Romans 13:1-4 NASB:

“Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves. 3 For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good and you will have praise from the same; 4 for he is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword for nothing; for he is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil.”

This New Testament Scripture confirms seven things:

* God ordained and instituted His civil authorities.

* God ordained everyone to be subject to His civil authorities.

* God identified who are His legitimate civil authorities.

* God’s legitimate civil authorities praise those who do good.

* God’s legitimate civil authorities benefit those who do good.

* God’s legitimate civil authorities cause fear for evil behavior.

* God’s legitimate authorities put to death those who practice evil.

Satan counterfeits ALL three of God’s Institutions which Christians should never honor:

* Counterfeit Marriage Institution: Instead of one man / one woman, Satan counterfeits marriages with two men or two women marriages.

* Counterfeit Civil Institution: Instead of godly civil authorities ruling under King Jesus with God’s Law for the good of good people, Satan has counterfeit civil authorities ruling under Satan to the suppression and detriment of good people.

* Counterfeit Church Institution: Instead of godly pastors following and preaching the Bible, Satan has counterfeit pastors who do not honor the Jesus Christ as Lord or the Word of the Lord, the Bible.

But in Scripture, God clearly identifies what are His legitimate marriages and legitimate pastors. Even so in Romans 13:3-4 and 1 Peter 2:14, God clearly identifies His legitimate civil authorities. In fact God gave 4 positive points in these verses to clearly identify His legitimate civil authorities:

* “Rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior.”

* “Do what is good and you will have praise from the same.”

* “For he is a minister of God to you for good.”

* “For he is a minister of God.”

If a so-called “civil authority” does NOT fit God’s definition of legitimate civil authorities, they would be – illegitimate authority! Regardless of someone’s title, power, or public opinion, they are NOT legitimate authority if not according to God’s definition.

A kidnapper or terrorist may have power over people - but that does not make them God’s civil authority over you. Wicked men have seized power with political coups and ruled over a nation - but that does not make them God’s defined legitimate civil authority. Some gain power by popular vote, as even Adolf Hitler did – but that did not make Hitler God’s defined legitimate civil authority over Germany. NOWHERE does Scripture validate political coups or even popular elections, as God’s definition for legitimate civil authority!

ONLY Jesus has ALL authority on EARTH and whoever He delegates it to (Mat. 28:18):

“ALL AUTHORITY has been given to ME in heaven AND ON EARTH!”

If any so-called “civil authority” is not ruling according to the Supreme Authority as HE defined, they are not civil authorities but only masquerading as authorities and are illegitimate and treasonous to KING Jesus! If they are not under God and His Law - they are outlaws.

If so-called civil “authorities” outlaw reading the Bible in school or posting up God’s Ten Commandments they should be identified as treasonous and as outlaws, not to be honored as God’s legitimate authorities. If they outlaw prayer in schools, when God commands us to “pray in every place” (1 Timothy 2:8) – they are civil outlaws and civil tyrants.

So-called civil authorities who “legally” support killing babies or defend and “legalize” sodomy and homosexual marriages - they are NOT God’s civil authorities. They are civil tyrants to their KING Jesus. They are Satan’s authorities, who Jesus said, “comes only to kill, steal, and destroy” (John 10:10).

Would God ever legitimize any of man’s law over His own moral Law? What an ungodly thought! How could He? Are Christians carnal or even degenerate if they are passive to treasonous civil authorities against their own Lord and Savior and His only Law?

Christians who really love the Lord Jesus and His Word - will resist civil leaders who reject the Lord Jesus and His Law. The righteous will strive to replace the unrighteous civil leaders with those who will embrace King Jesus and His Law (Prov. 28:4 NLB):

“To reject God’s Law is to praise the wicked; to obey God’s Law is to resist them.”

God honors His followers who are zealous in resisting unrighteous illegitimate civil authorities. Here are only a few examples:

* All Midwives: Exodus 1:15-21.

* Ehud: Judges 3:15-23.

* Rahab: Joshua 6:25; Hebrews 11:31; James 2:25; Matthew 1:5.

* Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego: Daniel 3:12

* Daniel: Daniel 6:9-10.

* John the Baptist: Matthew 14:4; Mark 6:17-18.

* Jesus: Matthew 12:1-2, 15:1-4, 21:45-46,23:2ff; Mark 8:15; Luke 13:32; John 2:13-16; 5:8-11.

* All Apostles: Acts 5:29; 16:20-21; 17:6-7.

* Heroes of the faith: In Hebrews 11, the majority were heroes in defying unrighteous civil authorities.

What should our attitude be (Prov. 29:27 NLB):

“An unrighteous man is an abomination to the righteous; and the righteous man is an abomination to the unrighteous.”

Though God wants godly rulers to be His civil leaders, when God’s people abdicate and neglect their civil mandate, God lets them reap what they sow and allows wicked oppressors to have power over them to judge their nation (Prov. 16:4):

“The Lord has made everything for his own purposes, even the wicked for a day of disaster.”

If God’s people repent to obey the Lord again, He will restore and bless such a nation (Judges 3:7-11):

“The Israelites did evil in the Lord’s sight. They forgot about the Lord their God, and they served the images of Baal and the Asherah poles. Then the Lord burned with anger against Israel, and he turned them over to King Cushan-rishathaim of Aram-naharaim. And the Israelites served Cushan-rishathaim for eight years.

But when the people of Israel cried out to the Lord for help, the Lord raised up a rescuer to save them. His name was Othniel, the son of Caleb’s younger brother, Kenaz. The Spirit of the Lord came upon him, and he became Israel’s judge. He went to war against King Cushan-rishathaim of Aram, and the Lord gave Othniel victory over him. So there was peace in the land for forty years.”

Here we learn how God works with a nation. In fact there is no national exception with any nation in the Bible. If the people in a nation repent to the Lord and obey His Word, the Lord always restores that nation with freedom and blessing and with His legitimate civil leaders. Here are more examples confirming this:

* Othniel: Judges 3:7-11.

* Ehud: Judges 3:12-30.

* Deborah & Barak: Judges 4-5.

* Gideon: Judges 6-8.

* Jephthah: Judges 10-12.

* Samson: Judges 13-16.

God’s justice and mercy are no different today regarding nations: Turn away from God and His Law and be oppressed as a nation. Turn back to the Lord and His Law and be blessed as a nation. God is - “the same yesterday, today, and forever.”

God is the same with nations as with people – you reap what you sow. Except nations reap everything in this life (Gal. 6:7):

“Do not be deceived—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always reap what you sow.”

But the first law in Exodus to obey God’s Law and His civil mandate - is to appoint God fearing men to be your civil leaders (Ex. 18:21):

“But select capable men from all the people—men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain—and appoint them as leaders.”

Since the time of Christ, until the last century and a half, Christians understood and embraced God’s Biblical definition of legitimate civil authorities. The European Christian Reformers established this. The early Christian Americans colonies made it part of their law, as according to God’s Law. But today… the majority of Christians don’t even vote! We are disobedient to our responsibility and our God given civil mandate. So we reap what we sow - corruption, oppression, and growing national persecution.

Saint Augustine of Hippo wrote in his renowned work, City of God (IV. 4):

“Indeed, that was an apt and true reply which was given to Alexander the Great by a pirate who had been seized. For when that king had asked the man what he meant by keeping hostile possession of the sea, he answered with bold pride, ‘What thou meanest by seizing the whole earth? But because I do it with a petty ship, I am called a pirate, whilst thou who dost it with a great fleet art styled Emperor.’”

Also, nowhere in the Bible does God identify legitimate authorities based on how many people they have power over. If a hundred people are held hostage by any man, we call that man a terrorist. If a hundred million people are held hostage by any man, naive Christians honor him calling him the “authority.”

Adolf Hitler praised the biblically incompetent German preachers who only repeated the first two verse of Romans 13:1-2:

“Everyone must submit to governing authorities.”

They kept repeating only the first two verses never the next two verses declaring Hitler to be illegitimate civil authority … until it was too late! The passive, popularity-seeking, German preachers never taught God’s definition for legitimate authorities (Rom. 13:3-4):

“For authorities do not strike fear in people who are doing right … Do what is right, and they will honor you. Authorities are God’s servants, sent for your good.”

Hitler was disqualified with the first sentence in verse 3. Lutheran pastor Martin Niemöller was pastor during the early years of Hitler but years later he wrote:

“First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a socialist. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a trade unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.”

Had a critical mass of German Pastors led their congregations to rise up early enough in public street protests and public civil disobedience, God would have honored them, and they would have saved their nation and millions of innocent lives over the world.

Most of the German pastors did not follow the courageous example of their German pastor forefathers – Martin Luther and his fellow pastors. During the time of Martin Luther the Roman Catholic church and the Pope had more unique civil power than many kings and princes.

To openly challenge the Pope was a certain death sentence. But Luther and his fellow pastors fearlessly led open publicly revolt against unbiblical authority. Through faith and perilous times they transformed their country from demonic oppression to honoring the Bible and the life-giving Christian rule of law. Those bold pastors not only saved their country but ignited the Protestant Christian Reformation across all of Europe and soon spread to America!

The word “protestant” was derived from the Latin word “protestari,” meaning “to declare publicly and one who protests!” Martin Luther and the 16th century German pastors and their fellow-Christians were in their streets publicly protesting civil oppression and unrighteousness. They publicly protested so much that they became known as the “Protesters” i.e. the “Protestants!” And that era of history became known as the “Protestant Reformation.”

I hear God asking today (Ps. 94:16):

“Who will rise up for me against the evildoers? Or who will stand up for me against the workers of iniquity?”

Which Christian leaders will you follow TODAY:

* Leaders like the forgotten fearful pastors in the 1930’s who temporarily saved themselves but later lost their lives and their congregations … and eventually their nation and the lives of millions!

* Or leaders like Martin Luther and his fellow pastors who risked their lives and reputations - who rose up in public political protest against illegitimate civil authorities and laws that were contrary to God and the Bible. They ended up saving their lives, their congregations, their nation, and millions of others!

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