Let every soul be subject to the superior authorities, for there is no authority except under God. Now those which are, have been set under God, so that he who is resisting authority has withstood Gods mandate. Now those who have withstood, will be getting judgement for themselves, for magistrates are not a fear to the good act, but to the evil. Now you do not want to be fearing the authority. Do good, and you will be having applause from it. For it is Gods servant for your good. Now if you should be fearing evil, fear, for not feignedly is it wearing the sword. For it is Gods servant, an avenger for indignation to him who is committing evil.
Romans 13: 1-4, Concordant New Testament
How can one who is engaged in immoral behavior speak to others about its consequences? I listened the other night as a local radio pastor posed that question. Most of us love to speak to the perils of immoral behavior, unless we're the ones behaving wrongly. The modern Democrat party is a prime example of such hypocrisy. For the past few years, they have taken each and every opportunity to prosecute the man Donald Trump. Trumps crime? Well, he was elected president, defeating Hillary Clinton in 2016. Ever since that point, each and every possible misstep by Trump has been investigated as a possible crime. However, when a Democrat politician falls out of line of moral behavior (and there have been plenty), the Democrats attempt to explain it away as a simple mistake. Again I ask, how can someone who is engaged in immoral behavior speak to others about its consequences? Politics, indeed, is a dirty business...and business is good. One of the great rallying cries of those in the Christian community over the past decade or so has been for believers to take our elections seriously. While I agree with that, I also question what we as believers are attempting to gain. More conservative leaders? More Christian friendly policies? Whatever the motives, we must realize that those in power which we might be speaking against were placed there by the Father. It is God who has raised up His chosen leaders over His people. While we demand that every vote count, the Lord places into the seats of power those which He wills. Does that mean that God is somehow as corrupt as those He uses? Absolutely not. However, what it does mean is that the Father is in complete control of each and every seat of power in His creation. So the question for believers is not one of Republican or Democrat, but if we trust in God enough to allow Him to work in the world around us.
He is altering the eras and the stated times, causing kings to pass away and causing kings to rise, granting wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those knowing understanding.
Daniel 2: 21, Concordant Old Testament
There is an old phrase that the hippy types of the sixties used to toss about. Never trust anyone in authority. That included politicians of any ilk as well as the military, police and other various authorities. If there were hippies in the churches, and I assume that there were, even the pastors authority may have been questioned. What was the cause of all of this anti authority behavior? Well, I believe that it had its roots in the fact that mankind, at its base, is flawed. Men in authority will behave immorally and preach to those under them of the consequences of such behaviors. Indeed, this is exactly what happens when one who is flawed is given access to authority. Yet we miss the underlying message, it is God who has placed such people in their positions. The very hippies who were protesting those in authority were rallying against those who were put in place by God Himself. Likewise, the very politicians we believers rage against are the same people who have been instituted by the Lord to be in their positions. Nothing escapes the attention of the Father. So what are we, as believers, supposed to do when those anointed by the Lord misuse their authority to the detriment of those whom they govern? Is it God who has asked you to intervene for Him? Perhaps you're of the opinion that you're doing the Lords work by opposing those YOU have deemed to be immoral? News flash, you're not doing the Lords work. What you are doing is speaking out against those the Lord has raised up. We do well to remember that we can trust Him in everything.
~Scott~
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