Obey God Rather Than Man

Who are you, whom do you serve? I pray you are a Christian, a Christ follower, and a Child of God. Who do you say you are? Children of God obey the laws of this earthly world AND the law that established all earthly rules, God’s Law. Humans are subject to appointed and divine powers. Man is appointed. God is the all-powerful, all-present, and all-knowing divine energy in control, and we must submit to His unwavering authority.

When the Spirit of the Lord is in us, we understand what Daniel said about the God who “changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings; he gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding” (Dan. 2:21, ESV). Examine yourself and decide if you have an understanding. God, in His supreme authority, has delegated authority to those He calls to worship and glorify His name. “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him” (James 1:5, NKJV). Believers receive this divine authority and understand they are vital to God’s purpose.

Followers of Jesus Christ, Children of God, are set apart to separate themselves from this world and do His will. God gave all power to the Lord Jesus, who delegated powers to His disciples and commissioned them to go into the world, make disciples of all nations, and teach them to obey His commands (Matt. 28:19-20). Everyone who becomes a disciple stores up treasures in the kingdom of heaven. All nations will be gathered before Him, so repentance and forgiveness of sin must be proclaimed before all nations. Like Jesus, we must preach the gospel until we leave this earthly life.

There is strength in obedience to God’s Word. “Blessed are those who hear the word of God and follow it” (Luke 11:28, NASB). Blessed are those who hear and obey; those who obey His commands will not be overcome by evil. Christians have a higher calling from the King of kings, including obeying the law that the Word of God says is not for them. The law is not for Christians because they are to humble themselves, submit to governing authorities, and obey the laws of God and man. It is our duty, our responsibility, to obey His commands.

“Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God” (Rom. 13:1, KJB). To understand the depth of this verse, we must understand the revelation in Daniel’s vision. It was revealed “so that the living will know that the Most-High is ruler over human kingdoms. He gives them to anyone he wants and sets the lowliest of people over them” (Dan. 4:17). What shall we say then? Is God unjust? Whatever God does is not based on man’s effort or desire but on what the sovereign God chooses to do. For His thoughts are not our thoughts, nor are His ways our ways (Isa. 55:8); however, His counsel stands forever through all generations.

So, let us not forget that God grants power to whomever He wishes. This is a wake-up call for God’s elect to monitor those who have fallen away, for even those with reprobate minds are sometimes granted power. When the people of Israel rejected God's King and demanded a king like other nations to rule over them (1 Sam. 8:19-22), God granted their wish. The people would not listen or obey, so He “gave them over to their stubborn hearts, to follow their own counsels” (Psa. 81:12).

Likewise, if people today reject the Lord Jesus and choose a selfish, arrogant, and corrupt criminal or one who teaches doctrine contrary to God’s Word for a leader, God may grant their wish. To quote a cliché, be careful what you ask for. We should also be cautious about what we condone and ignore. In case you do not know or perhaps forgot, Scripture says, “Whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is a sin” (James 4:17). The truth has been revealed.

As King Solomon said, there is nothing new under the sun. The exact instructions Paul taught to the Romans, Paul told Titus to “Remind the believers to submit to the government and its officers. They should be obedient, always ready to do what is good” (Titus 3:1, NLT). Leaders with powers from God are ordained and commissioned to do what is good. Every soul is subject to higher powers when they are ordained by God and commissioned to do good. When governing authorities are not leading in a manner congruent with His purpose and will, God gives us a way out, recognizing that every authority does not meet these criteria.