Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men. Acts 5:29
During one of his messages, the late evangelist and Bible teacher Walter Gustafson mentioned the subject of obeying the speed limits. He said he could not tell people to do something that he himself did not observe strictly, but he did urge his audience to remain within the tolerances allowed by the highway police. And he added with a smile, ‘I will leave it up to you to discover what those tolerances are’. Are Christians obliged to always obey the laws of the land, or do we have an exemption because of our status as citizens of Heaven?
Some Christians use today’s text as an excuse for breaking the law. But they need to be careful, the same Bible also teaches us to be subject to authorities, all of whom God Himself has raised up. So where do we draw the line between obeying God and being subject to the authorities of earth?
We have to agree that most of the laws of our land are designed for the good of all, for our protection. If that is the case, common sense tells us we should obey those laws. But some laws are in contravention of the Word of God. It is those laws that we need to weigh carefully before God, to decide whether we should obey God or men. Peter had no problem making the choice, and he minced no words in telling the authorities so. The apostles were putting their lives on the line by defying the decree of the religious leaders. And they stood for God. So should we.
Mind you, there is little likelihood that our challenging of men’s laws that violate God’s Word will place our lives in danger. Not here in Canada. Not yet. But what happens if the trends continue in which our laws demand acceptance of those things that God’s Word condemns? At some point, if the Lord has not yet returned for us, we will have to take a stand. We will have to make a decision to pay the price man’s law demands in order to be obedient to God’s Word. Christians in some other lands are already doing so.
How much backbone do the Lord’s people have when it comes to standing up for what God says is right? We just might be getting close to finding out. -Jim MacIntosh