Submit to the Government?

Voting season is around the corner.. or so it seems. In the last couple voting terms, our country seems to be the most torn since the Civil War. With the parties in full conflict with each other and politicians harassing each other, it becomes a battle that most Christians don't want to be a part of. It seems as though there's people who are irritated with the way politics has taken over (me), and it seems there are people who get too involved. But in all of this commotion, another questions is brought up.

It is no secret that our country has gone downhill. Just look at our movies, TV shows, school system, divorce rate, crime rate, juvenile crime rate, government funded abortion, gay marraige, books, magazines, and never ending exposure to porn. It's no doubt that our government has played a part in this. What once started as a Christian nation with godly founders, is now a sin ridden nation ruled by the devil himself. It seems as though our world is almost as bad as it was just before the flood or Sodom and Gomorrah. Our country has become so blind to sin that what once was good is considered bad and what was once regarded sinful, is now socially acceptable. So that question that arises is, "should I submit to the government and if so, how?"

This is a hard line to stand on. We know the Bible commands us to follow authority, but also know that we are told to not conform to this world. In the past week, I have come across a few passages that have gotten me thinking on this. There are many verses and passages on submitting to government from different aspects, but I want to focus on one in particular: 1 Peter 2:13-17.

• Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme; 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. For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men: As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God. Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king.

I want to first off, commentate on the first half of this verse, which is pretty straight forward. We are commanded to submit to authority and in this case, the government. Not only the government, but the "governors" sent. (Governors in this passage are referring to those sent by the king to punish criminals A.K.A. law enforcement) Romans 31:1 tells us there are a few conditions that we see in this passage though. In the first verse, it says to do this "for the Lord's sake". What does this mean? We are not to submit to government just because we don't want to be arrest or because one person says we need to. We are to submit becasue God asks us to. God placed an authority over us. If you study the Bible much, it is evident that most things here on earth are just a reflection of our relationship with God and government is one of those. It is an authority God has placed over us to create order.

And submitting is not necessarily for our sake, but for God's. In this passage we are even told one of the reasons why we should submit: "that with well doing, ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men." Following God and being obedient can't be refuted. Yes, we can be accused of being in the wrong as Jesus was, but we reflect our Lord when we submit. Especially today where there is an utmost disrespect for the government, particularly law enforcement. When someone sees a Christian submitting to government and not rebelling, it is noticable and we stand out. No one looks up to a person who causes problems, but a majority of the people look up to someone who is respectable. This presentation reflects who God is and our relationship with him.

However, there is an exception to this. Because submitting to governmental authority is for God's sake, it needs to be in synchronisation with God's commands. Submission does not mean that you unconditionally follow what the government says, but rather a willingness to follow. But as we see in history, we sometimes cannot follow government and God together. This is evident during the Revolutionary War. The colonists and statesmen went against the English government because of the King's agenda to suppress religious freedom. 

We are to ultimately follow God and if government contradicts that, we should follow God instead. Please don't misinterpret this. I don't mean that we can do what we want and claim it's because the law contradicts God. What I am saying is that when government or law enforcement demands we do something that is directly contradictory to the Bible and violates our moral values, we need to stand. We don't have to (should not!) conform to abortion just because society says it's OK. When the day comes when disagreeing with gay marriage becomes a hate crime (which it already is) that is punishable by law, we must make the choice to stand. 

But in all of this, remember that God establishes government and commands that we submit to authority. We are even told in Isaiah 9:6 in the prophecy of Chist's birth, "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder..."  Remember that submitting to government is not for our sake of not getting arrested, but to display a godly testimony, reflecting our Lord. And remember that in all of this, God tells us to "Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king."