The Christian and Government (Fourth of July)

Tom Shrader works through Romans 13:1-7 to establish that all governing authority is instituted by God, meaning submission to government is ultimately submission to God Himself. He addresses the difficulty of this teaching by acknowledging that even repressive regimes fall under God's sovereign placement, while also clarifying the narrow exception for civil disobedience when government commands what God forbids or forbids what God commands. The teaching closes with a practical distinction between the church as an institution — which should remain cautious about political entanglement — and individual Christians, who are encouraged to be engaged, salt-and-light participants in civic life. “The rule of thumb is this: if the government commands you to do something God forbids, or forbids you to do something God commands, then the Bible trumps the government.” — Tom Shrader Series: Standalone Teachings Recorded in 2004 Duration: 48 min Themes: government, authority, submission, civic duty, politics, obedience, civil disobedience, citizenship, feeling anxious about politics, citizen, voter, struggling with corrupt leadership, young adult, new believer, feeling hopeless about culture, civic leader Topics: romans 13, divine institution, God's sovereignty, sphere sovereignty, biblical ethics, church and state, natural law, common grace Scripture: Romans 13:1-7, Romans 12:1-2, Romans 12:9-21, Romans 5, Daniel 2, Daniel 3, Daniel 4, Titus 3, 1 Peter 2:13, Acts 4:12 — About Priority Living AZ — Priority Living AZ preserves the teaching legacy of Tom Shrader. Browse the full archive at prioritylivingaz.org/archives