When Government Goes Too Far

What should be the Christian response in the face of a government overstepping their bounds? Do we fight back like the rebels did during the Revolutionary War? Do we lay back and let them abuse us?

If only the Bible had an answer. Oh wait…

📘 Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment.

Romans 13:1-2

What does that mean? Well, it means the Governor Whitmer was put into her position BY God Himself! She is the right person, at the right time, for the right purposes, according to God’s plan!

We are to submit to our government in all things, even if they go against what we believe in. The only exception is if that government is calling on you to sin against God. Then we refuse; but there is still no call in Scripture for us to fight back.

If the government is abusing us or persecuting us, regardless, I believe Scripture is clear: submit to their authority. If they command you to sin, refuse and accept whatever consequences that brings.

I guess my overall point is this: If you refuse to obey the government that God has commanded you to obey, you are not being a freedom-loving American; you are being sinful. So stop it! And repent.

I don’t care if you don’t like it or if you’re bored or if you feel the Governor lacks the right to order such a thing. God has commanded you to submit to our government’s authority. Period.

The stay-at-home and social distancing orders are not forcing you to sin or requiring you to disobey the Lord. So just stay home, as ordered, unless you have a valid reason to go out.

When the government whom God has raised comes to take your guns, I implore you to hand them over without a fight. I don’t like it; I hate it, in fact. But I will comply because the Lord has told me to comply.

All this is not to say that we should not defend ourselves or our families. I know it’s a hard balance to strike here, but when Jesus tells us to “turn to him the other [cheek] also” in Matthew 5:39, he’s only referring to persecution, not self-defense. We are allow to defend ourselves and our families, even with lethal force, if necessary.

But if it not currently an issue of life and death, just obey the Lord and submit.

Maybe this will be good practice for turning the other cheek once the persecution reaches us here in the US?

Whew. I know this is tough; we live in a fallen, broken, wicked world. We have so many things going on and it’s only going to get more chaotic as time goes on, but we have a God in Heaven who is mighty in battle, powerful to save! Rest in that