YOUR RELATION TO THE GOVERNMENT

         “For our citizenship is in heaven, whence also we wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.” (Phil. 3:20)

         Now that you belong to the Lord, all of your other relationships must be considered in that light. Your citizenship is now in heaven. However, it is the will of God that Christians be obedient to the government that they are under (Rom. 13;1-2; 1 Pet. 2:13-14). As long as the government’s commands are not contrary to the revealed will of God, we are to obey them faithfully, even though the government itself may be wicked and corrupt, or though we may feel that the law is unreasonable or useless. Thus, the Christian bides by all traffic regulations, game laws, tax regulations, etc., if he would be pleasing to the Lord. We obey “for the Lord’s sake.” i.e., because the Lord has told us to, not for fear of punishment from the law.

         So also, is the Christian to pay taxes (Matt. 22:21), renders to Caesar that which bears the image of Caesar, but not his body which is made in the image of God. The Lord nowhere tells us to hold office or participate in earthly governments. On the contrary, He reminds us that we are pilgrims and sojourner’s here, that our citizenship is in heaven, and that we are not to be unequally yoked together with unbelievers.

         If ever a conflict arises in whom you are to obey (and it will), your first allegiance is to Him. Being true to Him may cost you persecution and suffering as it did many of the saints of old. (Dan. 3:16-18; 6:10; Acts 5:40-42), but their stand must be ours also. “We must obey God rather than men.” (Acts 5:29)