1st Peter 2:11-16 “Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake. . . .”
Romans 12:18 “If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.”
(Example, See: Matthew 17:24-27 “Jesus saith unto him, Then are the children free. Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them, go thou . . . and give unto them for me and thee.”)
Perspective: [Observe that both of these statements are qualified. Also, they are both context dependent.]
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven . . . a time of war, and a time of peace.” (“Attitude is everything.”)
Hints for maintaining the proper “attitude”:
Luke 16:13-15 “. . . that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.”
James 4:4 “Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.”
Whether the law is really broken or not depends on who’s telling the story: (a look at history)
Acts 18:9-13 “This fellow persuadeth men to worship God contrary to the law.” (“This fellow” did no such thing!)
Acts 24:14 “. . . after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets. . . .” (a reference to God’s law)
(Either Paul has broken their law or he has not: if he has not, then the fault lies with his accusers:)
2nd Timothy 3:1-3 “. . . false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good. . . .”
(If Paul has broken their law:)
Acts 5:29 “Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.”
(Life is full of choices.) [You will not always be able to obey both God and men.]
1st Samuel 15:22 “Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.”
EXAMPLE OF A CHOICE TO BE MADE IN THE FUTURE (a look at the coming political/religious situation in America)
Revelation 13:4-12, 15-17 “And he had power to . . . cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.” (It will be “the law” to worship the beast! To disobey will be a capital offense.)
14:8-12 “And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God. . . .”
(So, who’s wrath do you fear most?)
EXAMPLES FROM THE PAST
1) Esther 3:1-5 “And when Haman saw that Mordecai bowed not, nor did him reverence, then was Haman full of wrath.” (You can’t please all the people all the time!)
2) Hebrews 11:23 “By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months of his parents, because they saw he was a proper child; and they were not afraid of the king’s commandment.”
(They ignored the order by the government to kill their child!)
(Matthew 10:28 “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”)
3) v. 27 “By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible.”
4) Mark 7:1-9 “Why walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashen hands?”
5) 1st Chronicles 21:1-12 “And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel.”
(1st Chronicles 27:24 “Joab the son of Zeruiah began to number, but he finished not, because there fell wrath for it against Israel; neither was the number put in the account of the chronicles of king David.”)
GOVERNMENT (We wanted it: now we got it!)
1st Samuel 8:1-19 “Nevertheless the people . . . said, Nay; but we will have a king over us. . . .”
THE CHURCH
2nd Peter 2:9-10 “. . . them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government.” (in the church)
(1st Corinthians 12:28 “And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.”)
Matthew 23:1-4 “All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not.”