Subject

"Ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience' sake," Romans 13:5.

Be subject? Subject to whom? governing authorities. Says who? The Bible. Yeah, but God didn't know about this evil government that we have to live under! No matter, the Good Book says the government agent is God's servant, and as God's servant he's the avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer. Whoa! Stop the presses! What about the part that says, Obey God and not man? Yep, it's all there. So, when the authorities tell us to stop loving people, or stop showing kindness, or stop blessing our enemy - when the government tells us to murder, or to steal, or to be greedy - well, then, we just keep on doing kindness, blessing the enemy, loving the neighbor as ourselves. We will not be deceived: we keep on being transformed by God's Spirit working on our hearts.

With a brother or sister we affirm Jesus subjected himself to the government's sentence of death, for us. And that God raised him from the dead, for us. And, together, we give thanks for God's eternal love and provision.