Godly Living with the Civil Authority

Main Point

Part of the Christian life is submission. We submit first of all to Christ. But we also submit to others in our lives—parents, teachers, employers, friends, and even the governments that we live in. Remember that Peter is writing to Christians who live in an anti-Christ culture and he encourages them to submit to the authority of the government that they live in. These are challenging words for any Christ-follower as we try to discern where to take our stand in the culture that we live in.

Who to Submit to:

• Every Human Institution. King and Governors.
• They are there to punish evil and reward good.

How should we Submit:

• We should live right
• This keeps the world quiet
• Sometimes our biggest testimony is our behavior.
  • Act like we are free in Christ, free from sin…not free to sin.
  • Honor all people, love Christians, fear God, Honor the King

Why Submit:

• We submit for the Lord’s sake, not just our own. (v.13)

Scripture

• 1 Peter 2:13-17
• Romans 13:1-4
• Matthew 22:21
• Titus 3:1-3

Questions

• Who are the authorities in your life?
• What should we do when we disagree with authority? What if they are against God’s law?
• How does respecting authority help our testimony?

Application

• How can you honor authority this week?
• Memorize Daniel 2:21

²¹ He changes times and seasons;
he removes kings and sets up kings;
he gives wisdom to the wise
and knowledge to those who have understanding;