Submission To Our Governing Authorities! By James Lantz

       We are commanded to submit ourselves to every ordinance of man for our Lord’s sake! The Lord Jesus wants us to represent Him in a manner that is orderly and respectful and allows others to see His goodness and mercy.  1 Pet. 2:13  Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme;  1 Pet. 2:14  Or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well.  Everything was created by Jesus, everything in heaven and on earth, everything seen and unseen, this includes all forces and powers, and all rulers and authorities. Everything was made by Him and for Him. The Spirit of God through Paul writes that the powers that be are ordained by God.      

Romans 13:1-6  “ Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same: For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil. Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake. For for this cause pay ye tribute also: for they are God’s ministers, attending continually upon this very thing.”  

It is easily seen from the scripture above that God is the one who instituted and ordained government to serve, bring order, and protection to its people. Our local government oversees our property rights and do many of those things that we have come to expect like mowing the road banks and plowing snow. Our state government has many facets of service and regulation as well, and everyone who drives or owns a vehicle uses the Department Of Motor Vehicles (DMV-Pa) service. We need to be reminded that our government workers and leaders are ministers of God and this includes our police.

       In the same manner that sin will cut a mans life short, sin will also bring destruction to a nation. Pro. 2:22  But the wicked shall be cut off from the earth, and the transgressors shall be rooted out of it.  Moses instructed Israel that God was going to use them to destroy seven nations who are greater and mighter than themselves and give them their land.  Deuteronomy 7:2  And when the Lord thy God shall deliver them before thee; thou shalt smite them, and utterly destroy them; thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor shew mercy unto them:  Moses went on to say that you must not make any marriages with these wicked people because they will turn your sons and daughters to worship false gods. Moses continued to exhort how God had chosen Israel to be a special, holy people, above everyone else on the face of the earth. The Lord did not set His love on nor choose you, because of your great number of people but because of His great love for you and His oath to your fathers. God made it plain that destruction came to those nations because of their rebellion toward Him and that if Israel rebells and worships other gods they too will be cast out of the land.  Deuteronomy 9:4  Speak not thou in thine heart, after that the Lord thy God hath cast them out from before thee, saying, For my righteousness the Lord hath brought me in to possess this land: but for the wickedness of these nations the Lord doth drive them out from before thee.  Deuteronomy 8:19&20  And it shall be, if thou do at all forget the Lord thy God, and walk after other gods, and serve them, and worship them, I testify against you this day that ye shall surely perish. As the nations which the Lord destroyeth before your face, so shall ye perish; because ye would not be obedient unto the voice of the Lord your God.  

       God is the one who judges the nations, He removes kings and sets up kings. God can remove those like Herod, who oppose His plan, by sending His angel to take them out but often God will use men.  Acts 12:23   And immediately the angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory: and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost.  King Saul was removed from being king of Israel through the Philistines. King Belshazzar, Nebuchadnezzar son, was weighed in the balances and found wanting.  Daniel 5:30&31  In that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain. And Darius the Median took the kingdom, being about threescore and two years old.  God divided the kingdom of Israel because they worshiped false gods and forsook His commandants.  1 Kings 11:31  And he said to Jeroboam, Take thee ten pieces: for thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel, Behold, I will rend the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon, and will give ten tribes to thee:  1 kings 11:32  (But he shall have one tribe for my servant David’s sake, and for Jerusalem’s sake, the city which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel:)

       Follow the lead of the apostles and yield to the highest authority!  Acts 5:29  Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.  There will be times when the commands of men are directly opposite of what our Lord Jesus has said and we must then yield to the will of the Almighty trusting Him to protect and deliver us from evil.

– Moses mother refused to sacrifice her son to death as Pharaoh’s law required and a deliverer was preserved!  Exodus 2:10  And the child grew, and she brought him unto Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son. And she called his name Moses: and she said, Because I drew him out of the water.

– Daniel disobeyed the Kings decree that he could not pray to his God and God shut the lions mouth! Daniel 6:10  Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime.

– The wise men were instructed by the Holy Spirit through a dream not to submit to King Herod’s devious command!  Matthew 2:12  And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.

• The apostles continued to teach and preach in the name of Jesus after being threatened by the authorities. Multitudes came to the Lord, devils were cast out, and everyone was healed that came to be healed. (Acts 5:16)   When the authorities questioned them, why have you not heeded our command to not teach in this name, they replied, we ought to obey God rather than men.

       We are not to submit to evil! We are the salt of the earth! Jesus said we are to pray that God’s will be accomplished on the earth like it is in heaven. We, like Israel, are to choose out able leaders who fear God and love truth!  Ex. 18:21  Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens:  We are to occupy this earth until the Lord returns for us! To occupy includes the aspect of holding our ground and not allowing our enemy, the devil, to have his way in stealing, killing, and destroying. Paul exercised his right as a Roman citizen and spoke up sparing himself from being scourged by the Roman soldiers. (Acts 22:25)  We need to exercise our right, and duty at the ballot box, not just to stop a beating, but to stop the murdering of the most vulnerable. Yes, it is our right, our privilege, and our duty to speak up at the ballot box for ourselves, our families, and especially those who can not speak up for themselves!