Romans 13 is about government. The question I want to ask you is: Do we need to obey bad laws? I might believe that Jonestown Road (the road that runs past Star of Bethlehem Lutheran Church) is built for 65 mph, but if the city of Winston Salem has posted a speed limit of 45, but doesn’t really matter what I believe. You might say that might definition of a “bad law” is subjective. Why do I get to say what is a good law or not a good law? You would be right.
The problem for a Christian is when a law passed by our government goes against the will of God. Do I need to follow it. The Apostle Peter tells us in the Bible that we must obey God rather than man. Before we run to rebel against the state, we need to consider if the state is forcing us to break a command of our God or not.
Sunday was Independence Day – this day celebrates our nation breaking it’s connection to England and declaring that we were our own nation. England did not want us to do this. This was a rebellion. Now obviously God has blessed our nation in the centuries that followed, but go back in time and jump into the shoes of a Christian who lived in one of the thirteen colonies.
What would you do? The colonies were full of bad laws that folks didn’t like. That didn’t mean they had a right to break those laws. Nor did it mean that they had a right to rebel! A God fearing Christian was loyal to the mother country of England. The challenge would be when there was a new nation. After the United States of American was founded, did the Christians who lived in this new nation stay loyal to England? Did they – all of the sudden – have NEW loyalties to the authorities that God had established in America?
Now the question is easily answered, but around 250 years ago, it wasn’t so clear. May God give us the strength to obey, honor, and pray for our government and it’s leaders. May God bless America.
Please click HERE for the Bible class slides.
Please click HERE for the other lessons from our series VIC – Very Important Chapters of the Bible.