This post came from a study on Romans 13 that is very relevant to the lawlessness occurring these days in the world. While Paul indicates in Romans 13 that God is the author of all authority, he does not address many of the nuances of living under the authority of a secular government. The purpose of authority as defined in Romans 13 is for the Glory of God and the good of others.
People respond to authority in different ways:
- Reject – Completely rejecting an authority
- Receive – Completely receiving an authority where someone is often blinded by their allegiance
- Respect – Holding respect for an authority if it does not conflict with God’s Authority in your life.
- Retreat – While you may respond in one of the three ways above, sometimes you must retreat from authority under certain circumstances.
Biblical and Life Examples of Responses to Authority:
Rejecting Authority
Most people reject authority for selfish reasons, which is unrighteous rejection. For example, the Roman tax collectors were unrighteous for abusing authority by collecting too much from the people of Israel. In some cases, the rejection is righteous because God’s Authority supersedes that of man. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were thrown into a fiery furnace by King Nebuchadnezzar due to their faithfulness to God. Joseph rejected Potiphar’s wife. The Bible says we should reject authority if respecting the authority will lead to sin. A better option may be to retreat from authority.
Receiving Authority
The Pharisees and Sadducees at the time of Jesus were blinded by Old Testament law causing them to focus so intently on the letter of the law that they missed the Spirit entirely. A similar blindness happens in the church today where people are so focused on their church that they fall away from full devotion to God and Biblical truth.
Respecting Authority
Paul provides a great example of respecting both Jewish and Roman authority while still holding his respect for God above all earthly authority. Many other Apostles and Old Testament figures also respected authority as God’s will. As Christians we are called to respect our laws, government, and leaders because these were all ordained by God.
Retreating from Authority
The Bible also has many examples where authority was respected up until the authority defied or overruled God’s law. The wise men retreated from King Herod’s authority by not bringing him word from Bethlehem of Jesus’ birth. Many early followers of Jesus in the book of Acts retreated from the Jewish authorities in Jerusalem due to the threat of persecution. Someone who receives authority can also retreat from it through an unrighteous retreat. A Biblical example would be how Jews avoided Samaritans because they had created their own temple to God and were thought to be unclean.
Table of Authority Reponses in Different Life Situations
Some Explanations:
- Retreating from being an accomplice is when you are asked to do something unethical at work.
- A Church Fan holds their relationship with the church as higher than God’s calling.
- A victim in the church results from an unethical or unrighteous act by a church leader.
- A progressive belief in eternity results when someone falls away from the Biblical teachings of God’s word.
Questions to Ponder
Think of the many tyrannical and unrighteous leaders throughout history. If God put them in position, is He at fault for their sins against people? No, we are all sinners and have flaws.
So, is rejecting an authority set in place by God always a sin?
Read Habakkuk 1: Habakkuk laments and calls out to God when his people are being destroyed. God’s answer is that He is raising the Babylonians to achieve His will and pass judgement.
We have to remember that God has a Devine perspective. How much more than man does God see the big picture of eternity and act on His infinite knowledge?
One thought is that if God did not submit to evil, we would not have salvation!
So, when should we retreat from rather than reject authority to avoid sinning against God?
