Free servants of God submitting to earthly authority

Introduction

Only last week Andrew Thorburn was forced to resign because as chief executive officer of the Essendon Football Club, as ABC news recorded it, “for chairing a church that has broadcast views opposing same sex relationships and abortion.” The same article also declares, “There are warnings of a Marxist plot to cancel religion and overturn Western civilisation.” The issue revolves around same-sex relationships and abortion. The Victorian Premier called Thorburn’s views appalling and disgusting.

The ABC article goes further and exposes the incompatibility between worldly standards and Biblical standards. It writes: "People of faith have many interpretations of biblical teachings. It has been said the Bible is not one book but a library — complex and contradictory. It is also possible for people to hold orthodox Christian views and yet speak those values in a way that is respectful and not harmful to others. That is another Christian virtue: humility.” The question always remains: who defines the terms? What is humility, justice, judgment. When are things disgusting and appalling?

A an officer in the State of Kentucky in the USA was instructed to issue marriage certificates to same sex-couples. She rules and said:

"I promised to love Him [God] with all my heart, mind and soul because I wanted to make heaven my home.”

The Christians to whom Peter wrote became citizens of a new kingdom. Their highest allegiance was to God and not to the Caesar. He presented himself as god and they worshipped him as god. Everyone else saw him as the one who made life possible for them. But Christians did not bow to him. Therefore caesar-worshippers looked at Christians are citizens who turned against the gods of old who had made Rome strong. Therefore Christians were made responsible for the disasters which were slowly overtaking the Roman world.

Westminster Confession of Faith

How do Christians live in the world hostile to the Gospel and Kingdom of Jesus Christ? Our Confession helps us.

God, the supreme Lord and King of all the world, has ordained civil authorities, to be, under Him, over the people, for his own glory, and the public good. And, for this purpose, has armed them with the power of the sword, for the defence and encouragement of them who are good, and for the punishment of evildoers. It is the duty of civil magistrates to protect the person and good name of all their people.