Together in Christ: 'Do We Honor Dishonorable Governments?' — Romans 13:1-5

How are we to behave in a world that is often hostile to the ways of God and that works against the convictions of our faith? For many of us, the message of Romans 13 is hard to swallow — we don't like it and would like to change Paul's inspired words.

What do we do when our government passes legislation, enforces laws, and takes actions that harm the people of God, violate God's principles, and disregard God's values? While many of us in the Western world are increasingly concerned about the godlessness we see in our cultures, many believers in other parts of the world face opposition, persecution, and martyrdom. A passage like this is one we would prefer to ignore!

God does not let us off the hook so easily. The early disciples faced immediate opposition and persecution in Jerusalem from the same groups responsible for crucifying Jesus. By the mid-first century, regional groups and some Roman emperors began to impose harsh punishment for following Jesus and confessing anyone as Lord but Caesar. By the end of the first century, several Roman emperors had done horrible things to humiliate and try to eliminate Christians. Paul wrote his words in this context! He would ultimately be martyred by the Roman state. ^[1]

The consistent teaching and example from Jesus, Peter, and Paul demonstrated that we should be good citizens, respect our government, and honor the state's laws as long as they do not violate God's standards of righteousness and morality. ^[2] The letter of 1 Peter addressed believers on the cusp of major persecution and called them to honor the government ^[3] and make sure that if they suffer, they suffer because they had done good and godly things. ^[4] Peter's goal for them was to live exemplary lives before their critics and adversaries so that they would have an opportunity to share the reason for their hope in Jesus "gently and respectfully." They were also told: "Keep your conscience clear."  ^[5]

There was a limit to obeying the powers that be. Jesus made clear that we should honor the requirements of our government but must honor God most of all. We are to "give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give to God what belongs to God."  ^[6] As Peter once said to the authorities:

"Do you think God wants us to obey you rather than him? We cannot stop telling about everything we have seen and heard." ^[7]

When the apostle Paul faced punishment for his faith, he acted honorably in every situation while using his Roman citizenship to ensure every protection available to him under the law. ^[8] Believers don't back down when facing threats from the government. They act honorably, use the law to protect themselves when possible, and hold onto their faith passionately. If they suffer, they rejoice for suffering honorably for the name of Jesus ^[9] while demonstrating their faith and hope in Jesus. ^[10]

We offer our loyalty and allegiance first to God. He wants us to behave honorably to the government under which we live. When God's will and the government conflict, our responsibility is explicit: Honor God above all other authorities and at any cost. Act as honorably as we can toward the government. All the while, we seek to live to help others see the goodness of God behind our actions. And if we must suffer, we must make sure we suffer for doing what is right and honorable in the sight of God!