What the Bible Says About the Law of the Land

The term “law of the land” refers to the legal statutes and regulations established by a government, which should be aligned with moral and ethical principles as outlined in Scripture. Romans 13:1-2 emphasizes the responsibility of Christians to submit to governing authorities, indicating that such laws are instituted by God.

Christian-figure-contemplating-laws-open-Bible-serene-setting-moral-reflection-divine-guidance-_zjlw

Scripture

1 Let every person be subject to the governing authorities.
2 Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment.
3 For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval,
4 for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer.
5 Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience.
6 For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing.
7 Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.

Romans 13:1-7

Biblical Meaning of Law of the Land

The concept of the “law of the land” within a biblical framework encompasses both divine and human justice, reflecting a harmonious relationship between government authority and God’s commandments. Romans 13:1-2 states, “Let 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.” This suggests that secular laws are not to be perceived merely as human constructs but rather as part of God’s sovereign ordering of society. Christians are thus called to respect the legal systems in place, operating under the belief that these authorities fulfill God’s purpose in maintaining order and justice, which are central themes in biblical teaching.

Moreover, the interaction between the law of the land and biblical principles invites deeper reflection on moral accountability. Micah 6:8 admonishes believers: “He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” This underscores the importance of aligning civil laws with God’s moral directives, suggesting that when human laws diverge from scriptural ethics, believers have a duty to uphold God’s laws as higher authority. This relationship promotes a society where justice, mercy, and humility prevail, affirming that the ultimate purpose of both God’s law and human legislation is the flourishing of humanity in accordance with His divine design.

In addition to the aforementioned perspectives, the Bible emphasizes the imperative of justice prevailing in civil governance, as seen in the prophetic literature which often critiques unjust practices within societies. For example, the prophets frequently called for adherence to ethical behavior among leaders, reaffirming that laws should reflect God’s character of justice and righteousness. These prophetic voices provide a biblical foundation for the belief that governance should be concerned not only with legalistic compliance but also with the ethical implications of laws enacted within the land. When leaders fail to embody integrity and justice, they risk falling short of their biblically ordained responsibility, thereby challenging the moral integrity of the entire community.

Furthermore, the New Testament offers insights into the relationship between the church and the state, demonstrating that the kingdom of God transcends any earthly government. While believers are instructed to respect and submit to the authorities, it is made clear that their ultimate allegiance is to Christ’s teachings. The early Christians often engaged with the laws of their day, yet they did so from a perspective that prioritized love, truth, and ethical living according to the teachings of Jesus. This engagement serves as a reminder that while the law of the land is significant, it is the transformative power of God’s law that continues to inspire believers to advocate for justice and mercy in their communities, ensuring that every law rooted in the world reflects God’s divine will for humanity.

Divine Authority and Human Governance

The concept of the law of the land in the Bible reflects the belief that all governing authorities are instituted by God. This suggests that human laws and regulations are not merely social constructs but are part of a divine order. The law serves to maintain order, justice, and morality within society, and adherence to these laws is seen as a form of obedience to God’s will. This perspective emphasizes the importance of respecting and upholding the laws of the land as a means of honoring God’s authority.

Justice and Righteousness

Another broader meaning of the law of the land in the biblical context is the pursuit of justice and righteousness. The law is intended to protect the vulnerable, promote fairness, and ensure that all individuals are treated equitably. This understanding highlights the moral responsibility of both leaders and citizens to advocate for laws that reflect God’s justice and righteousness, ensuring that the legal system serves the common good and upholds ethical standards.

Community and Social Order

The law of the land also signifies the importance of community and social order. In biblical teachings, laws are not just rules to be followed but are meant to foster a sense of belonging and responsibility among individuals within a society. By adhering to the law, individuals contribute to the stability and harmony of their community, reflecting the biblical principle of loving one’s neighbor. This communal aspect underscores the idea that laws should promote peace and cooperation among people, aligning with the broader biblical call to live in unity and love.

How to Embrace Authority and Uphold Justice in Faith

Embracing authority and upholding justice in our faith journey is a profound calling that requires both humility and courage. As Christians, we are reminded in Romans 13:1 that all authority comes from God, and this means we must respect and submit to the structures He has put in place, while also being vigilant in advocating for justice. This can be challenging, especially when we see authority misused or when justice seems absent. However, we can draw strength from the teachings of Jesus, who exemplified righteous authority and stood up for the marginalized. To truly embody this balance, we must engage in prayer, seek wisdom from Scripture, and actively participate in our communities, ensuring that our actions reflect God’s love and righteousness. Remember, upholding justice is not just about speaking out against wrongs; it’s also about embodying grace and mercy in our interactions, fostering an environment where everyone feels valued and heard. Let’s commit to being agents of change, reflecting Christ’s heart in a world that desperately needs it.

Bible References to Law of the Land:

1 Peter 2:13-17: 13 Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme,
14 or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good.
15 For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people.
16 Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God.
17 Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.

Titus 3:1-2: 1 Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work,
2 to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people.

Matthew 22:15-22: 15 Then the Pharisees went and plotted how to entangle him in his words.
16 And they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are true and teach the way of God truthfully, and you do not care about anyone’s opinion, for you are not swayed by appearances.
17 Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?”
18 But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, “Why put me to the test, you hypocrites?
19 Show me the coin for the tax.” And they brought him a denarius.
20 And he said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?”
21 They said to him, “Caesar’s.” Then he said to them, “Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”
22 When they heard it, they marveled. And they left him and went away.

Proverbs 21:1-3: 1 The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord; he turns it wherever he will.
2 Every way of a man is right in his own eyes,
but the Lord weighs the heart.
3 To do righteousness and justice is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.

Deuteronomy 17:14-20: 14 “When you come to the land that the Lord your God is giving you, and you possess it and dwell in it and then say, ‘I will set a king over me, like all the nations that are around me,’”
15 you may indeed set a king over you whom the Lord your God will choose.
16 Only he must not acquire many horses for himself or cause the people to return to Egypt in order to acquire many horses, since the Lord has said to you, ‘You shall never return that way again.’
17 And he shall not acquire many wives for himself, lest his heart turn away, nor shall he acquire for himself excessive silver and gold.
18 “And when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, he shall write for himself in a book a copy of this law, approved by the Levitical priests.”
19 And it shall be with him, and he shall read in it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the Lord his God by keeping all the words of this law and these statutes, and doing them,
20 that his heart may not be lifted up above his brothers, and that he may not turn aside from the commandment, either to the right hand or to the left, so that he may continue long in his kingdom, he and his children, in Israel.

Jeremiah 29:4-7: 4 “Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon:”
5 Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their produce.
6 Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease.
7 But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.

1 Timothy 2:1-4: 1 First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people,
2 for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.
3 This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior,
4 who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

Exodus 23:1-9: 1 “You shall not spread a false report. You shall not join hands with a wicked man to be a malicious witness.
2 You shall not fall in with the many to do evil, nor shall you bear witness in a lawsuit, siding with the many, so as to pervert justice,
3 nor shall you be partial to a poor man in his lawsuit.
4 “If you meet your enemy’s ox or his donkey going astray, you shall bring it back to him.”
5 If you see the donkey of one who hates you lying down under its burden, you shall refrain from leaving him with it; you shall rescue it with him.
6 “You shall not pervert the justice due to your poor in his lawsuit.”
7 Keep far from a false charge, and do not kill the innocent and righteous, for I will not acquit the wicked.
8 And you shall take no bribe, for a bribe blinds the clear-sighted and subverts the cause of those who are in the right.
9 “You shall not oppress a sojourner. You know the heart of a sojourner, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt.”

Leviticus 19:15-18: 15 “You shall do no injustice in court. You shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great, but in righteousness shall you judge your neighbor.”
16 You shall not go around as a slanderer among your people, and you shall not stand up against the life of your neighbor: I am the Lord.
17 You shall not hate your brother in your heart, but you shall reason frankly with your neighbor, lest you incur sin because of him.
18 You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.

Acts 5:27-32: 27 And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest questioned them,
28 saying, “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.”
29 But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men.
30 The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree.
31 God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.
32 And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”

Daniel 6:6-10: 6 Then these high officials and satraps came by agreement to the king and said to him, “O King Darius, live forever!
7 All the presidents of the kingdom, the prefects and the satraps, the counselors and the governors are agreed that the king should establish an ordinance and enforce an injunction, that whoever makes petition to any god or man for thirty days, except to you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions.
8 Now, O king, establish the injunction and sign the document, so that it cannot be changed, according to the law of the Medes and the Persians, which cannot be revoked.
9 Therefore King Darius signed the document and injunction.
10 When Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he went to his house where he had windows in his upper chamber open toward Jerusalem. He got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously.

Nehemiah 9:26-30: 26 “Nevertheless, they were disobedient and rebelled against you and cast your law behind their back and killed your prophets, who had warned them in order to turn them back to you, and they committed great blasphemies.”
27 Therefore you gave them into the hand of their enemies, who made them suffer. And in the time of their suffering they cried out to you and you heard them from heaven, and according to your great mercies you gave them saviors who saved them from the hand of their enemies.
28 But after they had rest, they did evil again before you, and you abandoned them to the hand of their enemies, so that they had dominion over them. Yet when they turned and cried to you, you heard from heaven, and many times you delivered them according to your mercies.
29 And you warned them in order to turn them back to your law. Yet they acted presumptuously and did not obey your commandments, but sinned against your rules, which if a person does them, he shall live by them, and they turned a stubborn shoulder and stiffened their neck and would not obey.
30 Many years you bore with them and warned them by your Spirit through your prophets. Yet they would not give ear. Therefore you gave them into the hand of the peoples of the lands.

Isaiah 10:1-4: 1 Woe to those who decree iniquitous decrees,
and the writers who keep writing oppression,
2 to turn aside the needy from justice
and to rob the poor of my people of their right,
that widows may be their spoil,
and that they may make the fatherless their prey!
3 What will you do on the day of punishment, in the ruin that will come from afar? To whom will you flee for help, and where will you leave your wealth?
4 Nothing remains but to crouch among the prisoners or fall among the slain.

Psalm 72:1-4: 1 Give the king your justice, O God,
and your righteousness to the royal son!
2 May he judge your people with righteousness, and your poor with justice!
3 Let the mountains bear prosperity for the people, and the hills, in righteousness.
4 May he defend the cause of the poor of the people, give deliverance to the children of the needy, and crush the oppressor!