Obeying Governing Authorities

November of 2016 was a month that held a great amount of interest both nationally and globally.  It was that time in the presidential cycle for America to elect its next president.  The voting has been completed and Donald J. Trump has beaten Hilary Clinton and is to be America's next commander in chief.  Both candidates caused immense uproars among nearly every American especially Christians.  Many people do not want either of the candidates for president and voting for a third party candidate is more or less a vote that is thrown away.  Even though now it is clear that Mr. Trump is president-elect, the Christian response should be the same as if Hilary or any other person has been elected.  Let’s look at this from a biblical stance.

When it comes to human governments the Bible is not silent.  The apostle Paul wrote in one of his letters of how Christians are to live under their governments.  Chapter 13 of Romans contains Paul’s instructions for how we are to respond and exist within any government.  The very first sentence in this chapter says, “Let every person be subject to the governing authority.” The next sentence explains why.  God places all governing authorities as he wills.  Every person who has been placed into an authoritative role has been set there by God and those who disobey those authorities ultimately disobey God.  The government is designed to be God’s servant for our good.  Its role is to bring judgment to evildoers and is an extension of God’s judgment.  Therefore, the government is designed to serve us and is for our good.

In a similar fashion, the apostle Peter wrote to Christians as well to be subject to governing authorities.  1 Peter 2:13-25 record Peter’s instruction for Christians and how they are to live under various authorities.  Similarly to Paul, Peter says to obey all authorities because they have been placed in their roles by God in order to punish the wicked and to praise the good.  It isn’t a coincidence that Peter and Paul say similar things.  By obeying our authorities we do good, which is the will of God and silences the ignorance of foolish people. 

Now it is worth noting that the Christians Peter and Paul wrote to during the 1^st century lived under a different government than what Americans currently live under today.  During the beginning of the early church Rome was the empire which ruled over the Mediterranean.  Whatever the Roman emperor wanted to be law was made so.  The people didn’t live under a democracy like American’s do and so they had to obey any law placed over them.  Today we have the privilege to have our voices heard by voting.  We may have some say in those who are elected to authoritative positions and what laws can come from that, but that doesn’t change the fact that God ultimately institutes them.  God is the one who is in control and so we must obey the ones he places above us.

Obedience to the government is required of Christians, but civil disobedience is allowed under certain circumstances.  This can only happen when a government becomes contradictory to God’s will.  We see this happen in scripture too and a well know account of civil disobedience is recorded in Daniel 3.  Many people know the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.  These three men disobeyed king Nebuchadnezzar and would not worship him over God.  The consequence was their death in a fiery furnace, but God preserved their lives.  What can be taken from this account is that when a government comes in conflict with honoring God, our loyalties must lie with God.  Therefore, unless a government requires allegiance to itself over God, the Christian must fear God and honor the president.

To God Be The Glory

Something I wrestle with is my salvation.  I think its something everyone will and should think about somewhere along in their walk with Christ.  We're also commanded to do so in various places in the Bible.

Philippians 2:12 Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling

2 Peter 1:10a Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election...

At the root of why I'm wrestling with making my salvation sure is because I have doubts about God's word.  Not that I don't believe God or that He is God, but I doubt sometimes that He'll do it for me or that He'll impart His promises to me.  To help myself trust God more, I'm making this blog to write down the things He's done for me personally and then I'll be able to look back on it and remember what He's done so I can praise Him for it. (This task is recorded all throughout the psalms and especially in Exodus)

Often times I can feel my heart become hardened and I get distressed over certain things.  This is all because I don't trust that God has saved me and that I don't trust that if He has that He's actually working all things for good.  I get distressed over certain things I wish would happen and I think is what's best for me, but it might not be what truly is best for me.

But I just prayed a little while ago (before I started writing this) that my heart wouldn't be hardened and that I would have a soft heart (as I could feel it becoming hard).  Soon after I prayed, God brought comfort to my heart and I felt the bitterness and hardness of my heart begin to fade.  God took my heart and made it sensitive to His word (meaning that scripture started coming to mind to shatter that hardness of my heart) and He allowed me to feel the comfort and love that only He gives.  To God be the glory for great things He has done.

"Is not My word like fire?" declares the LORD, "and like a hammer which shatters a rock?" 
Jeremiah 23:29

God's words are a fire that warm the spirit and a hard hitting hammer that shatters even the hardest of hearts.

I Was Made For War

I remember when I was younger seeing movies about wars and battles and thinking that they must be the most terrifying experiences any person could have.  When I was older, around 14 or 15 years old, I heard a rumor of a possibility for a draft.  This was just a rumor, but I always had a slightly overly active imagination, so when I heard the rumor of there maybe being a draft, it meant there was going to be a draft.  I then tried to find a way out of being drafted for war.  Maybe I'd be a conscientious objector, or move to Canada (because Canada and war didn't mix in my mind).  I didn't know what I'd do, but I was sure I wasn't heading off to fight and kill.  That's something that just wasn't in me.  My dad, being a pastor in the Methodist Church, gave me a book that explained what the Methodists believed about war and that the church would prevent me from being drafted.  So I figured I'd study up and find out what I should know about not going to war.  I took the book to my room and set it on my dresser.  And there it sat.  Untouched.  For a year.  I never read what I wanted to know about avoiding war.  Instead, my fears passed and went on living my life.

As I got older, my faith grew.  I went from being a simple teenager who only heard messages at church and youth group, to desiring to know more about the Bible and God and studying the Bible more closely.  Probably for the first time in my life I actually took the time to really read my Bible outside of some sort of church event.  As my faith grew, so did my knowledge of theology and doctrines.

Now, five or six years later from that time I tried to find a way out of fighting in a war, I've become an intern for a youth ministry.  Because of the events of my life, I've realized that I'll always be fighting a war.  I've come more and more into the reality of sin and how much satan is at work in the world (I used Jonathan Acuff's reason for spelling 'satan' with a lowercase 's' because that's like the middle finger of grammar).  My war comes mentally and physically (and this is the same with all Christians; it just depends on how aware of the war they really are).  As a Christian I have three enemies: 1) satan, 2) the world, and 3) myself.  The physical attacks are the least of these.  Many of the other attacks come mentally and spiritually, attacks that try to cripple the character and destroy any hope that one might have.  It's like once satan has lost a prisoner, he does anything he can to get them back, to abandon the hope they've heard about the Savior.  The war rages on and gets more intense the deeper into Christianity one goes, but the fighting can be easier.  John Piper has said that he can't see how anyone can live in this world without a sword at their side.  And he's right.  A Christian can't survive in this dark world without a sword to fight off satan and temptation, the sword being the word of God (Ephesians 6:17).  It's crucial to memorize scripture because a good soldier is always prepared, so whenever an attack comes he doesn't have to search for his sword; its already with him.

Every day I realize more and more that I was made for war.  The most comforting things is that my victory is already set in stone because of Christ and that I'm not fighting for a lost cause.  Also that I'm not fighting alone.

"I was made for war and my victory is certain.  Yes, my victory is sure.  You’ll see me stand defiant with the warrior that will conquer all. Victorious in death, He will never fall.  I am victorious only when I remember who I am and heaven’s waiting on the glory that He’s put in my hand.  My redemption is to bring redemption.  Steadfast, I press on for the freedom of the world, for that is why my Savior bought me.  So I stand beside Him, ready for the fight. I was made for war." - For Today