Testing Christians

The last eight years it seems God's particularly tested Christians' hearts on their obedience to His commands about human rulers and authorities.

We know His commands. His command in Romans 13:1-7, that we should "be in subjection to governing authorities," because they are "established by God". That those who "stand against" (Greek, usually translated "rebel" or "resist") the human authorities God gives us, oppose God's Own ordinance (literally, what is "thoroughly set in place" by God)...and will "receive condemnation on themselves."

That human government is "a minister of God to you for good," and "a minister of God" to punish evil-doers: so we need not fear if we "do what is good."

Titus 3:1,2 likewise teaches we should "...be subject to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good deed, to malign no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing every consideration for all men."

I Peter 2:13-17 again commands us to "submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake [my emphasis] to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority, or to governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do right. For such is the will of God that by doing right you may silence the ignorance of foolish men. Act as free men, and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as bondslaves of God. Honor all people, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king."

I Peter frames our obedience as following Christ: "Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps" (v. 21). We have to think of the moment when Jesus faced His suffering. Pilate put to Him the question of human authority: "Do You not know that I have authority to release You, and I have authority to crucify You ?” (John 19:10) Jesus, our Example, answered in submission that Pilate's authority was from God: “You would have no authority over Me, unless it had been given you from above..." (v. 11)

The last eight years, many Christians have failed to walk in Jesus' example. Very many American Christians have joined in the world's violent hatred towards our ruler God "established." Joined too in the world's lies against government, by which the world justifies its rebellion against God.

More than we've ever seen before, that hatred and rebellion have been extremely personal, extending even to filthy attacks on the president's family-members. Christians joined in: and many Christians seem to have bought into the lie that who the ruler is, justifies disobedience to God's commands.

It does not. When God gave His commands in scripture, Nero was the ruler. His name is still emblematic of an evil ruler, these 2000 years later. But God commanded that Christians "submit" to, and "honor," and pray even for Nero (I Timothy 2:1,2). We don't submit to human authorities because of who they are: but because of Who God is

It's not about persons. And in the profound observation on American politics by our Australian brother Tim, "It's not really about politics." If we truly "analyze" the times, as Jesus commanded in Luke 12:54-57...or be, He said, "hypocrites"...it's always, and all, spiritual.

It's no surprise that "the world," under the dominion of satan, operates continually in his spirit of hatred, violence, lies and rebellion. The greater news from the spiritual battlefront in the last eight years is that very many Christians have been seduced, through politics, to operate in that spirit. They need to deeply repent, and turn back to God. The good news is that God is still merciful to those who will repent from the heart.

Now God's test is for Christians who stood apart from the rebellious politics of the last eight years, which seduced so many of our brothers.

We must guard ourselves against falling into the same disobedience they did, by the same false justification. It would be easy for us to personally despise and rail against our soon-to-be human ruler. We would not even have to lie, as the disobedient did, to make him appear unrighteous: arrogance and contempt for others (the two always go together), deceitfulness, and lack of moral principle are truly his spirit, on full display daily, to everyone in the world.

We could easily hate and rebel against a human ruler so profoundly unrighteousness and devoid of moral wisdom (as all Godly wisdom is). But our obedience is not about personalities. It's not really about politics. Thinking so was how our brethren were seduced to disobey God.

God's test for us is the same as for those who fell away. Will we obey God's commands, whoever HE has established as our current human ruler, by HIS authority ? Will we "submit" to, and "honor," and pray for him, as God commanded we do ?

We are entering a time when God will deeply test every heart which claims to love Him, by its obedience to Him.

Scripture's warning to us: "...let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall" (I Corinthians 10:12).

Amen !