First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity.
~ 1 Tim 2:1-2
We live in a surprising era.
This week, the US House of Representatives passed H.R. 3755, a sweeping legislative act that allows for unrestricted access to abortion. The bill was passed largely in response to the Texas legislation (called the Texas Heartbeat Act) that limits abortion access to six weeks—the customary time when a heartbeat can be heard over ultrasound.
HR 3755 is designed to override individual states’ rights to limit abortion at the state level through national legislation. The Bill will likely move to the Supreme Court for adjudication, but from a Biblical perspective, abortion is murder. Passing the Bill is, without question, an act of aggression against the unborn, and is sinful.
The question, of course, is how should Christians respond when these types of situations occur? Is there an answer in the Bible about how we should deal with leaders who are murderers?
Interestingly, Paul provides a helpful answer in his first letter to Timothy. Paul tells him that the church should be instructed to pray for kings and those who are in authority. What’s fascinating about this statement is that the emperor at the time was Nero Claudius Caesar (on the throne from 54 AD to 68 AD).
Nero was a terrible king. He is notorious for murdering his enemies, Christians, and even members of his own family. He was vicious against those who contradicted him in any way. His name is literally synonymous with evil dictators and murderers.
So what did Paul call these Christians to do? What was his perspective on this situation?
He calls them to pray for their leaders and to plead with God to allow them to lead quiet and tranquil lives in godliness and dignity.
Now - to be clear, this doesn’t mean we don’t vote. It doesn’t mean we don’t make political statements. It doesn’t mean we don’t lament these sinful activities.
But what it does mean is that we remain dignified and godly in how we behave. What’s more, the verse also means that before we argue these issues publicly (whether on social media or in person), we spend time on our knees praying for our leaders.
So let’s commit ourselves to prayer. May we plead with the Lord that those who would murder children wantonly would have their eyes open to the Gospel of Christ, and that we would be able to lead godly lives in all dignity.
