“To obey or not to obey?”
Written by Brian Alarid
America’s attention right now is focused on Kim Davis, the Kentucky county clerk who refused to issue same-sex marriage licenses and was jailed for her stance. Should she have obeyed the law, stood her ground, or just resigned?
When President Obama defied the Defense of Marriage Act that was passed into law by Congress in 1996 and vowed not to defend it in court, he was applauded for his courage. But when an unknown county clerk defies a law because of her religious beliefs, she is condemned and mocked. Talk about double standards.
If every Christian in America reigned from their jobs instead of standing for their religious beliefs, what would happen to our nation? As Edmund Burk famously said, “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”
When man’s laws violate God’s laws, Christ-followers have a moral obligation to obey the higher law. Peter and John declared in Acts 4:19, “Do you think God wants us to obey you rather than him?” There is a long history of people who disobeyed man’s laws because they answered to a higher law.
Should Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego have obeyed the law of the land and worshipped the image?
Should Daniel have obeyed the law and not prayed to God?
Should Esther have kept silent about a Persian law that had been passed to kill all the Jews?
Should John the Baptist have been silent about Herod’s immorality?
Should Jochebed have obeyed the king’s law and allowed Moses to be killed?
Should Rosa Parks have obeyed the law and given up her seat on the bus to a white person?
We shouldn’t be surprised by the increase of persecution against Bible-believing Christians. In Matthew 24:9-13, Jesus foretold what is happening today: “Then you will be arrested, persecuted, and killed. You will be hated all over the world because you are my followers. And many will turn away from me and betray and hate each other. And many false prophets will appear and will deceive many people. Sin will be rampant everywhere, and the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.”
The Bible teaches that true Christians will be persecuted, whereas lukewarm Christians won’t be persecuted because they don’t live any different than the world. You can’t be both the friend of God and a friend of this world (James 4:4). We must continue preaching the Gospel of Christ in a spirit of love and compassion, but at the same time, stand firm for our biblical convictions. If we don’t stand for something, we will fall for anything.
Respectfully,
Brian Alarid
Lead Pastor | Passion Church
Billy Graham Evangelistic Association
My Hope NM Field Representative
Mobile: 505-934-7646
MY HOPE BILLY GRAHAM
From Pastor Paul Holt………]
First they came for the county clerks…
U.S. District Court Judge David Bunning found Rowan County Clerk Kim Davis in contempt of court for failing to issue marriage licenses to same sex couples, she is now in the hands of US marshals until she submits to the state and signs her name to the licenses she believes to be immoral and unconstitutional.
Lawyers for Kim Davis asked for changes in how such licenses are issued that would not have the signature of county clerks. Those changes include having the state of Kentucky issue the license or allowing someone other than a county’s clerk to sign them.
More than 100 protesters from both sides of the issue gathered outside the courtroom to find out what Judge Bunning would decide to do to the rebellious county clerk, the judge had already ordered the county and it’s clerk to process applications and start issuing licenses and the judge did not believe fines would compel Davis to issue the licenses so to prison with her.
It should be noted that Kim Davis has been under additional fire as her life history is being revealed to all of the world. She has had a sorted past with four marriages and complicated parentage of her children. To her credit, Davis has stated that she came to know Jesus as her savior only a few years ago and from that time has been committed to a godly lifestyle which has resulted in her current situation.
We have been stating for some time that civil disobedience and Christian beliefs would lead to jail time for those who will not bend the knee to the state and that day has arrived.
It will not end here.
