Little Red Book Ministry

D. Submit to authorities
“Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour” (Romans 13:7).

1. Government
A number of Christians have become quite militant against what they consider repressive government policies. In some cases, they may be making a legitimate stand for righteousness. However, in many cases the object may be to discuss resistance to such routine issues as paying taxes or owning guns. Be very careful if you are approached by a fellow Christian to become involved in some kind of activist group. Our Lord as well as the apostle Paul gave us some pretty clear guidelines regarding our response to government. We must live by those guidelines and not let mere men become our consciences or worse yet try to assume the role of our Teacher, the Holy Ghost, in our lives.

Matthew 22:15–21; Romans 13:1–7; 1 Peter 2:13–15

2. Husband
This can be a difficult area for some women. The Bible takes a very strong position that the man is the head of the family unit. His wife must submit to his will in all family decisions that do not cause her to sin against God. The Word of God makes no allowance for the woman whose husband seems to make poor decisions. She must abide by his will and make the best of the situation. Sometimes the only way to bear up under such a situation is to remember that she is doing this to please her Lord and that she will be rewarded for her obedience at the Judgment Seat of Christ. On the other hand, a woman should always realize that some decisions have extenuating circumstances that she may not be aware of. It is important for a family to have strong leadership and leadership by committee does not work in many instances. If you have a problem in this area, our advice is to memorize, and determine to live by, Proverbs 3:5–6.

Ephesians 5:22–24; Colossians 3:18–19