What should Christians do when the government punishes what is good?

Kris Baines explores the complex relationship between Christians and governmental authorities, as outlined in the 1689 Baptist Confession and the Bible. God has established different spheres of authority, including the state, family, and church. However, there are times when these jurisdictions collide, and the government may overreach its bounds. In such cases, Christians are called to be wise, to stand firm in their faith, and to be good citizens while also prioritizing obedience to God over man.

When faced with situations where the government punishes good and rewards evil, it is crucial for Christians to remember that God takes care of the consequences of our obedience. Although it can be difficult and requires courage, believers are encouraged to obey Christ first and foremost. This is not an act of rebellion but a commitment to pleasing God above all else. The example of the early church reminds us that obedience to God sometimes leads to suffering, but it is a testament to our faith.

Acts 5:29 (NKJV): "But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: 'We ought to obey God rather than men.'"

So God has obviously established various jurisdictions in the state, the family, the church, and yet there are times when we find there's a collision, where there's a conflict, and increasingly we're seeing that there's overreach. And so as families, we need to be very wise because we want to be a good example we want to be a good witness in society we want to be good citizens we want to obey the government as we're commanded to in Romans 13 yet as we have seen in recent years, there are times where the government is not seeking to reward good, but to punish good. It's not seeking to punish evil, but reward evil. And at times have tried to call for us as Christians, as families, as the church, to do things that God forbids or forbid that which God commands or to call us to do that which is not theirs to command us to do. In those situations we must obey Christ first and foremost, either in the church context as the head of the church, in our own families, when the state tries to overstep and overreach in humility and in wisdom, we must stand firm to our post.

And if we are brought into a situation where we are forced to make a decision, we must obey God, not man. And if there are consequences to that, it's really important to remember that God always takes care of the consequences of our obedience. And we're still submitting, even if we face the consequences, because we're submitting to the consequences that the government or the state might bring against us. This is never easy. Sometimes it's easy to know what we have to do but to actually carry it out like in the times we had during lockdowns.

But to actually walk through it is difficult. And it takes courage that is beyond what we have available. But it is essential that we put God first. And this is gonna happen more and more in the times that we're living in. We're not being rebellious.

We need not, like it says in Peter, feel that we need to be ashamed of our conduct because we are seeking to please God first and foremost.