Christians should be the best law-abiding citizens in the world.  Why?  Because God commands us to be.  The civil government is an agent of God.

Romans 13:1–2 (ESV)
¹Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. ²Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment.

There is one exception to this and that is when the government commands us to do something that would violate a command from God.  When the Jewish authorities questioned the apostles about what they were preaching concerning Christ, they said to them, “We strictly charged you not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you intend to bring this man’s blood upon us” (Acts 5:28).  The response from Peter and the apostles is important here.  I want you to notice precisely what is said and what is not said.

Acts 5:29 (ESV)
²⁹ But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men.

What is at issue here is obedience to God.  Peter is indicating that they must continue to preach in the name of Jesus because it is what God has commanded them to do.  To obey the Jewish authorities by not preaching the gospel of Christ would be to disobey God.  The apostles had no intention of doing that.

Peter did not say on this occasion, we must do what God allows us to do.  Some brethren are under the impression that we can disobey civil government if it restricts us from doing something God allows.  That is not what this or any other passage teaches.  The reason some quickly conclude this is because they are influenced by a society that puts personal rights above just about anything else.  The response of the apostles, however, was not, “We must do what God allows instead of obeying the law.”

Is it disappointing when the law of the land will not allow us to do something that God allows?  Sure, it is but that does not mean we can do it.  Sometimes we must forego personal rights.  Paul did this all the time.

1 Corinthians 9:19 (ESV)
¹⁹ For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them.

Paul gave up his right to do certain things because it would help him win souls to Christ.  Sometimes we must do the same thing to obey the law of the land.  No one enjoys giving up rights but at times, whether it is voluntary or involuntary, we must.

An area where brethren misapply this truth is when it comes to marriage, divorce, and remarriage.  I have heard it argued that in New Testament times, women did not have the right to divorce their husbands according to the laws of the land (something, by the way, that needs proving).  Thus, it is taught that they could mentally put their spouse away if the husband was unfaithful.  That sounds good, but is it true?  The answer is no, first because God never sanctioned “mental divorce” in the Word of God, but second, shouldn’t we consider if God approves of getting around civil authority and the laws of the land merely to avoid losing a personal right?

Whatever the scenario might be, the only time we know we must not do what civil law requires is if it causes us to break a command from God, not when it merely forces us to give up a right. If a law is unpleasant, or even downright unfair, we must still obey it for it is God who made us subject to the governing authorities.

As you wind down for the night, think about these things.