believers is the task of seeing through God’s eyes instead of our own.
From God’s perspective, this life we live is only the blink of an eye. Real life is eternal. It is as if we are seeds that live in the soil. While we are here, dirt is all we know. We cannot see beyond the confines of our seedy life. Then, when from a worldly perspective, we seem to die (that is, we cease being a “seed”), we suddenly find that our world has changed. We have become something very different. Jesus compares spiritual life to a mustard seed.
“The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.” (Matthew 13:31-32)
I sometimes think of our existence in this world as a chess game. Each of our lives represents a chess piece on a chessboard. The chess board is the physical world, and the game is the span of a lifetime. As chess pieces come off the board, the victims of worldly conflict, they appear dead to the world. But from a spiritual perspective, the “life” of that chess piece continues forever.
While we are here, loving God means serving him above all else. Worldly desires are not just in the back seat, they are not even in the car. (I have reached my limit of metaphors for this post!)
Being subject to rulers and authorities of this world is not a question of good or bad. All human authorities are flawed. Being subject to human authority is our testimony to the world that we serve a higher authority. We serve the eternal God.
Application: Think beyond this life. Think eternal thoughts.
Food for Thought: How does being subject to a cruel world’s system of rulers and authorities glorify God?
We can make God known to an unbelieving world by how we live out our faith in difficult circumstances. If we submit to authority, we are showing the world something different than they see everyday. To be a holy people means that we are distinct, separate, different than what is the common experience of the world. We are set apart for Christ. How we act with an unbelieving world can reveal the truth about the God we serve.
Thank you, Rich!
Well said! It is sometimes difficult to discern what that means in practice, but that, too, is part of the process. As Christians we are always learning, always moving closer to the light.
How does being subject to a cruel world’s system of rulers and authorities glorify God?
We must always live knowing, there are two Kingdoms, the kingdom of the world and the Kingdom of God. As believers, we are temporarily serving God in this world. We are citizens of Heaven with visa’s, living in this world while not being part of it. Living this reality can be a simple as we allow the Holy Spirit to work through us, or difficult if we try to do it on our own.
First, Jesus reminds us that part of living in this world is paying our taxes, even when we know portions of our tax dollars go to paying for ungodly policies. When He told us this, the Emperor of Rome, Tiberius Caesar was a pedophile, a sexual deviant, murderer who enslaved millions and claimed to be god. Taxes were still to be paid.
Second and far more importantly Jesus tells us, we are to GIVE OUR ALL TO GOD! Jesus is our “The King of kings, and Lord of lords.” All authority of the rulers of this world has been given to them by our Lord, and we are called to obey their laws as well as Gods Word. All things are within His plan.
Mathew 22:15-21, Revelation 19:11, 15-16, John 15:19, 17:14-16, 19:11,
Paul writes, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” (Galatians 5:22-23).
As believers we are called to:
Honor those that govern us, while speaking out in respectful ways when laws are unjust.
Show respect to those in authority, while praying for God to work in their hearts and lead them to himself.
Always remember the second half of the verse. When we “render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s,” we more importantly “render unto God the things that are God’s.” By not being swept up into political anger, or the idea that the world is doomed if your candidate doesn’t win.
God’s Kingdom, of which we are citizens, is eternal, His laws are Just and Perfect, and His reign is unending.
Live for Christ in all we do.
Ron,
Your meditation on today’s question is a beautiful summary of our work in this world. I especially appreciate the reference to the passage where Jesus teaches us to give “to God what is God’s.”
Neither asceticism, being stoic about natural desires, nor licenciousness, or a libertine hedonistic lifestyle are considered praiseworthy according to scripture. Colossians 2 , 3, 4,
God has created all things for us to enjoy as long as we are honoring Him with and in their use. Appreciating His creation, enjoying cultures, His provision and being thankful and giving Him praise for all He is, what He has done, is doing, and has promised to do is not worldly.
Certainly the Lord may and almost certainly will ask us to make sacrifices for His Kingdom’s sake and greater glory. We are to be good stewards of our time, resources, talents and His good gifts.
We can honor the honor and glorify the Lord by obeying and submitting to all civil authorities. We are commanded to do so except when God gives up a greater command to explicitly obey Him in certain respects.
We should expect to be punished if we disobey civil authority.
However, we are commanded not to pray to the Lord (Daniel), not to worship or sing God’s praise. An example might be a government which forbids long term public corporate worship. This order)ikely violating God’s commands for believers). Public Health concerns should be given serious consideration and civil authorities given wide latitude in enforcement of laws for general public good, however an ongoing restriction of freedom of speech, right to assemble, freedom to worship according to the dictates of your conscience if not harmi g others, the right to due process, respect for differences in viewpoints in a pluralistic society which have been the rights of citizens since the Magna Carta, and which right a and guarantees are formally set forth in the Constitution and Bill of rights at least for citizens of the United States should not be given up lightly.
It is civil authorities which become law breakers in these instances. Blood was shed for these freedoms and rights.
Submission to God does not require one to necessarily be a doormat to civil authorities whichfy the limits of their authority.
Specifically if believers are ordered to cease
sharing the gospel , we should seek legal relief, and if a peaceful solution can not be reached we should obey God rather than this command. (Acts of the Apostles).
We may suffer persecution and serious consequences for disobeying government authorities. It is vital to be absolutely clear that God’s Word has spoken definitely, clearly, and in an unambiguous manner before disobeying civil authorities.
Being in disagreement, or personal distaste or inconveniency is not sufficient grounds for failure to submit. (Roman’s 13).
Christians may be imprisoned, be fired, be ostracized, be socially ridiculed, have their freedom of association canceled, or perhaps even executed for failure to obey government authorities. One should be very certain of specific commands, unequivocally given before respectfully refusing to comply with a civil order which directly violates an essential requirement for obedience to the Lord on a certain matter.
There are now, and there will be many more who will lose their freedom and lives out of conscience to obey and honor the Lord rather than bow to a dictatorial order to deny their faith and the Lord’s commands.
I believe all of the apostles were martyrs, with the possible exception of John who was exiled on the island of Patmos.
Have a great day, enjoying God and His inexpressible Gift, and manifold love and Blessings.
Jeff,
You make an interesting point about civil authorities becoming the law-breakers. You also affirm that our first loyalty is to God, regardless of cost. Thank you!