What should our thinking be toward government? We should remember that we are always citizens of the Kingdom of God before we are citizens of any nation (and it if comes to it, we must disobey in order to keep the faith). However, given that, we ought to submit to government, not resisting, protesting, and causing dissension. Paul writes to the Romans:
Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. (Romans 13:1-2)
Some authorities, including government, are instituted by God, and carry his own authority vicariously. We are told to respect authorities, because by doing so, since they are the extension of God’s authority, we are in fact respecting God Himself. There is a parallel between the thinking here and that written in Matthew 25. People are commended on the final judgment for helping Jesus when he was sick, naked, and hungry. They ask, “Lord, we when did we do this? We don’t remember it. We’ve never actually met you…” The King’s reply:
‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’
Because those poor people represented the recipients through which those people could demonstrate mercy, God counted them as merciful and tender-hearted even to Himself. In the same way, when we obey government, we are obeying God, who has established them as the stewards of his authority. Of course, there are limits to this, because governments can be abusive. The Bible also says, “There is a time for war,” and that includes war against an oppressive government, but that does not justify the cynical government-bashing, boss-bashing, and father-bashing that are so rampant in our culture. The Christian’s default mode should be one of reverence and respect for those whom God has appointed. We should remember that our political leaders, our fathers, our husbands, and whoever else is over us, have God to answer to, and us to answer for; it is not our job to hold them accountable. God has appointed them, and he still rules them, and will exercise his purposes through them. He is the King of Kings. By honoring Kings, we show our faith in their King.
Ben Taylor 