Should the godly submit to evil government authority?

Evil government: to submit or not to submit

Thursday, October 24, 2013

There has been some discussion about submitting to the governing authority in America even though it may go against God's laws. Pastors are preaching Romans 13 where the Apostle Paul is saying to submit to the ruling authorities, pay your taxes, and obey the law because these things are put in place to not be a terror to good works, but to evil. There are two mentions in this passage about the higher powers being ministers of God. Pastors often use it to teach that we must be submissive to the government even though it may be an evil one. But Peter himself said in Acts 5:29 that, "We ought to follow God rather than men" when he was facing persecution and unjust demands from the ruling authorities.

As I see it, the context of Romans 13 was about the religious leaders that were the Roman-appointed governing body over the Jews. In any case, if those leaders are corrupt by Biblical terms it is self evident that you do not follow or support them. Governments are established for the good and protection of the people. In that, people give up some rights for those protections. Laws are established also to protect the people. As Christians, we know that we are to be a law abiding people. But when a law goes against God's law; or a government goes against God's law, to whom do we submit as the higher authority? Peter answered that question when the ruling Sadducees threw him in prison for preaching Jesus in the Temple.

When this country was established, the Founders were well aware that they were going against the prevailing world view--that God appointed the ruler (the king) and that the people should blindly follow even if that ruler was unjust. We can see the Founders' thinking by reading the Declaration of Independence in its entirety. Their mantra at Concord and Lexington was "No King but Jesus." So in our form of government, we the people have the say over who rules us. To passively submit to evil rulers, especially in this nation where God blessed us with the freedom to choose, is beyond the bounds of God-given common sense and self preservation.

No man will convince me that the president is a minister of God to me for good as stated in Romans 13:4. But I do know that if I break the laws of the nation, there will be consequences. If I am to overcome that evil, I must overcome it with good (Romans 12:21). In my opinion, this should be done without breaking the higher laws--those just and right laws of God. I also believe we in America are held to a higher standard because of the freedom the Lord blessed us with when this nation was formed. We are to follow the higher laws of God as we are members first of His kingdom. Perhaps the best way to begin overcoming evil in high places is by cleansing the pulpit of those who condone it.

Have a Blessed and Powerful Day!

Bill Wilson
www.dailyjot.com