WE NEED BOUNDARIES! BECAUSE OF OUR SIN NATURE WE DON’T DO WELL TO GO BY ALL THE RULES. IT IS HUMAN NATURE TO WANT THINGS THE WAY WE WANT THEM AND DO THINGS THE WAY WE THINK THINGS SHOULD BE DONE.
HUMAN NATURE HAS NEVER BEEN ONE TO PROMOTE RULES AND REGULATIONS. OUR SIN NATURE HAS ALWAYS BEEN AT THE CUTTING EDGE OF REBELLION TOWARDS THE WORD SUBMISSION WHEN PERTAINING TO AUTHORITY.
THE FIRST THING WE CAN DO IS REDIRECT AND CHANGE OUR THINKING THAT MAKES US THINK THAT THE WORD SUBMISSION IS A BAD WORD. IT IS NOT A BAD WORD; IT IS A LIBERATING WORD.
WE ARE ALL UNDER GOD’S PROTECTIVE AUTHORITY, AND WE CAN ONLY BE FREE IF WE SEEK IT AND SUBMIT TO IT. THIS IS WHY CHRISTIANS HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO OBEY NOT ONLY GOD, BUT THE LAWS OF HUMANITY.
SUBMITTING TO BOTH THE AUTHORITY OF GOD’S LAWS AND MAN’S LAWS WAS DESIGNED FOR YOUR PROTECTION. LIVING FREE IS YOUR OPPORTUNITY TO BE ALL THAT GOD CREATED YOU TO BE.
THE WORLD MAY WANT US TO THINK THAT IF ONE WAS TO SUBMIT IT WOULD BE THE SAME AS ADMITTING TO BEING WEAK. IT IS THIS SAME TYPE OF THINKING THAT SEES AUTHORITY AS OPPRESSIVE AND UNJUST.
BUT, LOOK AT WHAT PETER’S COMMAND IS HERE. THE GREEK WORD TRANSLATED FOR "SUBMIT" IS A MILITARY TERM MEANING "TO PLACE ONESELF IN SUBJECTION TO" JUST LIKE A PRIVATE WOULD BE TO DRILL SERGEANT IN BOOT CAMP. IT LITERALLY MEANS TO OBEY A HIGHER AUTHORITY.
THAT MEANS, AS A CHRISTIAN, WE DON’T SUBMIT JUST TO GOD AND HIS AUTHORITY. IT MEANS WE MUST ALSO SUBMIT TO "EVERY AUTHORITY INSTITUTED AMONG MEN."
THIS MEANS ALL FEDERAL, STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS AS WELL AS ALL OF OUR CHURCH’S DOCTRINES, RULES AND REGULATIONS. GOD EXPECTS US TO OBEY THE RULES ESTABLISHED BY THE PRESIDENT, THE GOVERNOR, THE MAYOR, THE BISHOP AND THE BASE COMMANDER.
EVERYTHING FROM PAYING YOUR TAXES, OBEYING THE CONSTITUTION AND YOUR CHURCH’S DISCIPLINE TO OBEYING A TRAFFIC LIGHT OR A STOP SIGN, WE MUST SUBMIT TO THE LEVEL OR DEGREE OF AUTHORITY THEY POSSESS.
WE ARE COMMANDED TO PLACE OURSELVES IN A POSITION OF SUBJECTION AND OBEDIENCE TO THESE RULES AND REGULATIONS AND TO THE LAWS THAT THEY GOVERN.
AND IT’S NOT JUST RULES THAT WE MUST OBEY. WE ARE CALLED TO OBEY ALL THE POSITIONS OF AUTHORITY SUCH AS PARENTS, BOSSES, TEACHERS, PASTOR’S AND OUR PARISH COUNCIL.
ALL OF US HAVE MULTIPLE PERSONS TO WHOM WE ARE COMMANDED TO SUBMIT. THIS IS NOT A COMMAND THE CHRISTIAN IS TO TAKE LIGHTLY OR SCOFF AT EITHER. IT IS A VERY SERIOUS COMMAND THAT DEMANDS OBEDIENCE.
THE REASON FOR IT ALL, ACCORDING TO PETER, WAS TO DO IT "FOR THE LORD’S SAKE." THE MOTIVATION IS NOT JUST TO AVOID PUNISHMENT, BUT BECAUSE OF THE LORD.
GOD WANTS YOU TO SUBMIT TO AUTHORITY. IF YOU DON’T RESPECT AUTHORITY, HOW CAN YOU CLAIM TO RESPECT GOD WHO IS THE ULTIMATE AUTHORITY?
FOR EXAMPLE, IF YOU DON’T SUBMIT TO YOUR PARENTS, YOU ARE IN ESSENCE DISOBEYING GOD. IF YOU DO NOT SUBMIT YOURSELF TO THE LAWS OF THE COUNTRY AND STATE YOU ARE DISOBEYING GOD. PERIOD!
ROMANS 13:1-5, "EVERYONE MUST SUBMIT THEMSELVES TO THE GOVERNING AUTHORITIES, FOR THERE IS NO AUTHORITY EXCEPT THAT WHICH GOD HAS ESTABLISHED. THE AUTHORITIES THAT EXIST HAVE BEEN ESTABLISHED BY GOD. CONSEQUENTLY, HE WHO REBELS AGAINST THE AUTHORITY IS REBELLING AGAINST WHAT GOD HAS INSTITUTED, AND THOSE WHO DO SO WILL BRING JUDGMENT ON THEMSELVES. FOR RULERS HOLD NO TERROR FOR THOSE WHO DO RIGHT, BUT FOR THOSE WHO DO WRONG. DO YOU WANT TO BE FREE FROM FEAR OF THE ONE IN AUTHORITY? THEN DO WHAT IS RIGHT AND HE WILL COMMEND YOU. FOR HE IS GOD’S SERVANT TO DO YOU GOOD. BUT IF YOU DO WRONG, BE AFRAID, FOR HE DOES NOT BEAR THE SWORD FOR NOTHING. HE IS GOD’S SERVANT, AN AGENT OF WRATH TO BRING PUNISHMENT ON THE WRONGDOER. THEREFORE, IT IS NECESSARY TO SUBMIT TO THE AUTHORITIES, NOT ONLY BECAUSE OF POSSIBLE PUNISHMENT BUT ALSO BECAUSE OF CONSCIENCE."
PETER SAYS IN VERSE 14 THAT THESE AUTHORITIES ARE SENT "BY GOD." BUT A MORE LIKELY TRANSLATION HERE WOULD BE "THROUGH HIM."
ALTHOUGH LAWS ARE LITERALLY WRITTEN BY MAN, GOD IS STILL THE SENDER, AND HE USES HIGHER AUTHORITIES TO SEND OUT LESSOR ONES. ALL OF WHOM WE ARE TO OBEY.
BUT YOU STILL ARGUE, "WHAT IF THEY ARE CORRUPT OR EVIL?" THE BIBLE NEVER SAID THAT GOD ONLY INSTITUTES THOSE GOVERNMENTS AND AUTHORITIES THAT ARE GOOD AND RIGHTEOUS. GOD HAS ESTABLISHED EVERY AUTHORITY.
THEY ARE GOD’S SERVANTS FOR HIS PURPOSES. GOD HAS ESTABLISHED AND RAISED THEM UP FOR A REASON. THIS IS A LESSON FROM AS FAR BACK AS THE PHARAOH IN EGYPT.
IN EXODUS 9:16 GOD TELLS THE PHARAOH, THROUGH MOSES, "BUT I HAVE RAISED YOU UP FOR THIS VERY PURPOSE, THAT I MIGHT SHOW YOU MY POWER AND THAT MY NAME MIGHT BE PROCLAIMED IN ALL THE EARTH."
WE DON’T ALWAYS SEE GOD’S PURPOSES, BUT THAT IS NOT OUR CONCERN. OUR CONCERN IS SIMPLY BEING OBEDIENT TO THEM, WHETHER THEY ARE EVIL OR CORRUPT.
WHAT GOD’S WILL IS, AS PETER SAYS, IS THAT BY DOING GOOD, WE WILL SILENCE THE IGNORANT TALK OF FOOLISH MEN. IF WE ARE OBEDIENT AND ARE PUNISHED OR PERSECUTED, THE WORLD WILL SEE THAT WE HAVE BEEN WRONGED AND FOR GOD’S SAKE, AND GOD WILL BE GLORIFIED AND THE EVIL RULERS WILL BE SILENCED.
THE WORLD WILL HAVE NO CASE AGAINST US JUST AS THEY HAD NO CASE AGAINST JESUS, PETER OR PAUL. LIKEWISE, BY BEING OBEDIENT TO AUTHORITY, WE WILL SILENCE THOSE WHO SEEK TO PERSECUTE AND MISTREAT US, AND GOD WILL BE GLORIFIED.
REMEMBER THAT GOD HAS A PURPOSE FOR THOSE AUTHORITY FIGURES IN YOUR LIFE. THEY ARE HIS SERVANTS TO TRAIN YOU, SO SUBMIT TO THEM FOR THE LORD’S SAKE TO GIVE GOD ROOM TO WORK IN AND THROUGH THE SITUATION.
SO WHAT IS YOUR ATTITUDE TOWARDS RULES, REGULATIONS AND LAWS THAT HAVE BEEN PLACED IN AUTHORITY OVER YOU? JUST REMEMBER THAT GOD HATES DISOBEDIENCE AND REBELLION, BUT LOVES HIS SERVANTS WHO SUBMIT THEMSELVES TO THE AUTHORITIES GOD HAS ORDAINED.
LET US ALL TAKE A MOMENT TO CAREFULLY EXAMINE WHERE WE STAND IN OUR ACTIONS AND MOTIVES TOWARDS AUTHORITY. LET US MAKE SURE OUR ACTIONS AND MOTIVES ARE IN LINE WITH PETER’S COMMANDS TO RESPECT EVERYONE, CONTINUALLY HONOR THE KING, CONTINUALLY LOVE YOUR FELLOW CHRISTIANS, AND CONTINUALLY FEAR GOD. LET’S ALL BE SPIRITUALLY SUBMISSIVE.
