As Christians, we have some basic responsibilities towards the government. First of all, we should pray for our leaders.
“Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Tim. 2:1-2).
God wants us to pray for our political leaders so that we can lead a quiet and peaceful life in all godliness and reverence. We want to live free from violence, and we want to openly practice our Christian faith.
Today, in many countries around the world, governments persecute Christians. In China, Christianity is illegal unless it is practiced in government-recognized churches. These churches are under the control of the Communist Party. Many Chinese Christians reject the false gospel taught in these churches, and they risk their lives to meet in house churches, illegally.
In Saudi Arabia and many other Muslim countries, it’s even worse. There the government prohibits people from owning Bibles, meeting as a church, or sharing the gospel. If someone converts to Christianity, the government says he must die.
In some Western countries, a few politicians are pushing to classify some Christian teachings as hate speech – like speaking against sin, talking about hell, or saying that Jesus is the only way to God. If such basic Christian teachings ever become criminalized, persecution will follow.
In the USA, we are blessed with freedom as Christians. We should not take this freedom for granted. We must pray for our political leaders so that this freedom continues and we can continue to live in peace.
Origins of Government
In the beginning Adam ruled the world on behalf of God. When Adam sinned, he handed the political power of the world over to Satan. This is why Satan is called “the ruler of this world” (John 14:30), and the “prince of the power of the air” (Eph. 2:2). The Bible says, “the whole world lies in the evil one” (1 John 5:19).
When Satan tempted Jesus in the desert, he showed Jesus all the governments of the world and said, “all this authority I will give you, and their glory, for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish” (Luke 4:6). Satan told Jesus that all the political power of the world had been give to him, and he gives it to whomever he desires.
Satan rules the world through fallen angels – the “world-rulers of this present darkness, wicked spiritual beings in heavenly places” (Eph. 6:12).
Once Daniel was praying, and a good angel was sent from God to answer his prayer. On the way, this angel was confronted by an evil angel called the “prince of Persia” (Dan. 10:13). When the good angel finally fought through the evil angel to reach Daniel, the good angel said he would have to again fight with the “prince of Persia” and then with the “prince of Greece” (Dan. 10:20). Today, we wrestle in prayer against these fallen angels (Eph. 6:12).
Fallen angels still dominate many aspects of the world today, including political systems. This is why Christians must use spiritual weapons like prayer to bring change to the world, and not use guns and bombs (2 Cor. 10:4). As we wield spiritual weapons, we manifest the victory that Jesus already won on the cross.
At the end of the age, when it is time for the kingdom of God to come in fullness, the church will reveal the victory of Christ against the fallen angels, and they will fall from their places of authority (Eph. 3:10). Then the kingdom of God will take over the earth, and the glory of the Lord will be everywhere (Hab. 2:14).
Submit to the Government
In the meantime, Christians are instructed to submit to earthly governments.
Paul commanded the Roman Christians to submit to the government in Rome (Rom. 13:1-7). At that time, Nero was the Roman Emperor, and he was probably one of the most anti-Christian rulers who ever lived. Nero burned Rome, and then he blamed Christians. He tortured them mercilessly by setting them on fire.
Paul wrote to the Roman Christians, saying that earthly governments are “ordered by God.” Evil rulers like Nero, Hitler, Stalin, and Mao were mass-murderers who ruthlessly slaughtered tens of millions of people. Were they put in charge by God?
When the Bible says that rulers like Nero are “ordered by God,” it means that God is the ultimate authority in the universe and that he even allows mass-murderers to rule, and that without his permission they could not rule.
Why does God allow Satanic mass-murderers to dominate nations? Why does he allow fallen angels like Satan to have so much power?
God gave people free will, and they chose to allow Satan to dominate the world. God could have stopped Adam from sinning, but he did not. People today choose to give Satan power whenever they sin. God can stop them from sinning, but he does not. God respects human free will; we are not robots. We are called to love God, and we cannot love him if we are forced. Because God values love, he values free will, and free will has sometimes disastrous consequences. God’s respect of free will allows sin to multiply and enables sinful leaders like Nero and Hitler to dominate nations.
More Responsibilities
Some further responsibilities that Christians have to the government are given in Romans 13:6-7.
1. Pay taxes.
2. Pay customs duties.
3. Give respect to political leaders.
4. Give honor to political leaders.
We need to pay taxes. Jesus told us to “render to Caesar what is Caesar’s.” We need to honor to political leaders just because of the office they hold, even if those leaders are not nice people.
Limits to Obedience to Government
There are limits to our submission to earthly governments. If a government commands us to do something that is contrary to the Bible, we must disobey that government. If a government commands to not do something that is an essential part of the faith, we must disobey that government and do what God commands us to do anyway.
There are several examples in the New Testament of Christians disobeying the government.
In Acts 4:19-20, Peter and John were arrested by the government. The government told them to stop teaching in Jesus’ name. Peter and John said they had to listen to God rather than to the government, and they kept preaching. They didn’t allow the government to stop them from doing what God commanded them to do.
In Acts 5, after getting out of prison, Peter again disobeyed the government. He was arrested again. Peter then said, “We ought to obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29).
The government’s authority over a Christian is ultimately defined by the Bible. The word of God is the highest law for a Christian. We must obey the Bible, even if it brings us into conflict with an earthly government.
After WWII, the Nazis were put on trial in Nuremberg. They defended themselves by saying that they were just following orders – Hitler’s government told them to kill people, so they did. This argument was rejected by the court at Nuremberg. The court said that there was a higher law that the Nazis were accountable to – the law of God. Even though the Nazis were obeying the German government, they broke God’s law and therefore had to be punished.
Antichrist
At the end of the age, the Antichrist will rise. He will dominate the world and demand allegiance from every person. He will command everyone to receive a mark in their right hand or forehead (Rev. 13:16-17) in order to buy or sell. He will command people to worship contrary to the Bible. The Bible says that all those who accept the mark of the beast will go into hell (Rev. 14:9-12).
At some point in the future, Christians all over the world will have to disobey the government because they will have to reject the Antichrist. Their path of resistance will follow the footsteps of countless Christians before them who disobeyed the government in order to obey God. As we obey God, he will be our light and shield, and his kingdom will come. The kingdom of God is greater and more powerful than any other government. It is destined to dominate the world. This is the kingdom we seek.
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