“Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment.” – Romans 13:2
Spoiler alert: No earthly political party is perfect. But, living on this earth, you surely knew that. Looking at today’s culture and political landscape, it’s hard for followers of Jesus to accept the authority of the government. However, when reading Romans 13, we are called to follow the laws put forth by those in authority over us while recognizing that it is God who is ultimately in authority and appointed those in government for a reason. Let’s take a look at four truths about God’s authority in relation to the government:
- Sinners cannot and will not make a perfect system, and even if one existed, sinners would ruin it. Every system has some measure of imperfection because imperfect people created it. Imperfect people do things imperfectly. Earth was perfect when God made it; He called it “good” and “very good.” Then God handed the leadership and authority over to Adam and Eve, and they chose sin and folly. They broke the system. Humans are not the solution; they are always the problem. We need God to right everything we’ve made wrong, fix everything we’ve broken, and heal everything we’ve hurt.
- The state is God’s servant. God is the ultimate authority, and the government is under Him. We should have a general submission and respect for government as good citizens who try to honor authority and do what is right in the sight of the law. This does not mean, however, that everything the government tells us to do should be done. There are times when our government is against God, and our higher allegiance and loyalty must be to our God above the government. There is a difference between generally respecting authority and disagreeing with a particular policy. One example is the nation of China, with a godless, communist regime, which makes it exceedingly difficult for Christians to practice their faith openly. So much of the Church is underground. From 1980 to 2015, China implemented a population control initiative known as the “One-Child Policy.” Couples were only allowed to have one child, so if they became pregnant with a second child, they were expected to kill it. Could Christians obey this policy? Of course not. You can be respectful of your governing authorities but completely disagree with and disobey certain laws.
- New is not always improved. Removing old authority and replacing it with new authority does not necessarily mean you get better authority. Jesus explains this problem with the principle of seven demons in Matthew 12:43-45:
- When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, but finds none. Then it says, “I will return to my house from which I came.” And when it comes, it finds the house empty, swept, and put in order. Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there, and the last state of that person is worse than the first. So also will it be with this evil generation.
Unless God is involved, change does not necessarily make things better. One historical example is Saddam Hussein. He was the horrible, godless, and demonic dictator of Iraq who thought he was the reincarnation of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. While Hussein was in power, he managed to keep some semblance of peace through his dictatorial rule. He was then overthrown in 2003, and a massive power vacuum ensued. Seeking to fill that vacuum, various terrorist organizations and jihadist groups arrived on the scene. A group called ISIS rose to power and tried to create a jihadist state that ruled through imposition, threatening people with the sword. In the days of Hussein, 1.5 million Christians lived in Iraq, many of whom traced their ancestry back to the days of Jesus. When ISIS ruled, that number decreased to 150,000. Ninety percent of Christians either fled to save their lives or were put to death for refusing to deny Jesus. Am I saying Hussein was a good, godly leader? Absolutely not. My point is simply that the removal of an evil government does not guarantee a good one will fill its empty position.
- When Christians are responsible citizens, they enjoy greater freedom and influence. We worship more freely and privately because we are not in conflict with the government. We also have an opportunity to earn positions of leadership in the government and society that can make a positive change on behalf of God’s standards.
How can you be a responsible citizen in your community?
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