Most of us naturally resist being told what to do. Add our culture’s emphasis on personal rights, independence, and self-rule, and submission can begin to sound weak, outdated, or even dangerous.
And it is true that authority can be abused.
But does the misuse of authority cancel God’s design for it? Are Christians free to disregard parents, husbands, pastors, employers, police officers, or government leaders whenever we believe they are wrong?
Romans 13 gives us a clear but challenging answer. God is a God of order, and He has established human authority for our good. Yet no human authority is absolute. Every leader remains under God’s authority, and there are times when believers must respectfully refuse to obey.
So what does biblical submission look like? Where are its limits? And what does our response to authority reveal about the true focus of our worship?
Today’s readings challenge us to examine whether we are living under God’s authority—or quietly insisting on our own autonomy.
Most Christians know we’re supposed to respect authority.
The Bible tells us to honor government leaders, submit to those in authority, respect our employers, support church leadership, and honor God’s design within the family.
But what happens when those authorities ask us to do something God forbids—or forbid something God commands?
Where is the line?
Would you know what to do if obeying God put your job at risk? If following Christ created tension in your family? If speaking the truth cost you friendships, opportunities, or even your reputation?
In today’s reading, Peter and John find themselves facing that very dilemma. Their response reveals a principle every believer needs to understand, especially as our culture becomes increasingly hostile to biblical truth.
The answer may be more challenging—and more encouraging—than you expect.
Music has the power to do good and evil. The songs we sing can be powerful tools for teaching, persuading, and helping us remember things. They can trigger the imagination and stir our hearts.
Have you ever heard a song and been quickly taken back to a different time? And how many childhood songs do you remember 20, 30, or 40 years later? Why is music so powerful?
What kind of music do you listen to? Does it help you walk closer to God? Or does it draw you into the world? What kind of worship music do you sing? Does it make much of God or much of man? Why are the songs we sing so important?
A few years ago, as I was reading about the Day of Atonement, the Feast of Booths, and all the animal sacrifices required, I thought about a funny thing that happened years before and how a sarcastic teenager reminded me about the cost of our redemption.
Also, what does a law about keeping our word have to say about God’s view of authority, and how do we demonstrate our obedience in this area to our children and others?
While we’re not of this world, we are to live in it. But are there times when we need to remove ourselves and our families from certain environments, whether that is a workplace, a school system, a circle of friends, or a city? If so, how do we stay strong enough in the Lord to be salt and light, yet discerning enough to know when it’s time to go?
Also, read about what Jesus said about respect for authority, His Mercy in our weakness, and the importance of allowing God’s Word to control our inner attitudes, as well as, our outward actions.
What is God’s “umbrella of protection,” and how do we stay under it in the home, in the workplace, and in other areas of life? How, also, do we put ourselves outside of His protective authority? And how does the Church itself act as an umbrella of protection for its members?
