Kim Davis Needs to Submit or Quit?

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.

Romans 13:1

It seems there are many Christians who either do not understand the battle in the heavens that is occurring around them or who do not hold a true biblical worldview.  Reading comments on social media sites often bears this out.  For instance, there are those that hold the opinion that Kim Davis should have simply done her job so that she could be in line with the verse above calling for believers to submit to governmental authority.  Others feel that she should just tolerate what others are doing "behind closed doors" and just try to get along in love.  One quote said, “No one’s being jailed for practicing their religion.  Someone’s being jailed for using the government to force others to practice their religion."  So are these points really valid. 

Is this true?  Does the Apostle Peter in 1 Peter 2:13-14 also bear this out when he writes, “Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme or to governors…”  There seem to be some pastors who think her proper course of action would be to have just quit and step aside rather than try to be "a hero"  (A Case in Point—Not a Hero).  What would happen to society if every Christian suddenly left their job every time godlessness was displayed in public?  Is that the right thing to do?  What if every teacher who will soon be forced to teach homosexual behavior as normal just walked out of their classroom rather than take a stand?  Should Christian doctors be forced to murder infants just because the government has deemed abortion legal to the point of even funding it?  Should they just leave their practice?  Maybe all Christians should leave politics because everyone knows that politics is filled with unscrupulous men and women?  After all, even the apostles told us to follow the government and fear their sword. 

Well then it is apparent the both Paul and Peter were hypocrites, or were they giving us a greater example to follow when government goes astray?  Paul was ordered to stop preaching in the name of Jesus by government officials countless times.  What about both John and Peter being called to stop preaching in Jesus name by an official board of inquiry?  Look at their answer, “Peter and John answered them, “Decide for yourselves whether God wants people to listen to you rather than to him. We cannot stop talking about what we’ve seen and heard.”  They did not stop and were considered criminals because of it.  Really, how many times do we see them in jail for their stand for righteousness in the pages of scripture?  To use Romans 13:1 or 1 Peter 2:13 to justify siding against God on moral issues He alone has the authority to define is just plain bad hermeneutics.

So, should a care giver at a nursing home stop offering assistance to a person because they are gay?  Should a cashier at a grocery store not sell something to someone because they are clearly a crack addict?  Should a pastor meet folks at the door and usher out every prostitute that tries to enter the church?  Of course not!  These are person to person responses where one might be given the ability to be the hands and feet of Christ to minister healing or salvation.  God always has redemption in mind, and that is the key to the situation that this Kentucky clerk finds herself in.  To permit a marriage license that is a direct affront to God from an unjust government is paramount to sending a message that God has changed His mind about what is right and wrong at a national level.  Here we have much biblical precendent.

Was not Daniel a government official?  He held one of the top positions in the government of Babylon.  For the sake of tolerance and unity in the nation (actually, it was to make the Jews stand out in order to prepare them for persecution—sound familiar to recent government actions?) several bureaucrats came up with the plan that would make all prayer to the king alone.  Since individual spiritual beliefs were so powerful and they often revolved around national themes, it seemed to make sense to the king to stop all disobedience to His power and to issue an edict that created the worship of the king (This was also an issue the early church faced in Rome, and we know that these folks died in their official positions and their lives rather than desecrate the name of Jesus by worshiping a mere man).  However, Daniel REFUSED to follow the law which was a violation of his governmental established authority as a public official.  To Daniel, serving God was more important than a man-made law that defied the Commandments of God.  He didn't quit!  He stood firm to see the LORD's salvation.  How many souls may have been lost had Daniel just faked a prayer for the sake of unity, “love” and tolerance? 

Were not Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah also bureaucrats with a sworn duty of allegiance?  Not bowing to a statue in public after a royal edict was tantamount to treason.  Yet, they saw that serving God was much more important than following a godless law that would have destroyed their beliefs and biblical values.  Would we have even heard of any of these men above had they “Just quit” as some have suggested that Kim Davis should do?  Neither did they quit.  My friend, you will not see the 4th man until you are in the fire!

Would we know of the midwives of Egypt who rebelled against Pharaoh’s command to kill the Jews had they just ran from their official capacities rather than defile conscience?  What about Samuel the Judge?  He withstood a king to his face. Consider the many prophets who told the truth to erring kings. Were they wrong to “withstand the powers that be”?  Friends, we are in a spiritual battle for the soul of a nation.  To abandon your post in the middle of the war does not make one a hero but a coward. 

To justify the wicked in their sin by committing a sin of omission (running from duty so as to not “offend”) is an act of hatred not love.  It blinds the sinner from their need of salvation and effectively hides the cross.  As AW Tozer once said, “I’d rather stand with God and have the world as my enemy, than to go along with it to destruction.”  I would rather take a hit in the public’s eye while standing true to God than allowing anyone to think that their godless actions are acceptable to a Holy GOD. 

Hopefully you can see that Jesus Christ is Soon2Come.

By the way, Read Psalm 2 today!  When Jesus returns He will use a rod of iron to “use the government to force others to practice their religion.”   Those who use this foolish argument need to study Lt. Governor Gavin Newsome of California? He was the mayor of San Francisco when the citizens of California legally banned gay marriage in the state in 2004. He blatantly ordered his clerks to continue issuing marriage license in spite of the law. No judge sent him to jail nor chastised him, but he was considered a hero. Maybe they should also look at the civil disobedience of Sheriff Sandra Hutchins of Orange County, CA who is refusing to issue concealed carry permits in spite of the law.  Hmmm… sounds like double standards.