Guest essay by Ben Gilmore
All authority comes (ultimately) from God. Thus, “authority” (direction, regulation, control, restraint) contrary to authority delegated by God does not exist. It might be called rogue authority. Laws (rules of action) made by such rogue authority should be considered no law at all. In the Bible, King David had the king’s authority (ultimately) from God. When David propositioned Bathsheba, he had stepped outside his God-given authority and Bathsheba was under no obligation to submit. David had no authority to make such a proposal. He had gone rogue.
Had Bathsheba refused to submit to rogue authority, the story might have had a happier ending!
I believe each of us will face hard choices. (It would have been difficult for Bathsheba to refuse such a powerful authority figure.) It boils down to whether we will do what we know is right, because it is right, and let the results take care of themselves. Or we try to manipulate and compromise in an effort to produce better results, which, by the way, never works!
I have been waiting for someone to make the point that authority comes from God, not government! Neither the Supreme Court, nor the Legislature, nor the President has rogue authority. We the people cannot give government what we don’t have. We the people have no authority outside the laws of nature and of nature’s God. Within those laws, “We the people” authorized our Constitution. “We the people” did give the Supreme Court the authority to determine if laws are within the authority “We the people” placed in OUR Constitution. “We the people” did not give the Supreme Court the authority to make laws.
Suppose every Christian in America understood “rogue authority” and refused, as an individual, to submit to it while being very careful to stay within the laws of nature and of nature’s God. We would all better understand and respect the liberty we have from God.
Ben Gilmore has been a Korean War era fighter pilot, Youth with a Mission evangelist, and political candidate and activist. For the last thirty years or so, Ben has actively pursued and taught America’s Christian history and government. With his dear wife Fran, accomplished scholar and writer, the Gilmores founded ACH Study Groups. These courses prepare Christians to think and act in practical, systematically Biblical, relational terms regarding our civil responsibilities. Ben also serves as media spokesman for NPI’s title by Mary-Elaine Swanson John Locke: Philosopher of American Liberty. You may contact Ben at [email protected]. This essay originally published by ACH Study Groups as a part of an e-newsletter, September 8, 2015.
© 2015 Used by Permission
No comments yet.