1 Peter 2:13 Submit for the Lord's Sake

1 Peter 2:13a
Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority

If you can see the verse I have selected for this blog post, then you might have an idea where this post is going. Why am I going there? Because Jesus' disciples told their fellow brothers and sisters in Christ this message, so as a disciple of Jesus I too must share it. The Scriptures say if you love God, then you will obey His commandments (John 14:15), and one of Jesus' biggest commandments was to "go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19-20). With this post I'm addressing the part about teaching others to obey God's commands.

Inspired by the Holy Spirit Peter wrote a letter to fellow believers, and in that letter Peter wrote, "Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority: whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by Him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right" (1 Peter 2:13-14). I don't know about you, but reading Scripture like that in this day and age makes me uncomfortable. There are many government mandates to which I have been under subject in my life, and recently I haven't been too fond of many of them. 

This photo was posted on the
governor of PA's Twitter account

Where I live, many stores will not allow you entry, unless you wear a mask. I don't like that. I miss the days, when I could breathe openly around others even if my breath reeked of the bizarre sandwich I just ate. I would like the mask mandate in my area to go away, but God says I have to obey that mandate. It's a mandate that was put into place by a governing authority, and the word of God says "there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God" (Romans 13:1). To really make this verse sting to a rebellious sinner like me, that verse goes on further to say, "Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves" (Romans 13:2). From this it's very clear the mandates my government puts into place are mandates I should follow. If I rebell against them, I'm sinning.

Peter, however, does not simply say we need to submit ourselves to the authorities, but he also writes why we should do this. Peter writes, "it is God’s will that by doing good you [meaning Christians] should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people" (1 Peter 2:15). It is God's will for me to do good by obeying the laws of governing authorities. The fools of the earth will be dumbfounded, when they see how people who love and serve God show their submission to the Lord, by submitting to earthly authorities.

When I put on a mask, because a store owner asks me to wear one, I'm witnessing to that store owner and everyone who sees me. I'm witnessing to the submissive character of my Lord Jesus Christ. According to Scripture, I am an ambassador of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:20). That means how I act will inform people about to whom I submit; what rules I follow shows people who gives me my rules. I have a desire to point people to Jesus, and Jesus humbled himself and submitted to authority "by becoming obedient to death- even death on a cross!" (Phillipians 2:8). If I want to reflect God's character with my life, then that means I must "show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God and honor the emperor" (1 Peter 2:17). Whoever becomes a governing authority over my life is someone I am called by God to honor and respect, whether I like them or not.

Yes. According to Scripture, no matter which one of these guys becomes
the next President of my nation, I am to submit to them, honor them and respect them.

Now, it would be wrong for me to type all this and leave my readers believing that the Bible says that Christians should always follow earthly laws all the time. Far from it. As a Christian, I have repented of my sins and put my belief in God, and my Lord has given me a new heart that does not desire to sin and longs to be righteous in God's eyes. What if a governing authority issues a mandate that asks me to sin? I should not obey that mandate. Even though God commands that I should honor and respect the governing authorities of this earth, God more importantly commands that I should love Him with all my heart, soul and mind (Matthew 22:37) and that I should turn away from sin (Luke 13:3).

A well known Biblical example of believers serving God by not obeying the sinful commands of their government is the story of Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego and the firey furnace. You can read the whole story in Daniel chapter 3. In that story king Nebuchadnezzar builds a golden statue to himself and commands everyone in his kingdom worship to it. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego live in this kingdom, but they do not do as the king commands, because they know that worshipping anything other than God is a sin. In submission to their government, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego accept the punishment for their crime, which is to be thrown into a firey furnace. That dichotomy is one we as believers should keep in mind when we submit to our governing authorities.

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego did not worship king Nebuchadnezzar's golden idol,
and so they submitted to his authority and allowed themselves to be punished. 

Going back to my example about wearing a mask in a store when I'm asked to do so, my response to the store owner's request would be different if the situation went like this: The store owner asks me to put on a mask, so that I can show others that I am afraid to die and want to live on earth as long as possible like everyone else. To put on a mask under that command would be a sin. If I put on a mask admitting I fear for my own mortality, that would show I do not trust what God said when He said, "The one who believes in Me will live, even though they die" (John 11:25). In this scenario I would have to tell the storeowner that I cannot comply with their request, because I do not fear death. I would honor their authority over their store, by leaving. I could respectfully ask the storeowener to reconsider their policy, which would be honoring that they have authority to change their laws, but if the only way to shop in a store is to sin, then a righteous Christian will not shop there.

If, however, the authority over me is commanding me to sin and they have authority over something from which I cannot walk away, then, like with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, I must disobey that authority. In doing so I will have to submit myself to the earthly punishment for my disobedience. If obeying God means disobeying the government, then that's what I'm called to do. Still, I have hope that God is good and will protect me from the hands of wicked governors. Before Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were thrown into the firety furnace, they said this to the king, "If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and He will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. But even if He does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up" (Daniel 3:17-18). Remember, Christian, who it is you serve. We serve a good and just God who has authority over all, and He is mighty to save.

Sources:

• The Bible (New International Version)
• Wretched Radio: Wearing Masks
• WWUTT: Submit to Governing Authorities
• MercyMe: Even If