Tuesday, January 20, Barack Obama was sworn in as the 44th President of the United States.
I know there are many Christians who are not happy about this. Given some of his positions and beliefs, this is understandable. However, I won’t take time to discuss the grievances now.
The New Testament does not teach that we must be happy with our leaders. It does not teach that we must agree with them either. We do not even have to follow and support them above and beyond what the law requires of us.
What does the New Testament teach we must do in regards to our leaders?
- Be subject to them (Romans 13:1; 1 Peter 2:13) – We are to obey the laws of the land, so long as obedience to those laws does not require that we disobey God’s instructions (Acts 5:29).
- Honor them (1 Peter 2:17) – Give them a degree of respect for the sake of their office, since civil government does have a specified role in God’s plan (Romans 13:1-6).
- Pray for them (1 Timothy 2:1-2) – Interestingly, we are not told to pray for their good health or success (though it might be fine to do this). Specifically, we must pray that they fulfill their God-ordained role, which will allow us to “lead a tranquil and quiet life” (1 Timothy 2:2).
We need to remember that our primary allegiance is to God (Acts 5:29). Our citizenship is in heaven (Philippians 3:20). No government or politician can take away our true hope in the Lord.
