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Fear God And Honor The King
by Ken Barnes Show respect for everyone. Love your Christian brothers and sisters. Fear God. Show respect for the king. (I Peter 2:17 NLT). The Bible is very clear that we are to fear God and respect the king. This may include leaders who we disagree with or even find their views repugnant. In the next verse (v. 18), it speaks of servants being submissive and respectful to those over them whether they are good and gentle or unreasonable. We have politicians over us in this country that are doing things that sometimes make us very sorrowful and even angry. We must remember when Peter wrote this letter there was great persecution going on much more significant than what is happening today. We should and must speak against unrighteousness, but we must always do it in a respectful manner. In verse 21 of I Peter 2 Jesus tells us that he is our example, and in verse 23 that he never retaliated. If we speak disrespectfully, even in righteous indignation, it only justifies to them their bad behavior. Submissive hearts and lives are what pleases God and ultimately wins people over. For some of my dear Christian friends this piece may be a bit troubling or even make you angry. Though I understand your anger, the Bible is clear, we must respect those God has placed over us. President Obama is our president and we should show him deference as one who holds that office. Granted for Christians he makes that pretty difficult sometimes. We can and should disagree with him when it violates our consciences, but always in a civil manner. When unrighteousness is promoted we should not let our emotions trump (no pun intended) the Word of God. We must fear God, and honor the king. I worked for seventeen years as a missionary with Youth With A Mission. My missionary work has taken me to Mexico, Canada, Chile, Argentina, Bolivia, Spain, and Ukraine. I hold a Masters of Education in curriculum and instruction from Virginia Commonwealth University. [email protected] Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com |