Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.
Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;
Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.
Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme;
Or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well.
For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men:
As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God."
~1 Peter 2:9-16
What mercy we have been offered! What mercy have we received, "that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief," (1 Tim 1:15) and that "while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." (Rom 5:8) What grace, what glorious grace that God "hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus." (Eph 2:6-7) To purge our conscience from dead works to serve a living God, "And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance." (Heb 9:14[para]-15) We are absolutely saved to serve, and not ourselves and our own interests, but God's.
Moreover, as we are called into service for the Lord, we are called unto submission to governing authorities. (See also Romans 13) "Every ordinance of man," and not for OUR sakes, although it is for our sakes that we don't get arrested and/or fined, but "for the Lord's sake." Why for the Lord's sake? "they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation...... For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men..." What good would it do for the world, whom we are suppose to be winning to Christ, to see us as a rebellious and defiant people? The world does that stuff, we are called to be apart from this world, as ambassadors of Christ (2 Cor 5:20). For the LORD'S sake, we are called to be obedient to EVERY ordinance of man, and to my knowledge, "every" includes even the foolish laws, except for those that would cause one to sin against a holy God, as the three Hebrew children. No matter if the ruler fears God or not. Pharaoh did not fear God, but God still used Him for His glory and turned his heart many times. This does not mean that we cannot work to change the law in a peaceable manner, but:
"Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.
Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.
For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same:
For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.
Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake."
~Romans 13:1-5
No comments:
Post a Comment