Whose LAW are You Following?

With the latest issues arising in disagreements about gay marriage, unearthing Planned Parenthood policies on aborted babies, and the "Black Lives Matter" radical group transitioning from a veiled protest group to a violent, racially-charge hate group, there have been discussion between friends about where we stand on these issues.  Often, the loudest voice in the group proclaims that if it is lawful, then it is allowed.  After all, aren't we supposed to "...submit to governing authorities?" (Romans 13).  What is lawfulness?  Whose law are we following?  Always remember that what is allowed in man's law is not always the same as in God's law.

There is a lot to consider when thinking about the 'law of the land' and God's law.  There is also something to think through beyond "submitting to the governing authorities" (Romans 13*).  As Christians, we have dual-citizenship: US Citizenship and Christian Citizenship.  Just because abortion is now considered legal in the United States, if we take actions to get it legality revoked, or we personally choose to NOT abort our children, we are not going against the governing authorities.  We are choosing NOT to invoke the US citizen's right of abortion for ourselves, and we are using the legal rights of US citizens to try to revoke a law that we feel is unmoral and unethical so as to defend our Christian Citizenship.

GotQuestions.org has published an article titled, "Do Christians Have to Obey the Laws of the Land" (GotQuestions).  It begins to dive into what is God's law, man's law, and how to understand our role as Christians as we traverse the fence-line between this world and Christianity.  I recently posted a writing to this site about God's law and man's law.  You may want to check that out as well: Is there TRUTH in American Education?

We are often kept up to date on new US Citizen laws, but what exactly is God's law, and how to we know we have to follow it?  I came across Keith Sharp's multi-part writing about the Ten Commandments.  In part three he begins with:

"Since the law is the expressed will of God as the Lord of Israel, it revealed to Israel His holy nature (Exodus 19:5-6; Leviticus 19:1-2; Deuteronomy 7:6). The lives of Israelites were to reflect the holy nature of the God whose they were (Ibid). The same is true of us (1 Peter 1:15-16; 2:5,9-10).

First the Lord declared His right to give the Law. “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage” (Exodus 20:2; Deuteronomy 5:6). When the Lord delivered Israel from Egypt, He brought them to Himself (Exodus 19:4). They were His special treasure (Exodus 19:5). Through the law given from Sinai He was bringing them into a covenant relationship with Him as His own people (Deuteronomy 5:2-3)." (Ten Commandments, Part 3)

Then, Paul announced in Acts 28: 24-28 that the covenant relationship that earlier had only been between God and the Jews was extended to the Gentiles based on the salvation of Jesus Christ and the Gentiles ability to believe the promises of Jesus Christ:

24Some of them were convinced by what he said, but others refused to believe. 25They disagreed among themselves and began to leave after Paul had made this final statement: “The Holy Spirit was right when He spoke to your fathers through Isaiah the prophet:

26‘Go to this people and say,

“You will be ever hearing but never understanding;

you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.”

27For this people’s heart has grown callous;

they hardly hear with their ears,

and they have closed their eyes.

Otherwise they might see with their eyes,

hear with their ears,

understand with their hearts,

and turn,

and I would heal them.’d

28Be advised, therefore, that God’s salvation has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will listen!”e

(BibleHub.com)

What a shock it must have been to the Jews when Paul declared salvation as sent to the Gentiles.  GracetoYou.com breaks down this division between Jews and Gentiles as:

Somehow, in the great grace of God, all the barriers had been broken down. All of the things which built hatred and animosity, all of the walls that had been built between these people which could only be scaled in hatred, were crushed by love. Carnal pride in the early church had warped the...the outreach in a very real sense, of the Jew toward the Gentile. And prior to that, the Jewish standards of interaction for the Gentile was pure zero. You never had anything to do with Gentiles, and that is indicated, as we shall see, by the words of Peter in verse 28. [See verse 28 above.]

So not only in the early church was there a problem in reaching out to the Gentile, but in Judaism itself there was an isolation from Gentiles. The Jews were especially proud of the law. They were proud of their law-keeping. In fact, they stood on that ground. In Romans, Paul says that, "They think they're saved because of their nationality because they possess the law." And that's what they stood on. They considered Gentiles to be pagans. They had nothing but contempt for them, and the...the years had only widened the gulf, and so even in the birth of the church it was very difficult for the early Christians to reach out to the Gentiles. It demanded special preparation from God. The exclusiveness, which had been designed by God for Israel for the purpose of holiness and witness, had become a point of pride, and it had been perverted. And you add to that, not only did the Jews hate the Gentiles, but, believe me, it came back the other way. The Gentiles equally hated the Jews." (The Salvation of the Gentiles, GracetoYou.org.)

This animosity between Jew and all others had broken down LOVE.  Jesus said time and time again that love was the primary commandment: love the Lord Your God with all your heart, mind, and soul, and love your neighbor as yourself.  When Jesus was asked about the greatest commandment, there were TWO, and both dealt with LOVE:

"And one of the scribes came and heard them arguing, and recognizing that He had answered them well, asked Him, "What commandment is the foremost of all?" Jesus answered, "The foremost is, 'Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is one Lord; and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.' "The second is this, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these." (NAS, Mark 12:28-31)

If you loved the Lord above all, you would not break the first 4 commandments.  If you loved your neighbor as yourself, you would never break the last 6 commandments.  As Keith Sharp eloquently puts it:

"The last six requirements of the Ten Commandments regulate our relationships with each other. They are summarized by the command "you shall love your neighbor as yourself." (Leviticus 19:18; Romans 13:9) "Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law." (Romans 13:10)" (The Ten Commandments, Part 4)

In the issue of abortion, even though it is legal in our country, it is not legal in God's laws.  If you are loving your neighbor as yourself, would you murder an unborn child?  Some argue that an unborn child is not alive, and therefore cannot be 'killed,' thus evading the charge of murder.  The main argument begins on where does life begin...and even the courts, of this country, agree that when a baby is aborted, its heart stops beating.  If its heart stops beating, thus causing death, then it was alive in the mother's womb, even if it was not yet born into the world as we know it.  Therefore, God's law would argue two-fold on broken commandments here: murder and not loving your neighbor as yourself.    As a Christian, we have to agree to always follow God's law before any man-made law.  Legality is in the eye of the beholder, depending on your primary citizenship.  Are you one who lives in the legality of the world or the legality of God's law?

In the end, we must remember that we need to focus our lives on God's laws and our Christian Citizenship:

"Because our new nature still lives in the old fleshly nature, we are still drawn to sin. Paul tells the Ephesians to “put off” the old self with its deceit and corruption and “put on” the new self with its righteousness. Put off lying, and put on truthfulness. Put off stealing, and put on usefulness and work. Put off bitterness, rage, and anger, and put on kindness, compassion, and forgiveness (Ephesians 4:22–32). We have been set free from the bondage of sin, but we often put the chains back on because part of us loves the old life (GotQuestions, Freedom in Christ)".  

Therefore, put off the old self, where you justify breaking God's law based on it being legal in man's law.  If you live your life with man being your divining rod in the search for TRUTH, you will remain parched.  If you are not living as a servant to Christ, then you have not been born again.  You have simply stayed in your old, dirty clothing and put a pretty pendant on top of your left breast.  You cannot dress up man's view of the world by putting on a small part of God's Christian worldview.  You need to strip away the old, dirty clothing and let God's word clothe you in his righteousness and the Holy Spirit guide you in all matters of your heart, mind, and soul.  So the next time a friend asks you to label yourself as pro or con on a topic, carefully consider the legality of it: not through man's law but through God's law.

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Works Cited

“Acts 28” Berean Study Bible. 2004 - 2016 Bible Hub 12 July 2016 <http://biblehub.com/bsb/acts/28.htm>. 

"Do Christians have to obey the laws of the land?" Got Questions Ministries, n.d. Web. 12 July 2016: 04 Mar. 2016 <http://www.gotquestions.org/laws-land.html>. 

"How Can We Experience True Freedom in Christ?" Got Questions Ministries, n.d. Web. 12 July 2016: 04 Mar. 2016 <http://www.gotquestions.org/freedom-in-Christ.html>. 

“The Salvation of the Gentiles, Part 2." Grace to You, Panorama City, California.  12 July 2016 <http://www.gty.org/resources/sermons/1735/The-Salvation-of-theGentiles-Part-2>.

Sharp, Keith "The Ten Commandments, Part 3." Tri-County church of Christ, Evans Mills, New York. 12 July 2016 <http://www.christistheway.com/the-ten-commandments-part-3-2/>. 

Sharp, Keith "The Ten Commandments, Part 4." Tri-County church of Christ, Evans Mills, New York. 12 July 2016 <http://christistheway.com/2001/a01a12aa.html>.

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Full Reading of Items Referenced in the Text:

*Romans 13 NLT

1 Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God.

2 So anyone who rebels against authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and they will be punished.

3 For the authorities do not strike fear in people who are doing right, but in those who are doing wrong. Would you like to live without fear of the authorities? Do what is right, and they will honor you.

4 The authorities are God’s servants, sent for your good. But if you are doing wrong, of course you should be afraid, for they have the power to punish you. They are God’s servants, sent for the very purpose of punishing those who do what is wrong.

5 So you must submit to them, not only to avoid punishment, but also to keep a clear conscience.

6 Pay your taxes, too, for these same reasons. For government workers need to be paid. They are serving God in what they do.

7 Give to everyone what you owe them: Pay your taxes and government fees to those who collect them, and give respect and honor to those who are in authority.

8 Owe nothing to anyone—except for your obligation to love one another. If you love your neighbor, you will fulfill the requirements of God’s law.

9 For the commandments say, “You must not commit adultery. You must not murder. You must not steal. You must not covet.” These—and other such commandments—are summed up in this one commandment: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

10 Love does no wrong to others, so love fulfills the requirements of God’s law.

11 This is all the more urgent, for you know how late it is; time is running out. Wake up, for our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.

12 The night is almost gone; the day of salvation will soon be here. So remove your dark deeds like dirty clothes, and put on the shining armor of right living.

13 Because we belong to the day, we must live decent lives for all to see. Don’t participate in the darkness of wild parties and drunkenness, or in sexual promiscuity and immoral living, or in quarreling and jealousy.

14 Instead, clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. And don’t let yourself think about ways to indulge your evil desires. 

Do Christians have to obey the laws of the land?**

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Question: "Do Christians have to obey the laws of the land?"

Answer: Romans 13:1-7 states, “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. For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you. For he is God's servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God's servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also because of conscience. This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God's servants, who give their full time to governing. Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.”

This passage makes it abundantly clear that we are to obey the government God places over us. God created government to establish order, punish evil, and promote justice (Genesis 9:6; 1 Corinthians 14:33; Romans 12:8). We are to obey the government in everything—paying taxes, obeying rules and laws, and showing respect. If we do not, we are ultimately showing disrespect towards God, for He is the One who placed that government over us. When the apostle Paul wrote to the Romans, he was under the government of Rome during the reign of Nero, perhaps the most evil of all the Roman emperors. Paul still recognized the Roman government’s rule over him. How can we do any less?

The next question is “Is there a time when we should intentionally disobey the laws of the land?” The answer to that question may be found in Acts 5:27-29, “Having brought the apostles, they made them appear before the Sanhedrin to be questioned by the high priest. 'We gave you strict orders not to teach in this Name,' he said. 'Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man's blood.' Peter and the other apostles replied: ‘We must obey God rather than men!'“ From this, it is clear that as long as the law of the land does not contradict the law of God, we are bound to obey the law of the land. As soon as the law of the land contradicts God's command, we are to disobey the law of the land and obey God's law. However, even in that instance, we are to accept the government’s authority over us. This is demonstrated by the fact that Peter and John did not protest being flogged, but instead rejoiced that they suffered for obeying God (Acts 5:40-42).

Recommended Resource: Hard Sayings of the Bible by Kaiser, Davids, & Brauch

How can we experience true freedom in Christ?***

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Question: "How can we experience true freedom in Christ?"

Answer: Everyone seeks freedom. Especially in the West, freedom is the highest virtue, and it is sought after by all who are, or consider themselves to be, oppressed. But freedom in Christ is not the same as political or economic freedom. In fact, some of the most harshly oppressed people in history have had complete freedom in Christ. The Bible tells us that, spiritually speaking, no one is free. In Romans 6, Paul explains that we are all slaves. We are either slaves to sin or slaves to righteousness. Those who are slaves to sin cannot free themselves from it, but once we are freed from the penalty and power of sin through the cross, we become a different kind of slave, and in that slavery we find complete peace and true freedom.

Although it seems like a contradiction, the only true freedom in Christ comes to those who are His slaves. Slavery has come to mean degradation, hardship, and inequality. But the biblical paradigm is the true freedom of the slave of Christ who experiences joy and peace, the products of the only true freedom we will ever know in this life. There are 124 occurrences in the New Testament of the word doulos, which means “someone who belongs to another” or “bondslave with no ownership rights of his own.” Unfortunately, most modern Bible versions, as well as the King James Version, most often translate doulos as “servant” or “bond-servant.” But a servant is one who works for wages, and who, by virtue of his work, is owed something from his master. The Christian, on the other hand, has nothing to offer the Lord in payment for his forgiveness, and he is totally owned by the Master who bought him with His shed blood on the cross. Christians are purchased by that blood and are the possession of their Lord and Savior. We are not hired by Him; we belong to Him (Romans 8:9; 1 Corinthians 7:4). So “slave” is really the only proper translation of the word doulos.

Far from being oppressed, the slave of Christ is truly free. We have been set free from sin by the Son of God who said, “If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:36). Now the Christian can truly say, along with Paul, “Through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death” (Romans 8:2). We now know the truth and that truth has set us free (Romans 8:32). Paradoxically, through our bondage to Christ, we have also become sons and heirs of the Most High God (Galatians 4:1–7). As heirs, we are partakers of that inheritance—eternal life—which God confers on all His children. This is a privilege beyond any earthly treasure we could ever inherit, while those in bondage to sin inherit only spiritual death and an eternity in hell.

Why, then, do so many Christians live as though they are still in bondage? For one thing, we often rebel against our Master, refusing to obey Him and clinging to our old lives. We hold on to the sins that once bound us to Satan as our master. Because our new nature still lives in the old fleshly nature, we are still drawn to sin. Paul tells the Ephesians to “put off” the old self with its deceit and corruption and “put on” the new self with its righteousness. Put off lying, and put on truthfulness. Put off stealing, and put on usefulness and work. Put off bitterness, rage, and anger, and put on kindness, compassion, and forgiveness (Ephesians 4:22–32). We have been set free from the bondage of sin, but we often put the chains back on because part of us loves the old life.

Furthermore, often we don’t realize that we have been crucified with Christ (Galatians 2:20) and that we have been reborn as completely new creatures (2 Corinthians 5:17). The Christian life is one of death to self and rising to “walk in the newness of life” (Romans 6:4), and that new life is characterized by thoughts about Him who saved us, not thoughts about the dead flesh that has been crucified with Christ. When we are continually thinking about ourselves and indulging the flesh in sins we have been freed from, we are essentially carrying around a corpse, full of rottenness and death. The only way to bury it fully is by the power of the Spirit who is the only source of strength. We strengthen the new nature by continually feeding on the Word of God, and through prayer we obtain the power we need to escape the desire to return to the old life of sin. Then we will realize that our new status as slaves to Christ is the only true freedom, and we will call upon His power to “not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires” (Romans 6:12).Recommended Resource: Walking in Freedom: 21 Days to Securing Your Identity in Christ by Anderson & Miller