Grace Discher
Age 17
Many Christians of today have embraced a mistaken idea regarding civil government and resistance to tyranny. They believe, based on Romans, chapter 13, that opposition to any apparent authority, whether legitimate or tyrannical, violates the Biblical guidelines for submission to government. I wish to point out some of the errors of this assumption.
First of all, it is essential to understand that the government in America, or the “higher power” referred to in Scripture, is not the elected officials. The “higher power” in our country is the Constitution. We are ruled by that set of laws, not by its guardians and enforcers. Therefore, when the guardian/s of the Constitution fails to properly execute his duties, and begins to govern contrary to his lawful authority (the Constitution), he is no longer a legitimate ruler, and the people are fully justified in defending the true government by resisting and/or deposing the defective rulers.
Secondly, if there is no lawful, Biblical resistance to illegitimate authority, then that authority has unlimited power. “Unlimited power” means unrestricted sovereignty, which belongs to God alone. Therefore, those who claim that civil authority is accountable to no-one are giving away the Crown Rights of Christ and boldly encouraging dictatorship.
There are many Scriptural examples of God’s people resisting illegitimate authorities: Elijah challenged Ahab and Jezebel; David refused to surrender to Saul; Gideon battled the Mideonites, then the governors of Israel; John the Baptist publicly rebuked King Herod for his infidelity; etc.
These are only the very least of the arguments which challenge the erroneous, widespread misinterpretation of Romans 13. I challenge you to step out of your comfortable “safe zone” of submission, and awaken to the fact that God’s people must stand up to the tyranny in America, or we give free reign to anarchy and dictatorship.
No comments:
Post a Comment