Under Cover
Tonight we begin by looking into an exhortation Peter had given. 1 Peter 2:11-12, “Dear friends, you are foreigners and strangers on this earth. So I beg you not to surrender to those desires that fight against you. Always let others see you behaving properly, even though they may still accuse you of doing wrong.”
We will find that the “proper behavior” Peter is talking about is submission to authority. The fight that is mentioned is the war within us between our rebellious nature that wants to disobey authority and our need to be in submission and right standing with God. We regard the desire to disobey as our ally and submission as our enemy, but that is the farthest from the truth.
Peter said that even when we are submitting and obeying, that we may still be accused of doing wrong. Some say, “what good is it to do what is right, when I am blamed for things I have not done wrong?” They have lost sight that the importance of obedience rests with God and not with man. Their reward for obedience is found in HIM.
Eph 6:5-8, “Servants [employees, church members, civilians, ect.], respectfully obey your earthly masters [employers, church leaders, civil authorities, ect.] but always with an eye to obeying the real master, Christ. Don’t just do what you have to do to get by, but work heartily, as Christ’s servants doing what God wants you to do. And work with a smile on your face, always keeping in mind that no matter who happens to be giving the orders, you’re really serving God. Good work will get you good pay from the Master, regardless of whether you are a slave or free.
Back to Peter’s exhortation, “For the Lord’s sake, yield [submit] to the people who have authority in this world; the king, who is the highest authority, and the leaders who are sent by him” (1 Peter 2:13-14 NCV). The Holy Spirit through Peter told us, just as he did through Paul, to submit to all governing authorities. Now the king he was referring to at that time was a harsh ruler, and believers suffered persecution under his rule.
Peter was showing us the importance of recognizing and submitting to authority that God placed on a man, rather then to the man himself. Peter could have never submitted to Herod Agrippa I unless he fully understood and recognized the authority that God put on him.
It is difficult to submit to delegated authority if we have yet to encounter the authority of God. The harder we try to obey, the harder it becomes if we fail to see true authority. Peter warned us because he knew insubordination actually furthers the cause of antichrist or anti-Christian spirits. For this force, “opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God” (2 Thess. 2:4), including methods, ways, operations and appointments of the true, living God. As believers we must ask ourselves, “Are we assisting or restraining the operation of lawlessness?” If we are aiding it, then we are operating under the principles of Satan (rebellion), not God.
Peter continued, “Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.” (1 Peter 2:17) Now Peter is not just telling us to submit to authority but to honor authority. The Greek word for “honor” is timao, which means “to honor, to have in honor, to revere, to venerate.” It is the same work Jesus used when He said, “I honor My Father” (John 8:49).
Webster’s dictionary defines the word honor as “to revere, respect; to treat with deference and submission, and perform relative duties to.” Let me reiterate: the king Peter referred to was the one persecuting the believers of his day! There is no possible way he referred to the king as an individual; he exhorted us to honor him as an appointed authority of God.
Listen to another of John’s stories:
Recently I was interviewed on a live radio talk program of a popular Christian station in a large city in the South. We were discussing one of my books. Ten minutes into the radio interview the announcer took a break. During that time, I heard several commercials and announcements at a lower volume level since I was not actually on air during the break.
All of a sudden, my attention was gripped as I heard a man reporting the national weather. He told the audience of hundreds of thousands how it was so cold in one specific northern state that it froze the lips of the state’s governor. He named the governor and reported his lips were so frozen that he couldn’t open his mouth and say something stupid, as he normally did.
I was in shock; I couldn’t believe what I’d just heard. My thoughts wandered, “Is this a Christian station? Certainly it’s not.” Then I thought, “If it is a Christian Station, maybe this weather forecast was piped in from an Associated Press source.” I couldn’t shake the impact of what I’d heard before the interviewer came back on.
Back on the air he asked a vague question to which I responded by saying how important it was to have the heart of God in all we do. My mind was still troubled by what I’d heard, and I said, “A good example would be what I just heard over the intermission.” I then asked, “Is this a Christian station?”
He responded, “Yes.”
“Well, maybe what I heard was piped in from a secular source because whoever was speaking did not have the heart of God in what was said a few minutes ago.”
He asked, “What are you referring to?”
I responded, “The announcement that made reference to freezing the governor’s mouth shut.”
The interviewer’s voice dropped to a disgusted tone, “That person was me.”
I said, “The Scripture says we are to fear God and honor the king or those in authority.”
He responded in a firmer voice, “Yeah, but there is nothing wrong with a little humor.”
I quickly added, “Not at the expense of what God tells us to honor. The apostle Paul said, ‘Do not speak evil about the ruler of your people.’ (Acts 23:5).”
He closed the live interview before its scheduled conclusion by saying, “Well, John and I don’t see eye to eye on everything.”
I hung up heartbroken. Was this honoring, revering, or venerating the governor? I can admit, this man he mentioned has not always conducted himself in a way deserving of respect, but he holds the office of governor. As Christians, we are to honor that position of authority. How many believers were affected by the irreverent humor? No wonder we’ve lost the respect of so many elements of society.
This is a far cry from the behavior of the early persecuted church. They honored authority. When we behave and speak in this manner, we add to the power of lawlessness at work today. Yet the Bible tells us, “For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way” (2 Thess. 2:7). This behavior wars against the restraining power of the Holy Spirit. It is the principle of Satan!
Let’s return to Peter’s words, “Fear God. Honor the king.” Those who fear God are those who keep before them the Lord of Glory’s high and lofty position. They have met with and been consumed by His far-reaching authority. They esteem what he esteems and hate what he hates. firmly implanted within their lives are reverential fear and respect for all in leadership because god has delegated his authority. a lack of the spirit of the fear of the lord is evident when we do not revere authority remember Isaiah’s description of Jesus:
The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, The Spirit of wisdom and understanding, The Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord. His delight is in the fear of the Lord, And He shall not judge by the sight of His eyes, Nor decide by the hearing of His ears. (Isa. 11:2-3, emphasis added).
Jesus’ delight is in the fear of the Lord. It enabled Him not to judge by natural sight or hearing. That radio host showed by his fruit he was not acquainted with the fear of the Lord as it pertained to delegated authorities. Because the governor’s behavior had not been honorable, the radio host judged him by the hearing of the ear and the sight of the eye, and by these standards, the radio host could be considered accurate. However, if he had seen through the eyes of the fear of the Lord, he would have perceived the appointed authority upon the governor’s life. To slander governmental authority is never an act of godliness.
John the Baptist dealt with the behavior of one in authority named Herod, yet his approach was much different from that of the interviewer. First, John told Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have her [your brother’s wife]”(Matt 14:4). He spoke directly to a sin, not about him disrespectfully. Second, he dealt with Herod from his position of authority as a prophet of God. Last, John wasn’t making irreverent jokes about the king.
The only godly person you will find in the Bible making jokes about men who held a position of leadership is Elijah (1 Kings 18:27). He mocked the false prophets of Baal and Asherah, and the gods they represented. Those men, who possessed not true authority, but counterfeit, led many Israelites into darkness. Their positions were not ordained by God. They were not worthy of honor or submission. People who lead occult organizations are not to be submitted to or obeyed. But they are not to be taken lightly, for even “Michael the archangel, in contending with the devil, when he disputed the body of Moses, dared not bring reviling accusation, but said, ‘The Lord rebuke you!’ But these [the rebellious within the church] speak evil of whatever they do not know” (Jude 9-10). The Spirit of God was upon Elijah to speak in the manner in which he did. For us to flippantly mock any form of leadership, even if it is from darkness, is most unwise.
To return to true appointed authority, it IS difficult to honor and obey when we do not see authority through eyes enlightened by the fear of the Lord. Yet hear what Scriptures say, “He [God] is especially hard on those who follow their own evil, lustful desires and who despise authority. These people are proud and arrogant, daring even to scoff at the glorious ones without so much as trembling” (2 Peter 2:10). Which is really sobering is that Peter and Jude were talking about those in church settings (Jude 12; 2 Peter 2:13-15).
I warned as we began this book, it would be hard for some to receive because too often we view God’s kingdom through democratic mind-sets. That is why we are commanded to be renewed in the spirit of our minds (Eph. 4:23). If the radio host’s mind-set was unique to him, I probably wouldn’t have mentioned it, yet this mind-set blankets the church. I made this discovery during the presidency of Bill Clinton.
When President Clinton was elected in 1992, I was depressed for three days until God dealt with me. He showed me in no uncertain terms that nobody gets into power without His knowledge, and those in authority carry His appointment. Once that was revealed, I began to focus on the authority of the man, not his personal life. When I did, I found a genuine love growing in my heart for this leader and a passionate desire to see him delivered and walking in truth.
I believe the same was true of John the Baptist’s heart toward Herod. Though he spoke sternly, he surely had the heart of God for the corrupt leader. That was why Jeremiah wept over the ones he spoke so strongly to. There are those who speak from legalistic, hate-filled hearts, and there are those who speak the corrective word of the Lord from hearts of burning compassion.
What angers the Lord are those who “faultfind” out of self-righteous judgment. I witnessed this in many churches toward President Clinton. Before continuing, let me reiterate I did not vote for President Clinton in either election, and I am heartbroken over what his behavior released into this country.
While traveling in 1992, I was frequently encouraged by believers to watch a certain ultraconservative man on television. He seemed to have a lot to say about our nation’s liberal leaders, especially the president and his wife. I heard these comments weekly in different cities. These zealots said, “You’ve got to hear this guy. He is nailing what is going on in Washington.” Out of my trust for them, I thought, I’ve got to catch this man and hear what he has to say. I don’t frequently watch television, so it was almost nine months before I finally saw this man.
After returning to my hotel room after a service in California, I flipped on the television, and there he was. He was very funny and had a wild tie on. He then started in on President Clinton. It hit me: This is the man everyone has been telling me about. I was excited to finally hear this famous person. I sat down ready to watch and to hear what he had to say.
I listened for twenty minutes as he bashed the president and made him out to be a jerk. The jokes were hilarious, and the words were witty, but the entire time I had a sick feeling in my stomach. I thought, What’s wrong? Everything he is saying is true. He has captured the liberal mind-set of our president. I then questioned, “Lord, why do I have such an uncomfortable feeling in my heart?”
The Holy Spirit immediately answered, “you shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people (Acts 23:5).
Another Scripture bubbled up in my mind; I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone – for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior (1 Tim 2:1-3). It hit me like a ton of bricks. God commanded us to honor, pray for, intercede for, and give thanks for those in authority. He also commanded us not to speak against them. He has not told us to bash, criticize, fight with, or make fun of them. Though the television commentator was right about much of what he reported, two wrongs never equal a right!
I was not as upset with this man as I was with the believers who were so excited about his message. As far as this commentator was concerned, I regarded him as someone who didn’t know better. What I couldn’t comprehend was how believers could proclaim his message. How were they “honoring the king”? God told us what to do as Christians: pray, intercede, and give thanks. Paul not only spoke of the penalty of death, which will occur to those who walk in the various manifestations of lawlessness, “but also approve of those who practice them” (Rom 1:32).
I started preaching what had happened in that hotel room all over the United States. Many saw the light and repented; others became very angry with me. They argued that the commentator stood for right living and the freedom of speech granted by our government. This is true; however, we have commands that supersede this behavior. Do we live by democratic rule or by the laws of the kingdom of God? Just because our land permits the use of alcohol, should we believers drink freely?
We have a higher law. An unbeliever in Rome wrote about the Christians of the first-century church, “They pass their days on earth, but they are citizens of heaven. They obey the prescribed laws, and at the same time, they surpass the laws by their lives” (Letter to Diognetus, Chapter 5).
What profit is it to listen to slander? What fruit does it bear? Wouldn’t we be more effective to take the time spent watching and spreading that man’s message and instead use it to intercede for out national leaders? Didn’t God say the outcome of obedient behavior would be “that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness”?
I know a minister who met with President Clinton and said, “Any leader who legislates the killing of innocent children will suffer the judgment of God and burn in hell.” This minister behaved no differently from John the Baptist with Herod. This messenger of God spoke out of a heart of righteous anger and genuine love for unborn children and the president. While respecting the authority of the president, this minister spoke the truth. This person would never be one to make sport of the president. When men and women listen to television personalities bash authorities, we lose the heart of God. Listening to slander will not produce eternal fruit.
A heart to honor authority should permeate our behavior, for we honor the Lord’s appointment. Paul exhorted us, “Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you. For he is God’s servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God’s servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also because of conscience. This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing. Give everyone what you owe him: if you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor. (Rom 13:3-7).
God called those in authority His “servants,” and they are worthy to receive due honor and respect. I find this burning in my heart every time I see a policeman, fireman, mayor, councilman, governor, state legislator, judge, congressman, or some other person in a branch of government. I find respect welling up within me when I go to city, state, or federal offices. They are God’s ministers to serve His people.
I’ve received a few speeding tickets, and each time I have told the officer after receiving my ticket, “Sir, I was wrong, and I want to thank you for doing your job and serving our city. Please forgive me for my offense.” You should see their faces. One time the officer’s demeanor totally changed. He’d started out hard, but softened when he saw my respect for his authority. I thought at one point he was going to take the ticket back, although that was not my intent.
I have a friend who pastors in the state where the governor was dishonored by the “Christian” radio station host. Hear his testimony. He was in prayer for his city, asking God how to really make a difference. At the time his church consisted of a small body of believers. God put it in his heart to honor the civil authorities of his city. After further prayer, he knew what to do. He and his leaders investigated the greatest needs of the city. They found out the fire department needed masks to enable the firefighters to see people through smoke, but the items weren’t included in their budget that year. The masks cost $25,000 each. That was a lot of money for a church their size.
The pastor shared the vision with his people, and in one offering they raised every bit of what was needed. He and the leaders of his church presented the check to the city. He shared with me, “John, you would be amazed the way this has ministered to the city officials. They could not believe a church would perform such and act of kindness. They were used to people griping about the needs of government, not giving freely toward them.
Since then the church as exploded in growth. When the congregation dedicated a new building, many city officials attended, and some still attend. Compare this pastor’s fruit with that of the radio host.
I’ve heard numerous believers gripe about the taxes they pay. I’ve met people in churches who have figured out ways of not paying taxes. They claim it is their constitutional right. To them, I argue, “Your exhortation from God supersedes your supposed constitutional right. God says to ‘pay taxes.’” I then say to these people, “Who is paying for the roads you drive on? Who is paying for the policemen, firemen, and lawmakers who protect you?” I have listened as accountants tell me how believers cheat on their taxes by trying to cut corners. It is heartbreaking. I told our accountants, “I don’t want gray areas; I don’t want to cut corners.” Paying taxes is an opportunity to give back to the government that serves us. We cant be stolen from if we choose to give! When are we believers going to rebel in this truth?
If the church would lay hold of this, we would be a greater witness to our nation and the world. We must learn to honor – to revere, respect; to treat deference and submission, and perform relative duties to – those who are in authority. In doing so we honor our heavenly Father. When we honor the king, we show our fear of the Lord.
The command to honor the king directly represents civil authority; this counsel also spans other areas of delegated authority. Note the references to honor in the following verses. Concerning the family, God said, “Honor your father and mother” (Eph 6:2). Again he commanded, “let the wife see that she respects her husband” (Eph 5:33. As for social authorities, we read, “let as many bondservants as are under the yoke count their own masters worthy of all honor, so that the name of God and His doctrine may not be blasphemed” (1 Tim 6:1). And as for church authority, we are commanded, “let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in the word and doctrine” (1 Tim 5:17).
As a youth pastor, I too often witnessed young people speaking disrespectfully to their parents. There was no respect in these young people, let alone honor. I corrected them on the spot if their parents didn’t. if they only knew they were actually hurting themselves, they wouldn’t have dared to do it. God says, “ ‘Cursed is the man who dishonors his father or his mother.’ Then all the people shall say, ‘Amen!’” (Deut. 27:16). The curse we discussed in earlier studies comes on those who dishonor their parents.
On the flip side, God promises great blessings to those who honor their parents: “ ‘Honor your father and mother,’ which is the first commandment with promise: ‘that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth’” (Eph 6:2-3).
God actually promises a child two distinct blessings when he honors his parents. First, it goes well with him. A person who does not honor his parents cannot count on life going well for him. He is under a curse. (I will share my testimony about this in a later study.)
The second promise is a long life. What a benefit for honoring your parents! You may think, Wait a minute. I’ve known children who honored their parents, yet died young. I know for sure that the Word of God says this is the first command with promise. We get in trouble when we allow what we see around us to negate the promises of God. Consider this: our Father promises complete freedom from fear to those who are His. In His words, “in righteousness you shall be established; you shall be far from oppression, for you shall not fear: (Isa. 54:14). Yet precious Christians live in fear. If the promises were automatic, why do so many live under this torment? The answer to this question is : they are received through prayer and won by the good fight of faith.
Abraham’s son Isaac is a good example. God made the promise to Abraham concerning Isaac, “I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his descendants after him” (Gen 17:19). God declared the promise, yet after marriage they discovered Rebekah, his only wife, was barren! To complicate matters, he had not chosen her; the Holy Spirit picked her out. You may ask, “Do you mean God handpicked a barren wife?” Yes! The promise was not automatic; it had to be appropriated. Hear what Scripture says, “Now Isaac pleaded with the Lord for his wife, because she was barren; and the Lord granted his plea, and Rebekah his wife conceived” (Gen 25:21).
Isaac had to fight to obtain the promise by crying out to the Lord. He prayed according to the will of God and was answered. We are encouraged, “Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him”(1 John 5:14-15). God made His will clear in the covenant. If we have His promise, we know we can pray according to His will.
By honoring your parents, you can stand on His two covenant promises through prayer and receive a good, long, and fruitful life. Base your faith on the covenant of God, not the lives of others.
Perhaps you are fretting because you have not honored your parents. This is where repentance comes in. Go to God in prayer and your parents in person, and ask their forgiveness. Begin to honor them, and believe for His covenant promises to be manifested in your life.
The same principle applies for bosses, employers, and teachers, ect. If we honor them, it will be well for us, and we will receive our reward from the Lord. Paul instructed employees, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for his wrong, and there is no favoritism” (Col 3:23-25).
Next study we will discuss benefits of giving the honor due those who are His servants, and what we miss when we fail to recognize the ones God sends us, in “Double Honor.”