My dear readers,

We Ought to Obey God Rather Than Men 

Acts 5:29: “Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.” 

All faithful believers need to understand the above truth and apply it to their life and witness before God and man. There is no denying that this is a clear doctrine taught throughout the whole Bible. For their own personal convictions and causes, many men have chosen to disobey authorities and suffer the consequences for it. Some refused to surrender their morals and ethics and lost their jobs. Others have gone to prison for the sake of nations or saving the earth or other reasons that they felt are more important to them than their freedom, family, and even lives. What about us as believers?

The Apostle Peter, John and their fellow disciples faced a situation where they had to choose to obey God or man. The context is Acts 5:27-29,“And when they had brought them, they set them before the council: and the high priest asked them, Saying, Did not we straitly command you that ye should not teach in this name? and, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this man's blood upon us. Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.” The authorities were the Sanhedrin Council authorised by Rome to oversee the behaviour and conduct of the Jews. They commanded Paul and the Apostles to stop teaching in the Name of Jesus Christ whom the council had crucified less than 50 days ago. The disciples of Christ came to a crossroad in their life of witness where a choice must be made. To obey God means to disobey the laws of man and face the consequences. To obey man and disobey God also has its consequence!

Before the day comes (or perhaps the day has already come for some of us in our witness for Christ), we need to prepare our hearts in advance. When the time comes, there should be no hesitation but to do what is right to the glory of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

The biblical way to obey the laws of man (cf. Rom 13) – We know that the world is ruled by the god of this world, i.e. the devil. He is the prince of darkness. He controls the governments and authorities in high places, though they are not aware of it. Only believers who know the Word of God and have discernment can see that they are always in a spiritual warfare. They no longer decide based upon flesh and blood because they are spiritual people forever since the day they were born again in Christ. They need to bear this in mind always when they make decisions.

Romans 13 teaches that as far as man's laws are concerned, believers are to obey them casuistically (case by case) and never apodictically (absolutely, like we obey the Ten Commandments). Man's laws that are good and not evil, all believers are to obey. But what the laws of man permit that are sinful and evil, believers are not permitted to do. The laws might be legal, but they might also be sinful. For example, in some countries, the homosexual lifestyle is legal. It does not mean that believers ought to accept this. It is also true for fornication and adultery, which are no longer criminal even in Singapore. Vices like gambling, drinking, and smoking are also legal, but that does not mean that believers can do them. They are sinful.

The guideline is that the Bible will still be the believer’s objective guide to his life of witness for Christ in this sin-filled world. His holy witness for Christ is based upon the absolute standards and teaching of God’s holy Word.

The biblical way to obey the laws of God – The Word of God regulates our relationship with God and with the world. What happens when man's laws conflict with the Word of God (like what we see in Acts 5:27-29)? Paul’s example above is not unique. Daniel, who lived in exile in Babylon, had decided from the beginning when he was brought into captivity that he would not defile himself so that his witness for Christ would not be jeopardized (Dan 1:8). He would be sinning against God if he defiled himself. This God-given conviction kept him in good stead for more than 70 years. Daniel faced his greatest challenge when he was well past 80 years old.

Daniel 6:7-10,“All the presidents of the kingdom, the governors, and the princes, the counsellers, and the captains, have consulted together to establish a royal statute, and to make a firm decree, that whosoever shall ask a petition of any God or man for thirty days, save of thee, O king, he shall be cast into the den of lions. Now, O king, establish the decree, and sign the writing, that it be not changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not. Wherefore king Darius signed the writing and the decree. Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime.”

Daniel could have just not prayed and waited for 30 days and reasoned that God would understand that he was old and had faithfully served all these years. But he did not. He could also have chosen to pray silently or to close his windows and pray openly. But he did not. He chose to obey God rather than man. The Bible says that Daniel prayed and gave thanks to God with his windows open “as he did aforetime.” This had been Daniel’s daily manner of spiritual life before God. To change it for fear of death would cost him the holy witness that he had built up over the past 70 years. Daniel was prepared to die for his faith in Christ.

The conviction of heart is where it begins. Every faithful believer needs to settle in his heart what the doctrines are that he must hold fast to unto death. These doctrines can be separated into two types.

1. Doctrines that pertain to a relationship with God-- Doctrines that pertain to our relationship with God include creation, virgin birth of Christ, resurrection of Christ, global flood, miracles in the Bible, there is only one living and true God, the sacraments, worship, etc. No amount of indoctrination must change us. No threat must frighten us as our lives are in God’s sovereign hand. If we are absent from the body, then we are present with our LORD. If believers are asked to recant any one of these doctrines, then they must hold on to them even unto death, like John Hus (burned at the stake) and Martin Luther (escaped by the mercies of God).
2. Doctrines that pertain to holy witness for Christ– There are doctrines that directly impact our witness for Christ like eating food offered to idols, lying, sexual sins, etc. For example, Daniel did not take issue when the Babylonians taught him all sorts of false Babylonian teachings, including changing his name to one that was after a Babylonian god, Bel. Daniel knew what he believed and who he was regardless of what others taught and called him. But when his witness for the LORD would be changed if he ate the unclean food or food offered to idols, he was determined not to obey. This was also true 70 years later, which resulted in him being cast into the lion’s den. Daniel didn’t want his witness to be compromised, because his compromise would mar his holy witness. His walk with God would be in sin. This conviction of heart is what every believer must have as well.

The Word of God is the only lamp unto our feet to guide us in our holy witness for Christ and our relationship with God. The world ruled by the devil cannot be the basis for our witness for Christ and the worship of God. The LORD ordained everything when He gave the people of Israel the Pentateuch as the only Guide to holy living. He did not consult Moses or any man. The way to God must come only from God.

Food for Thought – Will you always obey God rather than man?