What Is a Christian’s Responsibility to the Government?

A Christian is to (1) Obey civil authorities. “Obey magistrates” (Titus 3:1). “Let every soul be subject to the higher powers” (Romans 13:1). “Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man” (1 Peter 2:13). (2) Obey civil government “for the Lord’s sake” (1 Peter 2:13). Because “the powers that be are ordained of God” (Romans 13:1), resisting such authorities is equal to resisting God’s ordained arrangement (13:2). “For so is the will of God” (1 Peter 2:15). (3) Obey every aspect of civil law. “Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake” (1 Peter 2:13). “Every ordinance” would include what the civil authorities might decree about building codes, littering highways, tax obligations, the size of passport photos, how far a church building must sit away from a street, and you name it. We may be tempted to label some laws as unreasonable or ridiculous, but the law is the law. If I have the right to disregard a law that I count as inconvenient or excessively costly, then why would another person not have the right to disregard a different law? What is it that ensues when people decide to use their own gut feelings to determine with which government ordinances they will comply, and which they will disregard? The word is “chaos” or “lawlessness.”

(4) Obey civil authorities at all levels. Peter’s Spirit-guided instruction to submit to civil ordinances was, “whether it be to the king, as supreme; or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evil doers” (1 Peter 2:13-14). This shows all branches and levels of civil government fall under the category of “the powers that be” to whom we are to submit ourselves. In our country (USA), that would include national, state, district, county, and city laws. (5) Obey civil authorities, unless they conflict with God’s law. Because God’s people are to act “as obedient children” at all times (1 Peter 1:14), if man’s laws are at odds with the teaching of the Bible, God’s children are to obey the Bible. “We ought to obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29). Remember, though, we are not at liberty to disobey a government law simply because we do not like it. A saint’s decision not to submit to a civil law must be based on a “thus saith the Lord” and not on his own personal likes or preferences.