Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake . . . – 1 Peter 2:13a
Today is September 11th, its been twenty three years since that fateful day our country was attacked. That attack pierced our heart and inspired patriotism the likes of which hasn’t been seen since Pearl Harbor. We united as a nation symbolized by Democrat and Republican legislators standing together on the steps of the Capitol and singing the National Anthem. That lasted a day. Churches were filled, for a Sunday. More than two decades later our nation is under another attack, an internal attack by those who would subvert and change to their liking, what they think America the Beautiful should be.
We are close to another election. In some countries they don’t hold elections. In some countries the people have little say in what governments do. We on the other hand have been blessed by God to reside in a country that has an outstanding Constitution appreciated by our friends, envied by our enemies. The United States of America is a Federal Republic with checks and balances to assure the populace is well represented by its government. We need to remember that and know what it means.[1] The Constitution and Bill of Rights were created to protect us citizens from our government. We utilize democratic voting to make our voices heard. We even have an electoral college that assures all people, not just city dwellers, are represented in their government. Our system has flourished for nearly 250 years. But whether we reach the quarter millennia mark is in the balance. Yes, the political governmental scene is that serious.
The United States of America is not without its flaws. No government is perfect at this point. A time will come when the clouds break, and our Savior Jesus followed by His saints will descend, vanquish the enemy armies aligned against His people, and establish His capital to a world government in Jerusalem. That government will last one thousand years. But until that glorious day we must settle and work with the system of government God has gifted to us.
It’s been a common misnomer in recent years to refer to the United States as merely a democracy. This is a false and dangerous designation. In a democracy the majority rules. That may sound good at first, but when decisions are made based on fifty-one percent of the vote or a simple majority, it means forty-nine percent or nearly half of the countries’ voices are stifled. Our Founding Fathers knew this and so devised a fairer more representative form of government called a Federal Republic.
It’s important you know how your government functions. There are useful sources to help you get informed.[2] There used to be a course taught in public schools called “Civics.” But those with an agenda contrary to our Federal Republic have dumbed down successive generations by eliminating from curriculum such courses as Civics. Why is the Pledge of Allegiance so offensive and so seldom if ever recited in our public schools anymore? Because of what it says. “I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, AND TO THE REPUBLIC for which it stands, ONE NATION, UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTIVE FOR ALL.” Those may be music to the ears of true patriots, but they are a death nell for those pushing alternative government agendas. Removing civics and the pledge has been done to create a kind of clean slate upon which systems such as socialism and communism can be promoted and presented as acceptable alternatives. The problem with that is if you look historically at countries where socialism and communism have been implemented you find they used force to do so, often murdering millions of people in the process. The end product of such systems has been less freedom, less food, less individual industry, and more government control, and worse.
What’s wrong with government control? Governments gain control by providing resources. When people depend on the government for their food and housing etc., they are under the government’s control whether they realize it or not. “You want your monthly check, you want food, clothing, necessities? Comply with the government mandate of the day or you’ll starve.” Socialism and Communism are not conducive to freedom. And once freedom is lost, it takes a revolution to regain it. That’s how our country got started.
In socialist-communist systems parents are robbed of their authority in the lives of their children. Children are seen as parented by the State. The State knows better than the parents. When the government steps in, special interest groups are used to promote an agenda that serves the State. You get a conglomeration of groups used to reset society.[3] For instance, population control as part of the Green ecological agenda is perpetrated by promoting lifestyles where biological reproduction is sacrificed. Oh, medical science can try and duplicate the birthing process by surgery with same-sex couples, but what is normally a beautiful natural occurrence between a man and a woman is reduced to a Frankensteinian confused quagmire. [4]
The lifestyle revolution being promoted is affecting children. Biological males who say they are women are uncomfortably in women’s bathrooms. Biological males who say they are females dominate competition with biological girls in sports. In the recent Olympics female boxers were bludgeoned into submission by male athletes who fought as females. Male athletes who ranked at the bottom of the depth chart as a male, rise to the top of the ranking as females. It’s simply unfair. There is a biological difference between males and females no matter how much people in positions of authority try to deny it.
In local public libraries and elementary schools, transvestites put on shows for young children promoting their agenda and exposing their lifestyles to children. When parents or anyone stand up to resist such things, they are labeled as “haters,” or with some other epithet. Resistors to the government agenda are marginalized, isolated, and rendered voiceless until ultimately they can be controlled or even eliminated.[5] We will only see more of this and greater extremes unless we get involved.
When a nation is moving toward a socialist-communist system of government a sign is that the once objective reporting structure of the media is coopted and made an arm of the government so that it propagandizes the “news.” The media becomes an instrument resetting definitions, slanting perspectives, painting those they see as political opponents in a negative light. Just before the southern kingdom of Judah was taken into captivity one of the signs of her demise was described by the prophet Isaiah as “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter” (Isaiah 5:20). That is exactly what we see in our media today. Try and resist and you risk being fake “Fact Checked” or stifled by shadow banning.
Our government, like any other government, is run by people. People are sinful and flawed. There are always going to be abuses and shortcomings in government. That is true of all governments. But the premise of a Federal Republic at least gives individual citizens a say in what the governing do. There are three branches of government, Executive, Judicial, and Legislative designed to provide checks and balances. But even these are being threatened in our day.
A Federal Republic provides an opportunity to be heard. At least there is still a modicum of opportunity to be involved in the direction of government. But the window of opportunity to make our voices heard is passing away and if we don’t do something soon, we may completely lose that opportunity. In China they have gone so far as to change portions of the Bible to suit their agenda. [6] As Christians become more and more a thorn in the flesh of the leftist government agenda, you can expect more restrictions being placed on churches, and yes, even the Bible. [7]
Leftist socialist-communist movements use demoralization as a tactic to defeat and subjugate citizens. Karl Marx the father of communism said, “Accuse your enemy of what you are doing, as you are doing it, to create confusion.” Alexander Solzhenitsyn[8], a dissident under communism in the Soviet Union said, “We know they are lying. They know they are lying. They know that we know they are lying. We know that they know that we know they are lying. And still they continue to lie.” Josef Stalin is alleged to have said, “It’s not who votes that counts. It’s who counts the votes.” President Joe Biden is alleged to have said something similar to what Stalin said, though it is contested by some as to what he actually did say.[9] It has become common to question and ponder the confusing words of President Biden. It’s one reason why he isn’t being allowed by his party to seek a second term. But when Vice President Kamala Harris uses communist buzz words like “collective” in her discussion of her economic views, it should concern us even more.[10] All of this is to confuse, divide, and demoralize people in order to more easily manipulate them.
We are being flooded with deception and sin. What can we do? What should we do? The first thing is to remember what God has told us in His word. “When the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD will lift up a standard against him” (Isaiah 59:19b). Christian, in the power of the Holy Spirit, we can and should be that standard. The Bible speaks of “restraining” evil (Greek katecho – to hold back, detain, restrain, hinder the progress of). “And you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his own time” (2 Thessalonians 2:6-7). Until the Antichrist arises to power, the Holy Spirit working in and through the Church, works to restrain and limit the flood of evil overflowing into this world. Christian, in the power of the Holy Spirit, you and I are called to restrain evil wherever we find it.
At the end of the Constitutional Convention of 1787 as Benjamin Franklin was exiting Independence Hall he was asked, “Well doctor, what have we got, a Republic or a Monarchy?” Franklin’s response was, “A Republic if you can keep it.” “If you can keep it” are words that we need to revisit today. A republic is a representative government. On June 1, 1865, Abraham Lincoln in the closing words of the Gettysburg Address stated, “. . . that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom — and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.” As we watch our government act like an amoeba consuming large swaths of society for government control we have to wonder is the government still by the people or for the people? What does this have to do with the Christian? Is it a matter we should be concerned about?
The apostle Peter was inspired to write:
1 Peter 2:13-17 – 13 Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake, whether to the king as supreme, 14 or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good. 15 For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men— 16 as free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants of God. 17 Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.
When Peter was inspired to write those words he was under Roman rule. Citizens of Rome had rights, voting was one of them. But the Roman government was dominated by the wealthy and well to do much as it is in our day. It’s not unique to our day that politicians use their positions to gain insider stock trading advantages and accumulate multiple millions of dollars at the expense of those they were voted in to represent. What is unique is a president who donates their salary to charity as President Donald Trump did during his first term. That was unprecedented and should have been convicting to the career politicians enriching themselves. President Trump was a breath of fresh air in this regard.
The words of Peter are introduced by the word “therefore” (2:13a). This links them with what precedes. Peter had just exhorted his readers to act honorably in a way that would reflect well on God. He said: “Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, 12 having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation.” (1 Pet. 2:11-12). By Peter saying, “I beg you,” indicates he saw it as very important, even essential for those reading his words to follow through on them obediently.
From these words we see our attitude is to be that we are “sojourners and pilgrims.” We are just passing through this world. Therefore we shouldn’t be consumed by or fall prey to the temptations and lusts connected to the things of this world. Instead we are to live honorably in a godly way so as not to give God’s enemies ammunition to discredit God by discrediting us. Instead, our “good works” should give onlookers reason to “glorify God.” What good works can this be applied to?
The first thing Peter refers to as an area where we should do good works to bring glory to God is submitting to government (2:13b). No matter the government, we are to submit to it “for the Lord’s sake.” In other words we are to be good citizens, for the Lord’s sake. Being a reputable, upright, righteous citizen is a service we should do for the Lord’ sake. Peter identifies “the king,” as in a monarchy, and “governors” as in a republic such as Rome. He states that these officials are in place to punish evildoers and to praise those who do good (2:14). How we fit into and serve the nation God has placed us in, should be viewed as a service to the Lord and performed for the Lord’s sake.
How do we submit to government? Does submission mean we are to simply sit back and let government officials do their thing no matter what it is; evil or good? The word “submit” here (ὑποτάσσω – hupŏtassō, hoop-ot-as´-so) means to subordinate, and obey. It includes man’s duty toward authority, voluntary submission. The word “ordinance” (κτίσις – ktisis, ktis´-is) refers to institutions, building, creation, ordinance. How do we apply this? When we put that together the idea is that our good works as they relate to government involve doing our duty within the system of government God has sovereignly placed us. We abide by the legislation, laws, and constitution of the nation we are living in.
But there is a responsibility we have that is often overlooked by us. In a Federal Republic, the people rule, the people are responsible for the actions of their government. In a Federal Republic, there are elected representatives who are answerable to those that voted them into their positions. Through inactivity and neglect to know our civic duties we have abdicated our authority and been relegated to pawns in a political Game of Thrones. We need to step up and step into our God-ordained position and responsibility God has provided us by His sovereign election of us to serve in this nation, at this time, under this form of government.
Peter continues with some inspired substantiating words saying, “For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men” (2:15). God wants to silence foolish men. Who are foolish men? A fool is someone who says there is no God (Psalm 14:1). A fool is someone who fails or refuses to factor God into the equation of life. This applies to the governing authorities as well. How do we obey God’s will in this? How do we obey God’s will to silence foolish men and submit to governing authorities? One way is, we vote.
Rome included opportunities for its citizenry to vote for its representatives. If Peter is directing his readers to do their duty within the system of government they were in and participate for righteousness sake, for God’s sake, then voting was included in that. [11]
In a Federal Republic and democracy we vote. We get involved. We get informed. We vote. We participate in the political process and do our duty. We assess candidates through the lens of scripture and then either vote for or against them based on their scriptural soundness. We are wise and realize there are no perfect or sinless candidates. But we look at the evidence available to us. We look at how candidates have voted on issues already. We look at what they say but weigh more heavily what they do. Look at how a candidate has shown themselves to factor God into their life and their governing. Look at their policies, who they support, what they invest in. Test all things and hold tight to what is good (1 Thessalonians 5:21).
Do you vote in elections? You should. Have you researched the candidates running for office? Do you know who they are, what they stand for, what their voting record is? This is all part of submitting to the governing authorities set in place by God and doing our duty within that system to the glory of God.
Peter then says, “as free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants of God” (2:16). We are free to pray, follow the leading of the Spirit and choose who we should vote for. But we should not allow ourselves to misuse “liberty as a cloak for vice.” “Vice” (κακία – kakia, kak-ee´-ah) means rottenness, depravity, wickedness, evil, or malice. Vice is anything that opposes godly living and God’s righteousness. In other words, vote for righteousness. This should give pause to those who refer to themselves as Christians but who vote for those who approve of things contrary to scripture, e.g., abortion, partial birth abortion, same sex marriage, burdensome taxation, corruption, bribe taking, et.al. We are “bondservants of God.” Does our vote reflect His truth, His righteousness, His word? He is our ultimate supreme Master. We should vote not along party lines or for pretty faces but according to those who most comply with God and His word.
The attitude of our political involvement is spelled out clearly by Peter when he says, “Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king” (2:17). The word “honor” (τιμάω – timaō, tim-ah´-o) means prize, value, or respect. We are to honor, value, and respect all people in the political process. We are to show love to our fellow Christian brothers and sisters. We should guard against the temptation to allow the political process to make us bitter and unloving. We should participate in our duty to government in “fear” or reverence toward God. We want to vote as we believe God would have us vote. He shows us His heart in His word, and we should follow His word in our voting. We should respect those who are elected to office.
One final sobering truth. A nation gets the political leaders they deserve. When God’s people first threw off what they viewed as the shackles of God’s rule and sought a King like the other nations around them, God gave them King Saul. King Saul was a carnal king just like the people who he would rule over (1 Samuel 8-9). If that were the end of the story it would be sad, but God who is merciful, raised up David, a humble hearted shepherd boy to replace Saul. David was a man after God’s own heart (1 Samuel 13:14; Acts 13:22). David wasn’t perfect, but he loved the Lord, and he loved his country. May we seek and may God bless us with a president more like David than Saul.
When does submission mean political action? Submission means political action when we follow God’s word to serve Him by doing our duty within the governing system He, in His sovereign determination, has placed us. A wise old man named Mordecai once advised a wavering princess that she had been put in her position of influence, “for such a time as this” (Esther 4:14). How about us? This November is an important election. It is our duty to submit to the governmental process in which God has placed us. That means we need to get informed, make our voice heard, and vote! We need to encourage others to vote as well. And when we vote we need to vote prayerfully, wisely, reverently, scripturally in the sight of God, according to His word. We need to vote in a way that brings glory to God. It’s true, we are only passing through. But as long as we’re here, we need to do all that we can, within the governmental system God has chosen for us, to bring Him glory. In this case, submission means action. Get involved. Get informed. Vote!
[1] https://online.hillsdale.edu/courses/promo/the-federalist-papers?utm_medium=search_paid&utm_source=google&utm_campaign=brand_search&utm_term=hillsdale%20university&utm_id=693105804917&cq_cmp=1056310539&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI6-CuiPK6iAMVzHJHAR1wpBYoEAAYASACEgL7-vD_BwE
[2] For things political, I would suggest you look into Hillsdale College which has a number of free online courses that provide sound teaching on government: https://online.hillsdale.edu/courses/promo/constitution-101?utm_medium=search_paid&utm_source=google&utm_campaign=brand_search&utm_term=hillsdale%20university&utm_id=693105804917&cq_cmp=1056310539&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI6-CuiPK6iAMVzHJHAR1wpBYoEAAYASABEgL2IfD_BwE
[3] The Great Reset is a globalist agenda that is a factor in what is happening in our nation. You can get an explanation of The Great Reset at this link to an article from The Epoch Times – https://www.theepochtimes.com/opinion/what-is-the-great-reset-4467659?utm_source=google_news_ar&utm_medium=GoogleAds&utm_campaign=reg_news_ar_0404_24_SupremeCourt&utm_term=reg_email&wall=7&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI7pqt-fe6iAMV6WRHAR0zow50EAAYAyAAEgLwVPD_BwE
[4] https://www.theepochtimes.com/us/detransitioner-denounces-gender-affirming-care-4385589?utm_medium=GoogleAds&utm_source=PerfmaxM&utm_campaign=PM_max_SupremeReform_Test17_20240903&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIw9m0ppq7iAMVsmlHAR1CwgCHEAAYASAAEgIgaPD_BwE
[5] In Russia they had Gulags. In China they had work camps. In Cambodia they had Killing Fields. The top priority of government is control, remaining in power, and that at any cost. Be aware.
[6] https://www.theepochtimes.com/china/chinese-textbook-alters-bible-passage-says-jesus-stoned-a-woman-to-death-3515108?utm_source=google_news_ar&utm_medium=GoogleAds&utm_campaign=reg_news_ar_0404_24_SupremeCourt&utm_term=reg_email&wall=7&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIjpG-tf-6iAMVl0xHAR11XQqBEAAYASAAEgJmPfD_BwE
[7] https://www.newsweek.com/fact-check-facebook-banning-bible-passages-1565190
[8] A Christian dissident who spoke up against the oppression of communism in the Soviet Union and spent time in a Gulag as a result. He wrote an epic account of his opposition against communism entitled The Gulag Archipelago.
[9] https://www.statesman.com/story/news/politics/politifact/2022/01/28/fact-check-did-biden-stalin-say-same-thing-counting-votes/9241066002/
[10] https://www.theepochtimes.com/opinion/why-is-no-one-except-the-president-calling-out-kamala-harriss-communist-ties-3538284?utm_medium=GoogleAds&utm_source=PerfmaxM&utm_campaign=PM_max_SupremeReform_Test17_20240903&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIz8r13Z27iAMV4VFHAR2sjw9aEAAYAiAAEgIFjPD_BwE
[11] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elections_in_the_Roman_Republic