Romans 13: Are born again believers supposed to blindly obey the government?

Are born again believers supposed to obey the government without questions?

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“One pastor I know actually supported the No Jab No Job advisory. He said it's for the protection of the majority. Sigh" — Jake Goh Maoda

“… there was a stage (somewhere 2021) that I sought the views of two Christian leaders I knew personally (one a pastor of a small church and the other an ex-boss who is also in a leadership position in a Mormon church). None of these two quoted any scriptures to caution on the ills of the jabs, instead they were so obedient to authorities and one even told me.. "see, even the pope has advised pp to take the vac". Good thing I was not influenced by them. Truth be told, I've been deeply disappointed and shell shocked by how most influential church leaders, as well as the (submissive) medical community had responded to the Plandemic pressures the past 2+ yrs.” — Shirley Tay

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We begin from Romans 13 verse 1:

Romans 13:1 "Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God."

This verse tells is that there are “higher powers” that God has ordained over men, for it is the will of God that we be subject unto the higher powers that God has ordained over us.

Romans 13:2 "Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation."

Paul equates these higher powers to “the ordinance of God,” just like how Jesus ordained the twelve apostles:

Mark 3:14 "And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach,"

Apostles were men chosen by God for a special purpose, that is, to reveal the mystery of God unto the church, whosoever will believe in the words of the LORD. In the same manner, rulers are men ordained by God for a purpose. Paul explains their purpose in the next verse:

Romans 13:3 "For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same:"

Peter explains the meaning of “rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil” in this passage:

1 Peter 2:13-16 "Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme; 14 Or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well. 15 For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men: 16 As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God."

Rulers are ministers of God for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of them that do well, and it is also the will of God concerning born again believers that we should submit ourselves as servants of God unto these rulers regardless of whether they be good and gentle, or they be froward:

1 Peter 2:17-18 "Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king. 18 Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward."

God made rulers (both good and froward) ministers of God, and he has also given them a “sword” to execute his judgments upon the earth.

Romans 13:4 "For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil."

God is able to use the kings of the earth and the rulers of this world to execute his wrath upon those that doeth evil, in the same way, he was able to use king Nebuchadnezzar to execute his judgment upon Israel, and caused the children of Israel to be scattered among the heathen:

Ezekiel 36:16-20 "¶ Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, 17 Son of man, when the house of Israel dwelt in their own land, they defiled it by their own way and by their doings: their way was before me as the uncleanness of a removed woman. 18 Wherefore I poured my fury upon them for the blood that they had shed upon the land, and for their idols wherewith they had polluted it: 19 And I scattered them among the heathen, and they were dispersed through the countries: according to their way and according to their doings I judged them. 20 And when they entered unto the heathen, whither they went, they profaned my holy name, when they said to them, These are the people of the LORD, and are gone forth out of his land."

God made rulers ministers of God, and he has given them a “sword” to execute his judgments upon the earth, but there is a caveat, as we read in Romans 13:3 “… For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil…” This is just like the how the commandments of the LORD are not a condemnation to good works, but to the evil, as in:

Deuteronomy 11:26-28 "¶ Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse; 27 A blessing, if ye obey the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you this day: 28 And a curse, if ye will not obey the commandments of the LORD your God, but turn aside out of the way which I command you this day, to go after other gods, which ye have not known."

The commandments of the LORD is the standard by which God execute his judgments upon man — for those who obey the commandments, a blessing, and for those who will not obey, a curse. A ruler is nothing but an instrument by which God has ordained that he should bear rule over other men based on God’s commandments. Joseph was made a ruler over the people of Egypt, and according to his word shall they be ruled:

Genesis 41:39-40 "And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Forasmuch as God hath shewed thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou art: 40 Thou shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled: only in the throne will I be greater than thou."

In like manner, a ruler is to bear rule according to the written words of the law, and their ordinance is to uphold the commandments of the LORD: “thou shalt not kill”, “thou shalt not commit adultery”, “thou shalt not steal”, “thou shalt not bear false witness”, etc. Paul tells us:

Romans 2:14-15 "For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves: 15 Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;)"

Therefore, even the gentiles, while not having the law, have the work of the law written in their hearts. It is not a coincidence that in every country and nation throughout history, we will find these commandments embedded in the law of the land. That is why Paul said in:

Romans 13:2 "Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation."

So, when one resists the laws of the land wherein the commandments of the LORD are embedded, he is not resisting man, but “higher powers” (Romans 13:1), and “higher powers” refers to the commandments of the LORD. Therefore, they that resist the law shall receive to themselves, damnation.

Job 19:29 "Be ye afraid of the sword: for wrath bringeth the punishments of the sword, that ye may know there is a judgment."

The “punishments of the sword” is the judgment of God according to this verse. A ruler of the land does not bear rule over people with physical swords but written laws, and the laws of the land are the “sword” by which he executes wrath upon him that doeth evil. God has made him a “revenger” against the evil (not the good).

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“I say as far as possible because Hitler passed the "laws" he needed to technically make everything he did "lawful" under German law but we all know how "unlawful" what he did really was despite his attempt at legislative cover so you have to decide for yourself what is really lawful and what is dictators giving themselves cover.” — Brad Bowyer

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What if the rulers of the land made laws that violate the commandments of the LORD? Afterall, Hitler passed the "laws" he needed to technically make everything he did "lawful" under the German law. Are these rulers still ruling according to the “ordinance of God” (Romans 13:2)? What if a ruler requires you to violate the commandments of the LORD, such as “thou shalt have no other gods before me?”

Daniel 3:16-18 "Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed–nego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter. 17 If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. 18 But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up."

The answer from the Bible is “we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up” (Daniel 3:18). In this case, it is not you or I that have resisted the ordinance of God, but that the rulers have brought it upon themselves to defy the most High. There is no higher power, but the ordinance that be of God.

Romans 12:18 "If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men."

As born again believers, we ought to be subject to the law of the land, and as much as lieth in us, we ought to live peaceably with all men. However, there may come a time when we would be forced to take a stand, just like what happened to Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed–nego. If this happens, that is where we must go by the commandments of the LORD and not the law of the land. Do we have a second and a third witness? Of course. In fact, there are plenty of examples, but for brevity's sake, I will only quote a few examples from the Old Testament and the New Testament.

Daniel defied king Darius’ decree to not worship God:

Daniel 6:10 "¶ Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime."

Esther went in unto king Ahasuerus when she was not called:

Esther 4:16 "Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish."

Peter and John defied the rulers, elders, and scribes who ordered them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus:

Acts 4:18-20 "And they called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. 19 But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye. 20 For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard."

Again, when the high priest, the captain of the temple and the chief priests arrested Peter and other apostles and charged them not to teach in Jesus’ name:

Acts 5:26-29 "Then went the captain with the officers, and brought them without violence: for they feared the people, lest they should have been stoned. 27 And when they had brought them, they set them before the council: and the high priest asked them, 28 Saying, Did not we straitly command you that ye should not teach in this name? and, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this man’s blood upon us. 29 ¶ Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men."

In all of the above examples, it was not the born again believers that had resisted the ordinance of God, but that the rulers have brought it upon themselves to defy the most High. The life of a truly born again believer must always be lived by faith and not by sight — no exception, not even in the face of death. Maybe that's the reason why the pure word of God is hated by the kings and the rulers of the earth (Psalms 2). It is said that the Holy Bible is presently banned in some 52 countries worldwide. There is no higher power but that be of God:

Daniel 2:21 "And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding:"

Daniel 4:25 "That they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field, and they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and they shall wet thee with the dew of heaven, and seven times shall pass over thee, till thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will."

John 19:11 "Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin."

A man has no power against another man except it be given to him from above. God is the one who rules over the kingdom of men, and he has the power to remove and set up kings according to his will. The rulers got their powers from God. Even the Devil himself has no power over a man except it were given to him from above, for example:

Job 1:12 "And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD."

Job 2:6-7 "And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, he is in thine hand; but save his life. 7 ¶ So went Satan forth from the presence of the LORD, and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown."

1 Kings 22:22 "And the LORD said unto him, Wherewith? And he said, I will go forth, and I will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And he said, Thou shalt persuade him, and prevail also: go forth, and do so."

In all these three passages, and also in John 19:11, it was God that allowed the evil to happen to a man, and they happened for a divine purpose. So, if God has given a nation over to wicked rulers, it was also for a divine purpose. The will of God is prophecy "... for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy." (Revelation 19:10), and the will of God is a mystery that must work to the very end (Revelation 10:7), God fulfilling his every word through the things and events that MUST take place because he hath spoken in his word.

Isaiah 55:11 "So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

Well, it has been more than two years since COVID-19, and at one point, the law of the land had been to coerce people to get them “vaccinated” (inoculated), without which their livelihoods and jobs will be forcefully taken away from them in the name of “because we want to protect you." Those who refused the jabs have had their liberties taken away because they could not work nor find a job to generate income necessary to sustain themselves and their families.

While I believe whatever had happened to Singapore is the will of God concerning this wicked nation, but the politicians who made these laws have not ruled according to the “ordinance of God” (Romans 13:2), or have they? First and foremost, is it lawful that a person should be prevented from making a living? Consider these verses:

Genesis 3:19 "In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return."

Psalms 128:2 "For thou shalt eat the labour of thine hands: happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee."

Proverbs 6:6-8 "¶ Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise: 7 Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler, 8 Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest."

Proverbs 10:5 "He that gathereth in summer is a wise son: but he that sleepeth in harvest is a son that causeth shame."

Proverbs 21:25 "The desire of the slothful killeth him; for his hands refuse to labour."

Ecclesiastes 2:24 "¶ There is nothing better for a man, than that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labour. This also I saw, that it was from the hand of God."

1 Timothy 5:8 "But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel."

The answer from the Bible is a clear ‘No.’ In fact, the laws that were enacted to prevent a person from entering the workplace if he refused the jabs are to make him worse than an infidel, for without an income derived from his job, he could not provide for his own and his house. This is like the brave Singaporean lady who chose to stand up for the rights of her fellow Singaporeans remain vaccine-free if they have so chosen to do remain so. She said “bad laws will make criminals of good people,” and I think she is spot on:

It is in the ordinance of God that a man should work and provide for his house, and under no conditions should he be prevented from making an honest living. There is no question about that, and the politicians who enacted these bad laws shall not get away with it. They may think that they are above the law of the land, and while these politicians and the media have taken a uniform view to scapegoat the unvaccinated, but shall not “the judge of all the earth” (Genesis 18:25) judge them? According to Romans 13:3 “For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil…” Instead of them be a terror to the evil, these politicians have become a terror to good works. They have perverted the judgment of the LORD and therefore they will pay the price for it. It is only a matter of time.