Obeying the laws of the land

Verses: Romans 13 : 1 - 7

My thoughts about the verses:

Obeying laws can be a touchy subject for many people.  Obeying laws that they feel are unjust.  We ask ourselves why we need to obey the laws that go against the very fiber of the teachings of Christ.

I have two thoughts on this.  I want to start with the obeying of the laws of the land.  There are certain laws that are placed by government officials that completely coincide with the Bible.  No matter what country you are in no one should kill others or steal others property.  Simply put these laws were carried straight down from the original ten commandments.  God felt that they were so important that he placed them on the tablets for his children to obey.

Now saying that there are people that disagree with how the laws are interpreted and the punishment passed by the rulers.  We know that a lot of cultures use the eye for an eye principle when they pass punishment.  You steal then we remove your hand.  I know I would have to think twice before I did that. Many countries have laws in which if you kill someone then your punishment is death.

Now I am not saying that these are the punishments that I approve of.  What I am saying is that the cultures in societies help determine the severity of the punishment.  Yet, what we need to remember is that these actions are against God.  We should desire not to do the crime or act because it does not bring glory to the one who has died for us.  Yet, look back to what happened to Jesus he was even put to death for being a threat to a group of people that feared the government.  Sometimes we go to the extreme in our punishments because we want to put the "Fear of God" into people so they will be afraid to do the crime in the first place.

What I want to look at now is those things that the government establishes that will feel are unjust.  I think back to the time of slavery in the United States.  The government struggled with this because it was in their eyes justified in the bible.  There were slaves then why not now.  Yet, what I want you to see are that as we evolve as a society we start to see that something are morally wrong.  We do not condone slavery now because we believe that it is against the principles that Jesus taught.  We look back at the people at that time and say how you could ever think this was right.

We do the same thing now with many other moral issues.  First came Slavery and our justification for it.  Next came segregation and Jim Crow laws which separated the races.  At the time it was believed that this was also biblical based.  Yet, now that we are desegregated in all areas in the United States we see how this is morally wrong. We still face issues where people are mistreated because of their skin color, but now when it happens we take a stand against it.  Our moral compass has changed and we see these actions as against the very will of God.  They were never placed on the tablets yet they became laws because at that moment people were interpreting issues in a certain view.

The newest horizon is that of Same Sex Marriage.  Our moral compass is starting to recognize that people that love each other should have the same rights as others.  Yet, we still impose sanctions because we fear the world we go down the drain if we allow people to express love.  Yet, if you look at the bible Jesus actually said nothing against homosexuality in which true consented love is involved. The references that exist are about the moral code of having sex in temples with prostitutes to honor gods other than the one true God.

What we need to realize is there is a place and time to stand up against injustice in the way our government handles situations.  Yet, we also must realize that some of the laws that exist are for our own protection and are put in place to keep us safe.  Imagine if we took the punishment for murder off the books how many of us would be tempted to kill those that hurt us.  If there was no punishment for stealing then I say why even lock a door because people will be free roaming taking anything they want from anyone.

What I feel God is saying is that those that are put in governmental positions should maintain laws that protect us from being hurt.  We should not challenge the laws that keep us safe from our own selves.  We might disagree with the form of punishment and think things go way too far when it comes to how we punish people that commit crimes.  We can let our voice be heard because our moral compass should come into play during those times.  There are also those laws put in place that are truly unjust that we must try to abolish.  Not all laws that come out of government are for protection some are made out of fear of eventual consequences.  Yet, the most important thing is to remember when the moral compass says something is unjust we must work within the system that exist to change that law.  God loves us all and desires us to be happy.  Therefor if a law alienates part of God's children from enjoying life we must try to convince the rulers that things need to change.

My dream is a day when people are free to love who they love.  To be free from barbaric actions that hurt others because of fear.  I guess what I dream of is a day of peace.  Luckily I know that when I die that peace will truly be mine.

Prayer:

Dear God thank you for loving us.   We thank you for showing us the right way to live.  We thank you for protecting us in our times of worry and doubt.  help us become a people that want true justice to abide throughout all the land.  Help us to see things that are against your will.  Give us the strength to fight back when we know things are not based on your teachings.  Help us live within your law because when we do we are truly being the people you desire us to be.  In your name we pray.  Amen

Questions:

Are you living within the laws of the land?  Do you understand the laws that are biblical based and those that are created out of fear?  Are you willing to work within the laws of the land to end injustice? What must you do to help ensure others are able to live, work, pray and love in peace?