“Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment.” – Romans 13:1-2

What does a Christian’s responsibility and freedom look like when he or she doesn’t agree with something the government requires? This is a very timely question! In general, Christians must submit to whatever the government requires unless that mandate violates God’s commands in Scripture.

God appoints and is sovereign over local, state/provincial, and national governments. He even permits ungodly and wicked governments to exist for a time and uses them to accomplish His greater purpose! Thus every Christian is commanded to submit to the government’s rules and laws, except for those which violate God’s rules and laws.

That’s the key criterion for determining what we must and must not obey. For example, Christians are commanded to worship and we’re commanded to sing. Regardless of what the government commands, we must worship and we must sing! On the other hand, the Bible doesn’t give instruction on how close to sit or whether faces should be covered. Thus Christians must follow government requirements, even if we don’t like or agree with them.

As Christians, we can discuss and debate those policies with which we disagree but which don’t violate Scripture. We can petition, protest, campaign, pursue legal action, and lobby for change. We can seek elected office to bring about change. But until that change happens, we must also submit.

“If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.” – Romans 12:18

Can you even imagine how different the world would be if every Christian actually tried to follow this simple command? How different our nation would be? How different social media would be?

“If possible”. What would happen if we did everything imaginable just to live peaceably with everyone of every race, ethnicity, nationality, and faith? To treat each person we encounter with dignity, love, and respect as someone made in the image of God? Not “if we prefer”, not “if it’s easy”, not “if we like them”, but “if possible”. Living peaceably is far more possible than we think, we just seldom want to do the hard work and make the personal sacrifices required to make peace possible.

“So far as it depends on you”. Yes, people will provoke, criticize, harass, and attack us. We live in a fallen world full of sinners like us. There are other Scriptures to guide in these cases. But in most situations we have a fundamental choice: will we satisfy ourselves and escalate conflict, or will we please Christ and pursue genuine peace? We’re very good at blaming others for the conflicts surrounding and involving us. In our minds, others are 90-100% responsible for the problem. However, responsibility is often far more evenly divided and Jesus told us to deal with our part first before even beginning to talk about the other person’s issues (Matthew 7:3-5). Do everything in your power to make peace!

“Live peaceably with all”. Christ commands us to live peaceably with everyone if at all possible. He does not command or encourage us to “get ours”, nor to “look after number one”, nor to demand the respect “we deserve”. We are to actively and intentionally pursue peace. We have been given the ministry of reconciliation and we are to pursue reconciliation! With everyone!

It won’t always happen, we won’t always be successful, but if Christians seriously and consistently made the effort, this fallen world would be a different place and those who don’t know Christ would be seriously intrigued by those “weird peace-making Christians”.

“They received help against these enemies because they cried out to God in battle, and the Hagrites and all their allies were handed over to them. He was receptive to their prayer because they trusted in him.” – 1 Chronicles 5:20

Life is full of battles – this year more than most! We battle against illness, death, fear, loneliness, anger, anxiety, injustice, recession, inertia… We battle against spiritual forces and worldly forces. We battle against trials and temptations. This is true in our individual lives and in our collective life as the body of Christ.

During these battles, difficult as they may be, we must remember that as people who’ve trusted in the Lord through faith in Jesus Christ, God hears our prayers and is receptive to them. He honors and delights in our prayers. And He answers our prayers in the way that is ultimately best, even when that’s hard to understand.

We should never hesitate to cry out to God in the midst of our battles. He will hear us. And He will give us victory. Sometimes it’s a victory here on earth against that particular foe. Sometimes it’s the victory and rest we’ll enjoy forever in His presence once we pass on to glory. Either way, victory is assured, for we know the end of the story!

“I shall ransom them from the power of Sheol;
I shall redeem them from Death.
O Death, where are your plagues?
O Sheol, where is your sting?
Compassion is hidden from my eyes.”
– Hosea 13:14

These words of the ancient prophet Hosea find their ultimate fulfillment in the cross and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Jesus sacrificed His innocent life for ours. He suffered in physical and spiritual agony on the cross, died, and was buried. On the third day He rose from the dead victorious over death and sin!

To ransom someone is to pay for their release. To redeem them is to buy their freedom from bondage. Jesus ransomed and redeemed us, paying for our freedom with His shed blood and broken body. Because He paid that terrible price, all who put their faith in Him are ransomed and redeemed forever! We’re set free from the terrible power of sin in our lives, we are free from the terrible eternal penalty for our sin, and we are free from death, for we will rise in Christ!

At a time when death is more prominently visible than usual in our modern world, let us remember that for all those redeemed by the blood of Christ, death has no sting, it is merely our passage into the presence of God forever!

“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.” – Romans 8:18

Suffering is a reality. It will eventually touch every life to a greater or lesser extent. However, suffering is particularly visible in 2020. The Bible acknowledges the reality and the pain of suffering. The suffering you experience is real, painful, and hard. However, the Bible offers us ultimate and eternal hope in the face of suffering!

Paul knew suffering well, but he also understood that what lies ahead for followers of Jesus will be so great, so beautiful, so joyful, so delightful that it will be infinitely greater than all the suffering we experience during our brief lives!

As Christians, we will enjoy the perfect and gloriously overwhelming presence of God and Christ forever!

As Christians, God Himself will comfort us, wipe away our tears, and welcome us into an eternity that’s free from pain, sadness, suffering, and death!

As Christians, we will live forever in the renewed heaven and earth, richly enjoying creation as God made it to be!

As Christians, we will enjoy the fellowship of believers from every generation, nation, race, tribe, and tongue as we worship God right there in front of Him!

No matter how discouraged you might become from the very real suffering you‘re experiencing, hold on to the guaranteed promise of an infinitely brighter future in Christ which you will enjoy forever and ever!