Remember that civil servants are God’s servants too.

Submitting to the authorities that God has established should be a no-brainer. Without authority, this world would be far more chaotic than it is.

What would it be like in a family if parents had no authority over their children? When parents fail to exercise loving authority over their children, usually the children are the ones who are really in charge. Rules and discipline can be applied with love, but without discipline, there is no love. “Whoever spares the rod hates their children, but the one who loves their children is careful to discipline them” (Proverbs 13:24). As children, we may have resented our parents’ discipline, but now we look back and thank them for it. God used them to nurture us and raise us to become responsible adults. They were God’s representatives to do us good.

Obeying those in authority

The same is true for the civil authorities whom God has placed over us. What would life be like without a strong government that creates good laws and enforces them? There would be no speed limits and no stoplights on our roads and streets. Imagine people driving 80 miles per hour through crowded city streets. You probably don’t have to imagine, because the evening news carries examples of such reckless driving and the loss of life because of it. Let’s admit it: We would like to think we obey the traffic laws because it is our God-given duty, but the reality is that we don’t want to get pulled over for speeding and get a ticket. So like unruly children, we need the threat of the law to make us drive safely.

Paul wrote to the Christians in Rome: “This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing. Give to everyone what you owe them: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor” (Romans 13:6,7). Notice that Paul says that the authorities whom God has established are God’s servants. God has given them a full-time job to do. It’s reasonable to pay taxes to those who keep the peace, pave our roads, and put criminals in jail. But that’s not the underlying reason. The underlying reason is that they are God’s servants to do us good.

Honoring government officials

God requires more than obedience and paying taxes. Paul says that we owe civil authorities respect and honor as well. Really? Even the ones we didn’t vote for? Even the ones with whose policies we don’t agree? Peter made the point even more clear: “It is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people. . . . Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor” (1 Peter 2:15,17).

“Honor the emperor”—the pagan, idol-worshiping, Christian-persecuting emperor? Yes, even the emperor of Rome. God doesn’t tell us to agree with those in authority, only to honor and respect them.

Christians especially let their lights shine brightly when they show honor and respect when it may be difficult to do so. Nehemiah is a good example of that. He was cupbearer to Artaxerxes, king of Persia. The cupbearer was often more than that. He was the second set of ears to listen to what happened at court. He was an advisor and confidant of the king.

Nehemiah approached King Artaxerxes with humility, as someone who truly honored and respected his king. No doubt this was what endeared Nehemiah to Artaxerxes. Nehemiah went out on a limb when he asked his king for a leave of absence to go to Israel and help his people rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. Read Nehemiah chapters 1 and 2—or even the whole book. See how God used his servant Nehemiah as well as Artaxerxes for the good of his people.

Serving in government

Honor and respect—these are not always easy to give, especially in our current culture of cable news coverage, which often contains slanderous accusations against those who serve in government. Have you ever said, “I would NEVER want to serve as president of the United States!”? I have.

Yet why wouldn’t we want to serve our country in this way? Christians who serve in our national, state, and local governments are blessings. I have known Christian police officers who weren’t just dedicated to enforcing the law but also to helping people according to their various circumstances in life.

God doesn’t tell us to agree with those in authority, only to honor and respect them.

I’ve known Christian teachers in public schools who teach evolution in a way that makes it apparent that they don’t believe it to be true. I had lunch with a school board member who would not let me pay for him because it wasn’t proper to do so. Like Joseph, Nehemiah, and Daniel, Christians are the salt of the earth when they serve as God’s servants in places of authority in civil government.

Christians let their lights shine when they submit to the authorities whom God has placed over them and when they serve in those positions of authority.

This is the third article in a four-part series on government.

Join us in October for a four-week live online Bible study on church and state. Stay tuned for dates, times, and registration information at forwardinchrist.net/online-study.

Author: Charles Degner
Volume 111, Number 09
Issue: September 2024

Showing respect

Here are some ways you can show respect for those in authority.

• When you pay your taxes, stop to give thanks to God for all those people through whom he brings us so many blessings.
• When you see police officers, thank them for their service in keeping the streets safe.
• Thank the soldiers who put their lives on the line to protect our country.
• When you hear your president speak, turn off the urge to criticize and pray to God on his behalf instead.
• Resist sharing disrespectful memes or making snide comments on your social media accounts about political candidates or those who hold political office.

“I can do something”

Edward Everett Hale (1822–1909), an American author, historian, and minister, gave good, practical advice for the Christian citizen: “I am only one man, but I am one man. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. And what I can do, I ought to do. And what I ought to do, by the grace of God, I will do.”

Adapted from the Bible study Politics Is Driving Me Crazy! This study is available at Northwestern Publishing House, nph.net.