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Respect for Authority, October 3
Respect in My Life
Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the
king. Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear; not only to
the good and gentle, but also to the forward.
1 Peter 2:17, 18
The apostle plainly outlined the attitude that believers should sustain
toward the civil authorities: “Submit yourselves to every ordinance of
man for the Lord’s sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme; or unto
governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of
evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well. For so is the will of
God, that with welldoing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish
men: as free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but
as the servants of God. Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear
God. Honour the king.
It is our duty in every case to obey the laws of our land, unless they
conflict with the higher law which God spoke with an audible voice from
Sinai and afterward engraved on stone with His own finger.... The ten
precepts of Jehovah are the foundation of all righteous and good laws.
Those who love God’s commandments will conform to every good law
of the land.
We are to recognize human government as an ordinance of divine ap-
pointment and teach obedience to it as a sacred duty, within its legitimate
sphere. But when its claims conflict with the claims of God, we must
obey God rather than men. God’s Word must be recognized as above all
human legislation. A “Thus saith the Lord” is not to be set aside for a
“Thus saith the church” or a “Thus saith the state.” The crown of Christ
is to be lifted above the diadems of earthly potentates.
We are not required to defy authorities. Our words, whether spoken
or written, should be carefully considered.
* * * * *
Teach the people to conform in all things to the laws of their state
when they can do so without conflicting with the law of God.
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