“Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people.”
1 Peter 2:13-15
This scripture is a doctrinal statement about ultimate authority.
Peter reminds the church that God is sovereign, which means He rules and reigns over all things. In His sovereign rule, God has established human authority in positions of leadership. Peter says, “Be subject for the Lord’s sake.”
Human institutions of authority are put in place by God for a reason. They have a specific purpose in God’s created order. God establishes human authority to punish evil and praise those who do good. It is meant to keep some form of rule and order so society can function and not spiral into chaos and anarchy. Civilization cannot function without some authority, and people cannot live together without law and order.
These are challenging verses for me because there are many in political and governmental authority with whom I completely disagree. Decisions are being made, laws are being established, and agendas are being pushed that make my stomach turn. I am continually disappointed with our political leaders. Our society’s moral decline and changing values make it very challenging to hear the word of God say, “Be subject to every human institution.”
Peter wrote this letter to the church when the Roman emperor was Nero, a horrifically diabolical man. He viewed Christians as a threat and established “the reign of terror,” in which he persecuted and killed many Christians because of their faith.
This raises a couple of questions:
- “What is the church called to do when human institutions of authority are evil and corrupt?
- What do we do when we don’t agree with the authority that is in place?”
Peter gets very practical here. Verse 15 shows us how to live in light of the gospel and interact with authority while trusting that God is sovereign and reigning over all.
“For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people.”
This statement should get our attention! Many people often ask questions like “How do I know the will of God? How do I know what to do in this situation?” Here is what I can say confidently: God’s will for your life is always to display His glory through your life, and this will never go against His Word.
So, when the Bible explicitly says – “this is the will of God” – pay attention. His Word reveals the truth we need to hear.
The will of God for Christians regarding human authority, even when it is evil and corrupt, is to do good and submit to God’s ultimate authority before interacting with human authority. In our “doing good,” we are allowed to silence foolish people’s ignorance and point to the truth of God’s good sovereignty.
Taken from a sermon by George Wright, Senior Pastor, Shades Mountain Baptist Church, Birmingham, AL
DIG DEEPER
Read “Do Christians Have to Obey the Law of the Land?” at GotQuestions.org
