Not a Cause of Fear

The news is rife with stories about supposedly corrupt members of police forces across the country. In many of these cases public opinion has been turned against members of law enforcement long before a trial has occurred. The pungent stench of prejudice against those wearing the uniform hangs heavy in many cities in the United States and fear has begun to grip the citizens of our country. Those who believe the story being presented by the media live in fear that the law no longer matters, and that a police officer can fire at will without any sense of accountability. The narrative is reaching the point that policemen and women are being painted as mass murderers who care nothing for the people they have pledged to protect and serve.

Time will tell just how much of this narrative has been imagined and exaggerated to gain clicks on a website or views on a video, but today you have a choice to make. How will you view and treat the authorities in place in this country, including your local police force? While some choose to violently attack their local officers, what should a Christian do? God has made His standard abundantly clear through the writing of the apostle Paul in Romans 13:1-2: 

 ¹ Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. ² Therefore whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves.

There is no person who is exempt from this standard (v.1), but rather every single person must submit to the authorities over them, including the police force, and God has said those who choose to resist are also choosing condemnation, an eternity in Hell (v.2). That may seem harsh, but the reasoning which follows offers clarity: rulers take care of those who do good, and are a terror to those who do evil (v.3-4). The ones who resist the caretakers of good are supporting and promoting evil. Condemnation comes to those who unrepentantly support and promote evil.

Coming back to the concept of the police, Paul wrote of the sword which the government bears, and that they do not bear it in vain. The sword of Romans 13:4 is the instrument of death which was held by the governing bodies in those days, but today concerning our policemen we may well say, “They do not carry the gun for nothing.” When a citizen chooses to rebel against the laws of the land, members of law enforcement have the responsibility to correct the problem using the appropriate amount of force, which includes deadly force. If you are terrified of being shot by law enforcement, the question raised in Romans 13:3 applies: “Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good and you will have praise from the same.” God’s answer? Do good, and you have no reason to worry.

I feel safer when I see a police vehicle traveling the city because I choose to obey the law while respecting and honoring those who enforce it. What truly terrifies me is the thought of having no one enforcing the laws of the land, which is a possible outcome when we so mistreat and disrespect our officers today. Let us honor, respect, and submit to our officers who risk their lives every day dealing especially with lawless people who have no regard for the safety of others or the success of our nation.