Colossians 2:9,10—For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ, Who is the head over every power and authority.
Welcome to the age of authoritarianism. Can you pick up a newspaper without finding some new intrusion by politicians or activists who would attempt to further regulate what you can and cannot do? I fear that many of us are caught in the adrenaline rush to be right, to be treated in a certain manner, and to be left alone by an overbearing big brother. Are we becoming increasingly preoccupied with the fear of living in a society ever more hostile to our faith?
There seems to be a growing sense of outrage among many believers today that our religious rights our being threatened. We have never recovered from losing the right to pray out loud in public schools. We are appalled at the treatment Christians are receiving in what should be a Judeo-Christian nation. We are finding it more attractive to congregate with those of like-mind making us an even more distinct sub-culture.
Have no fear! It is not the authority of government, or the laws of a nation which determine our status. We may lose our freedoms. We may find like most people in other lands, that to be a Christian takes not just an act of faith but an act of courage. Regardless of how we are viewed or what we are told we can or cannot do, it is God's authority which reigns supreme.
Our responsibility is to be obedient to our fantastic Father in heaven. If His Spirit so leads us we may fight to preserve our constitutional rights. But let us never forget that the constitution of the land is not our primary concern. Our prime motive should be to march to the beckon and beat of God's voice. If we die at the hands of men, we live forever by the grace of Christ. If we bow before God's authority our joy will be complete in Him despite our earthly circumstances. "What He says I will do. Where He sends I will go!" He is Lord and that is what matters most.
Inspiration
