Tuesday, June 2, 2020

Should Respect for Governmental Authority Be Ignored in Times Like These?

The short answer is "No."
I watched some of the "news" this morning.
The media continues to undermine Presidential authority and the respect that should be shown to authority (as Scripture teaches).
I also notice that they have all but abandoned concern for the health of people.
You don't see them complaining very much about the mass gatherings or the risk of COVID-19...only maybe a brief mention.

Breaking the law is not peaceful.  
Yes, that means that people breaking curfew are not doing God's will (Romans 13 and 1 Peter 2:13-17).
If they are asked to disperse and refuse, law enforcement is perfectly justified in dispersing them.
Meanwhile, people's businesses have been damaged or ruined, people injured, and even murdered...in the name of protest. 
People have damaged monuments and police vehicles (which is something that costs the taxpayers money).

Can people not see the hypocrisy of those showing hate and doing damage to people and property? 

The police are recruited from the same sinful human race as everyone else, and those who protest them are not any less prone to sin. 
There are those in law enforcement who do their best every day.  
The main thing that is systemic is sin's presence in all of humankind.
The Bible teaches me to obey authorities.  It doesn't even say "just the ones who are nice."
It teaches us to love our neighbors.  It teaches love and prayer even for enemies.

America has the blessing of allowing people to address things in a lawful and peaceful way.
So, those who see bad things that they want to address can do it without breaking the laws or disrespecting authority.
Many countries do not have nearly as much freedom as we have.
The most common injustice in America that causes death is against babies in the womb.
Sadly, that has been made legal.
Some people seem to think they can be anarchists when they see something wrong, but this shouldn't be the case with Christians.

Have you ever hated or been angry with someone?
Matthew 5:21-22 shows that in God's sight anger can be as bad as murder.
Even righteous anger can quickly turn into unrighteous anger.
Have you ever lusted?
That is as bad as adultery in God's eyes.
God's justice always will prevail, but the whole human race is sinful regardless of color or ethnicity.
There is none righteous.
We are born a sinful race.  All of us.
We need forgiveness and mercy, and the only way to have that is through faith in Christ ... to have His perfect righteousness credited to our account.  He died to satisfy God's just wrath against the sins of all who put their trust in Him, and He rose again (Romans 4:25).
Please watch this ➨What is the Gospel message?

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