With the political season starting to heat up, it seems good to remember these words from the apostle Peter in 1 Peter 2:13-17.
13 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.
Realize that when Peter was writing this letter, Nero was the emperor of Rome and Christians were facing increasing persecution around the world. If you were part of the church “scattered” around the Roman empire at that time (1:1), you probably would not have expected these words. And you may have been slightly annoyed at Peter for writing them.
Submit to Roman law and to the emperor and to any local governors. Why, Peter? Not because they are necessarily just and deserving of honor but because you are doing it for the Lord’s sake. This is the will of God. Does that mean that we never go against the rules or rulers of an unjust society? No. There are exceptions when we must obey God rather than man (Acts 4:19, 5:29). But these are to be rare exceptions not regular occurrences. Our default position as Christians is to submit and honor authority. Peter says that when we live with this kind of consistent, submissive behavior then by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men. In other words we are more effective at transforming society and silencing our enemies when we seek to be respectful, honoring citizens rather than rebellious, obnoxious ones.
Now, in America, with a representative government, I believe that we as believers are called to be involved in the political process as salt and light. We are to do all we can to preserve liberty and seek justice. But we must still guard our attitude and our behavior as we participate. Respect. Honor. Submission. Civility. Grace. These must still be the guardrails and guidelines for our participation in society and our voicing of biblical truth.
1 Peter 2:17 sums up our duty as believers. It is a great verse to memorize and live out!
Honor all people. No exceptions. Democrat or Republican. Liberal or conservative. No matter what label a person has, we are called to honor them…not because of their viewpoints or actions but because they are made in the image of God. James reminds us that we can’t say we honor God when we regularly blast those who are made in His image. With our tongue we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so (James 3:9-10). Show honor to those you meet today. Everyone of them is created by God, loved by Him, and in need of Jesus Christ.
Love the brotherhood. We are to honor all people and to love those who are fellow believers in Jesus. In Christ, we have a family. We don’t always like our family members but we are called to love them. We are called to be patient…bearing with personality traits that irk us. We are called to be kind…using our words and actions to encourage our brothers and sisters and stir up love and good works in the body of Christ.
Fear God. And then don’t fear anything else! God is the sovereign King of the universe. He is in control. He is the giver of life and the taker of it. He is the judge and the evaluator of hearts. He is the good Shepherd and the loving Father. Trust Him. Follow Him. Worship Him. And put the rest of your fears in His hands.
Honor the king. Even a crazed lunatic like Nero. Whoa. You can’t be serious, Peter? C’mon, aren’t you the same guy who tried to chop the head off a Roman soldier when Jesus was arrested? Yep, but if you fear God and honor all people, then you are also called to honor and respect the king. God knows who he is. He can knock him off his chair of authority any time He wants. He can send him out into the fields to act like a cow for a few years if He wants (just ask Nebuchadnezzar!). So even if you don’t like the leader of the land, honor him for the office he possesses. And pray to God that He works in the leader’s heart to humble it if necessary and then to steer it onto the right path.
Lord, I can’t seem to obey any of these commands on a consistent basis. But help me to grow each day. May I show honor today to those I meet. May I show love to a brother or sister that crosses my path. May I fear You and not the anxieties of this world. May I honor Barack Obama and other political leaders even though I do not necessarily trust them or agree with their policies. Most of all, may I please You.
