Scripture is clear – we are to obey the authorities. Yes, the human authorities, even if they are not Christian leaders. Until the authorities have given us a command that goes against God’s will, we are to obey them perfectly.
From Paul in Romans: 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.
From Peter: Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority, or to governors sent by him…. For such is the will of God….
And yet, too often, we continually refuse to obey the laws of the land. We decide that they shouldn’t apply to us. We decide that they are too restrictive. We prefer to see just how much we can get away with – whether on the road with the speed limit (or for me – trouble with wanting to turn every stop sign into a yield sign, so that I can do a rolling stop when no one else is around), or with trying to get away with a few dollars of tax evasion by not being completely honest about cash money received or about what I own or where I live. There are so many ways that we can provide ourselves with “justification” for our disobedience, but very seldom does it have to do with the reason being that we were asked to do something against God.
The Christian freeman will speak thus: I will fast, I will pray, I will do this or that, which is commanded me by men, not as having any need of these things for justification or salvation, but that I may thus comply with the will of…a community or…a magistrate, or of my neighbor as an example to him; for this cause I will do and suffer all things, just as Christ did and suffered much more for me, though He needed not at all to do so on His own account…. And although tyrants may do me violence or wrong in requiring obedience to these things, yet it will not hurt me to do them, so long as they are not done against God.
–Martin Luther
May we each search our hearts to see where we are not being obedient to God by being obedient to our laws and authorities – not for legalism’s sake – but rather as Martin Luther indicates – to be an example to others.