If obeying Paul’s 29 commands in Romans Chapter 12 was not challenging enough, Chapter 13 ups the obligation even more, especially in our uncertain times:
“Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment” (Rom 13:1-2).
Regardless of who you are or what circumstances you find yourself in today, being in the minority under a ruler is extremely hard, especially if you happen to live in a certain six-block area of Seattle, Washington. Could armed occupation by anarchists have been appointed by God?
Hard as it is to say, yes, it could, if God’s desire is to expose evil in full view of good. But then, should we be expected to suffer and sacrifice under usurped lawlessness? If it serves God’s purposes, yes, and I believe Jesus did exactly that for us!
“For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer” (Rom 13:3-4).
Paul, remember, suffered more abuse at the hands of “legitimate” rulers than we can scarcely imagine – ultimately losing his life by brutal execution. But his eyes were only on his Savior and on his desire to win his captors to faith in Jesus. Can we do the same?
“Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience. For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed” (Rom 13:5-7).
Could it be that all of us in America have ignored the commands of the Bible and yielded to the temptation of political power? Could it be we have fallen into disobedience before God? Could we really claim unity in the presence of our polar opposite disunity? Are we now watching warnings wash over us like a rapidly flooding river?
Perhaps as a nation, we have arrived at the fork in the road to perfect unity.
Could it be that Jesus longs for us to sincerely repent so that he can lavish his never-ending love on us with forgiveness and restoration?
Ponder these implications for a couple days, quietly, in your heart. Let the weight of where we are now as a nation press down for a bit.
Then, hurry back for Part 2.
There is a way to fulfill the law under oppression.
There is hope for us!