Rom. 13:1 EVERYONE must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God.
Here are some thoughts from this Scripture that have been in my spirit lately:
+ We all must submit to the authority of the govt whether we are Christian or not, agree or not, vote or not, have opinions or not.
+ The fact that is comes from God doesn’t mean that everything they do or don’t do is a reflection on God. (like a show airing on a network that is definitely using the network for exposure but doesn’t necessarily reflect the views of the network)
+ Those in positions of authority have been placed there by God. This phrase has been very misunderstood. Many have used this to justify the views and policies of someone that is not godly or being led by Biblical values. When this was written Nero was emperor of Rome. You think God would have chosen this murderous, perverted maniac as His man? ABSOLUTELY NOT!! So what does this mean? God has placed man in the position of govt on earth going all the way back to Gen. 1:28 when He gave dominion or rulership to Adam. So we honor the position of leadership even when we don’t necessarily respect the views or character of the man. After Bill Clinton committed adultery in the White House we did not then get to stop honoring him as President. We may have been disgusted with his character and poor decisions but we did not then stop honoring the position he was in.
+Right now we are in a time where many things are happening in our government that either contradict the Word of God (like the dogmatic advancement of “gay rights”) or make me uncomfortable personally (like the proposed govt takeover of health care). This doesn’t give license to dishonor or quit praying for those in government BUT does not mean (as many religious and liberal would try to condemn) that we have to agree or keep quiet concerning our views, values, and even opinions. Many brave men and women died to give us the right to have an opinion in this nation. We as Christians cannot err in either dishonoring those in government NOR by being super passive and not voicing our values and views by voting and being aware of what is going in local, state, and federal government. (many good-hearted believers have disconnected from what is happening in government and excused themselves from what is going on to shape our future by the excuse that “the Lord is coming soon.” This logic is irresponsible and presumptive!)
++ So what should we do? Glad you asked! We should pray for all those in authority (1 Tim 2:2) and ask God to give them wisdom and hearts that seek after Jesus. Secondly, we should be aware of what is going on in our nation and be sure to vote, voice our Biblical values, and talk to our fellow Americans about the state of our nation before God.
Prov. 11:11- Upright citizens are good for a city and make it prosper, but the talk of the wicked tears it apart.
This heavy stuff but it is true…totally agree with ya Pastor Joel! You make me think about what I believe in and make me analyze it as well. That’s what a Pastor should do. You are still an inspiration to me Pastor Joel!!
Brad Barker
You know, this is so true. It causes me to think about what I’ve been saying about the president lately. I mean, I may be fed up with everything he’s doing, or for that matter not doing, but that doesn’t give me the right to complain and gosip about him. This makes me think that I should pray for him and his wife instead of talking about them. Thanks.
Amen, Pastor. We should take advantage of the rights we have to express our opinions in a respectful manner. We can have faith that the Lord will suppy our needs in a changed environment without being complacent enablers of the agendas & campaigns that prod the nation further in 1 direction or another. My right to posess & voice an opinion should be exercised to avoid becoming a limb that grows weak when
not used but all within the confines of submission to authority, honoring the individuals who make decisions I don’t like. It’s natural to become fired up about things that affect us personally, but I don’t want to step out of my Christian attire when poked. As you said, just as in times of personal turmoil we pray over a situation, we must pray for our leaders and fellow citizens in a political arena. As we do in corporate prayer, we can on our own pray for guidance & illumination for all in positions of authority as well as the media & activists who determine what many people think about on a daily basis. Express beliefs & opinions with clean lips, amen!
I completely agree with you about government officials using the Lord’s name in vein, especially to get votes or funding. Take Sarah Palin, in the beginning I liked her. I doubt she would ever get my vote, but I liked her energy and her conviction of her faith. But the she started to throw stones and tote her moral superiority and family values (see David Vitter, Mark Sanford and the like) and her house wasn’t in order. She covered up her teenager daughter was pregnant and wasn’t married. I was disappointed in her actors, but as a sitting governor I prayed for her family and for her to be able to stay strong.
But I can’t understand what’s the problem with health care for every American citizen? Some seem to think being healthy and have access to health care is a privilege and not a right. I don’t recall Jesus being picky on who he choose to heal. In fact, I think he heal a good many people who weren’t able to afford quality care. Seems kind of selfish, don’t you think? Especially if our jobs as Christians is too save souls and help one another. And secondly, if everyone around me is healthy, then the odds of me getting sick go down, so it’s a win-win situation. We must remember that everyone isn’t as blessed to have perfect immune systems and excellent health care. And I know not everyone will be saved and there are just going to be some that don’t get. And I am perfectly fine with that. What I am not fine with is not helping when I know I can make a difference. Just like I tithe and give offerings, I pay my taxes. You never know, someday I might need some assistance and I hope someone won’t be stingy and so focused on their own lives and their dislike (fear) of political leaders to help. Because we are our brothers (and sisters) keepers. And when God asks me why didn’t try to help the least I don’t want my answer to be because I didn’t want to be taxed or the government is full of sinners.
Amber, the problem with the government’s takeover of healthcare is not that we are opposed to everyone getting healthcare (not by any means), but that it would end up meaning months before anyone is treated for anything. People would take advantage of the fact that they can go to the doctor whenever they want and for whatever they want that it would be madness. My dad knows more about this than I do, but it would be like the health care systems in other countries (i.e. Canada and England) and people would end up NOT getting treated just because they would not want to wait. Or the government would have to put something in place where only a certain severity of illness could be treated. It would probably get so bad to where doctors wouldn’t fix one eye until the other one was messed up already. It would just not be a good situation overall. I don’t know what a better solution would be, but it would definitely not be that.
All political debate aside, though…great food for thought, Pastor Joel!
Pastor Joel,
Your sermons on submitting to authority at the Unshakeable 220 Conference this past summer left a lasting mark on my life. I have seen the fruits of obedience and thank God that he is using you to share His truth.
Great blog post, I hope that your ministry continues to grow in the LORD. Look forward to the next 220 Conference!
James Lee
Pastor Joel,
I have to say, thank you! This is an area in my life that I struggle with. I am continuously discussing the political arena with my family and friends. Lately, I have noticed that my criticism and dislike for our current president and our senators have increased. I have found myself speaking ill of them and have often times scolded myself because instead of praying for my government’s leaders I have been bashing them. It is true. As a church we must arise and speak out for what we know to be right and true but learn to balance that with submission to our authority.
You have only confirmed what was already going on in my heart and mind! Thank you for always speaking out with boldness. Don’t hold those punches pastor! They are the ones that help me grow!!!
Many blessings to you! Can not wait for your book to be out! Please know that my pastors and I continue to pray for your healing!
I agree with Amber. People are getting hyped up about Health care plans. If they were one of those people that did not have access to health care, they would be all for it and it’s obvious those fighting against it, have private insurance. I have private health care myself, but I know quite a few people that don’t and how much it would mean to them to have some type of insurance. It won’t be the way you believe it will be. Whether you know it or not, but all hospitals have to take a certain amount of “charity” cases. Welfare recipients have green cards and can see the same doctors as those with private health care. It has not caused a long wait to see a doctor. I think we need to look at the entire plan, not just some of it, but all of it.
What we should do is pray for the politicians in control of this that a decision will be made that is good for ALL and trust that God will be in the midst.
Sandra, we have to look at this from all angles. It’s not healthcare for every American no matter the cost. Do you understand what would happen to this country if this particular plan were put in place? It would bankrupt the federal government in 5 years. Also, the people we voted into office wanted to sneak it in on a session this summer so that the American people couldn’t see what’s in it and therefore be shouldered with this thing without knowing what it contained. Why? Because not one person would like this bill if they read all 1,990 pages of it. That’s not good government to do things behind our backs. But God intervened and it got out and so it was delayed. Even democrats who like some of our government’s ideas will not vote on this, thank God. I believe everyone should be able to have healthcare but not at this dangerous degree that is proposed in the present healthcare bill. It would be far too dangerous allowing too much government control which would invade almost every area of our lives. A life that was promised in this country to be lived with freedom.
Good thoughts. Thank you. Gave me something to chew over.
“Because not one person would like this bill if they read all 1,990 pages of it. That’s not good government to do things behind our backs.”
I agree. There is something sinister about this. Ever feel we are being bamboozled? Forced, kicking and screaming, down a well planned road we would never voluntarily travel?
Mark & Connie: You totally misunderstood. What I’m saying is LOOK AT THE ENTIRE PACKAGE. Some of us are fixated on one thing. Yes it’s going to cost money. We only see what CNN, MSNBC, Fox and the other networks are showing. Always be aware of scare tactics that are used. Look at it from both sides. True, no one will get everything they want. There will be issues that are not pleasing to some and pleasing to others. There is no one on this earth that does everything right and pleases everyone. Just know that what’s important to you or I, may not be important to someone else. Apparently there are some good things in the bill because 220 in the House voted for it and it passed. All in all, look at the entire package and know you won’t agreed with a lot of the things in it.
Couldn’t agree with you more. The House of Justice JHOPDC has made it very easy to pray for our leaders and I really believe it is making a difference. It has to. They have a web site: http://firstofall.jhopdc.com, that you can make your homepage and enter your prayers every day. The state senators and leaders are rotated each day but you can pray for our President every day. It has really helped me as a reminder. God bless
Love the worship song: Open up the Sky by Deluge!
Sandra’s right. As Americans who pay taxes, there are many things we pay for that we don’t like, agree with or want. I’m upset that my tax dollars were wasted on David Vitter paying for hookers but oh well, that’s life.
I enjoyed the article and think it was refreshing. Even when disagreeing, it must be done in a respectful manner. Thank you for that reminder.
I worry how people forget that without changes to our current health care system, we will still be bankrupt within 5 years. Medi Cal, Medi Care, and Social Security will NOT be there when we retire, unless we make changes today. We must not be so quick to point out the bad without a fair evaluation of the good as well. Either way, we are paying now or will pay more later. Something to thing about. God Bless!