Friday 11 January 2008

The authorities that exist

“Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God.” - Romans 13v1

There are some portions of scripture that really require a step of faith. I love history and politics. I really, really, enjoy how nations work and how governments rule. My whole desire growing up, even up to college was to go into politics.

One problem when you do that is that you see just how rotten and corrupt human government. Even the “best” of human governments are rotten to the core. Politicians are politicians. Men are men, sinners are sinners. Some governments are better than others. Some have been downright cruel and vicious.

Yet here we have a simple command from God – “Let every soul be subject to governing authorities.” Then God says that “the authorities that exist are appointed by God.” How can that be, with all this wickedness? After all my study and research, I still don’t know, but I do know this, God says that we are to be subject to the governing bodies.

There is a tendency among some to think the church is godly and state secular. From what we read here I don’t thing we can make that differentiation. God established the home, He established the state, He established the church. All are of Him. Sometimes we “wink” at getting around the state. We take traffic laws lightly. We are less than honest when it comes to our taxes. We skirt what we consider “trivial” laws.

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