Romans 13:3: For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same.
It is God who has established the governments of the world (see Acts 17:24–28). This does not mean that He is responsible for the sins of tyrants, but only that the authority to rule comes originally from God. It was this lesson that Nebuchadnezzar had to learn the hard way. (See Dan. 4, and especially vv. 17, 25, and 32.) To resist the law is to resist the God who established government in the world, and this means inviting punishment. 1
Application
- Do you spend more time debating politics or defending the faith?
- If you focus on living a Godly life in an ungodly world, you will do more for the Kingdom of God than you would by protesting against all the evils of society.
Prayer
Lord, make me a good worker who is not overcome by the evil of this world.
1. Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary. Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.