On July 4th, 1776, fifty-six delegates of the Second Continental Congress unanimously adopted the Declaration of Independence. This document says that men are given their rights by “their Creator.” It was a Christian-focused document that pointed to the Judeo-Christian God as the giver of rights to men.

We should ask: If men get their rights from God, does the government, or any government, have rights? And if so, where do they get their rights? 

According to the apostle Paul, the answer is God. In Paul’s letter to the believers in Romans, he addresses the idea of civil government in Romans 13:1-7. In the first couple of verses, the apostle Paul says we must be subject to the governing authorities. If they are to be obeyed, they are legitimate in the eyes of the apostle Paul.

The apostle Paul says, “There is no authority except from God, and God has instituted those that exist.” He says that the government should be obeyed because God establishes government.

In the next verse, he takes this deeper, saying that you are not obeying God if you do not obey the government. Not only that but if you disobey the government, you will be judged for not obeying God.

The question then becomes, does this mean that governing authorities can declare whatever they want? No. That question will be looked at in our next article. In that article, we will ask what rights does the government have. But when it comes to where the government receives its rights, it is from God Himself.

Thanks for taking time to read this Maddening Theology post. If you enjoyed this content you can find Pastor Tim’s sermons at www.cornerstoneforestcity.org. You can also join us at 520 Marion St. Browndale, PA 18421 on Sundays at 10 AM. To make following the blog easier you can also register. You can also join us on Facebook at Cornerstone Forest City. Also, don’t forget to download our APP on iTunes  or Googleplay.