“Submission is not about authority and it is not obedience; it is all about relationships of love and respect.”
A.W. Tozer once said “The reason why many are still troubled, still seeking, still making little forward progress is because they haven't yet come to the end of themselves. We're still trying to give orders, and interfering with God's work within us. ”
God uses governing authorities as a check upon man’s sinful desires and tendencies. Government can be an effective tool in resisting the effects of man’s fallenness.
Since governments have authority from God, we are bound to obey them - unless, of course, they order us to do something in contradiction to God’s law. Then, we are commanded to obey God before man (as in Acts 4:19).
We remember that Paul wrote this during the reign of the Roman Empire. It was no democracy, and no special friend to Christians - yet he still saw their legitimate authority. God appoints a nation’s leaders, but not always to bless the people. Sometimes it is to judge the people or to grow the nation for judgment.
You can see God from anywhere if your mind is set to love and obey Him.
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