Are Christians subject to the laws of the land?

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

Jesus affirmed that His followers should obey the laws of their country by paying the taxes required of them; He even paid taxes Himself. Paul writes in the New Testament that Christians are to obey the laws and leaders governing them, as government and laws are instituted by God; disobedience of the law is dishonoring toward God. Peter and the other disciples followed the law unless it caused them to disobey God, in which case, they followed God’s law over the law of man. Even in choosing to disobey the law of the land in order to obey God, they were still respectful in their interactions with authority.

FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

• God commands the Israelites to follow His law and show obedience to Him. This is also true for believers today as we strive to obey God first (Deuteronomy 30:16).

FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

• Jesus told His followers to obey the laws of the land by paying their taxes and was an example to them by doing so Himself (Mark 12:13–17).
• When ordered by the authorities to stop preaching about Jesus, Peter and the other disciples answered that they would obey God’s command to preach over the command of people to stop (Acts 5:29).
• Paul reminds us that we are to obey our earthly leaders, as their positions were put there by God, and inappropriate disobedience toward them is dishonoring to God (Romans 13:1–7).
• God is orderly and wants us to live peacefully with those around us; laws of the land are often created with this goal in mind (Romans 12:18; 1 Corinthians 14:33; Hebrews 12:14).

IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAY

Believers in Christ are citizens of heaven but are also citizens of this world. We are called to interact in the world in a way that glorifies God, such as honoring our leaders and obeying the laws of our lands. As a general rule, Christians should honor and submit to the authorities that have been placed over them. God is orderly and desires that we live at peace with one another. Often, the laws of the land are set up so that we will have orderly and peaceful societies. Certainly, our governmental authorities are not perfect, nor do they always follow God's plans. However, inasmuch as the authority does not contradict God's explicit Word, we are to obey. For those times when our authorities contradict God's Word and ask us to do things contrary to the laws of God, we are expected to disobey and honor God instead.

UNDERSTAND

• We are to honor and obey earthly authority, as it is put in place by God.
• If the laws of the land are in direct opposition to God, believers should obey God above earthly leaders.
• All interactions Christians have with leaders should be respectful, reflecting a life lived for God.

REFLECT

• How do you live in obedience to earthly laws while remembering that your ultimate obedience is to God’s commands?
• How have you experienced challenges when laws or authorities conflicted with your faith, and how did you respond?
• How can you grow in showing respect to authorities, even when you disagree with them, reflecting Christ’s example?

ENGAGE

• How do we discern when it is right to obey government authorities and when to respectfully resist for the sake of God’s commands?
• What are practical ways Christians can honor laws while also standing firm in their faith in a society with conflicting values?
• How does understanding that authorities are established by God shape our attitude toward government, even when leaders act imperfectly or sinfully?