Over at the Grace to You blog, Cameron Buettel shares his view that Christians “are never called to go to war with our mission field.” He believes that “our interactions with civic leaders and rulers should be fueled by our desire to further the gospel.” In Romans 13:1 Paul makes it clear that we must submit to the authorities in power. So, “what should that subjection look like for a Christian living in a dark and fallen world?” queries Buettel. Moreover, “Is there a threshold of evil where Paul’s command no longer applies?”
Cameron Buettel not only communicates his own view on this controversial subject. He also quotes Pastor John MacArthur and includes a sermon he gave on Romans 13:2-5 you’ll want to listen to.
Today a new American president will be sworn into office. Maybe you like him. Maybe you don’t. Whatever the case, your view of the president should not determine how you relate and respond to the government as a Christian. Romans 13:1 provides the standard: “Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities.”
But submission never comes naturally to our seemingly autonomous existence. It’s even harder when we have to bow in subjection to wicked rulers with evil policies. That’s the bitter pill Christians have had to swallow in recent decades, as we’ve wrestled with our consciences over increasingly evil political agendas.
For many of us, our moral outrage is soothed with thoughts of sanctified rebellion. The thought of sticking it to the man and being spiritual about it appeals to our righteous indignation. We know we’re supposed to obey the law, but doesn’t God make exceptions for bad laws?
