When President Trump was in power, all the anti-Trump folks spoke evil against him continually. Now that President Biden is president, it’s the other side’s turn and they sure mock his dementia and what he tries to say and do. Our presidents may or may not have wrecked the country, but the point of this blog will still stand. Governors, senators and mayors also are routinely mocked. But I hope and pray, not by or from the people of God.
Scripture totally backs me up in saying that, as you’ll see. I hope you will read the scriptures below, slowly and carefully. It’s going to get harder and harder for believers to respect government offices and authority, as their persecution of us will grow intensely in the coming years. We must still respect their office.
We should not mock them, make fun of their names, despise them, or ridicule their policies – no matter how tempting that is sometimes.
We are not of the elephant party (Republicans). We are not of the donkey party (Democrats). We are of the Lamb of God. And let’s act like children of God. Even in Moses’ day, this is what was taught:
EXODUS 22:28 "You shall not revile God, nor curse a ruler of your people.”
What we’re about to read was all penned by Paul, Peter, and Jude – ALL three of whom were wrongly beheaded by the governing authorities. God delivered them several times. Paul was left for dead in Lystra after being stoned but he rose up again and went straight back into the city.
Peter was captured during the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Acts 12) and guarded by 16 Roman soldiers who even chained him up. Angels miraculously delivered him and the innocent 16 Roman soldiers were killed instead. I say innocent because how do you battle with the unseen supernatural deliverance Peter received?
My point is, in spite of all this, these apostles command us to be respectful and never curse our leaders or ridicule them. Some of you good friends of mine do that. We should not. That must stop. We must RESPECT government and authority, whether we agree with them or like them or not.
Jude 8-10 “Likewise also these dreamers defile the flesh, reject authority, and speak evil of dignitaries. 9 Yet Michael the archangel, in contending with the Devil, when he disputed about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him a reviling accusation, but said, "The Lord rebuke you!" 10 But these speak evil of whatever they do not know; and whatever they know naturally, like brute beasts, in these things they corrupt themselves.”
1 Peter 2:13-17 “Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake, whether to the king as supreme, 14 or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good. 15 For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men — 16 as free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants of God. 17 Honor ALL people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. HONOR the king”.
2 Peter 2:9-11 “the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment, 10 and especially those who walk according to the flesh in the lust of uncleanness and despise authority. They are presumptuous and self-willed. They are not afraid to speak evil of dignitaries, 11 whereas angels, who are greater in power and might, do not bring a reviling accusation against them before the Lord.”
You can read all through verse 7 in Romans 13. Some brethren don’t pay taxes and feel they don’t have to. Romans 13:6-7 is very clear on taxes. Read it in your own Bible.
Romans 13:1-2 “Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves.”
So I know it’s tempting to ridicule, mock, name-call, and despise our government leaders – of either party – but I hope we can take the admonition of scripture and honor them instead. At least for their office’s sake.