Obey God rather than Men

People with a conscience have the fear of God in their hearts as they go on their daily living. They respect others’ rights to life, liberty and property, for such is God’s law. Their justice is based on following God’s law, since God is supreme lawgiver under whom all others are subservient. Thus as Jesus had said, the substance of the law is: “So always treat others as you would like them to treat you; that is the meaning of the Law and the Prophets” (Mt. 7:12).

That means no one is obliged to obey any human authority when such gives an order violating God’s law, as is basically contained in the 10 commandments. We know of cases in past history, here or in other places, where soldiers were given orders to shoot, but they refused to obey because the would-be victims were innocent people. That happened in cases where the military subjects or members were people with conscience and the fear of God in their hearts. Let’s recall too the response of the early Apostles of Christianity who were commanded by the Jewish Sanhedrin not to teach or propagate the name of Jesus. The Holy Bible describes their reaction as follows. “When they had brought them in to face the Sanhedrin, the high priest demanded an explanation. ‘We gave you a formal warning’ he said, ‘not to preach in this name, and what have you done? You have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and seem determined to fix the guilt of this man’s death on us.’ In reply Peter and the apostles said, ‘Obedience to God comes before obedience to men; it was the God of our ancestors who raised up Jesus, but it was you who had him executed by hanging on a tree. By his own right hand God has now raised him up to be leader and savior, to give repentance and forgiveness of sins through him to Israel. We are witnesses to all this, we and the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him’” (Acts 5:29). Such is the same tenor of the Church when it stands against the anti-life forces that want to obstruct human life by promoting artificial contraceptives and abortion (e.g. RH bill). In the initial pages of the Bible we hear of God’s decree: “God blessed them, saying to them, ‘Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth and conquer it.’” (Gen. 1:28).

Let’s give God the first place and command in our lives. Many problems or conflicts in the world were caused by false prophets and leaders with a greed for power and money.