Tuesday, September 12, 2017

Keeping a Clear Conscience

Tuesday, September 12, 2017
Everyone must submit to governing authorities.  For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God.  So anyone who rebels against authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and they will be punished.  For the authorities do not strike fear in people who are doing right, but in those who are doing wrong.  Would you like to live without fear of the authorities?  Do what is right, and they will honor you.  The authorities are God’s servants, sent for your good.  But if you are doing wrong, of course you should be afraid, for they have the power to punish you.  They are God’s servants, sent for the very purpose of punishing those who do what is wrong.  So you must submit to them, not only to avoid punishment, but also to keep a clear conscience.     Romans 13:1-5(NLT)         
On the political scene we are nearly 8 months into a new administration in Washington.  I fully expected that one of two things would have happened by now; either the world would have ended, or the angry rhetoric would have simmered-down to a grumble level.  There is no indication either has happened.  The news cycles, with the President and everything he does subject to micro-inspection crosshairs of critique, push the envelope from the (so-called) moral high ground.  This is the traditional role of the side that lost an election.  Pushback from the other side is as fragmented as can be, the president seemingly not beholden to any group, and willing to fry anyone at any time.  And the leadership of the party in power mill around dazed and chaotic as to whether they  really “won” anything, and what to do about the power/non-power they possess.
It is a strange time!
Whichever side you voted for in the election, the critical question for any thinking citizen, (particularly those who want to follow Christ) is:  What do I do now?  If you pulled the lever in either direction last November – or if you chose to stay home and stay out/above the process – you do have a life to live, and responsibilities to your neighbors; we are our brother’s keepers.
Paul reminds us that a believer’s responsibility is first to God.  It is from God all authority is received.  Whatever party and platform of government you favor, it is with an eye towards obedience to God that you must choose your actions; that is, if you wish to have a clear conscience. 
Of course this brings into view the whole matter of the possibility of civil disobedience.  For a Christian, disobeying civil authority only comes into focus when that government clearly requires you to do something clearly opposite of what God’s Word requires of you.  For instance, if a government wants you to murder, steal, or otherwise violate the God-given life of a fellow human being, and your conscience tells you this without doubt, you are bound to obey God rather than man.
My Dad had a clear conscience the day he refused to fire a man, when ordered to do so by his superior.  Jobs were scarce, and the man to be fired was a good, hard-working employee who’d served the company well for many years; he’d also done nothing wrong.  My Dad’s superior just happened to be having an extra-marital affair with the woman who was only a temporary employee.  The boss wanted to keep her on the payroll.  Dad stood firm, and told the boss if he insisted on firing the man, he could add my Dad’s name to the termination list.  As a result, my Dad was out of work along with the man he stood-up for.  You don’t have to ask whose conscience remained clear.

For You Today

A believer’s first responsibility is to the government of that city made without hands.
You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road…have a blessed day!


[1] Title Image: Courtesy of Pixabay.com

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