Should We Submit To Our Governing Authority?
I’ve been concerned and convicted by the attitudes as of late - including my own, hence the conviction. (More on that at the bottom of the letter if you are interested).
There are many people up in arms about the mandate for masks. I don’t like it either. Are masks effective? Possibly, possibly not. Are they a nuisance? Absolutely. If they make others feel more comfortable should we be forced to wear them? No. However, we are not forced. We can go places where it’s not required: stay home, stay 6 feet apart or in a small group, go to a store that’s not requiring them (although, I know that *technically* they all should be). As a courtesy and to show love for others, should we wear them if it would make those we are around more comfortable? Yes. But, that’s not the issue – the issue is the mask mandate. As believers, what does the Bible tell us about the authority God has set over us? Regardless of our feelings about different issues, God’s Word is the important thing we need to consider.
Daniel. Esther. David. Joseph. Shadrach. Meshach. Abednego. Peter. Paul. Jesus.
Each one of these submitted to the authority God placed before them.
Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were taken captive, and were told to eat and drink what the king ate and drank. Rather than just refusing, Daniel respectfully asked that they be tested, and they were. They also had their names changed. There’s no way they would’ve liked that, but I do not see reference to them rebelling against that. All four were also told to worship another god or to not pray to any other god but their king, and they refused, at different occasions. And God protected them. However, there were lots of times they submitted to the authority that was over them, whether they liked it or not – as long as it didn’t defile their bodies or cause them to sin against the Lord. (Daniel 1-6)
Esther was taken into a harem. She didn’t seem to fight that, although I can’t imagine she was happy with it either. However, when it came time to protect her people, she – with respect – spoke with the king. It wasn’t until murder was brought into the picture that she stepped up. (The book of Esther)
David – King David – before he was king, submitted to the authority God placed over him – with King Saul. He did this to a point that, when he had the opportunity to overthrow the king, he refused because King Saul was still appointed by God and that was for God to take care of. He may have had to hide at times to save his own life, but he still submitted to King Saul’s authority. (1 Samuel 16-24)
Joseph – once he was sold into slavery, he submitted to his master, Potiphar. He didn’t fight when he was thrown into prison for being falsely accused of trying to rape Potiphar’s wife. He waited in prison for many years, and served God while he was there. Then, he was brought before Pharoah and – even with his life on the line, he said he couldn’t interpret Pharoah’s dream but only God could. He did so and was promoted to a place of honor, although I’m certain many of the customs didn’t align with Joseph and his freedom. He submitted to the authority God placed over him, as long as it didn’t defile his body or cause him to sin against the Lord. (Genesis 39-45)
In Romans 13:1-2, Paul says “Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.” This was during a time when Jesus’ followers were being persecuted and put to death by the Emperor Nero. You know he was not a good Emperor, and yet the people submitted as long as it didn’t involve them denying their sovereign king, King Jesus.
1 Peter 2:13-14 says “Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every authority instituted among men: whether to the king, as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right.” Again, he was under the authority of the Roman government and Nero.
In John 19:10-11, when Jesus was brought before Pilate, he didn’t speak and Pilate said “Do you refuse to speak to me? Don’t you realize I have power either to free you or to crucify you?” Jesus answered, “You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin.“
[As long as we can submit to the governing authorities] without denying Christ or compromising our faith, we must always strive to cooperate with the ruling powers. (Focus on the Family).
Whether we submit to authority of government “depends on whether the demands of the governing authorities require us to disobey Jesus. If they do, we will not be subject at that point but will say with Peter, ‘We must obey God rather than men.’ We will honor God above the state….but if the demands of the state do not require us to disobey Jesus (as with speed limits, stop signs, income taxes, curfews, building codes, fishing licenses, [mask mandates] and many other laws), we will be subject for the Lord’s sake….and just as we may have to disobey civil authorities for Christ’s sake, so all our obedience should be for his sake as well. We never have two masters.” (Piper).
We are to be good citizens. We’re to live a quiet and peaceable life. (1 Timothy 2:2)
“We aren’t rebels; we don’t start protests; we don’t defy the government. We conform. We’re submissive to the government as basically ordained by God….if this was persecution of the church, if the government decided to shut down churches as an act of persecution against churches we would defy that because now you’re into Acts 5 where Peter actually says, ‘Do we obey God or men?’ But it is true that the Lord will accomplish His purposes and His will through this. We don’t have to defy the powers that be in order to accomplish the will of God. We can conform to what the Lord is doing in the world and allowing in the world and find ways to [further the gospel].” (MacArthur)
The Lord said “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom was of this world, My servants would fight.” (John 18:36)
“But we don’t fight, we say, ‘Okay, this is what God is doing in the world and He’s in charge; this is within His framework and His plan.'" (MacArthur)
I submit that wearing a mask isn’t an infringement on our ability to worship God. It doesn’t affect our hearts and cause us to sin. It does not mean we are denying Christ as Lord. We aren’t being challenged to turn away from our faith.
It is annoying, inconvenient and uncomfortable. It is something that I do
not enjoy. It is something that, in a free country, we should have the right to choose.
The damage done to others who see Christians refusing to love their fellow man by masking up (which is how the world perceives it), is far greater than the damage done by wearing these cloths for a few hours on Sunday morning or when going into the store.
Our unbelieving neighbors are seeing our actions. Do we really want to fight over the things that aren’t compromising our faith? If so, perhaps we should get into politics. I do not believe that, in this case, the church should take a stand.
The church is not the place to take a stand against government UNLESS it violates what the Lord has commanded.
I do believe the church should take a stand against murder or perhaps putting something into our bodies that we aren’t comfortable with.
I pray that people will read this and truly pray over it. Mull it over with God. Are we fighting the wrong battle? It seems certain that there will be more, much harder, terrible battles to come, but is this the one we want to unsheathe our swords for?
https://www.focusonthefamily.com/family-qa/a-christians-relationship-with-a-godless-government/
(https://www.craiggreenfield.com/blog/romans13)
https://www.desiringgod.org/messages/the-limits-of-submission-to-man
https://bible.org/seriespage/10-submission-authorities-1-peter-213-25
A little backstory - I have been unwilling to wear the masks just because they are mandated. I wore them to make others around me feel more comfortable, if they have stated they'd appreciate that. I was being considerate of those around me, while ignoring the mandate made by our governor at any place that would also ignore that mandate. But God. God stepped in and told me what he wanted me to do. He pointed out scripture after scripture about submitting to the authority HE has placed in front of me. He pointed out the people from scripture who submitted to the authority before them in much, much harder situations than my own. "Is wearing a mask really hindering you from worshiping Me?" And with that, God softened my heart and has been working on me...
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